Delaware, Public Records Directory

Delaware Public Records

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Official Delaware sources for criminal, court, vital, business and property records.

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Delaware record topics

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Wage Theft Records

Every U.S. Labor Department wage and hour case in Delaware by employer, with the back wages agreed and where to file a wage claim.

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State overview

About Delaware public records

The Delaware Judiciary has six courts: the Supreme Court, Court of Chancery, Superior Court, Family Court, Court of Common Pleas and Justice of the Peace Court. Records of public bodies are requested under the Freedom of Information Act, explained below.

For Delaware contact research, the Reverse Phone Lookup and Email Search guide explains telephone and email sources and removal options. Check a possible business link against its Delaware file number and dated filings, keeping a registered-agent contact distinct from an ownership claim.

State snapshot

Quick tip: Delaware has no county jails; the Department of Correction runs every correctional facility, from pretrial detention to prison.

Bonus tip: any person may get a copy of their own criminal record on proof of identity, while other criminal records are closed to the public (29 Del. C. § 10002).

Open the dedicated background page for a deeper history, civic overview, and statewide public records context beyond the agency directory. Open the about page.

Find your county

Delaware counties, click yours

Every county on the map opens its own records page, with the courts, clerk, sheriff and offices for that county.

Legislative Hall in Dover, Delaware's capitol, in a Farm Security Administration photograph of July 1938
Legislative Hall in Dover, Delaware's capitol, in a Farm Security Administration photograph of July 1938. The building had opened five years earlier and still houses the General Assembly.Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. No known restrictions. See the catalog record.
Kent CountyKentNew Castle CountyNew CastleSussex CountySussex

The names are written where they fit. Hover or tap any county for its name, and click it to open its page.

The Delaware county directory lists every county page of the state in one place.

Official source group

General Records

Government sites for Delaware records, licenses and public services.

Research guide

Find Delaware filings beyond a name-search result

Delaware searches often return an index before they provide the document needed. A corporate listing does not establish good standing, a civil docket does not cover every court, and a parcel page is different from a deed. Use the identifiers and access routes below to reach the specific filing, order or agency record.

Choose the court before choosing the search service

The judiciary's civil-search directory identifies CourtConnect access for Superior Court, the Court of Common Pleas and Justice of the Peace Court. Searches can use a person, business, case type or judgment. That description should not be expanded into a claim that one search returns every Delaware judicial record.

The Court of Chancery page directs civil docket inquiries to File & ServeXpress. For a corporate dispute, identify the court and case number before concluding that a missing CourtConnect entry means no case exists.

The judiciary's electronic-filing guide separately identifies public access to Superior Court documents at terminals in the Prothonotary's Office. Use the Delaware court directory to locate the responsible office and ask for the particular complaint, order or disposition.

Separate case documents from a consolidated criminal history

The judicial-records policy directory explains that courts cannot supply a consolidated Delaware criminal history. It directs certified-history requests to the State Bureau of Identification and supplies separate record-access policies for individual courts.

The same directory currently marks the Court of Chancery's public-access policy as under review. Use the court's current instructions and ask the Register about the requested record; an older policy PDF should not be presented as an unchanged current procedure.

For an individual case, preserve its number, court, party names, filing date and the exact document title. State whether the intended recipient requires certification. A court's response to that targeted request and a fingerprint-based criminal-history report answer different questions.

The Division of Corporations' entity-search instructions say results include active and inactive entities and do not establish current status. The free details include the file number, formation date and registered-agent information. Search by name or file number, then retain the entity number with the result.

The Division's FAQ distinguishes those free details from paid status and filing-history information. It also states that an online status result is not a Secretary-certified good-standing certificate. Decide whether the task needs identification, historical documents, current status or a certified certificate before ordering.

The online-services directory provides separate links for entity search, status checking and certificate validation. A registered agent's name should be described according to that recorded role rather than automatically treated as the company's owner.

