Sussex County Felony Records
Sussex County felony records are on file at the Sussex County Courthouse in Georgetown. The Superior Court at 1 The Circle hears every adult felony case filed in the county. You can search Sussex County felony records online through CourtConnect, the Delaware Judiciary's free case portal. The court clerk can pull a full file and make certified copies. Police records units in Seaford, Lewes, and Milford keep local arrest data. For a statewide rap sheet, the State Bureau of Identification is your main stop. Pick the source that matches what you need.
Sussex County Overview
Sussex County Felony Records Court
The Sussex County Superior Court is the trial court for every felony case in the county. The courthouse sits at 1 The Circle in Georgetown, the county seat. The court also hears civil cases over $50,000.
Sussex County felony records are in the clerk's office at the courthouse. You can ask staff to pull a file by name or case number. The Superior Court page at the Delaware Judiciary site has more on how the court works. You can also run a search on CourtConnect from home.
| Office | Sussex County Superior Court |
|---|---|
| Address |
Sussex County Courthouse 1 The Circle Georgetown, DE 19947 |
| Phone | (302) 858-5700 |
| Civil Filings Email | CCPSussex_CivilFilings@delaware.gov |
Public access terminals are in the courthouse clerk area. Written requests use Form ADM_ADM_03_A, the Application for Access to Court Records. The form is on the state Delaware Courts forms portal.
Common Pleas Sussex Felony Records
The Court of Common Pleas in Sussex County handles misdemeanors and takes preliminary hearings on felony records before they reach the Superior Court. The court also hears civil cases in the $15,000 to $50,000 range, along with landlord-tenant disputes.
The court administrator is Shelly Swafford. The office is at 1 The Circle, Suite 2, Georgetown. The phone is (302) 858-5756. More details sit on the Court of Common Pleas site.
Sussex County Prothonotary
The Prothonotary keeps civil case files and judgment liens in Sussex County. Court-ordered restitution from a felony case can become a civil judgment that lands in this office. The Prothonotary can also give certified copies tied to those judgments.
The office is at 1 The Circle, Suite 2, Georgetown, DE 19947. Call (302) 858-5730 for help. State-level info is on the Prothonotary page at the Delaware Judiciary site.
Note: Bring a case number when you can, since a name search with common surnames may return many hits across Sussex County felony records.
Sussex County Sheriff's Office
The Sussex County Sheriff runs civil process, courthouse security, and concealed carry permit intake. The sheriff does not keep a jail for felony defendants. Pre-trial and sentenced inmates move to state facilities run by the Department of Correction.
The image below is the Sussex County Sheriff's Office page.
The sheriff's office can confirm a warrant exists in a named case but holds back operational detail. Contact the office at the main courthouse address.
| Address | Sussex County Courthouse, 1 The Circle, Georgetown, DE 19947 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (302) 855-7800 |
Searching Sussex County Felony Records Online
CourtConnect is the fastest way to pull Sussex County felony records from home. The system is free. A search needs a last name at minimum. Add a first name or a case number to narrow results. The Delaware case ID for a Sussex felony case looks like S21K-CR-001234.
Results show the case docket, filing date, party names, scheduled hearings, and case status. Sealed cases and juvenile records do not appear on the public side. To see full documents, you need to contact the clerk's office in Georgetown in person.
Run a search at courtconnect.courts.delaware.gov.
SBI Felony Records for Sussex County
For a rap sheet that covers Sussex County felony records along with the rest of Delaware, the State Bureau of Identification is the right stop. SBI runs fingerprint-based checks out of its main office in Dover at 1407 N. DuPont Highway and eight other sites across the state.
Fee breakdown:
- $72 for a Delaware-only state check
- $85 for a Delaware and FBI combined check
- $5 per extra certified copy
- Money order or certified check payable to Delaware State Police
Appointments go through (302) 739-5880. The Delaware State Police public page has more info. You can also see the DELJIS portal for public-facing tools that tie to the state criminal justice data system.
Sussex Correctional Institution and Inmate Records
The Sussex Correctional Institution, SCI, is the main state facility for male inmates from Sussex County. It sits in Georgetown. The site is run by the Delaware Department of Correction. Visitation needs advance scheduling. Women convicted of a felony go to the Baylor Women's Correctional Institution.
The image below is the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center page, another local source tied to public safety work across the county.
Emergency operations is not a records office, but it ties to the broader public safety network that touches felony cases in Sussex County.
For inmate lookup, use the Delaware Department of Correction site. You can search by name or DOC offender ID. The tool returns the facility, custody level, and the projected release date.
Delaware Law on Sussex County Felony Records
Delaware Code Title 11 holds the state's criminal code. Chapter 85 at 11 Del. C. § 8501 set up the SBI as the criminal history repository. Chapter 86 lists the rules for expungement of felony records in Delaware. Read the full code at delcode.delaware.gov.
Title 10 § 1911 covers public access to court records. Superior Court Rule 10.2 deals with specific access to court documents. For FOIA, see 29 Del. C. Chapter 100. The Freedom of Information Act gives a 15 business day response window and allows a 30-day extension for complex requests.
The Delaware Sex Offender Registry is the public side of felony records tied to sex crimes. Search by name, address, or city to find registered offenders in Sussex County.
Expunging Sussex County Felony Records
Delaware law allows some felony records to be sealed after a waiting period. Mandatory expungement applies to acquittals, dismissals, and nolle prosequi dispositions. Discretionary expungement applies to some convictions after a five-year wait for most misdemeanors and seven-plus years for most felonies. Violent felonies, sex offenses, and DUIs are not eligible.
You file the petition with the Superior Court. The Delaware Courts forms portal holds more than 25 expungement forms. Pick the right one for your case type, complete it, and file with the Prothonotary in Georgetown.
Note: Record retention for serious Sussex County felony records like murder, rape, and kidnapping is permanent at the Superior Court, even after other cases have cycled out.
Cities in Sussex County
Sussex County covers many coastal and inland towns. Each city police department keeps arrest and incident reports. Felony cases go up to the Superior Court in Georgetown.
Milford straddles Kent and Sussex counties, so some Milford cases may end up in Dover while others route to Georgetown.
Nearby Counties
The other two Delaware counties lie to the north of Sussex. File your felony case in the county where the offense took place.