Polymeric nanoparticles used for plasmid DNA delivery lack as of now the efficiency of gene transfer when compared to viral vectors. However, nanoparticles have the advantage of safety over viral carriers because of reduced inflammation and lower immunogenic response. The goal of the research was to design and synthesize a nanoparticle system for plasmid DNA delivery. A surface-cationic, plasmid-docking polymeric nanoparticle system was developed to entrap plasmid DNA. The plasmid-docking polymeric nanoparticles were synthesized from poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and chitosan by emulsion-evaporation method. In this method, 2% PLGA was dissolved in ethyl acetate, and 0.3% chitosan chloride and 1% polyvinyl alcohol were solubilized in water. The two phases were emulsified under shear by homogenization and sonication. The organic solvent was evaporated under vacuum and nitrogen to produce stable spherical particles of 132.4 ± 7.4 nm in diameter. The nanoparticles consisted of a hydrophobic core of poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) with a cationic surface resulting from the chitosan amine groups (zeta potential of + 43 mV in water). Following synthesis, positively charged nanoparticles were complexed with negatively charged plasmids by electrostatic interactions. The interaction between the cationic nanoparticles and the negatively-charged plasmid DNA was explored using several methods, including TEM, SEM, and spectroscopy. Results showed that pDNA was incorporated and surrounded by multiple nanoparticles to form complexes in the 250 nm range. The basis of the plasmid-docking nanoparticle system was to reduce plasmid DNA degradation prior to delivery. Future studies will confirm the efficiency of the plasmid-docking system developed in this study for in-vitro and in-vivo delivery of pDNA.