Delaware Public Records

Property records for Woodside, Delaware (Kent County) come from the **Kent County Deeds Office (Levy Court)**. Woodside is a small town in central Kent County and does NOT have its own recorder. (1) **Kent County Levy Court Deeds Office** at https://www.kentcountyde.gov/My-Government/Departments/Deeds-Office, 555 Bay Rd, Dover DE 19901, phone (302) 744-2316. **Free electronic deed records search from the 1700s to present** at https://www.kentcountyde.gov/Residents/Deeds-and-Property-Records — researching and viewing are FREE. Hours typically Mon–Fri 8 AM – 4:30 PM. (2) **Kent County Board of Assessment** at https://www.kentcountyde.gov/My-Government/Departments/Assessment for parcel valuation, ownership, and parcel maps. (3) **Recording fees** (Delaware statute, current as of 2026): typical **$36 first page + $9 each additional** for deeds; **Realty Transfer Tax: 4% of consideration** under 30 Del. C. § 5402 (first-time homebuyer reduced rate of 2.5% may apply); certified copies typically $2 first page + $1 each additional. (4) **Kent County Treasurer** for tax-payment status. (5) **Town of Woodside** at 137 N Main St, Woodside DE 19980, phone (302) 697-2385 — handles only town-level permits, licenses, and code enforcement, NOT deeds or assessments. **Statewide note**: Delaware has only 3 counties (New Castle, Kent, Sussex); ALL property documents flow through one of these three Recorders of Deeds — no city or town recorders. **Search tip**: use the **parcel ID** (Tax Parcel Number) for fastest results. **Property fraud alert**: Kent County Recorder offers free email notification when documents record under your name. **Independent third-party**: state-level property data also at https://recorder.delaware.gov. **Title insurance**: strongly recommended for any rural land purchase in Delaware — many parcels have water-rights, easement, or right-of-way considerations. Sources: Kent County Levy Court Deeds Office, Kent County Assessor, Town of Woodside, 30 Del. C. § 5402.

Delaware property records are split between three counties — **New Castle, Kent, and Sussex** — each with its own Recorder of Deeds. **County offices**: (1) **New Castle County Recorder of Deeds** at https://www.newcastlede.gov/136/Recorder-of-Deeds, 800 N French St, 4th Floor, Wilmington DE 19801, phone (302) 395-7700. The repository for all land transactions, corporate filings, and financing statements in NCC. (2) **Kent County Levy Court Deeds Office** at https://www.kentcountyde.gov/My-Government/Departments/Deeds-Office, 555 Bay Rd, Dover DE 19901, phone (302) 744-2316. **Free electronic deed records search** from the 1700s to present at https://www.kentcountyde.gov/Residents/Deeds-and-Property-Records — researching and viewing are FREE. (3) **Sussex County Recorder of Deeds** at https://sussexcountyde.gov/recorder-deeds, 2 The Circle, P.O. Box 827, Georgetown DE 19947, phone (302) 855-7785. Hours 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (M-F). **Recording fees** (per Delaware statute, current as of 2026): typical **$36 first page + $9 each additional** for deeds ($30 base recording + $5 LRT + $1); **Realty Transfer Tax**: **4% of consideration** (one of the highest in U.S.; first-time homebuyers may qualify for reduced rate of 2.5% under 30 Del. C. § 5402). Certified copies typically $2 first page + $1 each additional. **Statewide alternatives**: each county also has its own **Assessor / Board of Assessment** for parcel valuation — same county sites typically host the assessor portal. **Free statewide directory**: DE Office of State Planning Coordination at https://stateplanning.delaware.gov links to all three. **Property fraud alerts**: each county recorder offers free email notification when a document records under your name. **Tip**: Delaware does NOT have city-level recorders — all property documents flow through the county. Sources: New Castle County Recorder, Kent County Deeds Office, Sussex County Recorder, 30 Del. C. § 5402.

