Search Sussex County Criminal Court Records
Sussex County criminal court records rest with the Prothonotary at the Sussex County Courthouse in Georgetown. The Superior Court and Court of Common Pleas share the same building on The Circle. The Family Court sits right across the street. Four Justice of the Peace Courts handle minor cases in towns across the county. This page walks you through where to look, who to call, and what forms to file. Use the contacts below to find dockets, case files, and certified reports tied to Sussex County criminal court records.
Sussex County Criminal Court Records Overview
Superior Court Sussex County Criminal Court Records
All felony case files for Sussex County sit at the Superior Court in Georgetown. The courthouse address is 1 The Circle, Suite 2, Georgetown, DE 19947. Main phone is 302-855-7055. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with public access starting at 8:30 AM. The Prothonotary's Office is on the 2nd Floor, Room 214. Direct phone for the Prothonotary is 302-854-6959. That office is the file room for Sussex County criminal court records at the Superior Court.
Grand jury work and criminal term sessions run out of this courthouse. All Sussex County felony indictments start here. Misdemeanor appeals from JP Court also land on the Superior Court docket. A person seeking a case file should call the Prothonotary's Office first to confirm the file can be pulled. Walk-in access may be limited on busy court days.
The Sussex County Superior Court location page shows the full office schedule, phone list, and parking rules.
Security screening at the main door is strict. Cell phones are not allowed in the Sussex County Courthouse. This rule is enforced on all visitors, so plan ahead.
Note: Cell phones must stay in your vehicle or at the security desk. This rule is unique to Sussex County and is enforced without exception.
Common Pleas Sussex Criminal Court Records
The Court of Common Pleas sits inside the same Sussex County Courthouse. Phone is 302-858-5700. The primary contact is Shelly Swafford at 302-858-5756. The court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, preliminary hearings for felonies, civil cases up to $75,000, traffic appeals, and landlord-tenant appeals. Sharing the courthouse with Superior Court lets a visitor handle both cases on one trip.
Preliminary hearings drive the early part of felony cases in Sussex County. A judge hears early evidence and decides if the case moves up to Superior Court. That step creates its own set of entries in the Court of Common Pleas docket. Criminal court records at this level may include waivers, bail motions, and the first round of plea offers before a case transfers up.
The Sussex County Court of Common Pleas page has local contact info and links to court forms.
Walk-in filing runs during regular business hours. Staff can verify a case number and tell you which file to request from the clerk.
Family Court Juvenile Criminal Records
The Sussex County Family Court handles juvenile criminal matters. The office sits at 25 The Circle in Georgetown, across the street from the main courthouse. Phone is 302-858-9100. Juvenile criminal records are confidential. A parent, guardian, the juvenile, and the attorneys of record get access. A court order is needed for others to see a file.
Juvenile expungement petitions follow state rules. A clean record for a set waiting period can qualify. Family Court staff can direct you to the right petition form on the state forms page. A protection from abuse order filed at Family Court can tie to a criminal case when broken. The linked criminal case then moves to the Court of Common Pleas or Superior Court, based on the charge.
The Sussex County Family Court page has office hours, contact numbers, and directions to 25 The Circle.
Family Court also hears custody and child support cases. These are not criminal, but can tie to a larger pattern seen in Sussex County criminal court records.
Sheriff's Office and Warrant Service
The Sussex County Sheriff's Office serves civil process, handles court security, carries out warrant service, runs sheriff's sales, and issues concealed carry permits. The office also offers fingerprinting for state background checks. Copy fees at the Sheriff's Office run $0.05 per page for letter size and $0.07 per page for legal size. A deposit is required for requests that exceed $25.
The Sussex County Sheriff's Office website lists contact info, sale schedules, fingerprint hours, and concealed carry steps.
The Sheriff does not issue certified criminal history reports. For a certified report, use the Delaware State Police State Bureau of Identification. Fingerprints are the basis for every certified report.
