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SB188 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT FIREARM PROCUREMENT.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT FIREARM PROCUREMENT.

Firearms
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Lockman
Last action
2026-01-30
Official status
Signed 1/30/26
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT FIREARM PROCUREMENT.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT FIREARM PROCUREMENT.

What This Bill Does

  • AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT FIREARM PROCUREMENT.
  • This Act clarifies that the law-enforcement agency practice of purchasing firearms for that agency’s law-enforcement officers for use by the officers in their official duties is exempted from the requirements under §§ 1448A, 1448B, and 1448D of Title 11 under our State’s permit to purchase firearms laws.
  • Both the currently effective versions of §§ 1448A and 1448B of Title 11, and the versions of those sections that will become effective upon implementation of 84 Del.
  • Laws, c.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-30 Delaware General Assembly

    Signed by Governor

  2. 2026-01-29 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By House. Votes: 41 YES

  3. 2026-01-20 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Public Safety & Homeland Security) in House with 2 Favorable, 6 On Its Merits

  4. 2026-01-14 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee in House

  5. 2026-01-13 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT

  6. 2025-06-30 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Executive) in Senate with 4 Favorable, 2 On Its Merits

  7. 2025-06-18 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Executive Committee in Senate

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT FIREARM PROCUREMENT.
This Act clarifies that the law-enforcement agency practice of purchasing firearms for that agency’s law-enforcement officers for use by the officers in their official duties is exempted from the requirements under §§ 1448A, 1448B, and 1448D of Title 11 under our State’s permit to purchase firearms laws.

Both the currently effective versions of §§ 1448A and 1448B of Title 11, and the versions of those sections that will become effective upon implementation of 84 Del. Laws, c. 259, § 1 (pursuant to §§ 5 and 6 of the act), are amended by this Act.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Sen. Lockman & Rep. Cooke

Rep. Berry

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE BILL NO. 188

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT FIREARM PROCUREMENT.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend § 1448A, Title 11 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1448A. Background checks for sales of firearms [Effective until implementation of 84 Del. Laws, c. 259, § 1, pursuant to §§ 5 and 6 of the act].

(e) This section does not apply to any of the following:

(6) Transactions involving a “law-enforcement officer” as defined by § 222 of this

title.

title, which include transactions by a law-enforcement agency, as defined under § 8584 of this title, for firearms to be used by law-enforcement officers employed by the law-enforcement agency in the performance of the law-enforcement officers’ official duties.

Section 2. Amend § 1448A, Title 11 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1448A. Background checks and handgun qualified purchaser permit required for sales of firearms [Effective upon implementation of 84 Del. Laws, c. 259, § 1, pursuant to §§ 5 and 6 of the act].

(e) This section does not apply to any of the following:

(6) Transactions involving a “law-enforcement officer” as defined by § 222 of this

title.

title, which include transactions by a law-enforcement agency, as defined under § 8584 of this title, for firearms to be used by law-enforcement officers employed by the law-enforcement agency in the performance of the law-enforcement officers’ official duties.

Section 3. Amend § 1448B, Title 11 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1448B. Background checks for sales of firearms — Unlicensed persons [Effective until implementation of 84 Del. Laws, c. 259, § 1, pursuant to §§ 5 and 6 of the act].

(c) This section does not apply to any of the following:

(10) Transactions in which the prospective buyer is a law-enforcement agency, as defined under § 8584 of this title, and is obtaining firearms to be used by law-enforcement officers employed by the law-enforcement agency in the performance of the law-enforcement officers’ official duties.

Section 4. Amend § 1448B, Title 11 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1448B. Background checks and handgun qualified purchaser permit required for sales of firearms — Unlicensed persons [Effective upon implementation of 84 Del. Laws, c. 259, § 1, pursuant to §§ 5 and 6 of the act].

(c) This section does not apply to any of the following:

(10) Transactions in which the prospective buyer is a law-enforcement agency, as defined under § 8584 of this title, and is obtaining firearms to be used by law-enforcement officers employed by the law-enforcement agency in the performance of the law-enforcement officers’ official duties.

Section 5. Amend § 1448D, Title 11 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1448D. Handgun qualified purchaser permit required to purchase handguns [For application of this section, see 84 Del. Laws, c. 259, § 5].

(c) (1) A person applying for a handgun qualified purchaser permit as a qualified law-enforcement officer

, as a law-enforcement agency, as defined under § 8584 of this title, for a handgun to be used by law-enforcement officers employed by the law-enforcement agency in the performance of the law-enforcement officers’ official duties,

or a qualified retired law-enforcement officer is not subject to paragraphs (f)(1) or (f)(4) or subsection (h) of this section.

SYNOPSIS

This Act clarifies that the law-enforcement agency practice of purchasing firearms for that agency’s law-enforcement officers for use by the officers in their official duties is exempted from the requirements under §§ 1448A, 1448B, and 1448D of Title 11 under our State’s permit to purchase firearms laws.

Both the currently effective versions of §§ 1448A and 1448B of Title 11, and the versions of those sections that will become effective upon implementation of 84 Del. Laws, c. 259, § 1 (pursuant to §§ 5 and 6 of the act), are amended by this Act.

Author: Senator Lockman