Delaware Court Records Search by Name: CourtConnect, Family Access, Chancery, Criminal History & PACER
Use this guide to search Delaware court records by name without mixing up civil dockets, judgments, Family Court files, Chancery records, criminal-history reports, federal district cases, or bankruptcy records.
Public-Court-Records.us is independent. This website is not Delaware Courts, CourtConnect, the Delaware State Police, the U.S. District Court, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, PACER, a law firm, a government agency, or a Consumer Reporting Agency. This article is general information only and is not legal advice.
Responsible-use warning: a name match, docket entry, judgment listing, criminal charge, arrest reference, lawsuit, petition, or filing does not prove identity, guilt, liability, or current status. Do not use this article as an FCRA-regulated employment, tenant, credit, insurance, licensing, or eligibility screening product.
Delaware court records by name: start with the court type, not the name
Delaware has multiple state courts: Supreme Court, Court of Chancery, Superior Court, Family Court, Court of Common Pleas, Justice of the Peace Court, and related judicial agencies. A person-name search works differently depending on which court handled the matter.
The most useful statewide public name-search tool is CourtConnect, but it is not a universal search for every Delaware court record. Delaware Courts say CourtConnect provides online civil case information for Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Justice of the Peace Court. Family Court, Court of Chancery, criminal-history reports, and federal cases require different routes.
Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Justice of the Peace civil information.
Partial last-name and phonetic search options can broaden CourtConnect results.
Delaware Courts do not provide a consolidated Delaware criminal history.
New Castle, Kent, and Sussex County court locations handle many in-person record tasks.
Delaware court record route finder
Select the record type. This helper runs in your browser and does not ask for names, case numbers, dates of birth, addresses, driver license numbers, Social Security numbers, or payment details.
Search by person name, business name, or case type when the matter belongs to Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, or Justice of the Peace Court civil records. Verify court, county, case number, filing date, and party role before relying on a match.
Choose the correct Delaware court-record system
Delaware’s name-search workflow depends on case type. Use this table before searching so you do not confuse civil dockets, family files, criminal history, Chancery records, federal cases, or bankruptcy records.
| Need | Correct source | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Civil case by person or business name | Delaware CourtConnect / Civil Case Search | Search last name or company name, then narrow with first name, middle name, filing dates, case type, partial last-name, or phonetic options when useful. |
| Judgment against a person or business | CourtConnect judgment search | Search official CourtConnect judgment options and verify court, case number, debtor name, filing date, status, and satisfaction activity before relying on a result. |
| Justice of the Peace civil, landlord-tenant, or small civil case | CourtConnect / Justice of the Peace civil docket | Use CourtConnect for civil information and check the JP Court location or topic page for case-type rules, landlord-tenant steps, and civil procedures. |
| Court of Common Pleas civil or criminal case | CourtConnect for civil docket; Court of Common Pleas office for other records | Use CourtConnect for civil search, and contact the proper county Court of Common Pleas for copies, certified copies, closed files, or criminal/traffic questions. |
| Superior Court civil case | CourtConnect / Superior Court Prothonotary | Use CourtConnect for supported civil case information, then contact the Prothonotary in New Castle, Kent, or Sussex County for certified copies and older files. |
| Superior Court criminal case | Superior Court office / court record policy / criminal-history distinction | Do not treat CourtConnect as a consolidated criminal-history search. Contact the court for case-specific records and use State Police SBI for certified criminal-history reports. |
| Family Court divorce, custody, support, PFA, juvenile, guardianship, or adoption file | Family Court records room / appointment request | Family Court says personal case information is not on its website and Family Court files cannot be accessed electronically. Schedule records review and bring photo ID. |
| Court of Chancery corporate, trust, fiduciary, equity, or guardianship matter | File & ServeXpress / Register in Chancery public terminals | Use the Chancery page and File & ServeXpress route for civil action docket information; for guardianship access, contact the Register in Chancery. |
| Delaware Supreme Court appeal | Delaware Supreme Court / File & ServeXpress / appellate resources | Identify the lower-court case number and appeal number, then use Supreme Court records, eFiling resources, or clerk contact channels. |
| Federal district or bankruptcy case | PACER, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, or U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware | Use PACER Case Locator if the federal court is unknown. Federal cases are not searched through Delaware state CourtConnect. |
How to use Delaware CourtConnect for a name search
CourtConnect is Delaware’s main public civil case search route for supported Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Justice of the Peace Court civil information. It allows name, business, case-type, judgment, and activity searching, but it is not a universal people-search or criminal-history database.
