Delaware is the second-smallest state by land area and has only three counties: New Castle in the north (containing Wilmington), Kent in the center (containing the state capital Dover), and Sussex in the south. The state's court system is unified under the Delaware Courts umbrella, and the Delaware Courts Online portal at courts.delaware.gov provides free public name-based access to case records across all three counties. With only three counties and a functional statewide portal, Delaware has one of the simpler records access environments of any state.
The complication is geographic context rather than records access. Northern Delaware — New Castle County and particularly the Wilmington corridor — is functionally part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Many New Castle County residents work in southeastern Pennsylvania, and address histories routinely cross the Delaware-Pennsylvania state line. A Delaware courts search that covers only the state's three counties misses Pennsylvania records from prior periods of Chester County or Delaware County, PA residence. For context on how Delaware compares to other states, see our people search by state guides.
Key takeaways
- Delaware has only three counties — New Castle (Wilmington), Kent (Dover), and Sussex (beach communities). The Delaware Courts Online portal covers all three in a single name search.
- New Castle County has approximately 574,000 residents (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS) — nearly 55% of the state's population — and is functionally part of the Philadelphia metro.
- Cross-state Pennsylvania checks are routine for northern Delaware searches — Chester County and Delaware County PA (both part of the Philadelphia suburbs) are directly adjacent to New Castle County.
- Delaware's court system includes the Court of Chancery — a specialized business court with no jury that handles corporate equity matters — which is the primary venue for major corporate litigation due to Delaware's incorporation dominance.
How searches work in Delaware
The Delaware Courts Online portal at courts.delaware.gov provides free public name-based case search access. Delaware's court structure includes Superior Court (felony criminal cases and major civil matters), Court of Common Pleas (misdemeanors and lower civil matters), Family Court (domestic relations), and Justice of the Peace Courts (minor civil and criminal matters). Court of Chancery handles corporate and equity matters. All of these tiers are part of the Delaware Courts system and the portal provides access across the state.
With only three counties, the county identification step that dominates searches in larger states is minimal here. The more important preliminary step is establishing whether the subject's address history extends into Pennsylvania — if a New Castle County search returns thin results for someone known to have lived in the northern Delaware area, a parallel Pennsylvania UJS statewide search (which covers all 67 PA counties) is the logical next step. Our guide on finding someone by name and city covers how to use Wilmington vs. Philadelphia suburb context to determine which state's records to prioritize.
Industry insight
Delaware has an interesting records environment that doesn't match its size. The Court of Chancery generates more high-profile corporate litigation records than any court in any other state — Delaware's dominance in corporate incorporation means that the Chancery Court handles equity disputes for companies headquartered anywhere in the country. For most people-search purposes, Chancery Court records are irrelevant — they involve corporate entities rather than individuals in personal contexts. But for anyone researching a business owner, executive, or entrepreneur with Delaware corporate ties, Chancery records can surface useful identity and business relationship information.
The three-county structure also means that name search noise in Delaware is substantially lower than in comparable metropolitan states. Wilmington is a city of about 73,000 — a fraction of the size of Philadelphia or Baltimore. The total state population of approximately 1 million means even common surnames return manageable result sets in the Delaware courts portal without the aggressive anchoring that's needed in, say, Cook County or Harris County.
Common mistakes when searching in Delaware
- Treating a Delaware-only search as complete for northern New Castle County residents without checking Pennsylvania — the Philadelphia suburb commuter dynamic means prior Chester County or Delaware County PA records are common.
- Overlooking the Maryland cross-state check for southern Sussex County — Salisbury, MD and the Eastern Shore are economically adjacent to lower Delaware, and some Sussex County residents have prior Maryland address histories.
- Confusing Delaware County, Pennsylvania with the state of Delaware — they are entirely different jurisdictions in different states, and records from Delaware County PA appear in Pennsylvania's UJS portal, not in Delaware Courts Online.
- Skipping Family Court records — Delaware's Family Court handles divorce, custody, and domestic violence matters in a separate court tier from Superior Court, and some of these records require a separate Family Court search within the portal.
Delaware quick facts
- Population estimate (2023): approximately 1,046,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS)
- Number of counties: 3
- Largest city: Wilmington (est. pop. 73,000 — U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS)
- State capital: Dover
Court statistics
Court levels
6 (Supreme Court, Superior Court, Court of Chancery, Court of Common Pleas, Family Court, Justice of the Peace Courts)
Counties served
3 (New Castle, Kent, Sussex)
Statewide portal
courts.delaware.gov — covers all court tiers statewide
Court of Chancery
Handles corporate equity matters for ~65% of Fortune 500 companies incorporated in Delaware
Delaware's Superior Court handles felony criminal cases and civil cases over $75,000. Court of Common Pleas handles misdemeanors and civil cases under $75,000. Family Court handles all domestic relations matters statewide. Justice of the Peace Courts handle minor civil and criminal matters at the local level. Court of Chancery handles corporate equity and business entity matters — the most specialized court in the Delaware system. For the national context, see our court record search guide.
