Carrying a Firearm in Delaware
A starting point for Delaware firearm carry laws. Compare concealed carry, open carry, vehicle carry, location restrictions, intoxication rules and interstate travel, then continue to the detailed guide for your situation.
What are you trying to do?
Carry a concealed firearm
Start with Delaware’s CCDW license requirements, training, application and renewal process.
Open carry a firearm
Learn Delaware’s general open-carry rule and the locations and circumstances that remain restricted.
Carry or store a firearm in a vehicle
Understand concealment issues, unattended storage and school/college vehicle exceptions.
Cross state lines with a firearm
Review FOPA, reciprocity, destination-state law, magazines and NFA transport.
Delaware distinguishes open carry from concealed carry
Delaware courts have recognized Delaware as an open-carry state. By contrast, 11 Del. C. §1442 makes it a criminal offense to carry a concealed deadly weapon upon or about the person without a license issued under §1441. When the concealed weapon is a firearm or projectile weapon, §1442 classifies the offense as a Class D felony.
Location restrictions, prohibited-person rules, vehicle concealment issues, intoxication laws and private-property rights can still make possession unlawful or require the firearm to remain elsewhere.
Delaware residents generally need a Delaware CCDW
Delaware DOJ states that Delaware residents who wish to carry a concealed deadly weapon in Delaware must have a current Delaware CCDW license. Applications are initiated through Delaware Superior Court.
For the full application and training requirements:
Open carry is generally lawful for a person who may lawfully possess the firearm
Delaware Supreme Court decisions describe Delaware as an open-carry state. There is no general statewide license required solely because a lawfully possessed firearm is carried openly.
A firearm that begins as openly carried can raise a concealed-carry issue if clothing, a vehicle seat, a console or another object hides it from ordinary observation. Vehicle situations deserve separate analysis.
For the full open-carry and restricted-location analysis:
Vehicle carry has its own concealment and storage questions
A firearm inside a vehicle can raise questions about concealment and accessibility, especially for a person without a CCDW. Delaware does not provide one universal “put the gun here and it is always legal” rule for every vehicle and circumstance.
Under §1456, an unattended firearm in a vehicle must be secured in a locked box or container, locked firearms rack, or locked trunk. A valid CCDW is not a defense to that unattended-storage requirement.
For attended carry, storage and school/college vehicle exceptions:
Where does Delaware impose special firearm restrictions?
Delaware law permits municipalities to regulate possession in police stations and municipal buildings under specific statutory conditions, including conspicuous entrance signage. The statute also contains protections for qualifying concealed-carry licensees.
State parks, wildlife areas and forests have designated-area rules
DNREC states that visitors may lawfully possess firearms, as allowed by Delaware law, in state parks, wildlife areas and forests, including places such as trails, unguarded beaches, parking lots and vehicles.
DNREC also identifies designated facilities and areas where firearms are restricted, including certain offices, visitor centers, nature centers, bathhouses, restaurants, event facilities, educational facilities, playgrounds, camping areas, pools and guarded beaches. Valid Delaware CCDW holders are treated differently under the regulations.
Possession while under the influence can be a criminal offense
Section 1460 prohibits possession of a firearm or projectile weapon in a public place while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, subject to the statute’s definitions and affirmative defenses.
The intoxication statute applies independently from the concealed-carry licensing statute.
Property owners may control access to private property
A firearm-carry license does not give a person an unlimited right to remain on privately controlled property against the owner’s direction. If a property owner or authorized representative directs a person to leave or comply with a lawful property rule, other criminal or civil laws may become relevant if the person refuses.
A location may create legal consequences through trespass, employment, school, court, federal-property or other rules even when there is no standalone statewide “no guns” statute for that category of private property.
Delaware carry law ends at the state line
A Delaware CCDW may be recognized by another state, but recognition does not make Delaware’s rules portable. The destination state controls where and how a firearm may be carried there.
Verify both the destination state’s official carry page and Delaware DOJ’s current reciprocity information immediately before travel.
For vehicle transport, FOPA, magazines, overnight stops and NFA firearms:
Continue with the guide that matches your situation
Official carry-law sources
11 Del. C. §1441 — License to carry concealed deadly weapons
11 Del. C. §1442 — Carrying a concealed deadly weapon
11 Del. C. §§1457A–1457C — School, polling-place and college/university restrictions
11 Del. C. §1460 — Possession while under the influence
Delaware Courts — CCDW applications, forms and instructions
Delaware DOJ — CCDW and reciprocity information
DNREC — Firearm regulations for parks, wildlife areas and forests
Brought to you by Coastal Firearms
DelawareGunLaws.com is supported by Coastal Firearms, a Delaware firearms business focused on lawful transfers, responsible ownership, education and compliance.
Carry legality can depend on license status, exact location, firearm configuration, visibility, vehicle circumstances and the person’s legal eligibility. Verify current primary sources and obtain qualified legal advice when a legal determination matters.
Last legal review: August 8, 2026
What’s Legal in Delaware?
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