Delaware Depository: IRA Storage Fees, Insurance, Locations and Security (2026 Review)

The Delaware Depository is a state-chartered trust company in Wilmington, Delaware, that stores IRA metal for custodians, and your custodian, not the vault, sets your storage fee. So the real questions are what your custodian charges, what the vault's insurance pays, and what its record shows. A custodian is the trust company that legally holds your IRA and sends your statements. Gold IRA depositories are the vaults that hold the metal for that custodian.

The Delaware Depository is one of the gold IRA depositories SafeOunce checks with the same charter, fee, insurance and audit questions. This review covers its charter and record, its $1 billion insurance, its audits and who it suits. IRA storage there costs $95 to $450 a year on 7 custodian schedules (September 29, 2026). It is the vault at 3601 North Market Street, not First State Depository, a different Wilmington vault that failed in 2022.

The 12 facts below come from the Delaware Depository's own documents, its 2016 SEC letter, the CFTC, the BBB, CME and custodian fee schedules, each dated.

Our Delaware Depository Verdict: A State-Regulated Vault Whose IRA Price Is Set by Your Custodian#

The Delaware Depository is one of the best-documented IRA vaults in the country, but its insurance, audits and contract have limits that most reviews leave out. It is a state-chartered trust company, examined by Delaware's bank regulator. CME licenses it for all four metals, and ICE for gold and silver. The BBB shows one complaint in three years (September 29, 2026). SafeOunce reads its one regulator action, a 2014 CFTC order, as a lesson, not a current risk.

Three limits matter for your money. The insurance pays metal value, not the premium you paid. The audit is a SOC 1 Type I, which checks how controls are designed on one date. Segregated storage, where your coins sit apart and come back as the same pieces, is mostly not offered for silver.

Three readers fit less well: buyers of segregated silver, owners of proof coins without a declared value, and large balances on value-based schedules.

Who decides whether your metal goes to Delaware at all? Usually your dealer and custodian; GoldStar Trust says the dealer "usually determines" the depository.

What Is the Delaware Depository? Legal Names, Trust Charter and Owner#

The Delaware Depository is a private vault business in Wilmington, Delaware, run as a state-chartered limited purpose trust company that stores bullion for banks, trust companies and IRA custodians. Its 2016 letter to the SEC lists "custodians of individual retirement accounts" as customers. Its 2024 press release says its customers are mainly banks, trust companies and firms in the metals supply chain. So why do two names appear on IRA paperwork?

Delaware Depository Service Company and Depository Trust Company of Delaware: the two names on your forms#

Two related companies use the Delaware Depository name: the trust company, Depository Trust Company of Delaware, LLC, and Delaware Depository Service Company, LLC, the name on most storage forms. "DDSC" is short for the second one. The table shows where you see each name (2016 SEC letter; custodian documents read September 29, 2026).

Search both names, and "DDSC", when you check records.

Why a Delaware trust charter matters for IRA metal#

The Delaware Depository's trust charter makes it a "bank" under the IRA rules, because 26 U.S.C. 408(n) counts a corporation supervised by a state banking commissioner as a bank. Delaware approved the charter on October 30, 2009, says its 2016 letter to the SEC, which names the State Bank Commissioner as supervisor and examiner. Such a trust company cannot take cash deposits, issue CDs or make loans. In 2016 it had to keep at least $500,000 of net capital. Its 2024 press release still calls it "a Delaware state-chartered limited purpose trust company."

Possession is the whole test. In a 2002 private letter ruling (PLR 200217059), the IRS treated bullion held by storage companies that were "not the IRA trustee" as a collectible, and so as a distribution.

The vault's white paper argues that only a "bank" vault fully meets this test. That is its own argument; no IRS ruling or court case rules out a non-bank vault working for your custodian.

Who owns the Delaware Depository?#

In its 2016 letter to the SEC, the Delaware Depository named FideliTrade as its parent company. It said FideliTrade's 3601 Properties, LLC owned its buildings outright, with no mortgage. SafeOunce found no 2026 filing that confirms the owner. The April 2024 press release came through FideliTrade Incorporated. No retail gold IRA company shows up among the owners, but FideliTrade has a role in Fidelity's IRA program (see below).

When was the Delaware Depository founded?#

The Delaware Depository says it was founded in 1999. Its trust charter was approved on October 30, 2009, and the BBB lists the business as set up on November 16, 2009. The 1999 date is from its 2024 press release. The two dates likely mark the business and the later charter, but SafeOunce has found no record that settles it.