Crime statistics
Violent crime rate (2022)
499 per 100,000
Property crime rate (2022)
2,247 per 100,000
vs. national average
Violent crime rate approximately 37% above national average (FBI UCR 2022)
Primary source
FBI Uniform Crime Report, Crime in the United States 2022
Delaware's violent crime rate runs above the national average, driven primarily by Wilmington — which has consistently reported violent crime rates among the highest per capita of any city of its size in the United States. The rest of New Castle County, Kent County, and Sussex County report more moderate rates. Wilmington's violent crime concentration means criminal court filing volume is high relative to the state's small overall population. Source: FBI Uniform Crime Report, Crime in the United States 2022. When running a criminal record search in Delaware, the concentrated Wilmington volume makes Superior Court results in northern Delaware particularly dense compared to the rest of the state.
Public records law
Delaware's public records framework is the Delaware Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), codified at 29 Del. C. § 10001 et seq. Delaware's FOIA requires public bodies to permit public inspection of public records and provides a 15-business-day response deadline. The Act includes exemptions for personnel records, trade secrets, certain law enforcement investigative records, and medical records, among others.
Court records in Delaware are governed by Delaware Rules of Court and related administrative orders rather than the FOIA, but follow a similar presumption of public access. The Delaware Courts Online portal reflects this — broad access to case-level information is the default, with sealed cases (juvenile matters, certain domestic violence orders, and some expunged matters) excluded from public view. Delaware has a relatively limited expungement statute compared to some states, meaning criminal court records are generally more complete in Delaware's portal than in states with aggressive expungement regimes.
Official public record sources in Delaware
| Agency | Records maintained | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware Courts Online portal | Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, Family Court, and Justice of the Peace case records statewide | Free public name-based search at courts.delaware.gov — covers all three counties and most court tiers in one search |
| Delaware State Police | Statewide criminal history repository | Criminal background checks available by request through State Bureau of Identification (SBI) — not a self-service public online search |
| Delaware Department of Correction | State prison inmate and former inmate records | Online offender search covering current and formerly incarcerated individuals in Delaware state facilities |
| Delaware Office of Vital Statistics | Statewide birth, death, marriage, and divorce records | Available by request through the Division of Public Health — not a public self-service online search for general inquiries |
For a broader overview of how these sources fit into national public record research, see our public record search guide.
Delaware marriage records
Delaware marriage licenses are issued by the Office of Vital Statistics within the Delaware Division of Public Health. Marriage records from 1913 to the present are maintained by the state; older records may require a county probate court search. The Delaware Office of Vital Statistics handles statewide requests by mail. There is no public self-service online marriage record search in Delaware — requests go through the Division of Public Health.
Delaware marriage records are held at the state level rather than the county level — unlike many states where county clerks or recorders hold the primary copy, Delaware centralizes vital records at the state Division of Public Health. For a full guide to marriage record searches, see our marriage record search guide.
Delaware divorce records
Divorce cases in Delaware are filed in Family Court. Delaware requires at least six months of state residency before filing. Family Court case indexes are accessible through the Delaware Courts Online portal. The Delaware Office of Vital Statistics maintains a statewide divorce record index from 1935 to the present — requests go through the Division of Public Health by mail.
Delaware Family Court handles divorce, custody, child support, and related domestic relations matters for all three counties through a unified statewide Family Court system. New Castle County generates the highest divorce filing volume given its population concentration. For a full guide to divorce record searches, see our divorce record search guide.
Population context
Delaware's population of approximately 1 million is concentrated in New Castle County (~574,000), with Kent County (~185,000) and Sussex County (~248,000) making up the rest. New Castle County is the Philadelphia metro's southernmost extension — Wilmington is about 25 miles from downtown Philadelphia, and the corridor along I-95 between the two cities is developed continuously. Many New Castle County residents commute to jobs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Maryland, creating address histories that regularly cross state lines.
Sussex County has grown substantially over the past two decades as Delaware's beach communities (Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, Lewes) have attracted retirees and second-home buyers from the Mid-Atlantic region. Some Sussex County residential addresses belong to seasonal rather than permanent residents — a Delaware beach area address should be treated as potentially seasonal for anyone with a primary residence listed elsewhere. A name and relative search is the most efficient first step for establishing whether a Delaware address is primary or seasonal before committing to court-level searching.
Example search scenarios in Delaware
Searching by name and city
Delaware Courts Online covers all three counties in one search — no county pre-selection needed. For Wilmington and New Castle County searches, run a parallel Pennsylvania UJS statewide search (ujsportal.pacourts.us) to catch prior-period records from Chester County or Delaware County PA. For Sussex County searches near the Maryland border, a parallel Maryland Judiciary Case Search check may be warranted for subjects with Eastern Shore Maryland ties.
Checking county court records
Delaware Courts Online for statewide case-level index → Delaware State Police SBI for comprehensive criminal history background check (by request) → Delaware DOC for state prison history. For document-level access, contact the relevant county courthouse for the court tier identified in the portal results. See our court record search guide for Delaware's multi-tier court structure.
