Wilmington Criminal Court Records Search

Wilmington criminal court records trace each case from arrest through final order. The city sits in New Castle County, and most criminal cases that start with a Wilmington Police arrest move on to the county Superior Court or Court of Common Pleas. This page walks you through where to look, who to call, and which office holds what. You can pull police incident reports from the Records Unit at 300 North Walnut Street. You can get a full case file at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center. You can also request a certified statewide criminal history through the State Bureau of Identification. Read on for fast, clear steps.

Wilmington Police Criminal Court Records

The Wilmington Police Department holds the first layer of Wilmington criminal court records. The Records Unit sits inside the William T. McLaughlin Public Safety Building at 300 North Walnut Street. Call 302-576-3607 to reach the unit. Non-emergency dispatch is 302-654-5151. For Criminal Investigations, call 302-576-3620. The Cold Case Unit runs at 302-576-3937. The tip line at 302-576-3990 takes anonymous leads on open cases.

Sgt. Thomas Curley runs records contact for many requests. Reach him at 302-576-3625 or by email at Thomas.Curley@cj.state.de.us. Staff can pull an incident number, check report status, or set up a pickup time. Most reports need three to seven days to clear review before they get released.

Victims of a reported crime can get one free copy of the incident report in person. Bring a photo ID. Staff will check the file and hand over the report. Collision reports run $20 per copy. If you want a copy by mail, send a written request with a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check or money order payable to the Wilmington Police Department. Use this mailing address: Wilmington Police Department, Attention: Records Unit, 300 North Walnut Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. Mail requests take longer. Plan for a two to three week turn.

Image below links to the Wilmington Police Department main page, where unit contacts and news items are listed.

The same page lists the chief of police, the current command staff, and citizen complaint steps. Use this page to find the right unit before you call.

FOIA for Wilmington Criminal Court Records

The city of Wilmington follows the state FOIA timeline of 15 business days. Title 29, Chapter 100 of the Delaware Code sets this rule. Under 29 Del. C. § 10002(l)(4), criminal files stay exempt from open records rules. That means the city can deny parts of a request tied to active cases. Yet many non-investigative police files, body camera footage, and use of force data do come out after review.

Start a request at the city public records request page. The form asks for your contact info, the file you want, and the date range. You can ask for body camera footage, internal policies, and response time data through the portal. The city FOIA officer tracks each request and sends an answer within the 15 day window.

Body camera footage is a common FOIA ask for Wilmington criminal court records. Cost and time depend on the length of the clip and the review needed to block private info. Faces of minors, medical details, and victim images get redacted before release. Expect to pay a per minute review fee on long clips.

For general police policy work, visit the Wilmington Police policies and procedures page. The page holds the department directives that shape arrest steps, use of force rules, and records handling. These help when you file a FOIA appeal or a civilian complaint.

City council records and budget files tie into police oversight work. The Wilmington City Council page posts agendas, meeting videos, and ordinance texts. Public safety hearings are held a few times each year.

Superior Court Criminal Court Records

After a Wilmington arrest, the felony case moves to the New Castle County Superior Court. The court sits at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center, 500 N. King Street, Wilmington. Main line is 302-255-0800. This is where you look up Wilmington criminal court records for any charge above a misdemeanor.

The Prothonotary's office runs the criminal file room. Staff can pull a file if you give a name, a case number, or a date range. Files must stay in the building. Copy fees start at $2 per page for plain copies. Certified copies start at $15 for the first three pages. Bring exact change or a check payable to the Prothonotary.

Check the New Castle County Superior Court location page for current hours and parking details. Security screens every visitor at the door. Cell phones are allowed in Wilmington but not at other Delaware Superior Courts. Plan extra time at peak hours.

Misdemeanor cases from a Wilmington arrest often go to the Court of Common Pleas. Visit the New Castle County Court of Common Pleas page for docket info. The court hears DUI, simple assault, theft under $1,500, and other class A misdemeanors. Case numbers in this court use the CP prefix.

The New Castle County court records page on this site has more detail on local court steps. That page covers pretrial release rules, public defender contacts, and local filing forms. A quick visit can save you a trip to the wrong desk.

Wilmington Detention and Pretrial Holds

Most Wilmington arrests start with a short hold at the police station, then move to a county facility. The Howard R. Young Correctional Institution at 1 East Dale Road, Wilmington is the main pretrial site for the north of the state. Phone is 302-429-7701. Inmate lookup and visit scheduling run through the Department of Correction main site.

Bail hearings happen at the Justice of the Peace Court first, then move to the Court of Common Pleas or Superior Court for review. JP Court 20 covers Wilmington. The hearing must happen within 24 hours of arrest for most charges. Indigent defendants can ask for a public defender at the first hearing.

