Is a California Resident Permit Valid in Delaware?

Why

• California is not on Delaware's official reciprocity list.

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.

Carry rules in Delaware

Delaware's rules control while you're there. These are the ones travelers trip over most.

• 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

Delaware bans carry in 3 kinds of places. The first on the list:

• 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)

See all 3 places you can't carry in Delaware →

California vs Delaware: what changes at the state line

Crossing from California into Delaware changes 3 rules: magazine limit (10 rounds → 17 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (None → 21 states); open carry (Restricted → Yes, no permit).

Going the other way, a Delaware resident permit in California: not recognized.

Permits that do work in Delaware

These non-resident permits are honored in Delaware, ranked by how many states honor each one. They are issued to people who live outside the issuing state, subject to its eligibility rules.

• North Dakota non-resident permit · honored in 33 states
• Ohio non-resident permit · honored in 33 states
• Idaho non-resident permit · honored in 32 states
• Texas non-resident permit · honored in 32 states
• Florida non-resident permit · honored in 32 states
• Arizona non-resident permit · honored in 31 states

Driving on from Delaware

How a California resident permit fares in the states bordering Delaware:

• Maryland — Not recognized
• New Jersey — Not recognized
• Pennsylvania — Not recognized

Check a whole route with the Trip Checker →

Frequently asked questions

Does Delaware honor a California non-resident permit?

Not recognized. The answer is the same as for the resident permit on this page.

Can a Delaware resident permit holder carry in California?

Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on California's law, not Delaware's.

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.