Is a Delaware Resident Permit Valid in Alaska?
It depends on who holds the permit. Alaska accepts the Delaware resident permit for holders 21 and older. Alaska also allows permitless carry for adults 21+ if you qualify. Holders under 21 have no lawful way to carry concealed there: this recognition does not cover them, and Alaska's permitless carry starts at 21.
Why
- Alaska recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
- Alaska honors out-of-state permits only for holders 21 and older, and Delaware issues this permit from age 18.
- Alaska allows permitless carry for eligible adults 21+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
Under AS 18.65.748 a person holding a valid permit from another state is treated as an Alaska permittee (no resident-only condition); in practice recognition matters little because anyone 21+ who may legally possess may carry permitless. Under-21 carriers are NOT covered even with an out-of-state permit.
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
The destination (Alaska)
- Recognition policy
- Honors permits from all states
- Permitless carry
- Yes (21+)
- Duty to inform
- Yes — proactive
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Alaska
Carry law is state law. From the moment you enter Alaska, these rules replace the ones you know from Delaware.
- Alaska imposes a duty to inform: you must tell an officer you are carrying. DPS FAQ: when contacted by a law enforcement officer while carrying concealed you must IMMEDIATELY inform the officer that you possess the firearm; failure to do so is a criminal offense (AS 11.61.220).
- Alaska sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Alaska allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- A loaded concealed handgun may be carried in a vehicle without a permit by anyone 21+ who may lawfully possess; the immediate duty to inform applies on any police contact.
Off-limits places in Alaska
Alaska bans carry in 4 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- K-12 schools and school grounds
- Child care facilities
Delaware vs Alaska: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Delaware into Alaska changes 4 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes (21+)); duty to inform police (No → Yes); magazine limit (17 rounds → None); out-of-state permits honored (21 states → All states).
| Rule | Delaware | Alaska |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | Yes (21+) |
| Duty to inform police | No | Yes |
| Magazine limit | 17 rounds | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | 21 states | All states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, an Alaska resident permit in Delaware: recognized — carry with your permit.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Alaska honor a Delaware non-resident permit?
- Delaware does not issue non-resident carry permits (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)), so the question does not arise.
- Can an Alaska resident permit holder carry in Delaware?
- Recognized — carry with your permit. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Delaware's law, not Alaska's.
- Where does Alaska publish its official reciprocity list?
- Alaska 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
- Alaska DPS — Concealed Handgun Permits (permit rules, AS 18.65.748 recognition, permitless 21+) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Alaska DPS — Frequently Asked Firearms Questions (duty to inform, permitless carry, prohibited places) — 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