Is the Delaware Depository Legit? Its Record With Regulators, the BBB and the Exchanges#

Yes: as of September 29, 2026, the Delaware Depository is a real, state-regulated trust company with an A+ BBB grade and one CFTC order, from 2014. The BBB shows one complaint in three years. That 2014 order is the one mark on its record, and it teaches a lesson. The table sums up the record (searches of September 29, 2026).

SafeOunce tracks precious metals IRA cases back to 2008. The 2014 order is listed with every other case in our tracker of precious metals IRA enforcement actions.

The 2014 CFTC order over Hunter Wise notices#

On September 26, 2014, the CFTC ordered Delaware Depository Services Company, LLC to pay $500,000 to the court-appointed receiver for Hunter Wise Commodities. The CFTC found it had confirmed off-exchange metals trades for Hunter Wise customers, breaking Section 4(a) of the Commodity Exchange Act (CFTC release 7014-14). From September 14 to October 13, 2011, it acted "in reliance on representations of Hunter Wise." Its notices confirmed the "transaction date, type of commodity traded, and the quantity of metals."

The release also records points in its favor. It "voluntarily ceased sending the Notices," received "no commissions, fees or other form of compensation," and improved its compliance program. Hunter Wise itself had more than 3,200 retail customers. It was ordered to pay $52.6 million in restitution and a $55.4 million penalty (CFTC release 6935-14, 2014).

Ask the vault, through your custodian, for a holdings report of your IRA's metal. The conduct lasted five weeks in 2011, and SafeOunce found no later CFTC or SEC action against either company (searches of September 29, 2026).

BBB record: A+, 1 complaint in 3 years#

The BBB rates the Delaware Depository A+ and shows 1 complaint closed in 3 years and no customer reviews, as of September 29, 2026. It has been accredited since December 7, 2016. Few reviews is normal: IRA owners deal with their custodian, not the vault.

BBB ratings rest mostly on complaint handling, and accreditation is a paid membership, says the BBB's own overview.

What BBB ratings can and cannot tell you is explained on our ratings page.

COMEX, NYMEX and ICE licenses: what exchange approval checks#

As of September 29, 2026, CME Group's COMEX and NYMEX license the Delaware Depository for gold, silver, platinum and palladium, and ICE Futures US for gold and silver. The vault's 2016 letter to the SEC quotes two CME duties: a yearly independent audit "of registered metal inventory," and insurance "in an amount satisfactory to CME." Registered metal means large exchange bars with a warrant (a title document), such as 100-oz gold bars.

The CME report of September 28, 2026 shows 182,014 ounces of gold here: 0.8% of the 23,387,989 ounces reported, 8th of 11 vaults. Silver stands at 16,539,505 ounces, 7th of 13. CME's report of February 2, 2026 showed 20,094 ounces of platinum and 3,996 ounces of palladium.

Its 2025 brochure calls it "1 of only 10 global depositories approved by CME Group"; the September 28 gold report alone lists 11 vaults.

What COMEX is, and why its list matters, is in our glossary.

How a Gold IRA Uses the Delaware Depository: Dealer, Custodian and Vault#

A gold IRA uses the Delaware Depository through three separate companies: a dealer, a custodian and the vault. The dealer sells and ships the metal, the custodian owns it for your IRA, and the vault holds it for the custodian.

A self-directed IRA is an IRA that can hold assets other than funds, such as metal. The four steps are listed below.

1. Open a self-directed IRA with a custodian that lists the Delaware Depository.
2. Choose the storage type on the custodian's form: non-segregated (allocated) or segregated.
3. Buy metal from a dealer; the custodian pays the dealer from your IRA.
4. Check that the metal appears on your custodian statement with product, quantity and storage type.

The vault's FAQ says: "Bullion held on deposit in an IRA is controlled by the trustee/custodian." That matches 26 U.S.C. 408(m)(3)(B) and the Tax Court's McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (November 18, 2021).

So you choose the custodian first, and gold IRA custodians differ on price for the same vault. Which gold IRA custodians offer this vault, and what each charges, is compared on our custodians page.

Can you open an IRA directly with the Delaware Depository?#

No: the Delaware Depository holds IRA metal only for your IRA's custodian. Its own FAQ says "IRA assets must be held in the possession of a bank within the United States." Your IRA contract is with the custodian, and so is the vault's storage contract. FDIC and SIPC insurance never cover IRA metal, here or anywhere.

