Lost or Stolen Firearms in Delaware
Delaware firearm owners have a legal duty to report a lost or stolen firearm. Learn the 7-day reporting requirement, where to make the report, penalties for failing to report, vehicle theft considerations, serial-number documentation and what happens if the firearm is later recovered.
Mandatory Reporting
Report to: Local police or State Police
First offense: $75–$100 civil penalty
Third+ offense: Class G felony
If you discover a firearm is missing, the clock starts then
Delaware’s reporting deadline is measured from when the owner discovers that the firearm or projectile weapon was lost or stolen—not necessarily from the unknown date on which the loss or theft actually occurred.
7 Days
Report within seven days after discovering the loss or theft.
Local Police
Report to the law-enforcement agency with jurisdiction where the loss or theft occurred.
State Police
The report may instead be made to any Delaware State Police troop.
Penalties Increase
Repeated reporting violations can eventually become a felony.
Jump to a section
Delaware’s 7-day reporting rule
Any owner of a firearm or projectile weapon must report its loss or theft within seven days after discovering that the firearm is missing.
The important date is the date of discovery
If you do not know exactly when the firearm disappeared, Delaware’s statute measures the reporting deadline from when you discovered the loss or theft.
Who should receive the report?
Section 1461 gives the firearm owner two reporting options.
Agency with jurisdiction
Report the loss or theft to the law-enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the location where it occurred.
Any Delaware State Police troop
The statute expressly allows the owner to report the loss or theft to any State Police troop.
What information should you have when reporting a firearm?
Section 1461 establishes the duty to report but does not provide a detailed statutory checklist of every fact the owner must supply. In practice, accurate identifying information can help law enforcement identify and recover the firearm.
Keep your serial numbers somewhere separate from the firearms
A photograph, purchase invoice, manufacturer record or personal inventory can make it much easier to identify a stolen firearm accurately.
What if the firearm was stolen from a vehicle?
The same 7-day reporting requirement applies when a firearm is discovered missing or stolen from a vehicle.
However, Delaware also has a separate vehicle-storage law. A firearm knowingly left unattended in a vehicle must be secured in an authorized manner.
Reporting the theft and lawful storage are separate questions
Reporting a stolen firearm does not automatically resolve whether the firearm was properly secured before the theft.
Does a stolen firearm automatically mean the owner violated Delaware’s safe-storage law?
No. The statutes involve different legal elements.
Section 1461 concerns reporting a firearm after discovering that it was lost or stolen. Section 1456 separately governs specified unsafe-storage circumstances.
For firearms stored outside a vehicle, Delaware’s unsafe-storage offense generally requires additional facts involving a loaded firearm, access by an unauthorized person and the statutory storage conditions.
Penalties for not reporting a lost or stolen firearm
$75–$100
A first violation carries a civil penalty of at least $75 and no more than $100.
$100–$250
A second offense after sentencing or adjudication of the first carries a higher civil penalty.
Class G Felony
A third or subsequent offense after sentencing or adjudication of a second offense is a Class G felony.
Stealing or knowingly receiving a stolen firearm
Delaware treats theft of a firearm and knowingly receiving a stolen firearm as separate criminal offenses from the owner’s duty to report the theft.
Theft of a Firearm
Taking or exercising control over another person’s firearm with the required criminal intent is a Class F felony.
Receiving a Stolen Firearm
Knowingly receiving, retaining or disposing of a firearm acquired under circumstances amounting to theft can also constitute a Class F felony.
What if police later recover the firearm?
Recovery does not necessarily mean the firearm will immediately be handed back. Law enforcement may need the firearm for an investigation or criminal proceeding.
When return becomes legally appropriate, Delaware law may require the person seeking return of a deadly weapon or ammunition to establish ownership and demonstrate that the person is not otherwise prohibited from possessing it.
Keep proof of ownership
Receipts, photographs, serial-number records, estate documents or other ownership records can help establish that the firearm belongs to the person requesting its return.
Maintain a private firearm inventory
An owner does not need to wait until a firearm is lost to document it. Maintaining a private record of firearm identifying information can make a police report significantly more useful if a firearm is ever stolen.
Useful records include:
FFLs have additional federal reporting requirements
The Delaware 7-day rule discussed on this page applies to firearm owners generally. Federally licensed firearms dealers have additional federal obligations when firearms are lost or stolen from their business inventory.
Federal FFL deadline: 48 hours
ATF requires an FFL that discovers a firearm missing from inventory to report the theft or loss to ATF and the appropriate local law-enforcement agency within 48 hours of discovery.
Secure storage and firearm documentation
Coastal Firearms
DelawareGunLaws.com is supported by Coastal Firearms, a Delaware federally licensed firearms dealer focused on lawful firearm ownership, transfers and responsible storage.
Firearm owners should maintain their own secure records of firearm serial numbers and other identifying information and store firearms in a manner appropriate to their household, vehicle and circumstances.
If a firearm has actually been lost or stolen, the required report should be made to law enforcement rather than merely notifying a dealer.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to report a lost gun in Delaware?
Yes. Delaware law requires an owner to report the loss or theft of a firearm or projectile weapon within seven days after discovering that it is lost or stolen.
When does the seven-day period begin?
The statute measures the seven-day period from the owner’s discovery of the loss or theft.
Where do I report a stolen firearm?
You may report it to the law-enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the place where the theft or loss occurred or to any Delaware State Police troop.
What if I do not know exactly when the firearm disappeared?
Section 1461 bases the reporting deadline on when you discovered the loss or theft. Provide law enforcement with the most accurate information you have about when and where the firearm was last known to be present.
What happens if I fail to report it?
A first violation carries a $75–$100 civil penalty. A second carries $100–$250. A third or subsequent offense after the required prior adjudications is a Class G felony.
What if the firearm was stolen from my car?
The 7-day reporting requirement still applies. Delaware also has separate requirements for how an unattended firearm must be secured in a vehicle.
Does a stolen gun mean I automatically violated the safe-storage law?
No. The lost-or-stolen reporting statute and Delaware’s safe-storage statute contain different legal elements. Whether a storage violation occurred depends on the facts and the applicable portion of § 1456.
What if I do not know the serial number?
You should still make the required report. Give law enforcement all identifying information available to you. Purchase records, photographs, manufacturer information or records from the selling dealer may help identify the firearm.
What happens if police recover my stolen gun?
Law enforcement may retain the firearm while it is needed for an investigation or proceeding. When legally appropriate for return, the owner may be required to establish ownership and lawful eligibility to possess the firearm.
Do gun dealers have the same seven-day deadline?
Federally licensed firearms dealers have additional federal requirements. ATF requires an FFL to report a theft or loss from inventory to ATF and local law enforcement within 48 hours after discovery.
Related Delaware firearm laws
Official sources
11 Del. C. § 1456
Safe-storage requirements, including unattended firearms in vehicles.
Legal information, not legal advice.
DelawareGunLaws.com is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with the Delaware State Police, ATF or any government agency. If you discover that a firearm has been lost or stolen, contact an appropriate law-enforcement agency promptly rather than relying on a general online summary. Separate laws concerning safe storage, prohibited persons, criminal investigations and recovered firearms may also apply.
Delaware Safe Storage Laws
Learn Delaware’s requirements for loaded firearms, unauthorized persons and firearms left unattended in motor vehicles.