Doe v. Wilmington Housing Authority
Supreme Court of Delaware · No. 403, 2013 · 88 A.3d 654
👍Favorable to gun rights
held a public housing authority may not impose the common-area carry ban or the permit-inspection rule under the state constitutional right to bear arms
GunMapUSA assessment of the outcome's direction, not a statement that the court decided rightly or wrongly.
What the court held
Two residents of Wilmington Housing Authority properties challenged lease rules barring them, their household members, and guests from displaying or carrying firearms in common areas except when transporting them to their units or using them in self-defense, and requiring them to produce any permit on request when there was reasonable cause to suspect a violation. On certified questions from the Third Circuit, the Delaware Supreme Court answered both in the negative, holding that Article I, Section 20 of the Delaware Constitution does not permit a public housing agency to adopt either provision.
Summarized from the court's opinion.
What this case is about
public housing authority policy on carrying and possessing firearms in common areas
GunMapUSA summary of the issue, not a quotation from the court.
Key Dates
- 2014-03-18 — Decided
Sources
- CourtListener — retrieved 2026-08-08
Summary of public court records. Not legal advice.