People’s Republic of Delaware: State to Require a Permit to Purchase Handguns

Delaware Governor John Carney is following in the footsteps of the state’s not-so-favorite son Joe Biden and is scheduled to sign extreme Permit to Purchase legislation in Dover today. Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) will impose a Maryland-style “handgun qualified purchase card” and a handgun transfer registry, creating a perpetual cycle of costs and delays to maintain your ability to purchase a handgun.

SB 2 requires citizens to obtain a deceptively named “handgun qualified purchaser permit” to purchase or receive a handgun, with an exemption for carry permit holders. To obtain a permit, an applicant is required to, at their own expense, take an approved training course and submit fingerprints. The permits are to be renewed every two years, although the training course is valid for five years. The State Bureau of Identification has up to 30 days to issue a permit. Additionally, this legislation creates a registry of all lawful handgun transfers.

—Courtesy NRA/ILA