Delaware

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Delaware

This jurisdictional hub aggregates FRC holdings related to Delaware. It supports research on the state’s firearms history, technology, law, policy, and culture from the colonial period through statehood to the present.

Legal sources: statutes and session laws, administrative code, attorney general opinions, appellate decisions, and select municipal ordinances.
Historical materials: newspapers, photographs, maps, catalogs, shipbuilding and manufacturing records, and oral histories tied to Delaware people and places.
Research outputs: technical reports, academic studies, training manuals, and curated datasets relevant to the state.

Cite the Firearms Research Center and the item’s handle/DOI when using materials. Rights and licensing vary by item.

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1781 Del. Acts 1, 3
(1781)
Required most taxpaying men ages 18–50 to purchase and maintain militia arms and equipment at their own expense, imposing fines for noncompliance while exempting certain occupations and individuals.
2 Del. Laws 1134 (1797)
(1793)
Included "each and every free able bodied white male citizen of this state, who is or shall be of the age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years." However, "all young men under the age of twenty-one years, and all servants purchased bona fide, and for a valuable consideration, [were] exempted from furnishing the necessary arms, ammunition and accoutrements ... and [were] exempted from militia duties and fines during such minority or servitude, except in cases of rebellion, or an actual or threatened invasion."
2 Del. Laws 1225 (1797)
(1796)
Revised the organization and regulation of the militia, and again included able-bodied white males from 18 to 45. The act also forbade volunteer militias, because there were "a number of free able bodied white men in this state, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, who neglect and refuse to muster and do militia duty, in the companies in which they have been enrolled ... and yet meet together with arms in bodies distinguished and known by the name of Volunteer Companies."
2 Del. Laws 1134 (1797)
(1793)
Included " each and every free able bodied white male citizen of this state, who is or shall be of the age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years." However, " all young men under the age of twenty-one years, and all servants purchased bona fide, and for a valuable consideration, [were] exempted from furnishing the necessary arms, ammunition and accoutrements . . . and [were] exempted from militia duties and fines during such minority or servitude, except in cases of rebellion, or an actual or threatened invasion."
2 Del. Laws 1225 (1797)
(1796)
Revised the organization and regulation of the militia, and again included able-bodied white males from 18 to 45. The act also forbade volunteer militias, because there were " a number of free able bodied white men in this state, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, who neglect and refuse to muster and do militia duty, in the companies in which they have been enrolled . . . and yet meet together with arms in bodies distinguished and known by the name of Volunteer Companies."
George H. Ryden, Delaware - The First State in the Union 117 (1938)
(1741)
Required males from 17 to 50 years to enlist. Besides that, everyone else who was living self-sufficiently (" every Freeholder and taxable Person" ) had to have the same arms as militiamen.
George H. Ryden, Delaware - The First State in the Union 103-04 (1938)
(1671)
Required " That every Person that can beare Arms from 16 to 60 years of Age, bee allways provided with a convenient proportion of Powder & Bullett fit for Service, and their mutual Defence."
14 Del. Laws 620 (1871)
(1871)
§ 14: Placed a duty on commissioners, justices, and constables to suppress, extinguish, and prevent bonfires in the public square of Dover. Also required the suppression and preventing of discharge of guns, pistols, fireworks, or throwing fireballs within the town limits.
14 Del. Laws 605 (1871)
(1871)
§ 14: Placed a duty on commissioners, justices, and constables to suppress, extinguish, and prevent bonfires in the public square of Dover. Also required the suppression and preventing of discharge of guns, pistols, fireworks, or throwing fireballs within the town limits.