Guardianship records in Delaware are filed at the **Court of Chancery** (for adult guardianship) or **Family Court** (for guardianship of a minor). **Delaware does NOT have a probate-only court** — the Court of Chancery handles adult guardianship, conservatorship, and certain probate matters. (1) **Delaware Court of Chancery** at https://courts.delaware.gov/chancery, 500 N King St, Suite 11400, Wilmington DE 19801, phone (302) 255-0544; New Castle County Office at 500 N King St, Wilmington; Kent County Office at 38 The Green, Dover DE 19901, phone (302) 739-3332; Sussex County Office at 34 The Circle, Georgetown DE 19947, phone (302) 855-7900. **Adult guardianship cases** (incapacitated person) are filed and heard in the Court of Chancery. (2) **Delaware Family Court** at https://courts.delaware.gov/family — handles **guardianship of minors** (children under 18). New Castle, Kent, Sussex County family courts. (3) **Public access to guardianship records**: Delaware courts use **CourtConnect / File and Serve Xpress** for online docket lookup. **Important**: many guardianship proceedings (especially minor guardianship and adult capacity) are **partially or fully sealed** to protect the protected person's privacy. Public-access terminals at the courthouse may show docket entries but limit document access. **Guardianship plans, financial accountings, and medical evaluations** are typically sealed under Court of Chancery Rule 175.5 and Delaware Family Court Civil Procedure Rules. (4) **Document copies** at the Clerk's office: typical fee **$2 per page certified**, $0.50/page non-certified. (5) **FOIA / Delaware Freedom of Information Act**: 29 Del. C. §§ 10001 et seq. Government records are public unless exempted; court records have separate access rules under court rules. Court Clerks generally require a **petition or court order** to access sealed guardianship files, except by parties to the case. (6) **Resources**: Delaware Court of Chancery Self-Help at https://courts.delaware.gov/chancery/self-help; CLASI (Community Legal Aid Society) at https://www.declasi.org for free legal assistance to seniors and DV survivors. Sources: Delaware Court of Chancery, Delaware Family Court, Court of Chancery Rule 175.5, 29 Del. C. § 10001.

Sussex County, Delaware businesses are searchable through three official sources. (1) **Delaware Division of Corporations** at https://icis.corp.delaware.gov/Ecorp/EntitySearch/NameSearch.aspx — official statewide registry of all DE corporations, LLCs, LPs, and partnerships. Delaware is the most popular U.S. state for corporate formation due to favorable corporate law (Chancery Court). General Information line (302) 739-3073. **Important**: Delaware's online entity search is FREE for basic info but charges **$10 for status reports**, $30+ for certified Good Standing certificates. (2) **Sussex County Recorder of Deeds** at https://sussexcountyde.gov/recorder-deeds, 2 The Circle, P.O. Box 827, Georgetown DE 19947, phone (302) 855-7785 — for **business filings recorded at the county level** (DBA assumed names, fictitious names, mortgages, leases on business property). Hours 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (M-F). (3) **Sussex County Clerk of the Peace** at https://sussexcountyde.gov/clerk-peace — handles business-related filings including some commercial licensing. (4) **Delaware Division of Revenue** at https://revenue.delaware.gov for business licenses (separate from entity registration); all DE businesses must obtain a state business license, **$75 per year**. (5) **Sales tax**: Delaware has **NO state sales tax** — but most businesses still need a license under DE Title 30. (6) **Federal nonprofit data**: IRS Tax-Exempt Organization Search at https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos. (7) **Local Sussex business assistance**: Sussex County Economic Development Office at https://sussexcountyde.gov/economic-development for small business resources. **Tip**: Delaware's General Corporation Law has made the state the legal home for **>60% of Fortune 500** companies; many large businesses appear in DE Division of Corporations even if they have no physical presence. To verify a business actually operates in Sussex, check both the state registry AND the Sussex County recorded documents. Sources: Delaware Division of Corporations, Sussex County Recorder of Deeds, Delaware Division of Revenue, IRS, 30 Del. C.

