Wilmington Court Records

Wilmington court records are housed at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center at 500 N. King Street. The building holds the Superior Court, the Court of Chancery, the Court of Common Pleas, the Family Court, and Justice of the Peace Court 20. Wilmington is the largest city in Delaware and the New Castle County seat. You can search Wilmington court records on CourtConnect or visit the clerk's office in person for copies.

Wilmington Court System

Wilmington sits in New Castle County and is served by the New Castle County court system. The Leonard L. Williams Justice Center at 500 N. King Street, Wilmington holds multiple courts. Wilmington is the largest city in Delaware. The Delaware Supreme Court is nearby at 820 N. French Street.

The judicial landscape of Wilmington is led by the New Castle County Superior Court. The Court of Chancery, located in Wilmington, is renowned worldwide for handling complex business disputes. To access court records, you can use the Delaware judiciary's CourtConnect portal or make in-person requests at the courthouse. The city falls under New Castle County for all state court matters.

Wilmington Public Records Access

Wilmington public records come from multiple government portals. The New Castle County Superior Court at 500 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 is the central hub for court proceedings. Court records can be accessed through the Delaware Courts website, which provides a searchable case lookup tool covering civil, criminal, and bankruptcy cases. Federal bankruptcy records go through PACER.

Vital records can be obtained through the New Castle County Clerk of the Peace or the Delaware Division of Public Health's Vital Statistics Office. Property records are managed by the New Castle County Office of the Assessor and the Recorder of Deeds. Under the Delaware Freedom of Information Act, requests for public records can typically expect a response within 15 business days. The Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington serves as the primary jail facility for New Castle County.

Leonard L. Williams Justice Center

Wilmington is served by multiple court locations within New Castle County. The Leonard L. Williams Justice Center at 500 N. King Street houses the Supreme Court, the Superior Court, the Court of Chancery, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Family Court. Justice of the Peace Court 20 is at 500 N. King Street, Floor 7. It handles criminal matters only. More info is at New Castle County Court Locations.

The city does not run a separate municipal court system. All court functions were eliminated from Wilmington City government in 1998. Before that, Wilmington had a Mayor's Court from 1832 to 1883. A Municipal Court replaced it in 1883. The Municipal Court was abolished in 1998. All judicial functions transferred to the state court system at that point.

Current court services for Wilmington residents come through the New Castle County state courts. The Superior Court Prothonotary's Office handles civil case records. The Court Clerk handles criminal cases. Request copies by emailing prothonotary@nccourts.de.us or visiting the clerk's office in the justice center.

Justice of the Peace Court 20

Justice of the Peace Court 20 serves Wilmington. It sits at 500 N. King Street, Floor 7, Wilmington, DE 19801. Phone is (302) 574-1500. Email is JPCourt20@delaware.gov. This location handles criminal matters. The Justice of the Peace Court takes on minor civil cases (up to $25,000), landlord-tenant disputes, debt collection matters, traffic violations, minor criminal offenses, peace bonds, temporary protection from abuse, bail hearings, and search warrant applications.

Records from Justice of the Peace Court 20 can be accessed through the CourtConnect system for certain case types. In-person requests can be made at the courthouse during business hours. The court is a court not of record. Proceedings are not transcribed word for word, but audio recordings are kept. Appeals from this court are heard de novo in the Court of Common Pleas.

Wilmington Criminal Records Search

To search for prior criminal records in New Castle County via the court system, submit a written request by email, mail, or in person using the Application for Access to Court Records. The request goes to the Superior Court prothonotary by emailing prothonotary@nccourts.de.us or by mailing to the New Castle County Superior Court Justice Center at 500 N. King St., Wilmington, DE 19801.

Once the document is available, the prothonotary's office will contact you to set up an appointment to view the document. The office will not email or mail copies of records. For Court of Common Pleas records, email CCPRecordRoom@nccourts.de.us. Include the defendant's full name and date of birth. The office will contact you with the total owed and delivery options.

Cost details for Wilmington court records:

• Certified copies: $15 per document for up to three pages
• Additional pages: up to $2 per page
• Retrieval fee: $25 per record
• Payment: cash or check

Federal Courts in Wilmington

The U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware is in Wilmington at the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building, 844 N. King Street, Unit 18. Phone is (302) 573-6170. Clerk's Office Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Federal court records are accessible through the PACER system. The court hears federal cases arising in Delaware, including constitutional issues, federal crimes, civil disputes involving out-of-state parties, and patent matters. See U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware is also in Wilmington at 824 N. Market Street, 3rd Floor. Phone is (302) 252-2900. The Delaware District Court is one of the busiest in the nation for patent cases and corporate bankruptcy filings due to Delaware's business-friendly laws. Federal court records are governed by federal access rules and are not part of the Delaware state court records system.

Wilmington Register of Wills

The New Castle County Register of Wills in Wilmington handles probate matters. The office is at the Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 French Street, 2nd Floor. Business hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. For a $2.00 fee per name, the Register of Wills office will send a letter outlining what records are available in their holdings. Full info is at Wilmington Register of Wills.

Wills are proved before the Register of the county where the testator lived at time of death. If the will is certified as genuine, letters testamentary go to the executor. If the person died intestate, letters of administration go to the administrator. Wills being proved are recorded in the office of the Register.

Nearby Cities

These Delaware cities are nearby. All of them fall under the New Castle County court system like Wilmington.

Wilmington is the county seat of New Castle County. Residents of nearby cities file their state cases in Wilmington.

County Court Info

Wilmington falls under New Castle County. Visit the county page for the full rundown of local courts, access terminals, and forms.