Use the deed search when the question concerns a recorded instrument

Kent County's property-record guide explicitly distinguishes its deeds database from its property-records tool. It describes online deeds reaching back to the 1700s, free research and watermarked viewing, with separate charges for unwatermarked downloads or printing.

A tax parcel can identify a property and help establish an owner-name lead. To research a transfer or mortgage release, open the actual recorded document and retain its book/page or instrument reference, party names and recording date.

New Castle County's service directory separately links parcel records, recorded deeds, community governing documents, building permits and land-use projects. A subdivision restriction or permit inquiry may require a different collection from the deed itself. Record the specific database searched rather than describing all results as property records.

Find the estate in the decedent's county of domicile

New Castle County's Register of Wills FAQ directs researchers to the county where the deceased person was domiciled. Its Wills Finder provides file information and dates, while the actual documents may require an office visit or copy request. A will deposited for safekeeping by a living person is not a public estate file.

Retain the estate number and distinguish the date of death, date the estate opened, inventory filing and closure. Use the document needed for the question: an index entry identifying a personal representative is different from the will, inventory or accounting.

The county's probate guide explains that the existence of a will alone does not determine whether an estate must be opened. If an index search is unsuccessful, ask the appropriate Register whether a file exists before assuming the person left no estate records.

Open the license details and read the actual Board Order

The DELPROS search instructions distinguish individual and facility searches. They warn that numbers beginning L2K or APP do not identify a fully approved, issued license. Open the numbered record and its detailed status instead of treating every returned application as a license.

The Division's discipline guide links a filterable action list and explains how to retrieve Board Orders from a license's details. Use the order, action date and credential number when reporting a finding; an export row alone may omit its conditions or subsequent history.

The verification guide also identifies compact-privilege searches for applicable professions and a separate written-verification process. A missing ordinary license result may require the appropriate compact route, rather than an immediate conclusion that the practitioner lacks authorization.

Search DEN by the facility identifier and program

DNREC's Navigator instructions explain facility, program and ID searches. Leave the program field blank to search across programs. Distinctive words can work better than a long company name containing common terms; a Facility ID from a public notice provides a more precise route.

After selecting the facility, use Documents in the details menu for available scans. Preserve the permit or enforcement identifier, document date and program. If the desired report is missing, the DNREC records page supplies the request route.

The department's online-services directory separates Navigator records, environmental release notices and enforcement searches. A release report, permit application and final enforcement action describe different events. Compare the dates and document types before combining them into a site history.

Check the collection boundary before purchasing access

The Public Archives' digital-research guide links land, probate, naturalization and vital-record collections through its genealogy partners. It explains that Delaware residents' free Ancestry access covers the Archives' partnered collections, not every collection offered by the commercial service. FamilySearch access requires a free account.

Use the collection title and stated years to assess a search result. An index hit is a reference to the underlying record; retain its county, volume and page and inspect the image where available. If a suggested link moves into another collection, check that collection's coverage and access terms separately.

The law

The Delaware public records law

Five short notes on the statute, each with the code sections it rests on.

How the Delaware Freedom of Information Act works

The Delaware Freedom of Information Act, 29 Del. C. § 10001 to 10008 (text of the Act), opens public records to inspection and copying by any citizen. Requests are made in writing, in person, by mail, email, fax or online. The Attorney General's request form may be used, but a request cannot be refused only because it is not on that form (§ 10003(f)).

Deadline: the public body must respond as soon as possible and within 15 business days, by giving access, denying it with reasons, or saying it needs more time because the records are voluminous, need legal advice or are in storage, with a good faith estimate of the extra time (§ 10003(h)).

Fees: the first 20 standard black and white pages are free, then 10 cents a sheet. Administrative fees apply only to requests needing more than 1 hour of staff time, after a written cost estimate (§ 10003(m)).

