# Delaware HB 4: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO WEAPONS. Delaware HB 4, AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO WEAPONS., is a 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) House bill sponsored by Jeffrey N. Spiegelman (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-08-20 (Signed by Governor) (as of 2026-10-11). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB4-153 - As of: 2026-10-11 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Delaware HB 4 - State: Delaware - Session: 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026) - Title: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO WEAPONS. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-09 - Last action: 2025-08-20, Signed by Governor - Sponsor: Jeffrey N. Spiegelman (Republican) - Cosponsors: 2 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (57 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Fox hunters face limited chase days: cost, low. Red fox hunting by chase is allowed only on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Those days apply only when deer may lawfully be taken with a firearm or projectile weapon. Existing open-season limits still apply, including the October-through-December deer-season prohibition. - Hunters face broader license penalties: cost, low. Delaware's natural resources department can revoke or deny hunting, fishing, or trapping licenses, or bar those activities, for up to 1 year. The careless-weapon ground now covers firearms and projectile weapons used while hunting. It requires a conviction for carelessness that injured a person, po… - Hunters face wider vehicle weapon limits: cost, low. People occupying motor vehicles, motorboats, sailboats, or farm machinery cannot shoot protected wildlife with firearms or projectile weapons. When taking wildlife, loaded firearms and projectile weapons cannot be in, against, or on vehicles or farm machinery. That loaded-weapon rule also covers mo… - Hunters face wider weapon use restrictions: cost, low. Using silencers or noise-reducing devices on airguns while hunting game or fowl is now a class C environmental violation. The firearm restriction remains. Nighttime hunting with artificial light remains banned, with the stated exceptions for raccoon, opossum, and frog. While lights or light-amplify… - More weapons barred near public roads: cost, low. The law bars firing firearms or projectile weapons on or within 15 yards of public roads or rights-of-way. Lawful self-defense remains an exception. The rule also exempts roads and rights-of-way in qualifying areas government departments designate open to hunting or trapping. - More home protection, tighter hunting limits: mixed, low. The law extends the 100-yard limit near occupied homes and related buildings to airguns used while hunting or trapping. Owners, occupants, and people they permit may fire there, but shooting wildlife requires specific advance permission from the owner or tenant. Deer hunting with projectile weapons… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Jeffrey N. Spiegelman (Republican), House - Cosponsor: William J. Carson (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Brian Pettyjohn (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-07-01 | Senate | Passed (2/3 required) | pass | 21 | 0 | | | 2025-03-18 | House | Passed (2/3 required) | pass | 36 | 0 | | ## Actions (7) - 2025-08-20: Signed by Governor (Governor) - 2025-07-01: Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES (Senate) - 2025-05-14: Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits (Senate) - 2025-03-18: Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate (Senate) - 2025-03-18: Passed By House. Votes: 36 YES 5 ABSENT (House) - 2025-03-12: Reported Out of Committee (Natural Resources & Energy) in House with 1 Favorable, 11 On Its Merits (House) - 2025-01-09: Introduced and Assigned to Natural Resources & Energy Committee in House (House) ## Bill text - Current, 2025-01-09: [HTML](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=141761&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2) ## Related bills - HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITIONIST LICENSURE ACT. (passed house) - HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO SUPPORT POOR PERSONS. (signed) - SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS. (vetoed) - SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS. (vetoed) - HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLIC UTILITY CONSUMERS. (vetoed) - HB 356: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PFAS IN FIREFIGHTING FOAM AND EQUIPMENT. (failed) ## Sources - [Current (HTML)](https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=141761&legislationTypeId=1&docTypeId=2) ## Related - [HS 1 for HB 449: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DIETITIAN/NUTRITI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HS1FORHB449-153) - [HB 357: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB357-153) - [SB 231: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB231-153) - [SB 279: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED OCCUPATI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-SB279-153) - [HB 393: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLI…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB393-153) - [HB 356: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PFAS IN FIREFIGHTING…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB356-153) - [Delaware bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware/bills) - [Delaware state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/delaware) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DE-HB4-153 (as of 2026-10-11).