Is a South Dakota Resident Permit Valid in Delaware?

Why

• South Dakota Enhanced permits only (DE AG 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

Your South Dakota habits may not match Delaware's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.

• 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 →

South Dakota vs Delaware: what changes at the state line

Crossing from South Dakota into Delaware changes 3 rules: permitless carry (Yes (18+) → No); magazine limit (None → 17 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (All states → 21 states).

Going the other way, a Delaware resident permit in South Dakota: recognized — and permitless carry applies.

Driving on from Delaware

How a South Dakota resident permit fares in the states bordering Delaware:

• Maryland — Not recognized
• New Jersey — Not recognized
• Pennsylvania — Recognized — carry with your permit

Check a whole route with the Trip Checker →

Frequently asked questions

Does Delaware honor a South Dakota non-resident permit?

South Dakota does not issue non-resident carry permits (no non-resident permits — the applicant must have physically resided in and be a resident of the county of application for at least 30 days immediately preceding the application (SDCL 23-7-7.1)), so the question does not arise.

Can a Delaware resident permit holder carry in South Dakota?

Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on South Dakota'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.