Gun Laws in Delaware: Ranked #11 in the Country for Gun Law Strength
Delaware ranks 11th in the country for gun law strength, and has all the foundational gun safety laws in place. Recently, the state has enacted additional safeguards, including raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm and a law to hold irresponsible gun industry members accountable when their actions result in harm.
In addition to the universal background check system, Delaware also requires gun owners to obtain a permit in order to purchase firearms. This requires gun owners to go through an extensive process of providing documentation, such as a valid driver’s license, proof of residence, and a completed background check. Furthermore, Delaware also restricts those convicted of a felony or domestic violence charge from owning or possessing a firearm.
In 2021, Delaware enacted laws to address ghost guns and strengthened protections for survivors of domestic violence. The state has the 24th highest gun death rate among the states, and supplied crime guns to other states at the 26th highest rate. Delaware requires universal background checks and has strong concealed carry laws, as well as certain child access prevention laws. However, Delaware is missing key policies such as gun owner licensing, waiting periods, and open carry regulations.
Delaware has all of the foundational gun safety laws, such as a no shoot first law, assault weapon prohibition, high capacity magazine prohibition, and microstamping for new handguns. It also regulates guns in public with laws such as crime gun tracing, no guns mandate on college campuses, no guns at state capitols and/or demonstrations, and no guns in bars.
The state also has laws in place to keep guns out of the wrong hands, such as an emergency restraining order prohibitor, gun removal program, hate crime prohibitor, mental health prohibitor, and prohibition for convicted domestic abusers. Furthermore, there is funding for services for victims of gun violence, local gun laws allowed, and waiting periods.
Protecting Public Safety in Delaware
Everytown Research & Policy provides a comprehensive guide to Delaware’s gun laws, which covers 50 key policies. This includes laws related to foundational safety, gun industry and product safety, guns in public, keeping guns out of the wrong hands, policing and civil rights, and sales and permitting. The guide also provides insights on Delaware’s gun violence rate and gun ownership rate, which both are in the middle of the pack.
Gun safes are an important part of gun ownership, as they provide a secure and reliable way to store firearms safely and securely. Gun safes come in a variety of sizes, materials, and locking mechanisms, giving gun owners the ability to choose the safe that is best suited for their needs. When purchasing a gun safe, it is important to consider the size of the firearms you will be storing, the type of locking mechanism you prefer, and the amount of security you need. It is also important to ensure that the gun safe meets all relevant safety standards and is suitable for the environment in which it will be used. Properly using a gun safe is a critical part of responsible gun ownership and education is key in understanding how to use them safely and properly.
Learn more about Delaware’s Gun Laws.
