How To Get Your Delaware Concealed Carry Permit
Whether you're new to owning a firearm or have had a gun for home defense for years, getting a concealed handgun permit may seem daunting. It doesn't have to be. There are many reasons and ways to carry a concealed weapon, but the first step is knowing Delaware's concealed carry laws. Applying for a CDWL varies by state.
Read about the process for getting a Delaware Concealed Deadly Weapons License below.
Steps To Get A Delaware Concealed Carry Permit
Download and complete the application. You can take your training class before you submit your application or wait until your application is approved, at which point you have 90 days to submit your training certificate.
Arrange with a newspaper of general circulation in your county to have your application published once, at least 10 business days before the filing of your application with the court. Obtain an affidavit from the newspaper company stating that this requirement has been met and attach it to your application. Note: Selected newspaper must have a circulation of at least 35 percent of the population in your zip code. Be sure to use your whole name — no initials — and your home address.
Arrange to be fingerprinted by the State Bureau of Identification (SBI) within 45 days of filing an application. Fingerprinting by appointment only. Call the SBI at (302) 739-2528 and you will be given the address of the Delaware State Police Troop to report to at the time you are given an appointment. You may want to verify payment methods at the time you schedule your interview.
Have the reference questionnaires completed by five citizens from the county in which you reside who are not related to you and who have known you for at least one year.
Take the completed and notarized application to the prothonotary office, or mail it to the prothonotary office in the county in which you reside. You will need to include the following:
- The original set of fingerprints and a complete copy of all the documents
- Two passport-style photographs taken within the preceding six-month period
- The filing fee
If your application is approved, you must now complete an approved gun course within 90 days. If you cannot complete the course within 90 days of the approval of your gun license, submit proof that you have enrolled in the course.
Submit an original, notarized certification of satisfactory completion of the firearms training course. Please note that if a certification or proof of enrollment is not filed with the court within 90 days of the approval of your gun license, they will assume you no longer want to obtain a gun license. In order to obtain a gun license, you will have to start the process over.
Your license will be issued.
Find a CCW Training Class
What Are the Firearms Training Requirements in Delaware?
A firearms training course shall include the following elements:
- Safe handling of firearms and ammunition
- Safe storage of firearms and child safety
- Safe storage of ammunition and child safety
- Safe firearms shooting fundamentals
- Live-fire shooting exercises conducted on a range, including the expenditure of a minimum of 100 rounds of ammunition
- Identification of ways to develop and maintain firearms shooting skills
- Federal and state laws pertaining to the lawful purchase, ownership, transportation, use and possession of firearms
- Laws of this state pertaining to the use of deadly force for self-defense
- Techniques for avoiding a criminal attack and how to manage a violent confrontation, including conflict resolution
Be sure to verify that any firearm training you receive in order to obtain your license is approved by the state of Delaware.
A firearms training course that includes live-fire shooting exercises is required to obtain a permit. Applicants must obtain five references from residents of their county and then they must publish their application in a local newspaper 10 days before filing their application. The application is reviewed by the attorney general’s office and a court.
No additional training is required for license renewals.
What Are the Delaware License to Carry a Handgun Requirements?
An applicant must:
- Be at least 18 years old;
- Complete a firearms training course;
- Have 5 references from the county in which he or she resides. The references shall clearly state that the applicant is a person of full age, sobriety and good moral character, that the applicant bears a good reputation for peace and good order in the community in which the applicant resides, and that the carrying of a concealed deadly weapon by the applicant is necessary for the protection of the applicant or the applicant’s property or both;
- Verify his or her application by oath or affirmation in writing before a state-authorized officer and state in writing that the applicant’s certificate and recommendations were read by its 5 signers and that the signatures are authentic;
- Never have been convicted in Delaware or elsewhere of a felony or a crime of violence;
- If under 25 years old, never have been, as a juvenile, adjudicated as delinquent for conduct which, if committed by an adult, would constitute a felony;
- Never have been convicted for the unlawful use, possession or sale of a narcotic, dangerous drug or central nervous system depressant or stimulant;
- Not be subject to a Protection From Abuse Order issued by a court;
- Never have been committed for a mental disorder to any hospital, mental institution or sanitarium; and
- Meet federal law requirements.
*Consult with an attorney if you have any questions about your eligibility. If you don’t have an attorney, you can find one by contacting the State Bar of Delaware.
What are the Fees and Terms?
$65 For All Applications
Initial License Valid For 3 Years
Valid For 5 Years On Renewal
Where Can I Find Application Forms?
What Concealed Carry Permit Options Exist Based on Residency?
Non-Resident Concealed Carry Licenses:
The attorney general has the discretion to issue, on a limited basis, a temporary license to carry concealed a deadly weapon to any individual who is not a resident of the state and whom the attorney general determines has a short-term need to carry such a weapon within the state, in conjunction with that individual's employment, for the protection of person or property. No individual shall be issued more than 3 temporary licenses.
Residency Changes:
Moving to Delaware and interested in applying for a resident license? How soon can you apply?Delaware issues licenses to residents only, although the Attorney General may issue temporary licenses to non-residents. You can apply for your license to the prothonotary office once you obtain a Delaware driver’s license.
Moving from Delaware and have a Delaware resident license? Does that license transfer to your new state? Is there a grace period during which your Delaware license remains valid?If a person with a Delaware concealed deadly weapon license establishes residency in another state, the license expires upon the establishment of residence in the other state.
How Do I Renew My Concealed Carry Permit in Delaware?
Renewals are the responsibility of the licensee. Renewal applications may be filed as early as January 2nd of the renewal year, but no later than June 1 of the year of license expiration. You must file the renewal application and a duplicate copy. You may hand deliver your application to the Prothonotary’s Office, or if all the requirements are met, mail to the Prothonotary’s Office in the County in which you reside.
DOWNLOAD and complete the application form.
TAKE the completed and notarized application to the prothonotary office, or mail it to the prothonotary office in the county in which you reside. You will need to include the following:
- A complete copy of all the documents; and
- Two passport-style photographs taken within the preceding 6-month period.
Pay the fee.
YOUR license will be issued.
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Make sure you understand Delaware Gun Laws and Delaware concealed carry reciprocity with other states.