1852 Del. Rev. Stat. 215-16
(1852)
Title Tenth-Of Corporations, Chapter 73-Of the city of Wilmington, § 27: Authorized the city council to regulate the storage of gunpowder.
1837 Del. Laws 166-67 (Spec. Sess.)
(1837)
An Act To Prevent the Discharge Of Fire-arms In the Village of Camden, Kent County, And For Other Purposes Therein Mentioned, ch. 123, § 1: Prohibited discharge of any gun, "ordnance," musket, fowling-piece, fuse, or pistol within the village of Camden. Also prohibited the use of bonfires, firecrackers, squibs, or throwing any fireballs or rockets within one quarter of a mile of the village center. §2 and §3 had separate punishments between whites and minorities. Whites who violate the law are punished with a fine not less than one nor exceeding five dollars. Minorities who could not pay the same fine immediately upon conviction, the offender shall be jailed for one month, unless the fine is paid sooner.
1845 Del. Laws 10
(1845)
A Supplement To The Act Entitled "An Act To Survey, Lay Out And Regulate the Streets Of Smyrna and for Other Purposes," ch. 12, § 2: Imposed a duty on commissioners, justices of the peace, and constables to extinguish and prevent bonfires in the streets, lanes, and alleys. The duty also included the suppression and preventing discharge of guns, pistols, crackers, squibs, or fire-balls in the town limits.
14 Del. Laws 138 (1871)
(1871)
§ 17: Placed a duty on commissioners, justices, and constables to suppress, extinguish, and prevent bonfires in the public square of Dover. Also required the suppression and preventing of discharge of guns, pistols, fireworks, or throwing fireballs within the town limits.
8 Del. Laws 198 (1841)
(1841)
A Supplement to the Act Entitled "An Act for Establishing the Boundaries of the Town of Dover, and for Other Purposes Therein Mentioned, § 2: Placed a duty on commissioners, justices, and constables to suppress, extinguish, and prevent bonfires in the public square of Dover. Also required the suppression and preventing of discharge of guns, firecrackers, squibs within the town limits.
14 Del. Laws 160 (1871)
(1871)
§ 13: Placed a duty on commissioners, justices, and constables to suppress, extinguish, and prevent bonfires in the public square of Dover. Also required the suppression and preventing of discharge of guns, pistols, fireworks, or throwing fireballs within the town limits.
1852 Del. Laws 664
(1852)
An Act To Incorporate the Town of Camden and for Other Purposes, ch. 652, § 3: Authorized the elected commissioners to regulate the discharge of guns or pistols.
1863 Del. Laws 332
(1863)
An Act in Relation to Free Negroes and Mulattoes, ch. 305, § 7: Prohibited any "free negroes and free mulattoes" from possessing a gun, pistol, sword, or any other warlike instrument, punishable by fine or imprisonment.
1863 Del. Laws 372
(1863)
An Act to Amend Chapter 55 of the Revised Code of the State of Delaware, Entitled "For The Protection Of Fish, Oysters and Game," chap. 328, § 10: Prohibited hunting in the state by anyone who is not a citizen of Delaware. Prohibited the hunting of any fish, wild goose, wild duck, or other wild fowl. Violators guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not less fifty, nor more than one hundred dollars. Any boat or vessel, apparell, furniture, gun, decoy geese, or decoy ducks shall be forfeited.
2 Del. Laws 1136-37 (1797)
(1793)
Chapter 36-An Act for Establishing the Militia in this State, § 4: Required all citizens enrolled in the militia to arm themselves, within six months, with a good musket or firelock, a bayonet, belt, two spare flints, a knapsack, a pouch, and a box to contain not less than twenty-four cartridges and gunpowder suited to the bore of his gun, or twenty cartridges and a quarter-pound of gunpowder.
1829 Del. Laws 153 (Rev. ed.)
(1827)
An Act Concerning Crimes and Offenses Committed by Slaves, And For, The Security of Slaves Properly Demeaning Themselves, ch. 6, § 8: Prohibited "any negro or mulatto slave" from carrying any gun, pistol, sword, dirk, or unusual or dangerous weapons or arms without special permission.
1782 Del. Acts, Jan. Adjourned Sess. 1, 3
(1782)
