Find Criminal History in Kent County

Kent County criminal history records live with the Kent County Sheriff's Office in Dover, the Delaware State Police Troop 3, and the Superior Court at 38 The Green. The State Bureau of Identification office at 655 South Bay Road, Dover is the main walk-in site for a certified Kent County criminal history in the central part of the state. Court files, arrest reports, and booking records from the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center all feed into the same statewide record. This page explains where each piece sits and how to request it.

Kent County Sheriff's Office

The Kent County Sheriff's Office is located at 555 Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901. Phone is (302) 736-2161. The office serves court-issued citations and orders, including bench warrants and summons, throughout Kent County. The Sheriff is a support agency on the law enforcement side. Arrest records and criminal history files are held by the police agency that made the arrest, and the Sheriff coordinates with Dover, Smyrna, and Harrington Police Departments.

For Kent County criminal history requests tied to an active case, you can approach the Sheriff or the police office that handled the investigation. The Sheriff's website points people toward the Delaware State Police for certified records. Warrant status information is sometimes available from the Sheriff, but a full Kent County criminal history still needs to route through SBI.

Civil process service is the other main job here. Subpoenas, summonses, and writs go through the Sheriff. Those records do not show up in a standard criminal history, but they can surface in court files if they relate to a criminal matter. The Sheriff's office works with municipal departments in Dover, Smyrna, Harrington, Camden, and Wyoming on joint coverage needs.

Kent County Superior Court

The Kent County Superior Court sits at 38 The Green, Dover, DE 19901. Phone is (302) 739-5353. The Superior Court handles felony criminal cases, civil matters over $50,000, and appeals from lower courts. The court runs from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays.

The court file is the long-form Kent County criminal history record for each case. Files include the indictment, charging documents, motions, plea paperwork, and sentencing orders. The Kent County Prothonotary's Office handles record requests. For a certified copy, fees apply. Public access terminals let you search cases during regular hours using CourtConnect.

The Kent County Court of Common Pleas is also at 38 The Green, with phone (302) 739-4618. The Court of Common Pleas handles misdemeanors, civil cases between $15,000 and $50,000, and landlord-tenant matters. Misdemeanor records for Kent County are filed here. The court sends disposition info to SBI so the Kent County criminal history is kept current in the state index.

Victims receiving restitution payments can update their contact info by email at CCP_VICADDRESSCHANGE@DELAWARE.GOV. The address change email is the same across all three Delaware counties.

Delaware State Police Troop 3 and SBI Dover

State Police Troop 3 houses the Kent County SBI office at 655 South Bay Road, Suite 1B, Dover, DE 19901, in the Blue Hen Mall and Corporate Center. Phone is 302-739-5871. This is the main walk-in site for a certified Kent County criminal history. Hours are Monday 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM, and Tuesday through Friday 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

No appointment is needed at the Dover SBI location. You walk in during posted hours, show photo ID, and pay for service. A State of Delaware Background Check is $52.50. A State and Federal Background Check is $69.00 when authorized. Payment works as cash, credit or debit card, bank check, money order, or company check made out to Delaware State Police. Personal checks are not accepted.

For a Kent County criminal history, applicants need a photo ID such as a driver license, school ID, or state ID. The ID does not have to be a Delaware ID. You do not need a social security card or birth certificate. You do need a service code from the agency that asked for the check. The code tells SBI what type of report to run.

Volunteer fire company applicants get same-day results at the Dover SBI site. Tell staff at check-in that your Kent County criminal history request is for a Volunteer Fire Company. That flag triggers the expedited process. Service code 27S47F applies for Delaware Volunteer Fire Service. Other codes include 27S8N2 for permit to purchase, 27RVGT for personal criminal history reports, and 27S23V for expungement applications.

Kent County Records Access

The Delaware Freedom of Information Act at Title 29, Chapter 100 controls public record access in Kent County. Public bodies have 15 business days to respond to a request. Fees can apply for copies and searches. Some records are off-limits by statute, including juvenile files, sealed cases, and active investigation files.

A Kent County criminal history request routes through SBI if you want a certified rap sheet. For police reports from a specific incident, you send a FOIA request to the police agency that wrote the report. Dover Police Department at (302) 736-7130 handles records in the capital. State Police Troop 3 handles records for unincorporated areas.

CourtConnect covers Kent County cases at the Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Justice of the Peace Court levels. The portal is free and runs 24/7. The Delaware Criminal Justice Information System routes federal checks through the FBI system under 11 Del. C. § 8605. Most public users interact with DELJIS indirectly through the SBI report.

James T. Vaughn Correctional Center

The James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna is the primary detention facility for Kent County. People arrested anywhere in the county get processed here. The Delaware Department of Correction inmate locator covers current custody status and release dates. Phone is (302) 653-9261.

Victim notification runs through VINE. You register with the inmate's name and date of birth. VINE sends automated alerts when custody status or hearing dates change. DOC coordinates with the Dover Police Department, Kent County Sheriff's Office, and Delaware State Police to keep the system current.

For visitation, the facility posts rules on the DOC website. Visits need to be scheduled in advance. Attorney visits have their own process, and legal counsel for Kent County criminal history matters can request case-related documents through DOC directly.

Expungement in Kent County

A Kent County criminal history can be cleared under Delaware expungement law. The governing statute is Title 11, Chapter 43, Subchapter VII. Section 4373 lays out the mandatory track. Section 4374 covers the discretionary track for misdemeanors and felonies. Section 4375 covers pardons.

The filing fee is $72.00. After SBI reviews the case, approved applicants get signed paperwork back and return it within 30 days with a $75.00 money order payable to Delaware State Police. All fines, fees, and restitution on the record have to be paid first, unless the court converts unpaid balances to a civil judgment or waives them for non-willful non-payment under Section 4372(l).

The Clean Slate Act took effect August 1, 2024. The law automatically clears drug possession convictions after 5 years. Other drug offenses, burglary tool possession, counterfeit controlled drug sales, and unauthorized credit card use clear after 10 years. Certain felonies, DUIs, domestic violence offenses, and sex offenses stay on the record under the automatic process but can still be considered for discretionary expungement.

Cities in Kent County

Several cities in Kent County have their own pages on this site. Each city's page lists the local police department and the nearest fingerprinting site for criminal history search requests.

Nearby Counties

Kent County is bordered by New Castle County to the north and Sussex County to the south.