Skip to content
Concealed Carry Map

Non-Resident permit · DC → DE

Is a District of Columbia Non-Resident Permit Valid in Delaware?

Not recognizedVerified 2026-08-08

No. Delaware does not honor District of Columbia non-resident permits, and it has no permitless-carry option for visitors. Carrying a concealed handgun there on your Concealed Carry Pistol License (License to Carry a Pistol) is a crime.

Why

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 (District of Columbia)

Permit
Concealed Carry Pistol License (License to Carry a Pistol)
Issued by
Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department
Issue policy
Shall-issue
Issued to non-residents?
Yes — Non-residents may apply. D.C. Code 22-4506 covers any person with a bona fide US residence or place of business who holds a home-state carry license (or is from a state that does not require one); same 16-hour classroom + 2-hour range training applies, and the pistol must be registered in DC.

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

Carry law is state law. From the moment you enter Delaware, these rules replace the ones you know from District of Columbia.

Off-limits places in Delaware

See the full 50-state map for a District of Columbia non-resident permit →

Frequently asked questions

Is a District of Columbia non-resident permit valid in Delaware?
No. Delaware does not honor District of Columbia non-resident permits, and it has no permitless-carry option for visitors. Carrying a concealed handgun there on your Concealed Carry Pistol License (License to Carry a Pistol) is a crime.
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.
Where does Delaware publish its official reciprocity list?
Delaware publishes its recognition policy on an official state page, linked in the sources on this page. That page is the authority — check it shortly before travel, because recognition lists change without much notice.

Official sources