Delaware State Police

Superintendent Colonel William D. Crotty

Delaware State Police Opens Online Permit to Purchase Application Portal

Date Posted: Tuesday, October 28th, 2025

News Release text with State Police vehicle in the background

Edited November 14, 2025| 9:10 p.m.

The Delaware State Police, through the State Bureau of Identification (SBI), announces that the Permit to Purchase online application portal is now live. Delaware residents who plan to purchase or transfer a handgun on or after November 16, 2025, must first obtain a handgun qualified purchaser permit.

Applicants can begin the process by reviewing the requirements on the Permit to Purchase website. When ready, they may submit the online application through the Permit to Purchase Portal.

How to Apply

Complete a firearms training course with a certified instructor. Training courses that satisfy the requirements of the 11 Del C. § 1448D offered by instructors who are not on the pre-approved list may also satisfy the statutory requirements. To find out if a course qualifies in advance of enrollment or whether a specific completed course qualifies, please contact the Permit to Purchase helpline at (302) 741-2800 during business hours or email DSP_SBIP2PMail@delaware.gov.
Schedule fingerprinting with IdentoGO using Service Code 27S8N2.
Submit the online application through the Permit to Purchase Application Portal and upload the required documents.

Required documents include:

Government-issued photo identification
Military orders, if applicable
Firearms Training Course Certification or proof of exemption

Individuals who hold a valid Delaware Concealed Carry Deadly Weapon (CCDW) license issued by the Superior Court are not required to apply for a handgun qualified purchaser permit.

If You Do Not Have Internet Access

Paper applications are available at all Delaware State Police troops. Completed paper applications must be submitted in person at the SBI Dover location for processing. Applications will be processed in the order they are received.

Decision Timeline

By law, SBI will issue a decision within 30 days of receiving a complete application. Applications submitted without all required steps will not be processed. Applicants will be notified of any missing items and may resubmit once requirements are met. If a legal disqualifier exists under state or federal law, the decision will be a written denial.

Training and Instructor List

A list of pre-approved firearms instructors is available on the Permit to Purchase website and is updated regularly as instructors are pre-approved. Training courses that satisfy the requirements of the statute offered by instructors who are not on the pre-approved list may also satisfy the statutory requirements. To find out if a course qualifies in advance of enrollment or whether a specific completed course qualifies, please contact the Permit to Purchase helpline at (302) 741-2800 during business hours or email DSP_SBIP2PMail@delaware.gov. Business hours are Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm. If you submit a course certificate with your application that does not clearly satisfy the statutory requirements, the Permit to Purchase Office will contact you and/or the course provider to obtain additional information to determine if it meets the requirements.

Exemptions

Exemptions to the training requirement are outlined in Delaware law.

For program updates and detailed instructions, visit the Permit to Purchase website. Application-related correspondence is handled through DSP_SBIP2PMail@delaware.gov.