Delaware bill would make it illegal to own tools used to steal cars unless for ‘reasonable purpose’

A Delaware bill would make it illegal to possess “vehicle security circumvention devices” or any device designed or used to intercept key fob signals, unless the user has a lawful and reasonable purpose for such a device.

The bill would also require “authorized” individuals to report any lost or stolen security circumvention devices to law enforcement within 48 hours of the loss or theft. 

HB 351 was introduced on April 9 by Franklin Cooke (D-16). It passed the House May 14 with a 39-2 vote and has been assigned to the Senate Corrections & Public Safety Committee. 

A vehicle security circumvention device is described as a “motor vehicle key programing device, an emulating device, a relay attack device, or any other device, computer program, application, or software designed or used to intercept the signal from the key fob of a motor vehicle or electronically communicate with a motor vehicle for the purpose of programming or emulating a motor vehicle key fob that is capable of being used to unlock or start the motor vehicle.” 

If passed, the bill would make it illegal to manufacture, sell, offer to sell, transfer, or possess the devices. 

The bill does not apply to those who have a lawful and reasonable purpose, including: 

• • Law enforcement officer
  • Employee of the National Insurance Crime Bureau
  • Employee of a licensed motor vehicle dealer
  • Motor vehicle distributor
  • Manufacturer of motor vehicles or motor vehicle locks
  • Motor vehicle mechanic shop
  • Locksmith company
  • Repossession agency

If passed, violation of the law would result in a fine not less than $28 nor more than $115 or imprisonment not less than 30 days nor more than 90 days or both a fine and jail time. Each subsequent offence would mean a fine not less than $115 nor more than $230 or imprisonment not less than 90 days nor more than six months or both a fine and jail time. 

A local NPR affiliate reports that Delaware saw a 26% increase in motor vehicle theft between 2020 and 2024.

The radio program reports that Cooke says the bill comes from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). He added that security circumvention devices are increasingly being used to facilitate thefts. 

An Autel device was recently the key used by an international car theft ring to steal vehicles in the Washington metropolitan area and Pennsylvania, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

“They don’t need keys, and they don’t need hot wiring; no smashed windows, no drama,” Pirro said. “Just a sleek electronic device called an Autel.” 

She said that in under a minute, the car’s brain is rewritten. 

“The car is gone in 60 seconds,” she said. “Welcome to the new world of car theft.”

Austin, Texas, police also recently warned of diagnostic tools being used to steal vehicles, according to local news station KXAN.   

NICB released data Monday showing vehicle thefts, while still high, declined by 23% in 2025 to the lowest levels in several decades. 

“A total of 659,880 vehicles were reported stolen nationwide last year, a historic low figure for U.S. vehicle thefts and a clear signal of the end of the pandemic-fueled surge in vehicle thefts,” the release states. “This past year’s decline in vehicle thefts follows a significant 17% drop in vehicle thefts in 2024 – previously the largest decrease in thefts in 40 years.”

NICB said vehicle thefts remain a significant crime in the U.S., adding that a vehicle is stolen every 48 seconds. It noted that some urban areas see an even greater risk. 

“More than one-third of all vehicle thefts occurred in the top 10 Census-defined statistical areas with the highest volumes of theft,” the release states. 

The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area led with 477.51 thefts per 100,000 people. 

Hyundai and Kia vehicle thefts have continued to decline for the third consecutive year, according to the report. 

“These manufacturers account for 14% of all vehicle thefts in 2025, down from 16% in 2024 and 21% in 2023,” the release states. “The downward trend involving these top-targeted vehicles reflects the impact of software updates and theft-prevention measures implemented in response to the theft trend.”

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