Delaware governor signs ‘permit to purchase’ gun bill into law

Gov. John Carney signed a “permit to purchase” handgun bill into law Thursday afternoon, which advocates of the legislation say will reduce gun violence across Delaware.

The law, which already faces a lawsuit less than four hours after it was signed, will require people to receive a permit and complete gun safety training before purchasing a handgun in Delaware.

“It’s beyond my comprehension somebody could pick up a gun and shoot somebody with it, but it happens — oftentimes for no apparent reason,” said Carney, who was flanked by lawmakers who sponsored the bill, gun violence survivors and gun safety advocates. “It’s sad, but if you can prevent them from picking up a gun in the first place then we’ve got a chance.”

The new law won’t take effect for 18 months, giving departments time to prepare for implementation and legislators the opportunity for additional enhancements.

“Moms Demand Action volunteers like me have been advocating for our lawmakers to enact permit-to-purchase into law for years, and we’re grateful to Governor Carney and our House and Senate gun sense champions who made it happen today,” Luann D’Agostino Manley, a volunteer with the Delaware chapter of Moms Demand Action, said in a statement following the signing. “With Delaware’s gun homicide rate still higher than the national average, we need to use every tool available to reduce gun violence and keep our communities safe – including this life-saving measure.”