Home storage of IRA coins is not a way around the custodian. That setup is covered on home storage gold IRA: the Tax Court treated it as a taxable distribution.

Can you choose the Delaware Depository, or switch away from it?#

You can pick the Delaware Depository only if your custodian works with it. You can switch away only to another vault on your custodian's list, or by moving to another custodian. Directed IRA, Provident Trust and Madison Trust use only the Delaware Depository (September 29, 2026). Equity Trust lists 5 vaults, Entrust 4, and GoldStar, STRATA, Forge Trust and Advanta IRA also offer others.

Ask your dealer which vault it ships to before you buy, not after.

Switching custodians later means shipping the metal and paying exit fees. The steps and exit fees for switching gold IRA custodians with the metal in kind are on our switching guide.

Delaware Depository IRA Storage Fees in 2026, Custodian by Custodian#

Delaware Depository IRA storage costs $95 to $450 a year on the 7 custodian schedules SafeOunce found, because your custodian sets the price (September 29, 2026). The vault's own 0.50% and 1.5% rates apply to personal accounts, not IRAs.

Two terms explain most of the gap. Commingled, or non-segregated, storage keeps your coins with identical coins of other owners. Value-based schedules charge in basis points, hundredths of a percent: 8 basis points equal 0.08%.

So how much does it cost to store gold in a depository like this one? Delaware Depository storage fees are your custodian's price, shown below. Gold IRA storage fees for every custodian and vault are compared on gold IRA storage fees.

Delaware Depository storage fee by custodian at $50,000 and $250,000#

At $50,000 of metal, commingled storage at the Delaware Depository costs $95 to $125 a year, and at $250,000 it costs $100 to $250, depending on your custodian. The table shows yearly storage on each custodian schedule SafeOunce found, at two balances.

Custodian documents re-read or recorded September 29, 2026; SafeOunce computation at the stated balances. Provident Trust and Advanta IRA use the vault but publish no storage price.

Flat schedules cost the same at any balance. Value-based schedules, at Directed IRA, Forge Trust, Madison Trust and GoldStar (segregated), cost more as your metal grows. So at what balance does a scaled fee overtake a flat one?

At $250,000, Forge Trust and Madison Trust charge $250, two and a half times Entrust's $100 for the same shelf.

Total yearly cost: custodian account fee plus Delaware storage#

With the custodian's own yearly fee added, $50,000 of metal at the Delaware Depository costs $215 to $685 a year, or 0.43% to 1.37% (September 29, 2026). The table adds each custodian's yearly account fee to its Delaware storage fee.

Setup, transaction, shipping and termination fees excluded. Entrust accounts with two or more assets pay a $329 base, adding $110 a year. Account fees from each custodian's 2026 schedule; SafeOunce computation.

At $250,000 the range is $215 to $895 a year. At $50,000, the cheapest commingled route (GoldStar, $215) and the costliest segregated route (Directed IRA, $685) differ by $470 a year, or $4,700 over ten years. Comparing commingled with commingled, GoldStar and Madison Trust ($656) differ by $441 a year, or $4,410 over ten years (SafeOunce computation, fees held flat).

The account fee often matters more than storage. Why a value-based schedule overtakes a flat one as the account grows is explained on flat vs scaled gold IRA fees.

Personal account rates: why 0.50% and 1.5% are not IRA fees#

The Delaware Depository charges personal accounts 0.50% of value a year for non-segregated storage and 1.5% for segregated storage (schedule R220301, read September 29, 2026). At $100,000, that is 4 to 10 times the IRA price on the custodian schedules above. The schedule reads: "The annual fee for Non-Segregated Storage ... is 0.50%" and "The annual rate for Segregated Storage is 1.5%." Fees are billed every six months in arrears, with minimums of $25 and $50 per billing. A 100-oz gold bar costs $180 a year. The table prices $100,000 of metal both ways.

At least one gold IRA guide prints the 0.50% and 1.5% as IRA storage fees; another prints 0.005%. Neither matches any custodian's IRA schedule.

An in-kind distribution takes the metal itself out of the IRA. STRATA lets you move that metal into a personal DDSC account; it is a reportable distribution, and personal rates then apply.

