Gun Laws/Delaware/Reviewed October 3, 2026

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Are forced reset triggers legal in Delaware?

Quick answer

No

Delaware: Not named; Delaware's rapid fire device ban likely covers them, untested in court.

2 of Delaware's 3 neighboring states have the same status. Check each one before you cross a state line with forced reset triggers.

Not legal advice. Source: 11 Del. C. § 1444(a)(6), checked October 3, 2026

Forced reset trigger laws by state

Alabama: No state banAlaska: No state banArizona: No state banColorado: RestrictedFlorida: UnsettledGeorgia: No state banIndiana: No state banKansas: No state banMaine: No state banMassachusetts: RestrictedMinnesota: RestrictedNew Jersey: RestrictedNorth Carolina: No state banNorth Dakota: No state banOklahoma: No state banPennsylvania: No state banSouth Dakota: No state banTexas: No state banWyoming: No state banConnecticut: RestrictedMissouri: No state banWest Virginia: No state banIllinois: RestrictedNew Mexico: No state banArkansas: No state banCalifornia: RestrictedDelaware: RestrictedHawaii: RestrictedIowa: UnsettledKentucky: No state banMaryland: RestrictedMichigan: No state banMississippi: No state banMontana: No state banNew Hampshire: No state banNew York: RestrictedOhio: No state banOregon: RestrictedTennessee: No state banUtah: No state banVirginia: UnsettledWashington: RestrictedWisconsin: No state banNebraska: No state banSouth Carolina: No state banIdaho: No state banNevada: RestrictedVermont: No state banLouisiana: No state banRhode Island: RestrictedALAKAZARCACOFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMIMNMSMOMTNENVNMNYNCNDOHOKORPASCSDTNTXUTVAWAWVWIWY
No state ban (32)Unsettled (3)Restricted (15)Forced reset trigger laws by state. Tap a state
Map legend: clear means No state ban; caution means Unsettled; restricted means Restricted

Triggers that stay legal in Delaware

Compliant in Delaware.A forced reset trigger is treated as a machine gun in Delaware. A fast single stage drop in is not.

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Not legal advice. Confirm your own configuration before you buy. All Delaware gun laws

What the Delaware statute says

Delaware's rapid fire device ban

11 Del. C. § 1444(a)(6)

“a part, kit, tool, accessory, or device that increases the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm to a rate of fire that mimics the rate of fire of a machine gun”

Delaware bans bump stocks, trigger cranks and any rapid fire device, the last added by SB 8 in 2022. Forced reset triggers are not named, and no court or attorney general opinion has said whether one mimics a machine gun's rate of fire. An FRT is built to come close to that rate, so treat it as covered. A first offense is a class B misdemeanor, later ones a class E felony.

Statute text checked October 3, 2026. Quotes are the statute's own words.

Delaware law in detail

  • Delaware is one of fifteen states, plus the District of Columbia, that restrict forced reset triggers. Not named; Delaware's rapid fire device ban likely covers them, untested in court. The statute section on this page shows the exact wording, and the 2025 federal settlement does not override a state rule.
  • A standard fast single stage or two stage drop in trigger is not affected by any of these statutes.

The federal rule

Under the 2025 Justice Department settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, ATF no longer treats a forced reset trigger that fires one round per trigger function as a machine gun. That settles federal law only; a state can still ban FRTs under its own machine gun, rapid fire device or multiburst trigger statute.

FRTs in neighboring states

Next steps

Frequently asked questions

Are forced reset triggers legal in Delaware?

No. Delaware: Not named; Delaware's rapid fire device ban likely covers them, untested in court. The statute: 11 Del. C. § 1444(a)(6). Reviewed October 3, 2026.

What is the federal rule on forced reset triggers?

Under the 2025 Justice Department settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, ATF no longer treats a forced reset trigger that fires one round per trigger function as a machine gun. That settles federal law only; a state can still ban FRTs under its own machine gun, rapid fire device or multiburst trigger statute.

How many states restrict forced reset triggers?

Nationwide by our review: 32 states: no state ban; 3: unsettled; 15: restricted.

More Delaware gun laws

Legal disclaimer: This page summarizes state law for general information and is not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can be stricter. Confirm with the Delaware statutes, the state attorney general or a licensed attorney before buying, building or traveling.