Non-Resident permit · CO → DE
Is a Colorado Non-Resident Permit Valid in Delaware?
Colorado does not sell permits to out-of-state applicants (no non-resident permits. Armed-forces members stationed in Colorado on permanent duty station orders, and their immediate family living in Colorado, are deemed legal residents (C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(a))). For carry in Delaware, what matters is a permit you can actually hold — your resident permit, or a non-resident permit from a state that issues them.
Why
- Colorado does not issue carry permits to non-residents (no non-resident permits. armed-forces members stationed in colorado on permanent duty station orders, and their immediate family living in colorado, are deemed legal residents (c.r.s. 18-12-203(1)(a))).
For listed states the AG page states Delaware 'will recognize both resident and a non-resident licenses.' Permit-type limits apply - Idaho Enhanced only, North Dakota Class 1 only, South Dakota Enhanced only. Delaware's prohibited-person rules (felonies, certain misdemeanors, drug crimes, PFA orders, mental-health commitments) still bar some visiting permit holders.
The permit (Colorado)
- Permit
- Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP)
- Issued by
- County sheriff
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- No — No non-resident permits. Armed-forces members stationed in Colorado on permanent duty station orders, and their immediate family living in Colorado, are deemed legal residents (C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(a)).
The destination (Delaware)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 21 states
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- 17 rounds
Carry rules in Delaware
Whatever your permit status, Delaware law governs how you carry inside the state. The rules below matter most on a short trip.
- No statutory duty to proactively inform an officer; Title 11's deadly-weapons subchapter contains no notification requirement. AG-issued temporary licenses must be carried at all times while in the state (11 Del. C. 1441(k)).
- Delaware limits magazine capacity to 17 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Delaware is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Delaware recognizes.
- A concealed handgun in a vehicle requires a Delaware CCDW or a recognized out-of-state license (11 Del. C. 1442). A licensee may keep a firearm in a motor vehicle even within a Safe School Zone (11 Del. C. 1457A(c)(4)).
Off-limits places in Delaware
- Safe School Zones - K-12 school buildings, grounds, athletic fields and school vehicles (licensees excepted only while the firearm stays in a motor vehicle) (11 Del. C. 1457A)
- Safe Recreation Zones - government or private recreation centers, athletic fields and sports stadiums, as to the listed weapons offenses including unlicensed concealed carry (11 Del. C. 1457)
- Federal facilities and any place where firearms are prohibited by federal law
Frequently asked questions
- Is a Colorado non-resident permit valid in Delaware?
- Colorado does not sell permits to out-of-state applicants (no non-resident permits. Armed-forces members stationed in Colorado on permanent duty station orders, and their immediate family living in Colorado, are deemed legal residents (C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(a))). For carry in Delaware, what matters is a permit you can actually hold — your resident permit, or a non-resident permit from a state that issues them.
- Do I have to tell police in Delaware that I am carrying?
- No statutory duty to proactively inform an officer; Title 11's deadly-weapons subchapter contains no notification requirement. AG-issued temporary licenses must be carried at all times while in the state (11 Del. C. 1441(k)).
- Does Delaware limit magazine capacity?
- Delaware limits magazine capacity to 17 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Does Colorado issue non-resident carry permits?
- No. Colorado issues carry permits to residents only (no non-resident permits. Armed-forces members stationed in Colorado on permanent duty station orders, and their immediate family living in Colorado, are deemed legal residents (C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(a))). Non-residents who want multi-state coverage usually obtain a non-resident permit from a state that offers one, such as those listed in our non-resident permit guide.
Official sources
- Delaware DOJ (Attorney General) - Concealed Carry Deadly Weapons (CCDW) and reciprocity list — accessed 2026-08-08
- 11 Del. C. c.5 subch. VII - 1441 (license), 1442 (carrying concealed), 1457/1457A (safe zones), 1468-1469 (large-capacity magazines) — accessed 2026-08-08
- 1 Del. C. 701 - Age of majority (definition of 'full age' = 18) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation - CHP Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation - Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-203 - Criteria for obtaining a permit (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-204 - Permit contents, carrying requirements (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-214 - Authority granted by permit, carrying restrictions (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado General Assembly - SB24-131 Prohibiting Carrying Firearms in Sensitive Spaces — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado Attorney General - statement on 15-round large-capacity magazine limit — accessed 2026-08-08