Lewes Residents Directory Lookup
The Lewes Residents Directory ties the city's public records into one search point for anyone who needs to look up a resident in this small Sussex County town. Lewes is "The First Town in the First State," settled in 1631, and it keeps a long trail of paper. You can pull council minutes, FOIA records, police reports, tax books, and archive files through the city, the county, and the state. Start with a name or an address, then pick the office that holds the record you need. The Lewes Residents Directory guide below shows where each record lives and how to get it.
Lewes Residents Directory Overview
Lewes City Hall and FOIA
Lewes City Hall is the main door for the Lewes Residents Directory. The building sits at 114 East Third Street, Lewes, DE 19958. The main phone is (302) 645-7774. The FOIA Coordinator is Ashley Akgoren, City Clerk. Her email is aakgoren@ci.lewes.de.us. She logs each request, routes it to the right staff, and sends the reply. Most requests come back inside 15 business days. That is the state rule under the Delaware Freedom of Information Act at 29 Del. C. ยงยง 10001-10006.
The City Council meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 PM. Minutes and agendas are posted on the city site. You can ask for past minutes, building files, and permit files through the FOIA portal. The city page explains what fields to fill in and how to pay for copies.
To start a request, go to ci.lewes.de.us/160/Freedom-of-Information-Act. The page has a PDF form and a contact block for Ashley Akgoren. The image below shows the official Lewes FOIA landing page.
The FOIA page lists the kinds of records the city holds, such as budgets, contracts, and council packets. It also flags records that are not open, such as personnel files and some police files. Lewes follows the state FOIA model, which means most records come out unless a specific exemption applies.
Note: Lewes FOIA requests should go in writing to Ashley Akgoren, City Clerk, either by email or by mail to 114 East Third Street.
Lewes Police and Arrest Lookup
The Lewes Police Department shares the City Hall address at 114 East Third Street, Lewes, DE 19958. The main line is (302) 645-6264. The department keeps its own log of calls, arrests, and crash reports. For a copy of a report, you can call, email, or walk in. Most basic reports come out within a few days. Some records must wait until a case is closed.
Arrest records for Lewes residents are also kept at the state level by the Delaware State Bureau of Identification. SBI prints a certified criminal history after a name or fingerprint check. The Lewes PD does not run that report but can point you to the right form. Court files for these arrests show up on CourtConnect at courtconnect.courts.delaware.gov.
Crash reports can be pulled from the state portal. Juvenile cases stay sealed. The Lewes Residents Directory work often starts with a police report and moves into court records from there. If you want to track a case, note the case number on the report and plug it into the court search.
Sussex County Records for Lewes
Lewes sits inside Sussex County, so many resident records live in Georgetown. The Sussex County Recorder of Deeds is at 2 The Circle, Georgetown, DE 19947. The phone is (302) 855-7785. The office holds deeds, mortgages, liens, and other land records back many years. You can search online at sussexcountyde.gov/departments/recorder-deeds.
For a property search by name or address, use property.sussexcountyde.gov. The tool shows the owner, tax map, and last sale price. The site is free to view. Certified copies cost a small fee per page.
The Sussex County Clerk of the Peace at sussexcountyde.gov/departments/clerk-peace issues marriage licenses for Lewes. The address is 2 The Circle in Georgetown. A license is $70 for Delaware residents and $120 for non-residents. Certified copies cost $25 each. Couples who plan a beach wedding in Lewes often come here first. For more local context, see the Sussex County page.
Note: Vital records for Lewes residents are held at the Office of Vital Statistics in Georgetown at 546 S. Bedford St. Call (302) 515-3190 to book a visit.
Lewes Records at Delaware Public Archives
The Delaware Public Archives holds a deep set of Lewes records at archives.delaware.gov/town-and-city-histories/lewes. For any long-form Lewes Residents Directory research, this is a key stop. The Archives sits in Dover but serves the whole state. Lewes material runs from the early 1800s to the early 2000s. Most files are open to walk-in use with no appointment.
The Lewes collection at the Archives includes Administrative Records from 1807 to 1909. The set has Minutes of the Commissioners and City Council for 1818 to 1830 and 1855 to 1985. Building permit records cover 1901 to 1913. Assessment Books cover 1944 to 1951, 1978, 1983, and 1986 to 2002. Tax Books run from 1931 to 1962. Budget Report Books cover 1999 to 2002.
The Archives also has the full run of early council minutes, which help trace old property owners and past office holders. For a deep dive on a Lewes ancestor, pair these files with the census, probate, and land records at the same Archives. Here is a quick list of what to ask for:
- Minutes of the Commissioners (1818-1830) for early town government
- Assessment Books (1944-2002) for old tax values and owner names
- Tax Books (1931-1962) for mid-century resident data
- Building permits (1901-1913) for early 20th century construction
- Budget Report Books (1999-2002) for late-era city spending
The Lewes Board of Public Works also turned over its old records to the Archives. Those files cover water and sewer work from 1901 to 1986. If you want to know when a home got city water, this is the set to pull.
Lewes Public Library Resources
The Lewes Public Library at 111 Adams Ave. offers reference help and research support for the Lewes Residents Directory. Staff can point you to local history books, old newspapers, and yearbooks. The library holds maps, city directories, and clip files on Lewes people. It also has free public computers with web access.
For genealogy work, ask about the Lewes Historical Society collection. The society keeps photos, letters, and oral history recordings that tie to old Lewes families. It is a short walk from the library. The Zwaanendael Museum on Savannah Road covers the 1631 Dutch settlement and later town history. Both are worth a stop for any deep resident lookup.
The library staff can also help you use Ancestry Library Edition and other paid databases that are free on-site. These pull up census pages, draft cards, and ship lists that can confirm a Lewes resident's link to older records at the Archives.
Lewes City Services and Records
Lewes runs several of its own services that feed into the Lewes Residents Directory. The city operates the Lewes Ferry Terminal, which links to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. It also manages the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal. Beach parking permits and seasonal passes are issued at City Hall. Those permit files list the name and address of each permit holder.
The Lewes Board of Public Works handles water and sewer service to city homes. Their billing and service records are kept separate from City Hall but follow the same FOIA rule. A meter reading or a service start date can be pulled by a current account holder.
The 1901 re-incorporation changed the city government. The Mayor is elected at-large to a one-year term. Council members serve staggered terms. A few key Lewes links:
- Lewes FOIA portal
- Delaware Public Archives - Lewes
- Sussex County Property Search
- CourtConnect case search
Note: Beach parking permit data and dog license files are held by the City Clerk and are open to FOIA requests from any Delaware citizen.
State Tools for Lewes Residents Directory
State-level tools round out any Lewes Residents Directory search. CourtConnect at courtconnect.courts.delaware.gov shows case data from the Superior Court, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Justice of the Peace Court. A Lewes resident's civil or criminal case will likely show up here. Type a name and pick the court level to start.
The Delaware Public Archives home page at archives.delaware.gov hosts the full set of state and local files. Use the Civil List to find past Lewes office holders. Use the Guide to Vital Statistics to track a birth, death, or marriage record past the public access dates. The state FOIA page at delaware.gov/freedom-of-information-act routes a request to any state agency.
For vital records, the Office of Vital Statistics keeps the main file. Sussex residents use the Georgetown office at 546 S. Bedford St. The phone is (302) 515-3190. The office opens Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Certified copies are $25. Photo ID is required.
Nearby Cities in Delaware
Lewes sits near other Sussex County towns. Most share the Georgetown offices for county-level records. For resident lookup in nearby areas, see the pages below.