Delaware State Police in partnership with the State Bureau of Identification (SBI) announced the launch of the Permit to Purchase Firearms Instructor Certification Portal. This new portal provides a pathway for firearms trainers to become certified to instruct individuals applying for a handgun qualified purchaser permit.
To become certified as a Permit to Purchase Firearms Training Instructor, the applicant must review the Permit to Purchase Training Course Guidelines and complete the application in the Firearms Instructor Portal. They must submit all documents with the application, including a valid firearms instructor certificate that shows the expiration date, issued by a nationally recognized organization or law enforcement agency that meets Delaware POST standards. They must also provide their training course syllabus.
Once instructors are approved and certified, they will be added to a publicly available list of approved trainers on the Permit to Purchase website.
Certified instructors must conduct courses approved by SBI that include instruction on firearms and ammunition knowledge, safe handling and storage, including child safety. The training must include shooting fundamentals and live fire exercises with a minimum of 100 rounds as well as federal and state firearms laws, including the Delaware law on the use of deadly force. The training must also provide techniques for avoiding criminal attacks, conflict resolution and managing violent confrontations. Suicide prevention and awareness must also be part of the training.
After successfully completing the firearms training safety course, permit to purchase applicants will receive a signed Firearms Training Course Certification Form from the instructor, which must be submitted with their handgun qualified purchaser permit application. The Delaware State Police advises all qualified firearm instructors to begin the certification process now to ensure they are able to provide training before the Permit to Purchase law is implemented. The law will take effect November 18, 2025.
The Permit to Purchase requires individuals to complete a firearm safety training course and pay for fingerprinting before they are able to purchase a handgun. The permit is valid for two years while the training course is valid for five years. If the Permit to Purchas is revoked, law enforcement is instructed to confiscate any handguns acquired without a permit. The law is currently facing challenges in court.
Exemptions to the firearms training requirement are outlined in Delaware law and can be found in the Delaware Code.
