DOVER, Del. - Two high-ranking Democrats in the Delaware General Assembly have introduced Senate Bill 2, legislation that would require residents to complete a firearm training course and obtain a permit before purchasing a handgun.
Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman and House Majority Whip Melissa Minor-Brown have both sponsored the bill. Under the SB2, Delawareans would be able to obtain a handgun purchase permit if they have completed an approved firearm training course within the last five years. Qualified law enforcement officers, retired law enforcement officers, and anyone already permitted to carry a concealed deadly weapon by Delaware would be exempt.
Once the training course is complete, the legislation would then require a person to submit a permit application to the State Bureau of Identification. The Bureau would then have 30 days to fingerprint the applicant to confirm they are legally allowed to own a handgun. A purchase permit would then be issued and required at the point of sale.
SB2 reportedly would not include an application fee and does not restrict the number of handguns that could be purchased within the 180 days that a permit would be valid.
Anyone denied a permit would have 30 days to request a hearing before the Justice of the Peace Court to appeal the decision.
Similar legislation was introduced in Delaware in 2021, but did not have enough support in the legislature to reach Governor Carney for signature. SB 2 is set to be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 26.