Searching for a Philadelphia metro commuter
For New Castle County subjects whose employment or prior addresses suggest Philadelphia metro ties, the Pennsylvania UJS statewide portal is the key supplement. UJS covers all 67 Pennsylvania counties including Chester County and Delaware County PA in one free search. Running Delaware Courts Online and Pennsylvania UJS simultaneously is the standard complete approach for any northern Delaware search where Pennsylvania prior-period records may be relevant.
Major cities in Delaware
Wilmington
Wilmington (est. pop. 73,000 — U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS) is Delaware's largest city and the county seat of New Castle County. Despite its modest population relative to the state as a whole, Wilmington is one of the largest financial and corporate services centers in the Mid-Atlantic — JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and major credit card companies have substantial Delaware operations due to the state's favorable banking laws. The city generates crime rates well above national averages, and Superior Court criminal filing volume in New Castle County is high relative to the county's population size. The Philadelphia metro commuter dynamic applies most strongly here — many Wilmington-area residents have Pennsylvania address history.
Dover
Dover (est. pop. 38,000 — U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS) is the state capital and county seat of Kent County. Dover Air Force Base is a major employer and generates a military population with standard PCS-cycle address volatility in base-adjacent areas. Dover's state government employment creates professional address stability alongside the military dynamic. Kent County records are accessible through Delaware Courts Online alongside the other two counties.
Newark
Newark (est. pop. 33,000 — U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS) is in New Castle County and is home to the University of Delaware (~24,000 students). The university creates the standard address churn dynamic in student-era ZIP codes — Newark DE addresses should be treated as potentially historical for former UD students. Newark is directly adjacent to the Pennsylvania state line; some Newark-area addresses are near the Cecil County, Maryland border as well.
Rehoboth Beach and coastal Sussex County
Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, Lewes, and the surrounding coastal Sussex County communities are among the most popular beach resort destinations in the Mid-Atlantic. The permanent population of these communities is a fraction of their peak-season population. Many "Delaware addresses" in aggregator databases for coastal Sussex County reflect vacation home ownership rather than permanent residence. Treating a Rehoboth Beach or Bethany Beach address as seasonal for any subject who also has a metropolitan Mid-Atlantic address is the correct default assumption.
County systems in Delaware
New Castle County
New Castle County (est. pop. 574,000 — U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS) contains Wilmington and is Delaware's most populous county at approximately 55% of the state's total population. New Castle County generates the state's highest court filing volume across all court tiers. The Philadelphia metro cross-state dynamic is strongest here — Pennsylvania UJS is the standard supplement for any New Castle County search with Philadelphia metro context. The county also borders Maryland (Cecil County) to the southwest.
Kent County
Kent County (est. pop. 185,000 — U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS) contains Dover and is Delaware's central county. Dover Air Force Base and state government employment are the primary economic drivers. Kent County generates moderate court filing volume relative to its population. Delaware Courts Online covers Kent County alongside New Castle and Sussex in the same statewide search.
Sussex County
Sussex County (est. pop. 248,000 — U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS) is Delaware's southernmost county containing the beach resort communities and the agricultural Delmarva Peninsula interior. Sussex County has grown faster than the other two Delaware counties over the past two decades due to retiree in-migration and second-home development. Some Sussex County areas border Maryland's Worcester and Wicomico counties — cross-state Maryland checks are occasionally relevant for lower Sussex County subjects. Delaware Courts Online covers Sussex County in the same search as the other two counties.
Start Here: Enter Any Name To View Records
Best sites to review first
Before moving into Delaware Courts Online or cross-state Pennsylvania searches, these are the two services I recommend reviewing first.
| Service | Why people use it | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Instant Checkmate | Useful for establishing whether a Pennsylvania cross-state check is warranted and for confirming whether Sussex County addresses are primary or seasonal | Quick first-pass searches, especially for northern Delaware subjects with Philadelphia metro ties |
| TruthFinder | Broader report-style context including multi-state address history for Philadelphia metro commuters with Delaware and Pennsylvania records | Expanded public-record context for Delaware searches with cross-state components |
Find someone in a Delaware county
Browse all county guides: People Search by County
Frequently asked questions
Does Delaware have a statewide court records search?
Yes. Delaware Courts Online at courts.delaware.gov provides free public name-based case search access covering all three Delaware counties (New Castle, Kent, Sussex) and most court tiers including Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, Family Court, and Justice of the Peace Courts. With only three counties, Delaware is one of the simpler states for public records access — a single portal search covers the entire state. For northern Delaware subjects with Philadelphia metro ties, supplement with Pennsylvania's UJS portal which covers southeastern Pennsylvania counties.
Can you look up marriage or divorce records online in Delaware?
Not through a public self-service search. Marriage records are held by the Delaware Division of Public Health's Office of Vital Statistics and available by mail request — there is no public online marriage record search in Delaware. Divorce case indexes are accessible through Delaware Courts Online, which covers Family Court cases statewide across all three counties. The Delaware Office of Vital Statistics maintains statewide marriage and divorce indexes from 1913 and 1935 respectively, available by mail request through the Division of Public Health.
Can I use these searches for jobs, housing, or insurance decisions?
No. The services discussed on this page are not consumer reporting agencies and the information here is not a consumer report. They should not be used for employment, tenant screening, insurance underwriting, credit, or any other purpose regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Other state guides
