Sussex County Criminal History Records

Sussex County criminal history records come from several offices in Georgetown and across the southern part of Delaware. The Sussex County Sheriff's Office at 22215 DuPont Boulevard, the Superior Court at 1 The Circle, and State Police Troop 4 on Shortly Road all hold a piece of the record. The State Bureau of Identification fingerprint sites in Georgetown handle certified Sussex County criminal history reports. Cases from Seaford, Lewes, and Milford flow through this same county system. This page lays out where to go for each type of record request.

Sussex County Sheriff's Office

The Sussex County Sheriff's Office is at 22215 DuPont Boulevard, Georgetown, DE 19947. Phone is (302) 855-7830. The Sheriff is Robert T. Lee, who brings more than 35 years of law enforcement and investigative experience. The Sheriff's Office carries out orders of the State court system, conducts property sales for non-payment of taxes, and runs foreclosure sales.

Sussex sheriff and deputies are certified state constables. They can detain people and make arrests when they witness a crime in progress. They can hold someone for police to arrive during the normal course of duty. Day to day, however, most arrest and Sussex County criminal history work goes through the Delaware State Police and the municipal police departments in the county.

For Sussex County criminal history requests, the Sheriff's site points people to the right office based on what they need. Sheriff sales information, some warrant data, and record request contact details are on the website. The Sheriff's Office works with Georgetown Police, Seaford Police, and the other municipal forces across the county.

Delaware State Police Troop 4

State Police Troop 4 hosts the Sussex County SBI fingerprinting desk at 23652 Shortly Road, Georgetown, DE 19947. The site is on the corner of Shortly Road and Route 113, across from Motor Vehicle. Hours for Sussex County criminal history fingerprinting are every other Wednesday, from Noon to 6:30 PM, by appointment only. Call (302) 739-2528 to schedule.

A second SBI location sits at the Thurman Adams State Service Center, 546 South Bedford Street, Room 202, Georgetown, DE 19947. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Appointment is required at that site too. Results are not returned the same day at the Thurman Adams location. Applicants call (302) 739-2528 to book.

Fees for a Sussex County criminal history at either Troop 4 site run $52.50 for a State of Delaware Background Check or $69.00 for a combined State and Federal Background Check. Payment options include cash, credit and debit cards, bank checks, money orders, or company checks made out to Delaware State Police. Personal checks are not accepted anywhere in the SBI network.

What applicants need to bring:

• Photo ID (driver license, school ID, or state ID, any state)
• Service code from the requesting agency
• Payment in an allowed form
• IdentoGO appointment confirmation

Service codes cover the full slate of SBI check types. Code 27RVGT covers personal criminal history reports. Code 27S23V covers expungement applications. Code 27S47F covers Delaware Volunteer Fire Service. Code 27S8N2 covers permit-to-purchase checks. The IdentoGO portal at uenroll.identogo.com books the slot.

Sussex County Superior Court

The Sussex County Superior Court is at the Sussex County Courthouse, 1 The Circle, Suite 2, Georgetown, DE 19947. Phone is (302) 855-7055. Hours run Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with public access beginning at 8:30 AM. The court handles felony criminal cases, civil matters over $50,000, and appeals from lower courts.

The Sussex County Prothonotary's Office is at the same address and handles record requests. A full Sussex County criminal history file at the court level has the indictment, motions, plea paperwork, sentencing orders, and disposition sheets. Public access terminals are available during court hours, and CourtConnect covers the statewide online case index. Fees apply to certified copies and extended search requests.

The Sussex County Court of Common Pleas is also at 1 The Circle. Contact Shelly Swafford at 302-858-5756 for record-related inquiries. The court handles misdemeanors, civil cases between $15,000 and $50,000, and landlord-tenant matters. Misdemeanor Sussex County criminal history files sit with this court. Victim restitution address changes go to CCP_VICADDRESSCHANGE@DELAWARE.GOV.

Sussex County Government Services

Sussex County Government runs the Recorder of Deeds, Assessor's Office, and several other departments from Georgetown. The Recorder of Deeds maintains property records that can be relevant in criminal cases involving real estate fraud, asset verification, or title disputes. Sussex Recorder records feed into the state Public Access Web Service document viewer, which covers all three Delaware counties.

Public record requests to Sussex County agencies fall under the Delaware Freedom of Information Act at Title 29, Chapter 100. Section 10003 sets the 15 business-day response clock. Section 10002 defines a public record as essentially anything a public body holds that relates to public business. Juvenile files, sealed cases, and active investigations are not public.

Sussex County residents can also search the statewide Sex Offender Central Registry. The registry is authorized under Title 11, Chapter 41. You can filter by city, zip code, or street. Registration failures are themselves criminal offenses in Delaware.

Sussex Correctional Institution

The Sussex Correctional Institution in Georgetown is the primary detention facility for the county. People arrested anywhere in Sussex County get booked here. The facility handles fingerprinting, photographing, and recording of personal information as part of intake. That data feeds into the state criminal history database and then on to the Delaware Department of Correction inmate locator.

The DOC online portal lets anyone search for current inmates. Visitation requires advance scheduling and strict compliance with facility rules. Attorneys working on Sussex County criminal history matters can set up separate legal visits. Families tracking custody can sign up for alerts through VINE at vinelink.com.

The facility coordinates with the Georgetown Police Department, Seaford Police, Lewes Police, and Delaware State Police Troop 4 and Troop 5 to process arrestees. That network keeps the booking data flowing into the statewide system so the Sussex County criminal history stays current.

Clean Slate and Expungement

A Sussex County criminal history may qualify for expungement under Title 11, Chapter 43, Subchapter VII. Section 4373 covers mandatory expungement for cases terminated in favor of the accused. Section 4374 covers discretionary expungement for misdemeanors and certain felonies. Section 4375 covers discretionary expungement after a pardon.

The SBI expungement application costs $72.00 up front. On approval, applicants return signed paperwork within 30 days with a $75.00 money order payable to Delaware State Police. Fines, fees, and restitution must be paid first, though the court can waive those amounts for non-willful non-payment or convert them into a civil judgment under Section 4372(l).

The Clean Slate Act effective August 1, 2024 made some expungements automatic. Drug possession convictions clear after 5 years. Other drug offenses, burglary tool possession, counterfeit controlled drug sales, and unauthorized credit card use clear after 10 years. The Collateral Consequences Resource Center has a detailed profile of Delaware expungement rules.

Cities in Sussex County

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

Nearby Counties

Sussex County sits in the southern part of Delaware, bordered by Kent County to the north. New Castle County is further north.