Appeals: if a state agency the Attorney General represents denies access, the requester petitions the Chief Deputy Attorney General within 60 days; the written decision is due within 20 days and can be appealed to the Superior Court within 60 days. Denials by other public bodies can go to court within 60 days or to the Attorney General by petition (§ 10005).

What you cannot get in Delaware

  • Other people's criminal records: criminal files and records are closed to public scrutiny, except that any person may get a copy of their own record on proof of identity (29 Del. C. § 10002, public record exclusion 4).
  • Investigatory files compiled for civil or criminal law enforcement, including pending investigations and pretrial and presentence investigations (§ 10002, exclusion 3).
  • Personnel, medical and pupil files whose release would invade personal privacy (§ 10002, exclusion 1).
  • Expunged records: it is unlawful to open or disclose an expunged court or police record without an order from the court that expunged it, with narrow law enforcement exceptions (11 Del. C. § 4376; text of the law).
  • Recent vital records: birth records open to the public at 72 years, marriage records at 50 and death records at 40, as the Delaware Public Archives explains.

Expungement in Delaware

Delaware clears records by expungement: court and police records of the case are destroyed, segregated or placed with the State Bureau of Identification and not released (11 Del. C. § 4372; Subchapter VII).

Mandatory expungement through the SBI (§ 4373) covers cases ended in favor of the accused, such as acquittal, nolle prosequi, dismissal, completed probation before judgment or no charges filed within 1 year of arrest; violations after 3 years; marijuana possession, drug paraphernalia and underage alcohol convictions; misdemeanors after 5 years if no other conviction bars it; and some listed felonies after 10 years. Since August 1, 2024 the SBI identifies eligible cases each month and expunges them automatically (§ 4373A).

Discretionary expungement (§ 4374) is asked of the Superior Court, or the Family Court if every charge was decided there, in the county of the most recent case: misdemeanors after 3 years, listed misdemeanors and felonies after 7 years, with no prior or later convictions. Felonies listed in § 4201(c) and some other crimes are excluded. A person pardoned by the Governor can also apply (§ 4375).

The State Police charges $72 to apply and $75 more when a mandatory expungement is approved (SBI page).

How to get your own Delaware criminal record

The State Bureau of Identification of the Delaware State Police is the central state repository for criminal history (11 Del. C. § 8501) and must give a person their own record after identification and a fee (§ 8513).

  1. Register online through the IdentoGO enrollment site with service code 27RVGT, the code for a personal certified Delaware Criminal History Report.
  2. Go to the SBI enrollment center in Dover (600 S. Bay Road) or Georgetown (546 S. Bedford Street), or an IdentoGO partner location, with accepted identification.
  3. Give your fingerprints. The certified State of Delaware criminal history costs $72.
  4. The report is issued only to you and does not replace a check required by an employer or licensing agency, which gives its own service code.

Questions: (302) 739-5884 (SBI background check page).

Delaware record laws to know

  • 11 Del. C. § 8501 and 8513 (text): the State Bureau of Identification is the central repository for criminal history and who may receive it.
  • 11 Del. C. § 4371 to 4376: mandatory, automatic and discretionary expungement and the ban on disclosing expunged records.
  • 11 Del. C. § 4209 (text): first degree murder by an adult is punished by life without parole; the old death sentence provisions are repealed.
  • 29 Del. C. § 8731 (text): every state agency must give the Division of Libraries electronic copies of its publications for public access.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Answers to common questions about Delaware public records.