An Act for Establishing a Militia Within this State, § 6: Required every person aged eighteen to fifty to provide a musket or firelock with a bayonet, a cartouch box with twenty-three cartridges, priming wire, a brush, and six flints all in good order. Also required providing the same from parents who are tax rated at eighteen pounds, or apprentices. Violators fined at twenty-shillings for ever two months neglect or default.
1861 Del. Laws 630
(1865)
An Act to Prevent the Loading of Gunpowder Within Certain Distances of Railroads, chap. 554, § 1: Prohibited loading gun powder into any rail cars within one hundred yards of the track used for carrying passengers.Violators fined one thousand dollars and imprisoned six months.
1874 Del. Rev. Stat. 249
(1874)
§ 5: Prohibited the discharge of a gun or pistol with any town, village, or within a mile of a town center, or within one mile of a "mill-dam" near a public road. Violators fined five dollars and jailed until the fine is paid.
8 Del. Laws 208 (1841)
(1832)
A Supplement to an Act to Prevent the Use of Firearms by Free Negroes and Free Mulattoes, and for Other Purposes, ch. 176, § 1: Prohibited "free negroes and free mulattoes" from having, owning, keeping, or possessing any gun, pistol, sword, or warlike instrument without permission of five or more citizens of the neighborhood.
1776 Del. Const. art. 9, 28
(1776)
Granted the state president to act as the captain-general and commander-in-chief of the militia and other military forces of the state.
1 Del. Laws 104 (1797)
(1797)
Ch. 43, § 6: Prohibited "any Negro or Mulatto slave" from carrying guns, swords, pistols, fowling pieces, clubs, or other arms and weapons without the master's special license.
1852 Del. Rev. Stat. 333
(1852)
§ 13: Authorized the justices of the peace to arrest and bind to surety all affrayers, breakers and disturbers of the peace, and all who go armed offensively to the terror of the people, or are otherwise disorderly and dangerous. Note as of 10/26: Duke left out a significant, material portion of this law. Affrayers, breakers and disturbers of the peace was not included on Duke's page.
9 Del. Laws 552 (1843)
(1843)
A Further Supplement to an Act Entitled "An Act to Prevent the Use of Fire-arms by Free Negroes and Free Mulattoes and for Other Purposes, § 1: Repealed laws allowing the Justice of the Peace to license or permit a "free negro or free mulatto" to have, use, or possess a gun or fowling piece.
1852 Del. Rev. Stat 215
(1852)
Tit. 10, ch. 73, § 27: to provide for the weighing of hay, and for the measuring, or weighing, of coal, lime, grain, or any other matter sold in the said city; to regulate the storage of gunpowder, or any other dangerously combustible matter.§
1835 Del. Laws 430 (Spec. Sess.)
(1841)
An Act Concerning Fees, ch. 368, § 1: Set payment for Justices of the Peace to receive 25 cents for each license issued to "negroes" to keep a firearm.
4 Del. Laws 522 (1812)
(1812)
An Act to Prevent the Discharging of Fire-Arms Within the Towns and Villages, and Other Public Places Within this State, and for Other Purposes. §1: Prohibited the discharge of any gun, ordinance, musket, fowling piece, fuse, or pistol in any town or village. When town limits cannot be ascertained, not within one quarter mile of the centre of such town or village, the greens, streets, alleys or lanes of any town or village.
An Act for Establishing a Militia in this Government (1756)
(1756)
Prohibited meeting of the militia within a half mile of a inn or tavern, and prohibited the sale of strong liquor within a half mile of the state militia.
Laws of the Government of New-Castle, Kent and Sussex Upon Delaware 171 (1741)
(1740)
"That every Freeholder and taxable Person residing in this Government (except such as are hereafter excepted) shall, on or before the First Day of March next, provide himself with the following Arms and Ammunition: One well fixed Musket or Firelock, one Cartouch-Box, with Twelve Charges of Gun-Powder and Ball therein, and Three good Flints, to be approved of by the Commanding Officer of the respective Company to which he belongs, and shall be obliged to keep such Arms and Ammunition by him, during the Continuance of this Act...."

Delaware

Delaware

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