Non-Resident permit · DE → SC
Is a Delaware Non-Resident Permit Valid in South Carolina?
A Delaware non-resident permit isn't something you can hold — the state doesn't issue one (no standard non-resident license. The Attorney General may issue a temporary 30-day license to a non-resident with a short-term, employment-related need to carry (11 Del. C. 1441(k); maximum 3 such licenses)). The question for South Carolina is which resident or non-resident permits from other states it honors.
Why
- Delaware does not issue carry permits to non-residents (no standard non-resident license. the attorney general may issue a temporary 30-day license to a non-resident with a short-term, employment-related need to carry (11 del. c. 1441(k); maximum 3 such licenses)).
S.C. Code 23-31-215(N)(1) honors out-of-state permits only when 'held by a resident of a reciprocal state' whose permitting requires a background check and firearm training; Georgia and North Carolina permits are recognized automatically under (N)(2). Recognition covers handguns only. Largely moot for visitors 18+, who may carry permitless.
The permit (Delaware)
- Permit
- License to Carry a Concealed Deadly Weapon (CCDW)
- Issued by
- Superior Court of the applicant's county of residence (application filed with the Prothonotary; Delaware DOJ reviews)
- Issue policy
- May-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- No — No standard non-resident license. The Attorney General may issue a temporary 30-day license to a non-resident with a short-term, employment-related need to carry (11 Del. C. 1441(k); maximum 3 such licenses).
The destination (South Carolina)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 2 states
- Permitless carry
- Yes (18+)
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in South Carolina
Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside South Carolina, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.
- SLED H.3594 guidance: a CWP holder or permitless carrier 'DOES NOT have a duty to notify a law enforcement officer that they are carrying a firearm', and a CWP holder is not required to carry the CWP or disclose CWP status.
- South Carolina sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- South Carolina allows permitless concealed carry from age 18 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- No restrictions on guns inside vehicles — a person not prohibited from possessing a firearm may store it anywhere in a vehicle, openly or concealed (SLED H.3594 guidance).
Off-limits places in South Carolina
South Carolina bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Law enforcement, correctional or detention facilities
- Courthouses and courtrooms (publicly owned buildings where court is in session)
Delaware vs South Carolina: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Delaware into South Carolina changes 3 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes (18+)); magazine limit (17 rounds → None); out-of-state permits honored (21 states → 2 states).
| Rule | Delaware | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | Yes (18+) |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | 17 rounds | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | 21 states | 2 states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a South Carolina non-resident permit in Delaware: not recognized.
Driving on from South Carolina
How a Delaware non-resident permit fares in the states bordering South Carolina:
- Georgia — No such permit issued
- North Carolina — No such permit issued
Frequently asked questions
- Does South Carolina honor a Delaware resident permit?
- Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies. That differs from the non-resident permit on this page, because South Carolina treats the two permit types differently.
- Can a South Carolina non-resident permit holder carry in Delaware?
- Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Delaware's law, not South Carolina's.
- Does Delaware issue non-resident carry permits?
- No. Delaware issues carry permits to residents only (no standard non-resident license. The Attorney General may issue a temporary 30-day license to a non-resident with a short-term, employment-related need to carry (11 Del. C. 1441(k); maximum 3 such licenses)). 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
- SLED — Constitutional Carry Guidance (H.3594) — accessed 2026-08-08
- SLED — Concealed Weapons Permit — accessed 2026-08-08
- S.C. Code of Laws Title 23, Chapter 31 (incl. 23-31-215(N) recognition) — accessed 2026-08-08
- 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
- Delaware Superior Court — Weapons (CCDW) application rules and instructions — accessed 2026-09-27
- Delaware Supreme Court docket — Brooks v. State, Appellant's Opening Brief (open-carry discussion, cites Doe v. Wilmington Hous. Auth. and Griffin v. State) — accessed 2026-09-27