‘Ghost Guns’ Targeted With Del. Legislation

Manufacturing or possessing a ‘ghost gun’ could become a crime in Delaware.

Ghost guns are made at home with kits, can be sold by unlicensed dealers and can be purchased without a background check.
They have no serial numbers and cannot be traced, and they can often get through metal detectors.

House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, has reintroduced a bill (House Bill 125) that would make it illegal to make, transport or possess such a firearm. It would also criminalize making or distributing a firearm using a 3-D printer.

“From closing the gun show and Charleston loopholes, to passing red flag laws, to expanding background checks, Delaware has been at the forefront of gun safety legislation,” Longhurst said. “Troublingly, individuals are constantly looking for loopholes to circumvent these laws. Ghost guns, which can be easily obtained online and built at home, are a terrifying way to bypass law enforcement, especially for people who are prohibited from possessing a firearm. By passing this comprehensive and common-sense bill, we’re taking an important step toward protecting Delawareans from gun violence by keeping unlicensed firearms out of the hands of criminals.”

“Over the past several years, we’ve passed important gun safety legislation to help keep our communities safe, but we have more work to do,” Governor John Carney said. “This important ghost gun legislation is thoughtful and reasonable and is intended to keep our communities safe. That’s the minimum standard our constituents expect us to meet. Thank you to House Majority Leader Longhurst for your leadership on this issue. I look forward to working with lawmakers in both parties to make our state safer.”

If the bill is passed, people who have a firearm without a serial number would have 90 days to comply.