Delaware Depository fees beyond storage: handling, shipping and exit#

Storage is not the only Delaware Depository charge: handling, shipping, withdrawals and vault visits cost extra, and custodians add exit fees. The six charges below come from schedule R220301 and custodian schedules read September 29, 2026.

• Handling: $35 per package plus postage, registration and insurance (Entrust IRA form Rev. 3/7/2024; same in the personal schedule).
• Out-shipment minimum: $25 per shipment (Entrust IRA form).
• Pickup (personal accounts): $0.10 per ounce, with a $25 minimum per out-shipment.
• Early withdrawal (personal accounts): $150 if metal leaves within 6 months.
• Vault visits (personal accounts): $35 per staff hour, two staff required, "$70 per 2-man team."
• Custodian exit fees: Equity Trust $125 per in-kind transfer out and $250 to close; STRATA $35 depository handling per trade and $250 to close.

Termination fees, the charges to close or move an account, often decide the cost of leaving. Every custodian's exit charges are compared on gold IRA termination fees.

Segregated vs Non-Segregated Storage at the Delaware Depository#

The Delaware Depository offers two IRA storage types: non-segregated, where your coins sit with identical coins, and segregated, where your items sit apart and come back as the same pieces. The table compares the two options using the vault's own definitions (FAQ and account agreement, September 29, 2026).

On the four flat schedules at $50,000, segregation adds $50 to $100 a year.

Segregated storage pays off mainly for proof, graded or unusual coins. When segregation is worth paying for is covered in segregated vs commingled gold IRA storage.

Non-segregated metal is still allocated to your IRA#

Non-segregated storage at the Delaware Depository is still allocated storage: its agreement says your bullion is "stored and fully allocated to Your Account". Large bars are tracked "by their serial numbers." Coins are held "as fungible bulk holdings, without regard to the year of mintage, manufacturer, condition" (agreement, section 1.2). Fungible means interchangeable: one 1-oz Gold Eagle counts the same as another.

In its 2016 letter to the SEC, the vault added that "no single product is held as an undivided fractional interest of two or more owners."

Segregated silver at the Delaware Depository: mostly not offered#

Most custodians do not offer segregated storage for silver coins at the Delaware Depository, so a silver IRA stored there is usually non-segregated. The five routes below quote each custodian's document (read September 29, 2026).

• Entrust: segregated storage is "Gold/Platinum/Palladium Only."
• STRATA Trust: segregated "Yes (except silver)."
• Forge Trust: "Segregated storage is available for gold, platinum and palladium only (no silver)."
• GoldStar Trust: "Segregated storage is not available for Silver products smaller than 1000 oz. bars."
• Provident Trust: "Commingled Allocated Holdings Sub-Accounted by Customer," with no segregated option on the form.

For segregated silver coins, ask for a vault such as IDS, the Texas Precious Metals Depository or A-Mark Global Logistics (custodian documents, 2026). Eligible silver and its storage costs are covered on our silver IRA guide.

Delaware Depository Insurance: What $1 Billion Covers, Pays and Excludes#

The Delaware Depository carries $1 billion of "all risk" insurance and $100 million of contingent vault coverage through London underwriters, as of September 29, 2026. The policy covers theft and unexplained loss, pays metal value, and excludes war, cyber attacks and government confiscation. All-risk insurance covers every cause of loss not listed as excluded. Contingent coverage is a backup layer that applies when other cover does not.

The FAQ names "mysterious disappearance and/or unexplained loss and shortage, employee dishonesty and theft." The agreement says "DDSC does not assess additional fees to fully insure your Bullion." Those are the vault's words, and the sections below show the limits.

In 2016 the vault told the SEC the $1 billion was "available for each and every claim, which means that previous claims do not reduce the amount of insurance coverage available for future claims." So an earlier loss did not use up the limit for the next one.

Vault insurance protects the vault's customers as a group, not each customer separately. FDIC and SIPC never cover IRA metal. The questions to ask any vault are on how gold IRA storage is insured.

Metal value, not what you paid: the proof coin gap#

The Delaware Depository replaces lost metal in kind or pays its market value at the CME settlement price, not the premium you paid. A higher payout needs a declared value, a higher value registered for a coin in advance.

The worked example prices 20 proof coins at SD Bullion's prices of September 29, 2026.

Ask your custodian whether it can record a declared value for proof or graded coins. Why proof coins in an IRA cost more to buy and are insured at metal value is covered on our proof coin page.