Start on the official Delaware Courts Civil Case Search page, then use the CourtConnect access link. Confirm you are on a courts.delaware.gov or courtconnect.courts.delaware.gov address.
For a person or company, use the person/business/case-type search. For judgments, use the judgment search route. For a known case, use case information or activity options.
Use last name or company name first. Add first name, middle name, filing-date range, or case type only when it narrows the result without excluding likely matches.
Partial last-name search can broaden spellings beginning with the entered text. Phonetic search can retrieve similar-sounding names. Both can increase false matches.
Check court, county, case number, filing date, party role, case type, status, docket activities, and judgment entries. A matching name alone is not enough.
If you need an official copy, certified copy, exemplified copy, closed-file retrieval, or transcript, contact the specific court office that maintains the record.
Delaware court copies, certified copies, transcripts, and criminal-history reports
Fees vary by court and service. Always verify the current official fee page before ordering. A downloaded docket screen is not the same as a certified court record or certified criminal-history report.
| Request | Official route or listed fee reference | Practical next step |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Court certified copy | Superior Court fee page lists certified copy of any document at $15, not to exceed three pages without additional copy charge. | Contact the Prothonotary in the county where the case is filed and ask whether ordinary copy charges also apply. |
| Superior Court exemplified copy | Superior Court fee page lists exemplified copy of any document at $25, not to exceed three pages without additional copy charge. | Ask whether the receiving agency requires certification, exemplification, seal, or apostille/authentication routing. |
| Superior Court ordinary copy | Superior Court fee page lists copy charge up to $2 per page and fax copy charge up to $8 per page. | Provide the case number, document title, filing date, and county before asking for a quote. |
| Court of Common Pleas copy | Court of Common Pleas fee page lists copy charge up to $5 per page and certified copy at $10. | Verify county office instructions before mailing payment or visiting. |
| Superior Court transcript | Superior Court transcript rates depend on delivery speed, such as normal, expedited, daily/overnight, or same-day delivery. | Submit the transcript request to the Court Reporters’ Office in the appropriate county and wait for the estimate/deposit instructions. |
| Certified Delaware criminal history | Delaware Courts say certified criminal-history requests go to Delaware State Police State Bureau of Identification, not the courts. | Use SBI’s current instructions, service code, photo ID, appointment, fingerprinting, and fee requirements. |
| Federal District of Delaware copies | Federal District of Delaware copy procedures and PACER apply; paper copy and certified-copy fees differ from Delaware state courts. | Use PACER for electronic dockets and the District Court copy order process for paper or certified federal documents. |
| PACER federal records | PACER pricing verified September 20, 2026: $0.10 per page, $3.00 cap for many case-specific documents, $30 quarterly waiver threshold; a temporary increase to $0.12 per page and $40 threshold is announced for January 1, 2027. | Use case numbers and date filters to avoid unnecessary billable pages; check PACER’s pricing page before broad name searches. |
Copy request readiness checklist
This privacy-safe checklist does not store or transmit anything.
A stronger request helps the correct Delaware court office locate the file and quote the correct copy or certification fee.
Delaware records that are not ordinary public name-search results
Online access is limited by court, case type, confidentiality law, user role, archive status, and record format. Some records are public only at a courthouse, some require photo ID or appointment, and some are restricted or sealed.
- Family Court says its website does not contain personal case information.
- Family Court files cannot be accessed electronically through ordinary public web search.
- Records review occurs in the records room with staff present.
- Photo identification is required for file review.
- Some social documents, evaluations, investigations, and sensitive records require court authorization.
- Delaware Courts cannot provide a consolidated Delaware criminal history.
- Certified criminal-history requests are directed to Delaware State Police SBI.
- A court docket is not the same as a fingerprint-based criminal-history report.
- Arrest, charge, filing, conviction, dismissal, acquittal, and expungement are separate concepts.
- Use official expungement and SBI routes when criminal-history accuracy matters.
Official Delaware court-record links and what to do after opening each one
Use these official resources for real record tasks. Each link includes a micro-guide so this page is not just a directory.
Use this as the official starting page for CourtConnect civil docket searching.
- Confirm the page is on courts.delaware.gov.
- Review which courts are covered by CourtConnect.
- Click the CourtConnect access link.
- Choose person, business, case type, judgment, or case activity search.
Use this for supported civil case and judgment information.
- Select the search type matching your task.
- Enter a last name or company name for name search.
- Use filing dates and case type when needed.
- Open the result and compare case details before relying on it.
Use this to understand partial name and phonetic search behavior.
- Read the person-search tips.
- Use exact names first when possible.
