Delaware Governor Matt Meyer Enacts Firearm Dealer Licensing and Ghost Gun Enforcement Package

Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed a comprehensive package of gun violence prevention and firearm industry oversight legislation into state law during an official signing ceremony in Newark. Surrounded by state legislators, law enforcement leadership, and community violence intervention advocates, Governor Meyer enacted three statutory measures designed to establish rigorous state-level dealer licensing, eliminate untraceable ghost guns, and permanently institutionalize the state's violence prevention apparatus.

The legislative centerpiece of the package, Senate Bill 300, establishes a mandatory state dealer licensing framework administered by the Delaware State Police. Under the statute, all commercial firearms retailers and transfer agents operating within the First State must obtain a state operating license, complete mandatory bi-annual compliance training, maintain detailed electronic transaction records, and operate continuous video surveillance systems capable of identifying both purchasers and sellers. The legislation authorizes state troopers to conduct administrative audits and on-site compliance inspections, empowering state regulators to impose substantial civil fines or revoke operating licenses for non-compliant merchants.

A companion measure, House Bill 418, establishes strict statutory timelines to eradicate untraceable, unserialized firearms commonly referred to as ghost guns. The law institutes a strict six-month transitional window requiring individuals who currently possess unfinished frames, receivers, or homemade firearms to either have the components permanently engraved with a federal serial number by a licensed manufacturer or render the weapons permanently inoperable. Following the expiration of the grace period, continued possession or transfer of unserialized firearm components will trigger state criminal penalties.

The third component of the package, House Bill 369, formally codifies the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety as a permanent statutory bureau within the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The office, originally created through an executive order in May 2025, coordinates community-based violence intervention grants, hospital-based trauma response networks, and evidence-informed intervention strategies across Delaware's urban centers.

During the signing ceremony, Governor Meyer emphasized that Delaware is taking proactive steps to strengthen community safety at a time when federal firearm oversight frameworks face political and legal volatility in Washington. The governor pointed out that statutory enactments represent the initial phase of reform, asserting that effective reduction in gun violence requires synchronized collaboration between licensed retail dealers, public prosecutors, municipal police departments, and community intervention workers.

State Attorney General Kathy Jennings praised the new statutes, noting that expanding state-level regulatory authority is critical to disrupting interstate illicit trafficking networks and straw purchases. Longtime sponsor and Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola hailed the enactment of Senate Bill 300 as the culmination of a multi-year legislative campaign, emphasizing that requiring secure inventory storage and verified video records ensures firearms are sold responsibly and kept out of illicit underground distribution chains.

National gun violence prevention organizations, including Everytown for Gun Safety, noted that federal ATF inspections of Delaware's one hundred and thirty licensed firearm dealers have historically occurred only once a decade due to federal staffing constraints. Advocates argued that state-level inspections will close significant oversight gaps. The Department of Safety and Homeland Security and the Delaware State Police will begin issuing formal administrative regulations and dealer guidelines in the coming months.