Neal v. Delaware is a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in 1879. The case involved a dispute between the state of Delaware and a group of individuals who had been convicted of violating the state's liquor laws. The individuals argued that the state's laws were unconstitutional because they violated the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The Supreme Court held that the state's laws were constitutional. The Court reasoned that the state had a legitimate interest in protecting the public health and safety, and that the laws were not overly broad or arbitrary. The Court also noted that the laws were applied equally to all individuals, regardless of race or other protected class. The Court's decision in Neal v. Delaware established that states have the right to enact laws that are reasonably related to a legitimate governmental interest, even if those laws may have a disparate impact on certain groups. This decision has been cited in numerous subsequent cases involving the Equal Protection Clause.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Neal v. Delaware, arguing that the Fourteenth Amendment does not grant to a state's citizens privileges and immunities of citizenship in other states. He argued that this amendment was intended to protect individuals from discrimination based on race or color, but it did not extend beyond those categories. Furthermore, he noted that if such an interpretation were accepted then any citizen of one state would be able to claim rights as a citizen of another state without having been naturalized there first; this could lead to chaos and confusion between states regarding who is entitled to what rights within each jurisdiction. Finally, Justice Field concluded by noting that Congress had never passed legislation granting such broad privileges and immunities across all states so it should not be assumed they are granted through the Constitution either.