Delaware Handgun Permit Law Can Be Enforced During Challenge

Delaware’s new requirement that handgun purchasers first obtain permits can take effect while a group of residents and gun rights groups challenge its constitutionality, a federal judge ruled Friday.

The plaintiffs failed to show that the state lacked the necessary infrastructure to approve permits ahead of the law’s Nov. 16 enforcement date, Judge Maryellen Noreika said in an order denying the plaintiffs’ preliminary injunction request.

A group of Delaware residents filed a constitutional challenge to the state’s licensing scheme for handguns earlier this month, asserting the regulations aren’t supported by a history of similar firearm laws in the US as ...