New Castle County Death Records

New Castle County death records are kept at the Delaware Office of Vital Statistics branch in Newark. Deaths from 1986 to the present are on file there. Deaths before 1986 are held by the Delaware Public Archives in Dover. You can order a certified copy by mail, in person at the Newark office, or online through the state's two approved vendors. This page lays out how to search New Castle County death records, what proof you need to bring, and the other county offices that hold tied records such as wills, probate files, and deeds.

Office of Vital Statistics in Newark

The Office of Vital Statistics runs a New Castle County branch at the University Plaza-Chopin Building, 258 Chapman Road, Newark, DE 19702. The phone line is 302-283-7130 and the fax is 302-283-7131. This is the main place to order New Castle County death records for any death within the last 40 years.

The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Holidays are closed. Walk-in service is same day in most cases. Walk in with a valid government photo ID and the Application for a Certified Copy of a Delaware Death Certificate.

Mail requests go to the central office in Dover, not to the Newark branch. The Newark address is for walk-in service only. Full state-level guidance is at the Delaware Office of Vital Statistics page.

Order New Castle County Death Records

There are three ways to order New Castle County death records for deaths in the last 40 years. In-person at the Newark branch. By mail to the Dover central office. Online through GoCertificates or VitalChek Network at an added service fee.

Each certified copy costs $25. Payment by mail must be a personal check or money order made out to "Office of Vital Statistics." Cash is not accepted by mail. The state fee is fixed by Delaware Code § 3132.

Eligible requesters for a New Castle County death certificate include the deceased's current spouse, children, parents, other immediate family with proof, a legal guardian with a court order, an attorney or authorized representative with proof, or a serious genealogy researcher with proof. These rules come straight from Delaware Code Title 16, § 3110. Full state guidance sits on the Delaware Office of Vital Statistics page.

Online ordering uses the same $25 base fee plus the vendor's extra charge. Both VitalChek Delaware and GoCertificates route your order to the state for processing. The statewide guide to certificates is at Delaware.gov Certificates Guide.

Older New Castle County Death Records

Once a New Castle County death record turns 40 years old, it leaves the Office of Vital Statistics and moves to the Delaware Public Archives in Dover. Any death in 1985 or earlier falls under this rule.

Before 1913, Delaware did not keep vital statistics in a consistent way. The Archives holds death data for the years before 1913 that was pulled from family Bibles, newspapers, church records, tombstones, and similar sources. The coverage is uneven. The Public Archives has put together a Guide to Vital Statistics Records that sets out what is on site for New Castle County. The guide is online at Guide to Vital Statistics Records.

Before 1913, the duty to record births, marriages, and deaths in New Castle County fell on the county Recorder of Deeds. Every three months the Recorder was required to forward copies to the Secretary of the State Board of Health. That means some older New Castle County death data shows up in the deed books and in the old State Board of Health files at the Archives.

A death record from the state system may include the name of the deceased, age, place of birth if known, current home, cause and place of death, parents' names, spouse's name, place of burial, and the names of witnesses. Not every field was filled in.

Certified copies from the Archives cost the same $25 as copies from the Office of Vital Statistics. Email archives@delaware.gov or call (302) 744-5000 to request a copy.

New Castle County Register of Wills

The Register of Wills is the county office that handles probate of a will after death. A certified death certificate is needed to open an estate. That is why families often pair a New Castle County death records order with a visit to the Register of Wills.

The New Castle County Register of Wills office is in the Louis L. Redding City/County Building at 800 French Street, 2nd Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The office holds probate records from 1714 to the present. A $2.00 fee per name covers a letter that lists what records the office holds for that person. This is a cheap first step before you order full copies.

Any person holding a will in New Castle County must produce and deliver it to the Register of Wills within ten days of learning of the testator's death. A 1983 state law also lets a testator deposit an original will with the New Castle County Register for safekeeping. The will is sealed, numbered, and indexed. When news of the death comes in, the Register opens the will and places it in the pending file for probate.

Older New Castle County probate records from about 1682 to 1925 have been moved to the Delaware Public Archives. The Archives' Probate Records Database is name-searchable and gives the name, years of probate, page count, entry number, and format of the file. Read the agency history at Register of Wills agency history.

Reference books for older wills include "New Castle County, Delaware Wills and Estates, 1682-1800, An Index" edited by Donald Odell Virdin. The University of Delaware also holds wills on microfilm 8364 dated 1682 to 1854.

New Castle County Recorder of Deeds

The New Castle County Recorder of Deeds records deeds, mortgages, liens, and easements that tie in with estate property transfers after a death. The office is at 800 N. French Street, 4th Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801. Phone is 302-395-7700. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Document search is free at the Recorder's online system, with a $1 per page view fee for full images. A subscription runs $100 a month for unlimited access. E-recording is offered through Simplifile, CSC, EPN, and Indecomm. The full office page is at New Castle County Recorder of Deeds.

Transfer on Death Deeds became part of Delaware law in 2025 under House Bill 147. A TODD lets a property owner name a beneficiary to take real estate at death without probate. The New Castle County Recorder of Deeds office records these deeds.

Court Records in New Castle County

Some New Castle County death records tie into civil lawsuits, estate challenges, or criminal cases. Delaware's CourtConnect portal is the main tool for these searches. The portal covers Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Justice of the Peace Court cases. You can search by person name, business name, or case type, and run judgment searches against a person or business.

The New Castle County Courthouse, the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center, sits at 500 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. Civil cases from $15,000 to $50,000 fall under the Court of Common Pleas. Cases over $50,000 go to Superior Court. Justice of the Peace Court handles civil matters up to $15,000. Try a search at Delaware CourtConnect.

Case fields include case number, filing date, party names, case type, docket entries, and case status. Confidential records such as juvenile, mental health, and adoption cases are restricted. The New Castle County Family Court can be reached at 302-255-0300 and handles guardianship and other family matters.

Cities in New Castle County

New Castle County is home to several cities with their own city clerks, libraries, and historical societies that hold obituary and burial data for New Castle County death records research.

All New Castle County residents use the Office of Vital Statistics office on Chapman Road in Newark for walk-in death certificate orders.

Nearby Delaware Counties

New Castle County sits at the north end of the state. Kent County is the next county south. Sussex County is at the coast in the far south. Both hold their own death and estate records.