Delaware has three new gun laws on the books, including measures addressing guns without serial numbers, gun violence prevention and new requirements for firearm dealers. Gov. Matt Meyer signed the three bills into law Thursday, Sept. 3. Two took effect immediately, while the law imposing additio nal requirements on gun stores and dealers takes effect in 2029. “These three bills are not an accident it’s a strategy,” Meyer said. One of the new laws seeks to give people who possess guns without serial numbers a lawful path to register them. Another establishes a state Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The third creates additional rules for gun stores and dealers and seeks to reduce illegal straw purchases. “This is not about putting law abiding dealers out of business. This is about protecting families and our communities,” Meyer said. Under the gun dealer law, firearm stores will be required to obtain a new state dealer license and complete mandatory training every two years. Stores will also have to maintain detailed records of all sales and transfers and have surveillance cameras that can clearly see every gun buyer and seller. Supporters say the measures will make Delaware safer. State Sen. Dave Sokola, a Democrat from Newark, pointed to the number of federal agents responsible for inspecting federally licensed firearm dealers in the state. “That’s especially important here in Delaware where just three ATF agents are responsible for overseeing our 137 federally licensed firearm dealers,” Sokola said. The Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association, which opposed the measures, argues the laws will not reduce violent crime and will instead burden responsible gun owners and gun stores. “These three bills are nothing more than the next chapter in the age old wrong approach to reducing violent crime,” association President Jeff Hague said. Hague also questioned whether aspects of the laws are constitutional. He argues the state should prosecute more existing gun charges and that the new measures will not stop people intent on committing crimes. Hague said federally licensed firearm dealers require customers to complete the necessary forms but should not ultimately be held responsible if a customer later illegally gives or sells a gun to someone else. “The FFL’s under this bill have to be able to read the buyer’s mind and what do they intend to do with this gun. So they have to predict the purchaser’s future behavior,” Hague said. The gun store law takes effect in 2029. The laws concerning guns without serial numbers and the Office of Gun Violence Prevention took effect when Meyer signed them Thursday. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less