Delaware Criminal Court Records Search: Cases & Dockets

Where to Search Delaware Criminal Court Records

The best source depends on whether you need a criminal case docket, hearing date, published court decision, certified disposition or statewide criminal-history check.

Which Delaware Court Handles Criminal Cases?

Delaware has several courts with criminal jurisdiction. Searching the wrong court can result in a missed case, even when a prosecution exists elsewhere in the state.

Why one prosecution may involve more than one court

A felony arrest may involve an initial appearance in Justice of the Peace Court, a preliminary hearing in Court of Common Pleas and later proceedings in Superior Court. These are different procedural stages, not necessarily separate final convictions.

Delaware’s Court of Common Pleas explains that if probable cause is established at a felony preliminary hearing, the matter can be bound over to Superior Court. The later Superior Court record is therefore important when verifying the final outcome.

Delaware Superior Court Criminal Case and Docket Search

Superior Court is the principal Delaware trial court for adult felony cases. The court publishes criminal calendars and selected written decisions, but the public civil CourtConnect database should not be treated as a felony case-history database.

How to find a felony court date or sentencing

1. Open the Superior Court calendars page

   Visit the official Superior Court Calendars.

2. Identify the filing county

   Choose New Castle, Kent or Sussex County, based on the court handling the prosecution.

3. Choose the appropriate calendar

   Look for Daily Calendar and Other Proceedings, Criminal Trials and Suppression Hearings, or Sentencing Calendar.

4. Review the listed proceedings

   Check the scheduled date, available case identifier, judge and proceeding description. The information displayed depends on the calendar.

5. Confirm any uncertain hearing details

   If the scheduled appearance is important or conflicts with a court notice, contact the Superior Court or your attorney.

Superior Court calendar options by county

Search Delaware criminal opinions and orders

The Delaware Judiciary also publishes selected written criminal decisions. Its searchable Opinions and Orders system can help locate rulings when you know a party’s name, case caption or court.

Use the criminal opinions search, then filter or search the displayed records. Published decisions may include a case number, date, judicial officer and type of ruling.

Not every criminal case produces a published opinion. Finding no opinion does not mean that no prosecution, guilty plea, dismissal or sentencing occurred.

Delaware Court of Common Pleas Criminal Records

The Court of Common Pleas handles adult misdemeanor prosecutions, motor vehicle offenses, specified preliminary felony hearings and appeals from Justice of the Peace and Alderman’s Courts.

The Court of Common Pleas website includes a Case Inquiry Form, but the court explicitly limits responses through that form to scheduled proceedings and Zoom access. It is not a public criminal-history search form.

Checking a misdemeanor hearing

1. Identify New Castle, Kent or Sussex County

   Use the county on the criminal summons, citation, case paperwork or hearing notice.

2. Open the official Case Inquiry Form

   The court requests the information needed to identify the scheduled proceeding, including case information and contact details.

3. Ask a scheduling or Zoom-access question

   The form is specifically intended for these matters. Do not use it to request unrelated personal criminal-history data.

4. Contact the Clerk’s Office for other requests

   For docket inspection, records copies, bail, fines, continuances or general case questions, use the appropriate county Clerk’s Office.

Delaware Justice of the Peace Criminal and Traffic Records

Delaware Justice of the Peace Courts handle certain misdemeanor offenses, criminal violations, many motor vehicle matters and preliminary proceedings. They can also issue warrants, conduct initial appearances and set bail where authorised.

Public criminal court records may be requested through a Justice of the Peace criminal court, subject to applicable access restrictions.

How to request a JP criminal case record

1. Identify the JP court number

   Check the citation, summons or hearing notice. Delaware has different JP locations for criminal, civil and traffic matters.

2. Find the criminal court location

   Use the official Delaware Court Hours and Locations directory.

3. Request the available public record

   Give the case or ticket number, party name and requested document. The court’s records-access policy governs what may be inspected.

4. Confirm the case’s next court

   If charges were transferred or appealed, ask whether Court of Common Pleas, Superior Court or another court has the later proceedings.

Examples of Delaware JP criminal court locations

Delaware Criminal Court Contacts by County

Delaware has three counties. Each has its own courthouse offices for Superior Court and Court of Common Pleas criminal matters.

The judiciary maintains additional department contacts, office hours and court-specific directions. Verify the appropriate office before visiting.