What the Delaware Depository insurance excludes: war, cyber attacks and government confiscation#

The Delaware Depository's insurance excludes 6 kinds of loss, including war, terrorism, cyber attacks and seizure by a government. The six exclusions below come from the FAQ and section 4.6 of the account agreement (September 29, 2026).

• War.
• Terrorism.
• Cyber attack ("targeted cyber attack" in the agreement).
• Radioactive contamination.
• Chemical, biological, biochemical and electromagnetic weapons.
• Government seizure: "confiscation or nationalization or requisition or destruction of or damage to property by or under the order of any government or public or local authority."

Whether a government can confiscate your gold in an IRA, and what 1933 shows, is covered on our confiscation page.

$1 billion per claim against about $1.77 billion of exchange metal#

The Delaware Depository's exchange-reported gold and silver alone were worth about $1.77 billion on September 28, 2026, above its $1 billion all-risk limit, before counting any IRA coins. The table multiplies the CME stock report by snapshot prices of September 29, 2026: $4,155 an ounce for gold and $61.34 for silver.

Limits sized for one event, not the whole building, are normal. The exchange only asks for cover "in an amount satisfactory to CME." For scale, the vault's 2016 letter says CME's minimum in 2010 was $200 million of all-risk cover.

Taking metal out: $100,000 per package and the claim deadlines#

Each package the Delaware Depository ships is insured up to $100,000 at the spot price. A lost-package claim is denied if the vault does not file it within 30 days. The four rules below come from its Shipping FAQ, effective November 18, 2024.

• Payout: New York spot price on the second business day after the loss, "without regard to premiums" (question 9).
• Claim deadline: 30 calendar days from shipment (question 5).
• Delivered packages: no investigation if tracking shows the package was signed for (question 7).
• Your own carrier account: your own FedEx or UPS account is "Third-Party Shipping," and the vault "will not be responsible" (question 2).

STRATA Trust asks its clients to report problems within 7 days of receipt. Its lost-package article counts the vault's 30 days from the delivery date, while the vault's FAQ counts from shipment. Report any problem the day the box arrives.

Taking coins out of the IRA is taxed like cash; the steps are on gold IRA distributions.

Delaware Depository Security and Audits: What Is Checked and What Is Not#

Four outside checks cover the Delaware Depository: a SOC 1 Type I audit, yearly reviews by accountants and insurance brokers, state bank exams and the exchange's audit of its bars. The table lists what each check covers and what it does not.

Insider theft and cyber risk were insured too, as of 2016. That year the vault told the SEC its policy covered "employee infidelity, without an exclusion for theft or fraud by officers or senior managers." It also carried a separate $2 million cyber liability policy from the Beazley Group. Today's FAQ excludes cyber attacks from the all-risk cover, and SafeOunce found no current cyber policy published.

The vault's own documents give no wall thickness or vault rating, so this review repeats none from dealer sites.

Depository audits check the business, not your account. What depository audits miss across the industry is covered on our audits page.

SOC 1 Type I: a check of the design, on one date#

The Delaware Depository calls itself "a SSAE18 - SOC1 Type1 audited organization," which means an auditor checked how its controls were designed on one date. It does not show whether they worked all year. Its 2016 letter to the SEC says a Type I report checks design "as of a specified date."

McGladrey (now RSM US LLP) issued that report in April 2015. The vault promised a new one "once every three (3) years," and its 2024 press release names a "PCAOB-registered independent auditing firm."

State bank exams and COMEX audits of exchange bars#

As a trust company, the Delaware Depository was examined by Delaware's bank regulator about every 12 to 15 months, according to its 2016 letter to the SEC. The CME's yearly audit covers only registered metal: 100-oz gold, 1,000-oz silver, 50-oz platinum and 100-oz palladium bars with warrants (2016 letter, footnote 21).

How to check your metal is really at the Delaware Depository#

You can check your metal in 5 steps, starting with a holdings report from the vault itself, not only your custodian's statement. The five steps are listed below.

1. Ask your custodian for the vault's own holdings report for your IRA.
2. Check product, quantity, storage type and, for large bars, serial numbers.
3. Confirm the custodian lists the Delaware Depository and the account is titled to your IRA.
4. Ask whether a declared value is on file for proof or graded coins.
5. Request a visit or photos through your custodian.

The 2014 Hunter Wise order shows why step 1 matters. The vault's report and your statement match when your gold is really in your IRA. What to do if a check fails is on is your gold really in your IRA.

