New Castle County Criminal History
New Castle County criminal history records are held by the New Castle County Police Department, the Delaware State Police, and the Superior Court at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington. Arrest records, charge files, and court dispositions in New Castle County feed into the State Bureau of Identification under Delaware State Police. Residents can search criminal history data online through CourtConnect or in person at the records unit on DuPont Highway. This page covers where to go and who to call for a New Castle County criminal history request.
New Castle County Overview
New Castle County Police Records
The New Castle County Police Department patrols unincorporated areas of the county. Wilmington, Newark, and Middletown each run their own city force. The county department works alongside them on major cases. The Records Unit is at 3601 N. DuPont Highway, New Castle, DE 19720. Phone is (302) 395-8171. Counter hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
A New Castle County criminal history request starts with a FOIA form. You give the subject's full name and birth date, a case number if you have one, and the approximate date of the incident. Valid ID is required. Fees apply to copies and certifications. The Delaware Freedom of Information Act at Title 29, Chapter 100 sets the 15 business-day response clock.
A typical arrest record in New Castle County lists the subject's personal info, details of the arrest, charges filed, and arresting agency. Booking happens at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington. The county's arrest file is not the same as the state rap sheet. For the full New Castle County criminal history across all police agencies, you still go to SBI.
Note: The New Castle County Sheriff's Office at 87 Reads Way (phone 302-395-8450) handles warrant service but is not the primary arrest records holder.
New Castle Criminal Records Categories
A New Castle County criminal history file splits into four groups. Arrest Records cover custody. Conviction Records cover guilty verdicts and pleas. Court Records cover every filing in the case. Incarceration Records cover time served. Each group sits with a different agency, which is why a full New Castle County criminal history search usually touches several offices.
Four offices hold the bulk of the data. The New Castle County Police Department at 3601 N. DuPont Highway keeps police reports. The Superior Court of Delaware at 500 N. King Street, Wilmington keeps felony files. The Court of Common Pleas at 500 N. King Street, Wilmington keeps misdemeanor files. DELJIS lives at the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington, and serves as the statewide routing layer.
For certified records, the process runs through the State Bureau of Identification. Applicants submit a Criminal History Request Form, provide fingerprints at an authorized site, and pay the fee. The statewide IdentoGO fee is $72.00 for a certified state check. DELJIS ties into the FBI Criminal Background Check Civil Applicant Response system for any federal checks that are authorized by law.
Delaware State Police Troop 2
Fingerprinting for New Castle County residents happens at State Police Troop 2. The troop sits at 100 LaGrange Avenue, Newark, DE 19702. The site is the north SBI desk. Appointments are required. Call the Appointment Help Line at 1-800-464-4357 or 302-739-2528 to schedule.
Arriving at SBI North, you check in with reception no later than your appointment time. Staff process your prints through IdentoGO. Results are not returned that day. They go to the requesting agency as soon as processing wraps, which usually takes several business days. New Castle County applicants for a certified Delaware criminal history can pay by cash, credit or debit card, certified check, money order, or company check made out to Delaware State Police. Personal checks are not accepted.
Troop 2 handles a long list of SBI service types. Service code 27RVGT covers personal criminal history reports. Code 27S8N2 covers permit-to-purchase checks. Code 27S23V covers expungement applications. Code 27S47F covers Delaware Volunteer Fire Service checks. The IdentoGO scheduling portal takes care of the booking.
Things to bring:
- Photo ID (driver license or state ID, any state)
- Service code from the requesting agency
- Payment in an allowed form
- IdentoGO appointment confirmation
New Castle County Superior Court
The Superior Court of Delaware for New Castle County sits at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center, 500 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. Phone is (302) 255-0800. Public counter hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The Superior Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction for all felony cases in New Castle County.
The court file is the long form of the New Castle County criminal history for any given case. It holds the indictment, motions, plea paperwork, and sentencing order. The Prothonotary's Office at the Justice Center manages record requests. Fees apply for certified copies and for extended searches. The court's public access terminals let you pull case data from CourtConnect without making an appointment.
The Court of Common Pleas operates from the same building. It handles misdemeanor criminal cases and civil cases between $15,000 and $50,000. The phone number is (302) 255-0900. The Court of Common Pleas also runs preliminary hearings for some felony matters before they move up to Superior Court. Victims receiving restitution can update address info at CCP_VICADDRESSCHANGE@DELAWARE.GOV.
To request a criminal file in person, fill out the court's Application for Access to Court Records. You need the defendant's full name, date of birth, approximate arrest date, and case number if you have it. Staff will pull the file and make copies. Certified copies carry a per-page fee and a certification charge. The Justice Center also houses the Family Court for New Castle County, which handles juvenile cases under separate access rules. Juvenile records are sealed under Delaware law and are not part of the public New Castle County criminal history.
Federal cases filed in Wilmington run through the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The PACER system covers the federal docket. PACER is separate from CourtConnect and uses its own fee structure.
Howard R. Young Correctional Institution
New Castle County arrestees are booked at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington. The facility runs under the Delaware Department of Correction. Booking records, charges, and custody status for any New Castle County arrest feed into the DOC system. The DOC inmate locator tool is the public-facing search point.
Victim alerts run through VINE. Families and victims can register to get notices about custody changes, court dates, and release events. The DOC shares general jail data with victims, the accused, and legal counsel. General public access to jail data is limited, which is why VINE is the standard workaround for people tracking a case.
Note: Booking info at Howard R. Young may not show up on CourtConnect right away. There is a lag between arrest and court filing that can run several days.
Record Access and Expungement
New Castle County criminal records sit under the Delaware Freedom of Information Act at 29 Del. C. ยง 10002. Public bodies respond within 15 business days. Fees can apply for searches and copies. Juvenile files, sealed cases, and ongoing investigation files are not public.
Expungement of a New Castle County criminal history falls under Title 11, Chapter 43, Subchapter VII. Section 4373 covers mandatory expungement. Section 4374 covers discretionary expungement. The application goes through SBI and carries a $72.00 filing fee. If SBI finds the case qualifies, applicants mail back signed paperwork within 30 days with a $75.00 money order payable to Delaware State Police.
The Clean Slate Act kicked in on August 1, 2024. That law automatically clears some convictions after a set period. Drug possession drops off after 5 years. Other drug offenses, burglary tool possession, counterfeit controlled drug sales, and unauthorized credit card use drop off after 10 years. Certain felonies, DUIs, domestic violence cases, and sex offenses stay on the record and are not eligible for the automatic track.
The Delaware Sex Offender Central Registry is public and searchable by name, address, city, county, or zip code. The registry is authorized under Title 11, Chapter 41. New Castle County residents can sign up for email alerts tied to their zip code.
Cities in New Castle County
Several major cities fall inside New Castle County. Each has a local police department that files reports into the county and statewide system. Use the pages below to find local resources for Delaware criminal history in each city.
Nearby Counties
New Castle County shares its southern border with Kent County. Sussex County is further south along US 13.