Kent County Arrest Records
Kent County arrest records run through the Dover-area courts, the Kent County Sheriff, Delaware State Police Troop 3, and city forces like Dover and Harrington. All arrest data feeds into DELJIS and the State Bureau of Identification. Kent County sits in the heart of Delaware and handles the state's capital city, Dover. Search arrest records in Kent County through official portals, the Kent County Courthouse, or one of the local police record units. This page lays out where to go and how to request what you need.
Kent County Overview
Kent County Sheriff's Office
The Kent County Sheriff's Office sits at 25 N. Queen Street in Dover, DE 19901. Call (302) 744-2434 to reach the office. The sheriff handles civil process, court security, and service of legal papers. General patrols are done by the Delaware State Police and the municipal forces. Still, the sheriff is the place to start when you need help tracing a warrant or a court order in Kent County.
Kent County arrest records start with the arresting agency and end up in the state files at SBI. The Dover SBI office is at 600 South Bay Road, Suite 1, Dover, DE 19901. Call (302) 739-5871. Walk-in hours run 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The fee for a Delaware-only record is $52, and the state plus federal record is $65.
Payment options at the Dover SBI take check, money order, cash, credit or debit card, or an official company check. Juveniles must come with a parent or guardian, and a school ID works as proof of identity.
Note: Under 29 Del. C. § 10002(l)(4), any person may obtain their own arrest record upon proof of identity, even when third-party access is restricted.
Kent County Courthouse Records
The Kent County Courthouse sits on a 5.3-acre site in the City of Dover, bordered by Federal, Water, and The Green. The building houses the Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, Justice of the Peace Court 16, Register in Chancery, Prothonotary, Law Library, Jury, and Capitol Police. The Attorney General and Public Defender also keep satellite offices in the courthouse. The address is 414 Federal Street, Dover, DE 19901. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Kent County Superior Court location page is shown here.
At courts.delaware.gov/locations/superior_kt.aspx, you can find phone lines, visitor rules, and info on public access terminals. Superior Court handles felony cases and civil matters over $50,000. Court of Common Pleas handles civil cases between $15,000 and $50,000 and landlord-tenant disputes.
To pull a file, staff need the litigant's name, the case number, or the filing or hearing date. Copy fees are $5.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each page after that. The Court of Common Pleas can be reached through Julie Brooks at (302) 735-3925.
To check a warrant in Kent County, call the Superior Court Prothonotary's Office at 414 Federal Street, (302) 735-1900, or the Kent County Court of Common Pleas at (302) 735-3900. The Delaware Criminal Justice Information System keeps the state's active warrant list.
Kent County Corrections and Probation
The James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna is the main detention site for Kent County. Most adult Kent County arrests that lead to a hold end up booked at James T. Vaughn. For current inmate status, use the Department of Correction inmate locator. The tool is free and searches by name or offender ID.
Probation in Kent County runs through the Bureau of Community Corrections. The Kent County office line is (302) 739-5387. Staff can confirm probation terms, check-ins, and release dates for people on supervision after a Kent County arrest.
The Delaware Criminal History Unit at kids.delaware.gov handles child-facing background checks that include SBI, FBI, and out-of-state abuse files. CHU covers more than 3,400 public and private employers in Kent County and across Delaware.
For open warrants tied to a Kent County arrest, the DELJIS Online Wanted Person Review at deljis.delaware.gov is free and updates as fast as DELJIS pulls new data. The Delaware State Police arrest archive at dsp.delaware.gov/category/arrest also lists fresh Kent County bookings.
Delaware State Police Troop 3 in Kent County
Delaware State Police Troop 3 runs primary law enforcement for Kent County. The station sits at 1441 N. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Call (302) 698-8400. Troop 3's coverage area spans Dover and most unincorporated parts of Kent County. Its Criminal Investigations Unit handles major cases, drug probes, and violent crime.
The DSP Troop 3 page in Kent County is shown here.
The page at dsp.delaware.gov/locations/troop-3 lists unit contacts, victim services info, and crash report tips. Victim Services runs 24/7 at 1-800-VICTIM-1, and tips go to Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.
Fresh Troop 3 arrests post to the Delaware State Police Arrest Archives at dsp.delaware.gov/category/arrest. Each press release lists suspect names, charges, and bail details. The troop also works with Dover PD, Harrington PD, Smyrna PD, and the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center.
How to Search Kent County Arrest Records
Kent County arrest records are open to the public under Delaware Code Title 29, Chapter 100. Use the online tools first, then move to the in-person path if you need the full case file. Delaware CourtConnect at courtconnect.courts.delaware.gov covers civil and some criminal cases for the Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Justice of the Peace Court.
The DELJIS Online Wanted Person Review at deljis.delaware.gov lets you search active warrants by first and last name. DELJIS runs with more than 10,700 users across 400 agencies in Delaware. Searches are free.
To file a FOIA request for an arrest record in Kent County, include:
- Full name of the person arrested
- Date of birth or age
- Date of arrest, or a close guess
- Case number, if you have it
- Arresting agency, if known
Under § 10003, Kent County agencies must reply to the request within 15 business days. Copy fees and staff time may add to the cost.
Kent County Municipal Police Records
Each city in Kent County keeps its own arrest files. Dover Police Records Unit at (302) 736-7105 is one of only three municipal agencies in Delaware that feed data straight into DELJIS. Reports are ready within 7 to 10 days of the event. Victims get their own copy free with photo ID.
Other Kent County forces include:
- Dover City PD at (302) 736-7130
- Smyrna PD at (302) 653-9217
- Harrington PD at (302) 398-4493
- Milford PD at (302) 422-8081
- Camden PD at (302) 697-2881
- Clayton PD at (302) 653-8186
- Felton PD at (302) 284-8441
Delaware State Police cover all other areas of Kent County from (302) 697-4454. For details on recent bookings, call the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center at (302) 653-9261. For judicial records of criminal cases, dial the Kent County Superior Court at (302) 739-5353 and the Court of Common Pleas at (302) 739-4618.
Clean Slate and Expungement in Kent County
Delaware's Clean Slate law from 2021 automates expungement for many juvenile and adult records. The auto process began on August 1, 2024. Read the rules at aclu-de.org/en/csde. Under 11 Del. Code § 4372, a person need not disclose an arrest that has been expunged.
To check a record in Kent County, stop by the prothonotary at the Dover courthouse, use the public access terminals, or request a certified criminal history from SBI at (302) 739-5871.
Tip: The Sussex Correctional Institution in Georgetown books some Kent County cases when the James T. Vaughn center in Smyrna is full, so check both sites when searching for a held inmate.
Cities in Kent County
Dover, Milford, and Harrington are the main cities in Kent County. Pick one below to see the local police records unit and booking desk.
Nearby Counties
New Castle County sits north of Kent and Sussex County sits south. Each county has its own sheriff, courthouse, and records portal.