- Use partial last-name only when spelling is uncertain.
- Use phonetic search carefully because it can broaden results.
Use this to understand Delaware court access policies and the criminal-history distinction.
- Read the court-specific access policy list.
- Note that courts cannot provide a consolidated criminal history.
- Open the policy for the relevant court.
- Contact the court office when access status is unclear.
Use this for Family Court file-review rules and copy limitations.
- Review who may inspect a file.
- Check records-room hours and monthly exceptions.
- Bring proper photo identification.
- Ask staff about documents that cannot be copied without court authorization.
Use this to request an appointment to review a Family Court file.
- Select New Castle, Kent, or Sussex County.
- Enter file or petition number if known.
- Identify your relationship to the case.
- Wait for appointment instructions before visiting.
Use this for Chancery matters, including civil actions, guardianship, and File & ServeXpress access notes.
- Review whether the matter is a Chancery civil action or guardianship.
- Use File & ServeXpress for available docket information.
- Use public access terminals in Register in Chancery offices when needed.
- Contact the Register in Chancery for filing or record-access guidance.
Use this to understand which Delaware eFiling platform applies to which court.
- Review eFlex for Justice of the Peace Court.
- Review File & Serve Delaware for Court of Common Pleas.
- Review File & ServeXpress for Supreme Court, Chancery, and Superior Court.
- Do not confuse filing systems with public search systems.
Use this for certified copy, exemplified copy, ordinary copy, closed-file, and transcript fee references.
- Find the miscellaneous services and non-fee charges sections.
- Check copy, certified copy, and exemplified copy fees.
- Check closed-case retrieval fees if the file is old.
- Call the proper county office before mailing payment.
Use this for main courthouse and court-specific phone numbers.
- Choose the court first.
- Choose the county or location.
- Call the correct office before visiting.
- Ask whether the file is online, active, closed, archived, or restricted.
Use this for certified Delaware criminal-history reports, not case docket searching.
- Confirm you need a criminal-history report, not a case docket.
- Use the current service code and appointment instructions.
- Bring required photo ID and pay the current fee.
- Use court records separately if you need a case disposition or certified court document.
Use this for federal district, bankruptcy, and federal appellate records.
- Use Case Locator if you do not know the federal court.
- Search the specific court for the most current docket.
- Review PACER fees before opening documents.
- Do not search Delaware state CourtConnect for federal cases.
Delaware courthouse contacts for records, copies, and in-person access
Many Delaware record questions can start online, but certified copies, old files, Family Court records review, Chancery public terminals, transcripts, and restricted files may require contacting the correct court location.
500 North King Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
Main courthouse number: 302-255-0000
Superior Court Wilmington: 302-255-0800
Family Court Wilmington call center: 302-255-0300
Court of Common Pleas Wilmington: 302-255-0900
38 The Green
Dover, DE 19901
Main courthouse number: 302-735-1900
Family Court Dover: 302-672-1000
Court of Common Pleas Dover: 302-735-3900
Court of Chancery Dover: 302-735-1930
1 The Circle
Georgetown, DE 19947
Main courthouse number: 302-855-7055
Family Court Georgetown: 302-855-7400
Court of Common Pleas Georgetown: 302-858-5700
Court of Chancery Georgetown: 302-856-5777
Call the specific court office first. Ask whether the record is online, active, closed, archived, confidential, sealed, held by another court, or available only through a formal copy or transcript request.
Where Delaware federal district and bankruptcy records go
Federal records are not Delaware state court records. Use PACER for U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, and federal appellate records.
Federal civil and criminal cases are searched through PACER and the federal court’s CM/ECF system. District Court records are separate from Delaware CourtConnect.
Bankruptcy cases, claims, adversary proceedings, and bankruptcy docket images are federal records. Use PACER, bankruptcy CM/ECF, or the bankruptcy court’s official resources.
Use the national index if you do not know whether the case is in Delaware District Court, Delaware Bankruptcy Court, another district, or a federal appellate court.
What to do if a Delaware name search returns no result
- Wrong court: CourtConnect vs Family Court vs Chancery vs PACER.
- Wrong party name, business suffix, middle initial, spelling, or company punctuation.
- Using exact search when partial or phonetic search would be better.
- Searching a criminal-history report in court dockets.
- Searching a federal or bankruptcy case in Delaware state court search.
- Confidential, sealed, expunged, juvenile, adoption, or Family Court restriction.
- Case is too old, closed, archived, or not online.
- Document is only available through File & ServeXpress or public terminal.
- Case is held by a different county office or court level.