Once a case is live, daily dockets show at the courthouse lobby and on the court website. Dockets run by courtroom and by time slot. A quick check the night before your court date keeps you on track.

Certified Criminal History for Wilmington Residents

For a certified statewide criminal history, the Delaware State Police State Bureau of Identification is the right stop. Wilmington holds one of the fingerprint sites that the bureau uses. Book a spot through IdentoGO. Bring a valid photo ID to the appointment.

The lead-in below points to the State Bureau of Identification records page with fees and service codes.

The page lists 27RVGT for a personal history, 27S23V for an expungement background check, and 27S8N2 for a handgun permit. State only reports cost $72. State plus federal reports cost $85 and need a legal mandate from a state agency.

Results come back by mail in two to four weeks. You can ask the bureau to send a copy to a named attorney or agency. The report holds all arrests, charges, pleas, and final orders in the state since 1970, plus a few older records. Sealed or expunged cases do not show on a public report.

The Delaware Criminal Justice Information System runs the core data that feeds the bureau report. DELJIS sits at the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington. Phone is 302-577-8787. Public access to DELJIS is limited. Law enforcement and courts use the system for daily checks.

Take a look at the DELJIS home page to see what the public can view.

The site links to the statewide wanted list, the sex offender registry, and the ePayment portal for traffic fines. Each tool has its own search form. No login is needed for the public sections.

Types of Wilmington Criminal Court Records

Wilmington criminal court records come in many forms. A police incident report shows the basic facts of a reported crime. An arrest report adds the charges, the time of arrest, and the booking photo. A case docket shows each hearing date and each court order. A plea agreement lays out the deal between defense and prosecution. A sentence order closes out the case.

Each type has its own rules for access. Incident reports are closed to the public but open to the victim. Arrest reports become open once charges are filed in court. Case dockets are open at the courthouse. Plea and sentence orders are open once the court enters them. Body cam footage has its own review path under FOIA.

Here are the most common records tied to a Wilmington case:

• Incident report from the Wilmington Police Records Unit
• Arrest report from the booking officer
• Initial appearance order from JP Court 20
• Indictment or information from the grand jury or prosecutor
• Motions and orders in the case file at the courthouse
• Plea agreement or trial record
• Sentencing order and probation terms

Body cam video holds its own value for serious cases. The Attorney General Public Trust Division reviews use of force cases. That office can step in when local FOIA denials look off. The review takes weeks, sometimes months, for big cases.

Wilmington Criminal Court Records Forms and Fees

Start most court records tasks at the Delaware Courts forms repository. The site holds fill-in PDFs for each court and each case type. Form ADM_ADM_03_A covers Superior Court criminal file access. Form MISC35 covers JP Court record access. Form CF49 handles fee waivers for low income filers.

Key fees for Wilmington criminal court records:

• Plain copy at the courthouse: $2 per page
• Certified copy: $15 for the first three pages
• Wilmington Police collision report: $20
• State criminal history: $72
• State plus federal history: $85

Processing time runs from same-day at the courthouse to four weeks for fingerprint-based reports. A FOIA request to the city runs 15 business days. A mail request to the police records unit runs two to three weeks. A rush on a certified court copy can take a few days if the file is off-site at the archives.

The CourtConnect civil case search does not show criminal cases. Yet many Wilmington defendants also have civil matters tied to the case. Protective orders, child support, and civil judgments can turn up in a CourtConnect search. Use the case number from civil search to help pull the criminal file at the courthouse.

State-Level Resources for Wilmington Cases

The Delaware State Police Troop 1 covers unincorporated areas around Wilmington. The troop sits at 2225 Troop 1 Lane, Wilmington, with a main line of 302-633-4200. If a case started outside the city limits, the troop report is the first stop.

The State Police wanted persons page lists active warrants across the state. The list includes photos, charges, and tip line info. Do not approach a wanted person. Use the tip line if you have info.

The Delaware Sex Offender Registry runs a public lookup by name or address. Results show the tier level, last known address, and offense. The registry updates on a set cycle.

For deeper rules, visit the Delaware Code Title 29, Chapter 100 page. The chapter covers FOIA rules for every public body in the state, the city of Wilmington included. Key sections cover the response time, the fees for copies, and the appeal route to the Attorney General.

The Office of the Prothonotary page has contact info for each county. Staff at the Prothonotary pull criminal files, process certified copies, and answer basic case questions. The office does not give legal advice.

Nearby Cities and Related Pages

Wilmington sits in New Castle County. Many cases span city and county lines. Use these nearby city pages and the county page for the full view of area records.