Search New Castle County Residents Directory

The New Castle County Residents Directory brings the main public record sources for the county into one spot. You can look up deeds, mortgages, marriage files, wills, probate cases, court dockets, and police records tied to any resident of New Castle County. Most of the work starts at the Louis L. Redding County Building on North French Street in Wilmington. A few searches run through state portals, and a few run through local office tools. The notes on this page walk you through each office, the types of records it holds, and how to send a request for a resident lookup.

New Castle County Residents Directory Offices

The New Castle County Recorder of Deeds is the lead office for land records in the Residents Directory. Find it at 800 N. French Street, 2nd Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801. Call (302) 395-7700 for help or fax (302) 395-7732. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Staff record and index deeds, deed restrictions, easements, mortgages, assignments, satisfactions, partial releases, and federal tax liens. They also file plot plans, UCC statements, trade names, and military discharge records for resident veterans. The office collects the County Transfer Tax at the time of filing.

Records run back to the 1600s. Digital index work picks up from the 1980s. You can start a name search on the public terminals inside the office or use the online portal from home. The Recorder also runs a free Property Fraud Alert service. Sign up with your name, and the system will email you when a new document recorded to your name is filed. This is a simple way to catch deed fraud early.

The Recorder works under state law at 9 Del. C. § 9605. The statute says any instrument that affects real property in the county must be recorded here. The fee schedule lives at 9 Del. C. § 9607. Most single page recordings cost a base fee plus a per page charge. Staff can tell you the exact cost before they file the document.

See the Recorder's page below for a direct look at the services and contact notes.

The office is a core part of any resident records search, since deeds and mortgages tie names to addresses over time.

For more detail on the Recorder and the New Castle County Residents Directory land files, visit nccde.org/136/Recorder-of-Deeds.

The image shows the Recorder's home page. From there you can reach the Property Fraud Alert sign up, the document search tool, and the full list of recording fees.

Property Records in New Castle County

Property files are the most used piece of the New Castle County Residents Directory. They link a resident's name to a parcel, a value, and a tax record. The county keeps these open to the public under the Delaware FOIA at 29 Del. C. Chapter 100. The Recorder of Deeds, the Assessment Division, and the Treasury each hold a piece of the puzzle. The online Parcel Search pulls ownership, assessment values, tax status, property traits, and sales history into one view.

The county Parcel Search is free to use. Type in a name, a street address, or a parcel number. The tool shows lot size, year built, and last sale price for the parcel. You can also pull past owners to trace a chain of title for any resident. Results load as a PDF you can save or print at home.

For a formal appeal of an assessment, the New Castle County Assessment Division sits at 87 Reads Way, New Castle, DE 19720. Call (302) 395-5520. The annual deadline to file an appeal is March 14 at 4:00 PM. Appeals can go in online or by mail. The Board of Assessment Review (BOAR) hears each case.

The Treasury arm of the county issues the yearly tax bill for each parcel. Payment history is open for public view. A quick check of the tax record often confirms the current mailing address for a resident on the same parcel.

Marriage Records for Residents

The Clerk of the Peace handles marriage licenses and ceremonies for New Castle County residents. The office is inside the Louis L. Redding County Building at 800 N. French Street, 2nd Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801. The phone is (302) 395-7780. Full details live at nccde.org/125/Clerk-of-the-Peace. A marriage license costs $70 for county residents and $120 for non-residents. The license is good for 30 days from the issue date.

After the ceremony, the officiant has a 4-day window to file the permit back with the Clerk. Once filed, the office can issue certified copies. Each certified copy is $25. The Clerk of the Peace also runs civil wedding ceremonies for couples who want a simple service. State law keeps marriage records closed to the public for 40 years from the date of the marriage.

Older marriage files from the 1600s to the early 1900s often sit with the Delaware Public Archives in Dover. The Clerk's team can point you there if a record falls outside their active index.

Court Records Access

Court records are a key slice of the New Castle County Residents Directory. Most cases tied to county residents run through the courthouse at 500 North King Street in Wilmington. That building houses the Superior Court, the Family Court, and the Court of Common Pleas. For a quick lookup, use the statewide CourtConnect tool. Type a party name and filter by county. The results list case number, file date, and status.

The Superior Court handles felonies and civil cases above $50,000. The Court of Common Pleas handles misdemeanors and small civil claims. The Justice of the Peace Court handles traffic cases, landlord-tenant cases, and civil claims up to $15,000. Attorneys and self-represented parties can e-file in most courts through File & Serve Delaware. The state court page also posts opinions, forms, and court schedules.