- The online system shows docket information but not full documents.
How to read Delaware court-record fields without over-interpreting them
A docket or case activity screen is a record of court activity. It does not always explain the legal meaning of each entry, whether a judgment has been paid, or whether a case outcome is final.
Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, judgment creditor, judgment debtor, appellant, appellee, landlord, tenant, guardian, ward, and fiduciary are roles. A role does not always mean wrongdoing.
Complaint, petition, answer, motion, summons, hearing, judgment, dismissal, continuance, writ, satisfaction, appeal, and order entries should be read in sequence.
Active, closed, disposed, dismissed, transferred, appealed, satisfied, or reopened can mean different things depending on the court and case type. Ask the court or an attorney for official interpretation.
Use Delaware court records carefully
- Do not identify a person from a common name alone.
- Compare court, county, case number, filing date, party role, docket activities, and lawful identifiers.
- Do not assume an arrest, charge, petition, complaint, or judgment tells the full case outcome.
- Check later docket entries for dismissal, satisfaction, appeal, transfer, reopening, or correction.
- Do not harass, threaten, shame, or retaliate against anyone.
- Do not republish minor, family, medical, psychological, social-service, or unnecessary sensitive information.
- Do not bypass sealed, expunged, juvenile, Family Court, or confidential restrictions.
- Use the official court or custodian for corrections, certified copies, and official-use records.
Frequently asked questions about Delaware court records
What is the official way to search Delaware court records by name?
Use Delaware Courts’ official Civil Case Search / CourtConnect for supported Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Justice of the Peace civil case information. CourtConnect allows searches by person name, business name, case type, judgments, and case activities. Family Court, Court of Chancery, criminal-history reports, and federal cases use different routes.
Can I search Delaware CourtConnect by partial name or phonetic name?
Yes. CourtConnect help explains that partial last-name searching can retrieve names beginning with the entered text, and phonetic search can retrieve names that sound similar. Use these tools carefully because broad searches can create many false matches.
Which Delaware courts are included in CourtConnect civil case search?
Delaware’s Civil Case Search page states that Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Justice of the Peace Court offer online civil case information through CourtConnect. Other Delaware record types may require Family Court records access, File & ServeXpress, court offices, or PACER.
Can I search Delaware Family Court case records online?
No ordinary public online case search is provided for personal Family Court case information. Delaware Family Court says its website does not contain personal case information and Family Court files cannot be accessed electronically. File review is handled through the Family Court records room or appointment request process.
Are Delaware criminal court records the same as a Delaware criminal history report?
No. Delaware court records show case-specific court activity, while a certified Delaware criminal history is handled by the Delaware State Police State Bureau of Identification. Delaware Courts state that the courts cannot provide a consolidated Delaware criminal history.
Where do I search Delaware Court of Chancery records?
The Delaware Court of Chancery states that docket information for civil actions is available online at File & ServeXpress, and public access terminals are available in the Register in Chancery offices. Chancery records should not be treated the same as ordinary CourtConnect civil records.
How much do Delaware certified court copies cost?
Fees depend on the court. Superior Court lists certified copies at $15 for a document not exceeding three pages without additional copy charge, exemplified copies at $25, and ordinary copy charges up to $2 per page. Court of Common Pleas lists certified copies at $10 and copy charges up to $5 per page. Always verify the current fee page before ordering.
Where do I get Delaware court transcripts?
Superior Court transcripts are requested through the appropriate county Court Reporters’ Office using the transcript request process. Delaware Courts list per-page rates based on normal, expedited, daily, overnight, or same-day delivery. Transcript requests are different from ordinary docket or certified-copy requests.
Where do I search Delaware federal court records?
Use PACER and the federal court. The U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware maintain federal case records separately from Delaware state courts. Use PACER Case Locator if you do not know which federal court has the case.
Why might a Delaware court record not appear in a name search?
The case may be in a court not covered by the portal, filed under a business name or alternate spelling, confidential, sealed, too new, too old, restricted, in Family Court, in Chancery/File & ServeXpress, in a federal court, or listed under a different case type or county.
Official-source review checklist
This guide was reviewed against official Delaware Courts pages for Civil Case Search, CourtConnect, CourtConnect Help, Public Access to Judicial Records, Family Court Records Access, Family Court records appointment requests, Court of Chancery, Electronic Filing in the Delaware Judiciary, Superior Court fees, Court of Common Pleas fees, Superior Court transcripts, Delaware court contacts and locations, Delaware State Police certified criminal-history instructions, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware PACER resources, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, and PACER pricing. Review date: September 20, 2026.