Delaware Visitor Guide

Delaware Does Not Honor a New York License, but It Does Honor Florida, Utah and Arizona Permits, Including Non-Resident Ones. Delaware Gives No Permits to Visitors.

At a glance (checked Nov 1, 2026):

• Can a New Yorker get a permit? No. Delaware licenses are for Delaware residents only

• Does Delaware honor a NY license? No. New York is not on the Attorney General's list (last updated by Delaware Jan 2025)

• Non-resident permits? Yes, from listed states. Delaware honors both resident and non-resident permits from those states, so a Florida, Utah, Arizona or Maine non-resident permit works. Pennsylvania and Connecticut permits do not

• Permitless carry for visitors? No, not concealed

• Carry in a car without a permit? No. A gun hidden within reach in a car counts as a concealed weapon, a felony. Keep it unloaded, cased and out of reach

• Magazine limit: 17 rounds. The exemption is for Delaware license holders only, so it applies to visitors even with an honored permit

• Duty to inform: No state law requires you to tell police first (check the official page). Be honest if asked

• Delaware concealed carry licenses (CCDW) are issued by the Delaware Superior Court. The court's instructions say "Delaware Residents Only." For more information click here

• The Attorney General defines a Delaware resident as someone who carries or must have a Delaware driver's license and/or is registered to vote in Delaware. For more information click here

• The Attorney General may issue a 30-day temporary license to a non-resident only for a short-term need to carry for work (protection of people or property). It is limited and not a way for a visitor to carry for self-defense (11 Del. C. § 1441(k)). For more information click here

• Delaware honors permits "issued by other states to the citizens of other states" when that state honors Delaware licenses and has similar standards (11 Del. C. § 1441(j)). The Attorney General adds: "Delaware will recognize both resident and a non-resident licenses" from the listed states. For more information click here

• Listed states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho (enhanced permits only), Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota (Class 1 only), Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota (enhanced only), Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. Last updated by Delaware Jan 2025.

• Not on the list: New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington DC.

• Practical answer for a New Yorker: a Florida, Utah or Arizona non-resident permit lets you carry concealed in Delaware. Carry that permit and photo ID, and follow all Delaware rules below.

• The Attorney General's page still shows the list "for the period from January 15, 2025 to January 15, 2026." The same page says a state is not removed without one year's notice and that no removals were pending for January 15, 2026. Check the page before you travel.

• Carrying a concealed deadly weapon "upon or about the person" without a license is a felony (11 Del. C. § 1442). There is no vehicle exception for people without a permit. For more information click here

• Delaware courts treat a gun that is hidden but within reach in a car (for example in the glove box, console or under the seat) as carried "about the person." For more information click here

• With an honored permit (for example a Florida or Utah non-resident permit) you may carry concealed, including in your car.

• With no honored permit (for example only a NY license): keep the handgun unloaded, in a locked case, in the trunk, out of reach, with ammunition separate. This is also what federal safe passage requires (next section).

• Leaving a gun in the car: Delaware's unsafe-storage law does not cover a gun left in a vehicle, but a locked case out of sight is still the safe choice.

• Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 926A, part of the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986) lets you drive through Delaware with a gun if you may lawfully have and carry it at both your starting point and your destination.

• During the trip the gun must be unloaded, and neither the gun nor any ammunition may be reachable from the passenger area. Keep both in the trunk. In a car with no trunk, use a locked container that is not the glove box or the console. For more information click here

• It protects passing through, not visiting. Short stops for gas, food or rest are part of travel; staying overnight or spending time in Delaware can put you outside the protection, and then Delaware law applies.

• It is a protection you raise if you are stopped. It does not stop an officer from detaining you, so keep the gun cased and unloaded the whole way and carry your home license and paperwork.

• Leave magazines over 17 rounds at home; it is not settled that safe passage protects them.

• Schools (any building, field or vehicle of a public or private school, kindergarten through high school): no firearms (11 Del. C. § 1457A). For more information click here

• Colleges and universities: no firearms (§ 1457C). Delaware license holders may keep one in a vehicle there; out-of-state permits are not listed in that exception.

• Polling places on election day, from 2 hours before polls open to 2 hours after they close, including early voting (§ 1457B).

• Recreation centers, athletic fields and sports stadiums owned by the state, a county, a town or a private organization ("Safe Recreation Zones") carry extra penalties for anyone carrying without a license (§ 1457).

• Federal buildings, post offices and airport secure areas are off limits under federal law. Private property: the owner can say no.

• Magazines over 17 rounds are banned (11 Del. C. §§ 1468-1469). The exemption covers only holders of a Delaware Superior Court license, so visitors must use 17-round or smaller magazines. For more information click here

• Delaware also bans many assault weapons (§ 1466). Check before bringing a rifle or a large-frame pistol.

• Buying: Delaware now requires a permit to buy a handgun. Non-residents must buy handguns through a dealer in their own state. For more information click here

• People prohibited from having guns in Delaware include anyone convicted of a felony, certain misdemeanors within 5 years, drug crimes, or under a Protection From Abuse order. Being honored by permit does not change this. For more information click here

• Open carry: no state law bans it for adults, but it is rare, local rules from before state preemption may apply, and in a car a gun that is not in plain view is treated as concealed. We do not recommend it for visitors.

Every state has different laws pertaining to carrying, restrictions etc. It is your responsibility to know these laws and be familiar with them before visiting that state.

This guide summarizes the state's published instructions as of November 1, 2026 and is not legal advice. Fees, forms and rules change; always check the official page before you travel. Tips from others' experience come from users on the chats; they are personal experiences, not official rules.

Checked November 1, 2026.

• Delaware Department of Justice (Attorney General), Concealed Carry Deadly Weapons (residency, reciprocity list, resident and non-resident permits honored, prohibited persons). For more information click here

• Delaware Code, Title 11, Chapter 5, Subchapter VII (§ 1441 licenses and reciprocity, § 1442 concealed carry, §§ 1457-1457C restricted places, §§ 1468-1469 magazines). For more information click here

• Delaware Superior Court, CCDW instructions ("Delaware Residents Only"). For more information click here

• Delaware Courts, jury instruction on carrying a concealed deadly weapon ("about the person"). For more information click here

• Delaware State Police, Permit to Purchase Firearms (non-resident handgun purchases). For more information click here

• Federal law, 18 U.S.C. § 926A (safe passage). For more information click here