What is included in a Delaware background check?
The official state record is the certified Delaware criminal history from the State Bureau of Identification, taken by fingerprints: $72 for the state record and $85 for state and federal when the law requires it (SBI background checks). Other people's criminal records are closed to the public under 29 Del. C. § 10002. Civil cases and judgments are searchable on CourtConnect, and sex offender status on the Sex Offender Central Registry.
Where can I find police reports in Delaware?
Ask the police agency that wrote the report under the Freedom of Information Act, using the State of Delaware FOIA request form; the Delaware State Police lists its FOIA coordinator at 1441 N. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Investigatory files are exempt (29 Del. C. § 10002). State Police crash reports are requested by mail to the Traffic Operations Section, P.O. Box 430, Dover, DE 19903: $25 for a standard report and $60 for a fatal collision report.
What are the procedures to obtain Delaware vital records, and what information is included?
The Office of Vital Statistics issues birth, death and marriage certificates in person in Newark, Dover and Georgetown, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., by mail with its forms, or online through GoCertificates or VitalChek for an extra fee. A birth certificate costs $25 per copy, needs a valid photo ID, and goes to the person, close family, a legal guardian or an authorized representative with proof. Older records that are public are at the Delaware Public Archives.
Where is Delaware school performance data published?
The Delaware Department of Education publishes State Report Cards that show how students and schools are doing across the state, with a state snapshot of highlights chosen through community feedback and resources on how the report card data was developed.
Where are Delaware crime statistics published?
The Delaware Statistical Analysis Center publishes the Crime in Delaware reports, each covering five years, with an executive brief and a Wilmington supplement; the latest covers 2021 to 2025 and was released in July 2026. The Delaware State Police posts its annual reports and traffic statistical reports on its Reports and Statistics page.
Where is a person taken after an arrest in Delaware?
Delaware has no county jails. The Department of Correction runs a unified system that holds people from pretrial detention through prison, in four facilities: James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, Sussex Correctional Institution, Baylor Women's Correctional Institution and Howard R. Young Correctional Institution. A person arrested is brought before a justice of the peace for an initial appearance. Use the DOC Inmate Locator to find someone in custody.
Can I find public records at a Delaware library?
The Delaware Public Archives in Dover keeps state government records and the vital records that have become public, with a collections portal and the Mabel Lloyd Ridgely Research Room, open weekdays 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Every state agency must give the Delaware Division of Libraries copies of its publications (29 Del. C. § 8731). The statewide Delaware Libraries catalog covers the public libraries.
Where is the Delaware Division of Libraries located?
Delaware's state library agency, the Delaware Division of Libraries, led by the State Librarian, is in the Delaware Public Archives building at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. North, Dover DE 19901, between Loockerman St and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. North. Phone 1-302-739-4748 or toll free 800-282-8696. The Public Archives at the same address answers at (302) 744-5000.
Where can I get fingerprinted in Delaware?
The State Bureau of Identification fingerprints at its enrollment centers in Dover, 600 S. Bay Road, and Georgetown, 546 S. Bedford Street, and through IdentoGO partner locations. Schedule through the IdentoGO enrollment site with the service code from the agency that needs the check. Since October 5, 2026 the SBI uses remote assisted SMART-E kiosks. Prints that must be taken by a law enforcement agency are done only at SBI Dover. A printed fingerprint card alone costs $30.
Does Delaware's free entity search prove a business is active?

No. The search instructions say it includes active and inactive entities without establishing current status. Use the separate status service when that is the question.

Is a Delaware online status result a certified good-standing certificate?

No. The Division's FAQ distinguishes the online status result from a certificate certified by the Secretary of State.

Can a missing Delaware CourtConnect result rule out a Chancery case?

No. The Court of Chancery directs its civil docket inquiries to File & ServeXpress. Establish the court and case reference first.

Does Delaware DELPROS issue a license number for every application result?

The lookup instructions warn that L2K and APP prefixes are not fully approved, issued licenses. Read the specific record's status.

Are wills held for safekeeping in New Castle County publicly viewable?

No. The Register's FAQ distinguishes those living-person deposits from public estate records filed after death.

Does Delaware's free Ancestry arrangement cover the entire commercial site?

No. The Archives guide limits the arrangement to its partnered Delaware collections; other suggested collections may require separate access.

City pages

1 Delaware city with a standalone page

This Delaware city has its own record page. Each county page also links to city and town pages in that county.

Delaware City
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