Harrington Death Records

Harrington death records are held at the Delaware Office of Vital Statistics central office in Dover, which is the Kent County state hub. Recent Harrington deaths from 1986 to today are on file there. Older records sit with the Delaware Public Archives in Dover. Harrington also has a strong local newspaper archive at the Greater Harrington Historical Society and genealogy support at the public library. This page lays out how to order Harrington death records, use the city hall FOIA process, and pull obituaries from the Harrington Journal archive.

Order Harrington Death Records

The Office of Vital Statistics central office serves Harrington. It is at 417 Federal Street, Dover, DE 19901. Phone is 302-744-4549. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A certified copy of a Harrington death record costs $25.

Online ordering is open through GoCertificates or VitalChek. Both add a service fee on top of the $25. State rules are at Delaware Office of Vital Statistics. Mail requests go to the Jesse S. Cooper Building in Dover with a check or money order payable to "Office of Vital Statistics."

Photo ID is required. Eligible requesters include the spouse, children, parents, other immediate family with proof, a legal guardian with a court order, an authorized representative with proof, or a serious genealogy researcher. Delaware death records become public 40 years after the date of death.

Harrington City Hall Records

Harrington City Hall is at 106 Dorman Street, Harrington, DE 19952. Phone is (302) 398-3530. Fax is 302-398-4477. Regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The governing body is the Harrington City Council with five elected members. Council meetings are held the third Monday of each month at the Harrington Public Library at 6:00 p.m.

The City of Harrington's FOIA Coordinator is Emma Werner, at City Hall, 106 Dorman Street, phone (302) 398-4476. The city does not issue death certificates. For a certified Harrington death record, the city points residents to the state Office of Vital Statistics. Read the city page at City of Harrington.

Harrington was founded in 1780 by Benjamin Clark and was originally known as "Clark's Corner." In 1862, the name "Harrington" was adopted. The city was incorporated in 1869. That long history means some Harrington family records predate the state vital records system.

Harrington Library Genealogy Records

The Harrington Public Library is at 101 Little Mastens Corner Road, Harrington, DE 19952. Phone is (302) 398-4647. Hours are Monday and Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m., Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Sunday is closed.

The library offers genealogy research resources. It is listed as a FamilySearch affiliate location, which gives cardholders free access to many genealogical records. For Harrington death records research, the library is a good place to start before you visit the state Archives in Dover. More info is at Harrington Public Library.

Library cardholders also get the Delaware Public Archives Ancestry.com partnership. That unlocks Delaware Death Records from about 1650 to 1933. The library is 30 minutes from the Archives in Dover if you need to pull a full microfilm record after locating a match online.

Greater Harrington Historical Society

The Greater Harrington Historical Society works to keep the Greater Harrington area's history alive. The society has gathered over 70,000 artifacts and has grown from a corner room to three buildings. Their documents and photographs are invaluable for anyone doing genealogy on a Harrington family.

The society has digitized 39 complete years of the Harrington Journal from 1949 to 1988, plus partial years from 1933 to 1940 and 1996 to 1998. The pages hold local news including births, marriages, obituaries, and photos. A full Harrington Journal obituary can add detail the state vital records index leaves out. Access the archive at Greater Harrington Historical Society.

Delaware Public Archives also maintains a Harrington historical marker file and broader Kent County records. The Kent County Almshouse Births and Deaths Database at the Archives covers deaths from 1851 to 1901 for residents of the Kent County Almshouse. Entries note date of death, age, and sometimes a cause-of-death remark.

Harrington Probate and Kent County

Harrington is in Kent County. Harrington estates open at the Kent County Register of Wills at 555 Bay Road, 2nd Floor, Room 214, Dover, DE 19901. Phone is 302-744-2330. Walk-in hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

To open a Harrington estate, you need the original death certificate, the original will if one exists, asset estimates, a list of next of kin, and a valid driver's license. The office page is at Kent County Register of Wills. The Kent County Recorder of Deeds at 555 Bay Road handles deed and Transfer on Death Deed records for Harrington.

Harrington Police Department records are handled by the police department directly. The Kent County Levy Court oversees county services. Kent County Recorder of Deeds holds the county's older vital records from before 1913 and now handles the 2025 Transfer on Death Deed. Use the Kent County page for the full county office list.

Funeral homes in the Harrington area include Lofland Funeral Home and Melvin Funeral Home. Both can order a certified Harrington death certificate on behalf of the family as part of the funeral service. FamilySearch.org has a Delaware death records guide that lists all the state and county sources in one place.

Harrington Local Records Offices

Harrington Police Department handles city-level records that may touch a Harrington death case. Crime reports, accident reports, and victim copies go through the police records unit. For cases that fall under the Medical Examiner, the state Division of Forensic Science in Wilmington covers all Kent County deaths. Autopsy reports are released only after a written request from the legal next of kin.

The Kent County Recorder of Deeds at 555 Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901 runs a free online deed search. Recorded deeds, mortgages, and Transfer on Death Deeds tied to Harrington property are on file there. The office phone is 302-744-2314. Kent County Levy Court also oversees county services that touch Harrington residents. Read more at Kent County Recorder of Deeds.

The Delaware Public Archives holds the Harrington Historical Marker file as part of its broader Kent County records. The marker notes the city's 1780 founding by Benjamin Clark. Pair the marker file with the Greater Harrington Historical Society's newspaper archive for a fuller picture of old Harrington death notices.

For a recent Harrington death, check the funeral home site first. Lofland Funeral Home posts obituaries online within days of the service. Then order the certified state copy from the Office of Vital Statistics for probate, insurance, or Social Security work.

Nearby Delaware Cities

Harrington sits in southern Kent County. Dover is to the north. Milford is to the east. The Kent County page covers the Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Medical Examiner unit.