Family Court cases are more limited. Custody, support, and adoption files are not in the public index.

For a full file or a certified copy, go to the clerk's counter on the ground floor of 500 North King Street. A small per page fee applies for copies. Staff will search the physical index for older cases that have not been scanned.

New Castle County Residents Directory Probate Files

The Register of Wills handles probate for every resident of New Castle County. Register Ciro Poppiti III leads the office. Find it at 800 N. French Street, 2nd Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801. Phone (302) 395-7800 or fax (302) 395-7801. Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:00 to 3:30 and Friday 8:00 to 3:00. The office closes from noon to 1:00 for lunch each day. Records go back to 1714, which makes this office one of the oldest in the county.

The Register opens a file when a resident dies with a will or without one. Probate work runs under Title 12 of the Delaware Code. A small estate affidavit is an option when the estate holds $30,000 or less in personal property. Larger estates go through full probate, and the office indexes each step in the docket. A name search letter costs $2.00 and is often used by title companies and heirs who need to confirm a probate exists.

Electronic filing runs through File & Serve Delaware. Visit nccde.org/159/Register-of-Wills for the full fee list. The page also posts sample forms for the small estate affidavit and the petition for probate.

New Castle County Police Records

The New Castle County Police Department handles most law enforcement work outside Wilmington city limits. The main station sits at 3601 N. Dupont Highway, New Castle, DE 19720. The phone is (302) 395-8171. The public site at nccde.org/190/Police lists the Sex Offender Registry search, the Most Wanted list, and the press release feed. Each is open to the public.

Police records requests go through the Records Unit under the Delaware FOIA at 29 Del. C. Chapter 100. Fill out the county FOIA form and send it to the FOIA Coordinator listed on the county site. The Records Unit has 15 business days to respond. Fees may apply for copies or for staff time to pull older case files.

For crimes inside Wilmington city limits, the Wilmington Police Department runs its own records office at 300 N. Walnut Street. For state cases, the Delaware State Police Troop stations around the county each keep their own files.

See the Police home page for the links to each public record tool.

The county Police site also posts neighborhood safety tips and a way to report drug tips online.

Vital Records and Archives for New Castle County

Vital records for county residents are held by the state. The Delaware Office of Vital Statistics runs a Newark office at 258 Chapman Road, Newark, DE 19702. The phone is (302) 283-7130. Staff issue birth, death, and marriage certificates. Fees are $25 per certified copy. Bring photo ID for every request. You can also order online through VitalChek with a small extra charge. Birth records open to the public after 72 years. Marriage records open after 50 years. Death records open after 40 years.

Older resident files sit with the Delaware Public Archives in Dover. The Archives holds land records, probate files, tax books, church records, and county minutes for New Castle County going back to 1653. The Archives posts a full Guide to Vital Statistics Records and a Guide to Orphans' Court Records on its site. Both are free to use for resident history work.

The Archives is open most weekdays and on the first and third Saturday of each month. Pencils only.

New Castle County Residents Directory by Mail

Not every resident can drop by the courthouse in Wilmington during work hours. Most county offices accept requests by mail. Send a written request with the full name, the record type, the date range, and a check for the fee. Include a stamped return envelope if the office uses one. Most offices will log the request and mail the record back inside 15 business days.

Send Recorder of Deeds requests to 800 N. French Street, 2nd Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801. Send Register of Wills requests to the same address, different suite. Send Assessment Division requests to 87 Reads Way, New Castle, DE 19720. Send Police FOIA requests to 3601 N. Dupont Highway, New Castle, DE 19720.

Mail is a good option for out of state family members who need a deed, a probate file, or a marriage copy. Keep a copy of your check and your letter in case the office needs to follow up.

• Write a short, clear request with the resident's full name and dates.
• Add your own name, phone, and return address on the letter.
• Include a check made out to New Castle County for the fee.
• Mark the envelope with the office name so it does not get routed wrong.

New Castle County Cities

New Castle County is the largest of Delaware's three counties. The county seat is Wilmington. Other large cities and towns inside the county include Newark, home of the University of Delaware, along with Middletown, Delaware City, and the town of New Castle itself. Each city holds its own slice of the resident record set, from council minutes to local police reports. The links below route to the city record pages in the Residents Directory.

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