Property records for Kenton, Delaware (Kent County) come from the **Kent County Deeds Office (Levy Court)**. (1) **Kent County Levy Court Deeds Office** at https://www.kentcountyde.gov/My-Government/Departments/Deeds-Office, 555 Bay Rd, Dover DE 19901, phone (302) 744-2316. **Free electronic deed records search from the 1700s to present** at https://www.kentcountyde.gov/Residents/Deeds-and-Property-Records — researching and viewing are FREE. (2) **Kent County Assessor / Board of Assessment** for parcel valuation, ownership, and parcel maps; same county complex, https://www.kentcountyde.gov/My-Government/Departments/Assessment. (3) **Recording fees** (Delaware statute, current as of 2026): typical **$36 first page + $9 each additional** for deeds; **Realty Transfer Tax: 4% of consideration** under 30 Del. C. § 5402 (first-time homebuyer reduced rate of 2.5% may apply); certified copies typically $2 first page + $1 each additional. (4) **Kent County Treasurer** for tax-payment status — same County Levy Court offices. (5) **Town of Kenton** is a small town (pop. ~250) in northeast Kent County; the Town of Kenton has no separate property recorder. The Town Hall at 6 Main St, Kenton DE 19955 handles only town-level permits and licenses. (6) **Free property fraud alert**: Kent County Recorder offers email notification when documents record under your name. (7) **Statewide tip**: Delaware has only 3 counties (New Castle, Kent, Sussex); ALL property records flow through one of these three Recorders of Deeds — there are no city or town recorders. **Independent third-party**: searches for DE property at https://recorder.delaware.gov or via private services like ParcelQuest equivalents. **Search tip**: use the **parcel ID** (Tax Parcel Number) for fastest results — find it on any past property tax bill. Sources: Kent County Levy Court Deeds Office, Kent County Assessor, 30 Del. C. § 5402.

Two paths in Middletown, Delaware (New Castle County) depending on what kind of background check you need. **Path one — official state criminal history** through the **Delaware State Bureau of Identification (SBI)** at https://dsp.delaware.gov/obtaining-a-certified-criminal-history/. **Live Scan locations near Middletown**: **DE State Police Troop 9** at 200 Cedar Lane Rd, Odessa DE 19730 (the closest troop to Middletown), phone (302) 378-5218; **DE State Police Troop 2** in Glasgow, phone (302) 834-2620; **PrintScan** $52–$65; **IdentoGO** at locations across DE. (1) **Middletown Police Department** at 130 Hampden Rd, Middletown DE 19709, phone (302) 376-9950, https://www.middletownde.org/government/departments/police-department — call to confirm fingerprinting availability. **Fee**: **$72 for a certified Delaware Criminal History**; FBI national check adds $14.50 federal fee. Total typically $86.50 for state+FBI; some vendors charge $52 for fingerprint-only without certification. **Important**: under **Penal Code-style** restrictions, you generally need a permissible use to pull someone else's SBI record — most third-party employer checks require subject's signed consent. **Path two — court records** (case-level, public visibility) — Delaware Courts public access at https://courts.delaware.gov; CourtConnect for name search. **New Castle County Superior Court** at 500 N King St, Wilmington DE 19801, phone (302) 255-0800; **Court of Common Pleas** for misdemeanors; **Justice of the Peace Court** for minor traffic. **Path three — sex-offender registry**: Delaware Sex Offender Central Registry at https://sexoffender.dsp.delaware.gov. **Path four — federal cases**: PACER at https://pacer.uscourts.gov; U.S. District Court District of Delaware at 844 N King St, Wilmington. **Delaware Fair Chance Act** (29 Del. C. § 711(g)) restricts conviction inquiries before conditional offer for state agencies and many employers. Vendors (Checkr, Sterling, GoodHire) wrap state, FBI, court, county, MVR into FCRA-compliant reports. **Accuracy disputes**: contact SBI to challenge records. Sources: Delaware State Bureau of Identification, DE State Police Troop 9, Middletown PD, Delaware Courts, 29 Del. C. § 711.