Delaware Open Carry

I am a first time/new gun owner. I hear all this talk about Delaware being an open carry state. I just want to get my ducks in a row before i do anything. As long as i have a gun that is LEGALLY registered to me. I am able to walk around with it on my hip as long as it is visible to everyone? If I were to get a MWAG call, would i have to present documentation to cover my own back? These are probably silly questions, but i want to make sure I am following the law.

They are not silly questions. A responsible gun owner is a knowledgeable one. You came to the right place. I for one am still learning the ropes myself. Welcome to the forum...

Yes, that is the gist of it however, there are restrictions.

No carry in:
City of Dover
State parks
School zones

If a business owner/manager asks you to leave, you must or you will be considered trespassing.

Read up on the site for all the specifics.

chs2010 wrote:... As long as i have a gun that is LEGALLY registered to me. ....

Perhaps you've been watching too many Law and Order shows out of New York, but there is no registration in DE as there is in places like NYC. Basically, the same paperwork is required for your gun as for the shoes you are wearing.

If, for whatever reason, your firearm is temporarily 'secured' for 'officer safety', they must return your gun to you at the end of the stop.

I've been open carrying for well over a year and I still ask silly questions!

Your gun does not need to be "registered" to you. There is no Federal or DE gun registry (yet), and there is no documentation required to open carry.

Browse the site for answers and read the open carry logs for inspiration. Ask questions if you need to; everyone here has been very helpful to me.

Welcome to the group... I am new here as well, I would suggest taking a firearms training class. There are folks on this site that offer excellent training opportunities.

Thanks for all the helpful information everyone. Another question I have is. I live in north Wilmington right near Claymont. I shoot up at target master on 202 in PA. Since that is a different state. Am I able to OC from Delaware into PA?

chs2010 wrote:Thanks for all the helpful information everyone. Another question I have is. I live in north Wilmington right near Claymont. I shoot up at target master on 202 in PA. Since that is a different state. Am I able to OC from Delaware into PA?

PA does not allow vehicular open carry, so... you'd have to park at the state border and walk the rest of the way.

I live in north Wilmington and OC in Claymont area all the time. A few googly eyes and double takes but nothing else. Unless you are on foot or have a LTCF you can't OC in PA, as Whatevah said, no vehicle OC without a concealed permit.
If I am OCing and I need to cross PA border, I have to stop on the Delaware side, unload, secure weapon in a vehicle gunsafe and put it in the trunk. My backseat folds down for access to trunk. Not a huge problem for me since I don't have to get out of my vehicle to do so. For someone else it may be a huge pain.
By the way, welcome and congrats on taking charge of your own safety and that of your families.

Just to clarify about OCing in PA while in a vehicle, one of the listed exemptions to 18 Pa.C.S. § 6106 is this:

(15) Any person who possesses a valid and lawfully issued license or permit to carry a firearm which has been issued under the laws of another state, regardless of whether a reciprocity agreement exists between the Commonwealth and the state under section 6109(k), provided:
(i) The state provides a reciprocal privilege for individuals licensed to carry firearms under section 6109.
(ii) The Attorney General has determined that the firearm laws of the state are similar to the firearm laws of this Commonwealth.

As I read this a DE CCW permit would make OCing in PA while inside a vehicle a lawful activity. A LTCF would be best but for those who have yet to get one a DE CCW should suffice for exemption purposes. I have been using my DE permit for vehicular OC during short trips that cross into PA for some time now.