How to Request Certified Delaware Criminal Court Records

If you need an authenticated disposition, sentencing order, judgment or other criminal case document, contact the clerk or Prothonotary of the court that maintains it.

Delaware courts have their own policies governing access to judicial records. Not every case document is public, and some records are restricted by court order or statute.

1. Identify the court and county

   Determine whether the case belongs to Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, Justice of the Peace Court or Family Court.

2. Gather case-identifying information

   Provide the case number if known, defendant’s legal name, approximate filing date and county.

3. Describe the document needed

   Ask for a final disposition, judgment, sentencing order, dismissal order, docket sheet or other specified record.

4. Ask whether it is publicly available

   The court will apply its records-access policy. Sealed, expunged, juvenile and confidential information may not be released through ordinary requests.

5. Confirm copy and certification charges

   Ask the clerk for the current fee, accepted payment methods, processing procedure and delivery options.

6. Verify the received document

   Confirm that the copy identifies the correct person, case, court and final outcome, with certification if requested.

You can review the official Superior Court fee schedule, but confirm the charge for the specific criminal record rather than assuming that a civil filing fee applies to a criminal copy request.

Delaware State Criminal Background Checks and Official Fees

A statewide criminal-history report is different from looking up a case in Superior Court. Delaware’s judiciary explains that courts cannot furnish a consolidated Delaware criminal-history record.

For an official certified criminal history, use the Delaware State Police State Bureau of Identification (SBI). The certification process is fingerprint-based, requires identification and follows an authorised registration procedure.

How to request an SBI certified history

1. Open the official State Police service page

   Visit Delaware State Police — Certified Criminal History.

2. Confirm which type of check is required

   A Delaware-only report and a legally authorised state-plus-federal report are different services.

3. Obtain the correct service code

   For an agency-directed check, the requesting organisation should supply the code. Do not substitute an unrelated service code.

4. Register for fingerprinting

   Follow the published IdentoGO or SBI registration instructions. Check the current appointment, mail-in and partner-location options.

5. Complete identity verification and payment

   Bring acceptable identification and pay the fee through the authorised process.

Delaware State Police also identifies partner enrollment locations and IdentoGO sites. Choose an appointment location through the official registration system rather than assuming every police station provides fingerprinting.

Delaware Arrest Warrants, Inmate Records and Custody Status

If your purpose is to check a person’s custody status or an outstanding warrant, the relevant source may be DELJIS or the Delaware Department of Correction, not a criminal trial docket.

Delaware Criminal Appeals, Family Court and Federal Cases

An appellate opinion is not a substitute for the original trial court’s docket. If you need to know the complete outcome following an appeal, check both the appellate decision and any subsequent trial-court orders.

Sealed, Expunged and Restricted Delaware Criminal Records

Some criminal court and law-enforcement records may be restricted or expunged under Delaware law. Juvenile and certain Family Court records have additional confidentiality protections.

Delaware’s expungement process includes different eligibility requirements depending on the offense, case disposition, criminal history and applicable statutes.

The Delaware Judicial Branch explains that where a criminal case was concluded in Court of Common Pleas or Justice of the Peace Court, the relevant expungement petition is filed with the Prothonotary’s Office in Superior Court.

Filing requirements and eligibility must be checked for the individual case. A dismissal does not automatically mean every associated arrest or court record has been expunged.

Common Delaware Criminal Court Records Search Problems

Official Delaware Criminal Court Records Resources

These official government and judicial websites provide the actual record-access policies, calendars, court contacts and criminal-history services discussed above.

Delaware Court Records and Criminal Dockets

• Delaware Judiciary — Public Access to Judicial Records
• Superior Court Criminal Trials and Sentencing Calendars
• Delaware Criminal Opinions and Orders
• Delaware CourtConnect — Civil Case Search
• Superior Court Records and Prothonotary Contacts
• Court of Common Pleas Scheduling Inquiry
• Justice of the Peace Criminal Court Proceedings
• Delaware Court Contact Directory

Criminal History, Custody and Legal Records

• Delaware State Police — Certified Criminal History
• Delaware Criminal Justice Information System
• Delaware Department of Correction Inmate Locator
• Delaware Court Expungement and Pardon Information
• Delaware Code — Criminal History Record Dissemination
• PACER — Federal Criminal Cases