Quick Answer
In Delaware, if you have a valid CDWL or recognized out-of-state permit, you can carry a loaded, concealed handgun in your car. If you do not have a permit, the loaded handgun must remain in plain sight (like resting on the dashboard or passenger seat). Hiding it in the glovebox without a permit is a felony.
The "Plain View" Transport Trap
Delaware is an Open Carry state, meaning adults 18 and older can carry a firearm without a permit as long as it is not concealed. The state strictly applies this logic to vehicles.
Title 11 § 1442
Concealed Without License
A firearm is considered concealed if it is hidden from ordinary observation. Tossing a gun into a center console, a glove compartment, or under a floor mat without a CDWL violates this statute and carries felony penalties.
Title 7 § 708
The Long Gun Ban
Delaware explicitly prohibits the possession of loaded rifles or shotguns in or on any vehicle. Long guns must be completely unloaded when transported to prevent illegal hunting from motor vehicles.
The Unattended Vehicle Mandate
If you are carrying permitless in plain view, you face an immediate legal crisis when you park your car to run errands. Under Title 11 § 1456(b), it is a crime to leave a firearm in an unattended vehicle unless it is stored in a locked box or the trunk. The statute specifically declares that a glove compartment does not qualify as a locked container. You must have a dedicated safe.
Delaware "Locked Container" Compliance
Because Delaware law explicitly rejects locked gloveboxes as legal storage containers when your vehicle is unattended, drivers without trunks (SUVs and Trucks) must use a standalone safe to avoid criminal charges under § 1456(b).
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Check PriceDuty to Inform Law Enforcement
Delaware is a "No Duty to Inform" state by statute. You are not legally required to immediately notify an officer that you have a firearm in the vehicle. However, if you are carrying "permitless" with a loaded handgun resting on your dashboard or passenger seat, common sense dictates that you keep your hands visible and calmly notify the officer as they approach the window to prevent a dangerous misunderstanding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can out-of-state visitors carry a loaded gun in their car in Delaware?
If Delaware formally recognizes your home state's concealed carry permit, you may carry a loaded, concealed handgun in your vehicle. If your permit is not recognized, you must follow the open-carry "plain view" transport laws mentioned above.