Delaware Depository Locations: Wilmington, Boulder City and the Vaults IRAs Do Not Use#

IRA custodians store metal at two Delaware Depository vaults: 3601 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19802, and 1009 Industrial Road, Boulder City, Nevada 89005, as of September 29, 2026. The table lists every location the vault names and whether custodians offer it for IRAs.

Your custodian's storage form names the address, so ask which site will hold your metal before you buy. Goldco's article says the Nevada site opened in 2022, a dealer claim SafeOunce has not confirmed. The brochure claims "over 3.4 million cubic feet" of space.

Offshore storage in Zurich or Toronto serves personal accounts only. Whether a foreign vault can ever hold IRA metal is covered in offshore gold IRA storage.

What Happens to Your Metal If the Delaware Depository or Your Dealer Fails#

IRA metal at the Delaware Depository is recorded to your IRA's account, and the vault told the SEC in 2016 that customer bullion stays out of its bankruptcy estate. Three scenarios show what that means for you.

The vault fails. Footnote 42 of the 2016 letter says customer metal "would not, among other things, become property of the Company's bankruptcy estate." It is also kept off the vault's balance sheet.

The dealer fails. Rosland Capital LLC filed a liquidating Chapter 11 case on July 2, 2026 (In re Rosland Capital LLC, No. 2:26-bk-16650-BB, Bankr. C.D. Cal.). Its declaration says IRA products "would be deposited in the customer's separate and individualized account at DDSC" (Doc 5, paragraph 16). About $49 million of deferred revenue, orders paid for but not delivered, is a claim against the dealer (paragraph 25). In all, Rosland owes customers about $60.8 million. Claim steps are on our Rosland Capital bankruptcy page.

The vault is confused with another one. First State Depository, at 100 Todds Lane in Wilmington, was a separate vault whose owner also controlled a dealer. It failed in 2022 with 2,102 accounts, 90% of them IRAs, and $56.8 million to $110.4 million estimated missing. The two cases are not connected.

A depository failure follows different rules from a dealer failure. The general rules are on what happens to your IRA gold if a depository fails.

Which Custodians and Gold IRA Companies Use the Delaware Depository#

At least 10 IRA custodians offer the Delaware Depository, and 3 of them use it as their only vault, as of September 29, 2026. Those three are Directed IRA, Provident Trust and Madison Trust. The vault's 2025 brochure says "Most IRA custodians use Delaware Depository"; these 10 are what SafeOunce could confirm. The first table lists the custodians and the other vaults each offers.

The second table lists the gold IRA companies that use the Delaware Depository or name it, with the date SafeOunce read each statement.

A company's name in this table is a dated data point, not a recommendation or ranking. Goldco publishes an article about the vault but names no depository for its own customers.

What the Delaware Depository Contract Says: Liens, Arbitration and Unpaid Fees#

The Delaware Depository's published account agreement lets it sell stored metal to cover unpaid fees. It also sends disputes to private arbitration in Wilmington, and the customer pays half the costs. A lien is a legal right to hold or sell property to collect a debt. Arbitration is a private hearing instead of court. Escheat means handing unclaimed property to the state.

The five clauses below come from the personal account agreement, read September 29, 2026.

• Section 3.3: the vault may "liquidate Bullion held in the Account ... without obtaining Your prior approval." In plain English: it can sell your metal to pay its bill.
• Section 3.4: "a warehouseman's lien and a general lien against Bullion." In plain English: it can keep your metal until you pay.
• Section 4.2: dormant bullion "will be liquidated and a commission will apply" before escheat. In plain English: forgotten metal is sold, for a fee.
• Section 5.1: American Arbitration Association, in "Wilmington, Delaware." In plain English: no court case.
• Section 5.3: the customer pays "half of the arbitration fees and costs." In plain English: you share the bill.

These are personal-account terms. For an IRA, the storage contract sits between your custodian and the vault, and Entrust says it is "available upon request." Entrust's fee disclosure says Entrust "is not and cannot be held responsible for the actions or inactions of these depositories."

Custodians can sell metal for unpaid fees too: Equity Trust may "liquidate your precious metals assets ... and force distribute any remaining assets," and Entrust after 30 days' notice. A sale inside the IRA is not taxed, but a forced distribution is. Keep cash in the IRA for fees.