Active warrants for serious crimes may be listed on the state wanted persons site. Check the DSP wanted persons page before calling the court about a named person. Tips can be anonymous. A court record tied to a warrant will not exist until the case gets filed and an arraignment is held.
State Police and JP Court Criminal Records
Delaware State Police Troop 4 covers most of Sussex County. Troop 4 sits at 23636 S. Dupont Highway, Georgetown. Phone is 302-856-5850. State Police arrests feed into Superior Court and Court of Common Pleas criminal court records. The Troop 4 page has the district map and contact list for local towns.
Four JP Court locations serve Sussex County. JP Court 2 is at 18649 N. Dupont Highway, Georgetown, 302-853-3151. JP Court 3 is at 32479 Lewes-Georgetown Highway, Lewes, 302-644-4485. JP Court 4 is at 30577 Estate Drive, Seaford, 302-629-4481. JP Court 14 is at 233 Mitchell Street, Millsboro, 302-934-4513. Each JP Court keeps its own set of criminal case files for cases heard at that location.
JP Courts hear minor crimes, traffic matters, and landlord-tenant cases. Misdemeanor appeals from JP Court go up to the Court of Common Pleas. The Delaware Courts locations page has the full list of addresses, hours, and phone numbers for every JP Court in the state.
Arrests at every level log into the statewide DELJIS system. DELJIS is the official repository for criminal history in Delaware. Public access is limited, but court dockets tied to each arrest are open at the courthouse where the case was heard.
Detention Facility Criminal Court Records
The Sussex Correctional Institution is the primary detention center for Sussex County. The facility sits at 23655 McColley Road, Georgetown. Phone is 302-856-5280. A person arrested in the county and held pending bail often goes here. Sussex Correctional holds pre-trial detainees and sentenced inmates. Inmate records show booking date, charges, bail status, and court dates.
Once a case ends with a guilty plea or trial verdict, a sentenced inmate may move inside the Delaware Department of Correction system. The court file at the Sussex County Courthouse still holds the full case record. For case outcome info, the courthouse is the first stop, not the correctional facility.
VINE, the victim notification service, covers Sussex Correctional. A victim or witness can register to get alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. This tool ties into Sussex County criminal court records for victims who want to stay informed.
How to Request Sussex County Criminal Court Records
Start at the Prothonotary's Office on the 2nd Floor, Room 214 of the Sussex County Courthouse. Bring the case number if you have one. If you do not, bring the defendant's full name and a date range. Staff search the index and pull the file. You review the file at the courthouse. Files cannot leave the building.
Forms for file requests live on the Delaware Courts forms page. Form ADM_ADM_03_A covers Superior Court criminal file access. Form MISC35 covers JP Court. Form CF49 is the fee waiver application with proof of income. Each form includes instructions for filing.
The Office of the Prothonotary page lists fees for all civil and criminal filings. The CourtConnect portal does not show criminal case details, but can confirm civil records tied to the same defendant. That data can fill in the picture around a criminal file.
Older Sussex County criminal court records may have moved to the Delaware Public Archives in Dover. The research room is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:15 PM. A search catalog on the archives site helps you check holdings before you drive up.
Fees, Processing, and Public Access
Copy fees at the Prothonotary run $2 per page for plain copies. Certified copies cost $15 for the first three pages, then $2 per page after. A fee waiver is possible with Form CF49 and proof of income. In-person requests with an appointment are same-day in most cases. Mail requests take two to four weeks.
Delaware's public records law lives at Title 29, Chapter 100 of the Delaware Code. The statute sets a 15 business day response time for most requests. Police files, active investigations, and grand jury work are exempt. Court records are handled under court rules, not FOIA. For a closed court file, the Prothonotary is the right route.
The Sex Offender Registry is open to the public under state law. Check a name at the state registry for tier level and address.
Note: Bring exact cash, a money order, or a check made out to Prothonotary. Credit card payment is limited at the Sussex County Courthouse.
Sussex County Cities Criminal Court Records
Two Sussex County cities have their own pages on this site. Each city page below links to the local police records unit, fees, and contacts for that town.