Delaware Depository Pros and Cons#

The Delaware Depository's six strengths are regulation, licenses and published terms; its six weaknesses are about what the insurance, audits and storage options leave out. The table sets them side by side, as of September 29, 2026.

Who the Delaware Depository Suits, and When to Ask for Another Vault#

The Delaware Depository suits an IRA owner who holds common bullion coins and bars through a low-fee custodian and wants a state-regulated vault. It suits a silver buyer who wants segregated coins, or an owner of proof coins without a declared value, less well. The table gives a verdict by situation.

The five questions to ask your custodian about the Delaware Depository are listed below. You should ask them before your dealer ships.

1. Ask which Delaware Depository location will hold your metal.
2. Ask for the storage type, the yearly price and the fee schedule's revision date.
3. Ask for the depository's own holdings report after delivery.
4. Ask whether a declared value can be recorded for premium coins.
5. Ask for the depository custody agreement.

How Does the Delaware Depository Compare With Other IRA Depositories?#

The Delaware Depository is the only mainstream IRA vault in SafeOunce's review that is itself a state-chartered trust company. Brink's holds more exchange gold, and the Texas Bullion Depository is run by a state. The table compares five IRA depositories on the same verified fields, dated September 28 and 29, 2026.

IRA depositories differ most on ownership and insurance. A ranking on insurance, audits, ownership and cost is on best gold IRA depositories.

Delaware Depository vs Brink's#

Brink's holds about 39 times as much COMEX gold as the Delaware Depository, but publishes no fee schedule, insurance limit or retail terms. The Delaware Depository publishes all three. The CME report of September 28, 2026 shows 7,053,978 ounces at Brink's and 182,014 at Delaware. Brink's own page is at Brink's Global Services.

Delaware Depository vs the Texas Bullion Depository#

The Texas Bullion Depository is a Texas state agency that stores IRA metal only through Equity Trust, at an unpublished IRA price. The Delaware Depository is a private trust company used by at least 10 custodians. Texas charges non-IRA accounts 0.49% a year under $500,000 (from April 1, 2026). Who runs it and what it charges is on our Texas Bullion Depository page.

How to track a shipment from the Delaware Depository#

You track a Delaware Depository shipment through the carrier's email, sent to the address on your distribution request. The three steps below follow STRATA Trust's help article (September 29, 2026).

1. Put your email address on the IRA distribution request.
2. Watch for the carrier's email once the vault prints the label; the box carries no identifying marks.
3. Sign on delivery and report any problem to your custodian within 7 days.

What does DDSC stand for?#

DDSC stands for Delaware Depository Service Company, LLC, the name most IRA custodians use for the Delaware Depository on storage forms. Its sister company, Depository Trust Company of Delaware, LLC, holds the trust charter.

Is the Delaware Depository IRS-approved?#

No vault is IRS-approved: the law requires IRA bullion to be in the physical possession of your IRA's trustee, and the Delaware Depository holds it for that trustee. The rule is 26 U.S.C. 408(m)(3)(B). The IRS approves only nonbank trustees, and its April 1, 2026 list names one metals business. What the phrase IRA approved depository really means is covered on our depositories guide.

Can you visit your metal at the Delaware Depository?#

IRA owners arrange visits through their custodian; for personal accounts, the Delaware Depository bills $35 per staff hour, with two staff in vault areas, about $70 an hour (fee schedule R220301, September 29, 2026). It publishes no visit price for IRA accounts. How to arrange a trip to visit your gold IRA metals is on our visits page.

Does storing IRA gold in Delaware or Nevada lower your taxes?#

No: state income tax on IRA withdrawals follows where you live, not where the vault is. A vault in Wilmington or Boulder City does not change your home state's tax. Every state is compared on state income tax on gold IRA withdrawals.

Is the Delaware Depository connected to Fidelity?#

Fidelity keeps the metal in its IRA bullion program at FideliTrade Incorporated in Delaware, the company the Delaware Depository named as its parent in 2016. For FideliTrade, Fidelity cites "$1 billion in 'all risk' insurance coverage at Lloyds of London ... and $300 million in contingent vault coverage" (Fidelity's page, September 29, 2026). The Delaware Depository's FAQ gives $1 billion plus $100 million for its vault. Fees and eligible coins are on Fidelity gold IRA.

Is the Delaware Depository the same as First State Depository?#

No: First State Depository was a separate Wilmington vault, owned by the owner of a dealer, that went into CFTC receivership in 2022. The case is covered on our First State Depository page.