Sussex County Death Records

Sussex County death records are held at the Delaware Office of Vital Statistics branch on South Bedford Street in Georgetown. Deaths from 1986 to the present are on file there. Deaths before 1986 are held by the Delaware Public Archives in Dover. Sussex County is the largest Delaware county by area and includes the beach towns, Seaford, Lewes, Milford, and Georgetown. Order a certified copy by mail, walk in to Georgetown, or use one of the state's two online vendors. This page lays out the Sussex County offices that handle death, probate, and deed records.

Sussex County Office of Vital Statistics

The Office of Vital Statistics branch for Sussex County is at 546 S. Bedford Street, Georgetown, DE 19947. The main line is (302) 515-3190. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed on state holidays. This is the only OVS walk-in location in the county.

Sussex County death records from 1986 to the present are held here. The fee for the first certified copy is $25. Each added copy in the same order is $10 more. Processing time for a mail request is about two to three weeks. Walk-in service is often same day.

Delaware vital records are confidential per state statute. They are released only to the person named on the record, the immediate next of kin, or an authorized representative such as an attorney or funeral director. Photo ID is required. Full guidance on what to bring is on the Delaware Office of Vital Statistics page.

Historic Sussex County Death Records

Sussex County death records older than 40 years leave the Office of Vital Statistics and move to the Delaware Public Archives in Dover. The 1985 and earlier cut-off applies the same way in every Delaware county. The Archives holds records in microfilm form and on original paper. Staff at the Research Room can pull the right reel.

The Archives also runs a Sussex County Almshouse Births and Deaths Database. The almshouse records cover admittance, discharge, birth, and death data for the Sussex County almshouse going back to the late 1700s. The first trustees were appointed in 1791 and the property was bought in December 1793. The operation moved to Georgetown Hundred in December 1800.

Record fields for the Sussex Almshouse database include last name, first name, Hundred, birth or death indicator, date of birth, age at death, sex, race, mother's maiden name and first name, mother's race, and short notes. The Hundreds covered include Baltimore, Broad Creek, Broadkiln, Cedar Creek, Dagsborough, Georgetown, Gumborough, Indian River, Lewes and Rehoboth, Little Creek, Nanticoke, Northwest Fork, and Seaford. Access the database at Sussex County Almshouse Database.

To order a copy of an almshouse record, email archives@delaware.gov with the full data from the online search. The Research Room returns a price quote within 10 business days. To view in person, bring the record info to the Archives Research Room at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. North, Dover, DE 19901.

The Delaware Genealogical Society also runs a cemetery search tool. It covers over 1,000 current and historical cemeteries. Sussex County Hundreds are filed with codes such as BA for Baltimore, BC for Broad Creek, and LC for Little Creek. Each entry lists the cemetery name, address, Find a Grave link, and Google Maps location.

Sussex County Register of Wills

The Sussex County Register of Wills is at the Sussex County Courthouse Annex, 5 E. Pine Street, P.O. Box 743, Georgetown, DE 19947. Phone is (302) 855-7875. Fax is (302) 853-5871. Gregory Fuller serves as Register, with Kristine Vavala as Chief Deputy and Alison Emerson as Deputy.

Office hours are Monday through Friday. The office closes to the public at 3:00 p.m. on the last Monday of each month, and the building locks at 4:00 p.m. daily. Appointment-only services include opening an estate, closing an estate, ancillary estates, and depositing a will for safekeeping. Walk-ins are welcome but staff work around the scheduled book. The county page is at Sussex County Register of Wills.

The office handles probate for any decedent who was domiciled in Sussex County at death. Delaware probate is governed by Title 12 of the Delaware Code. The process begins with a Petition for Probate to admit the will and appoint a personal representative. Estate matters are kept as permanent county records.

Sussex County charges a closing fee of 1.25% of the net personal estate value at estate closing. Short Certificates cost about $3.00 to $5.00 each. Original wills may be deposited with the Register for safekeeping at a $5.00 fee. The office holds probate records from 1728 to the present, though most pre-1900 files have been transferred to the Delaware Public Archives. Files from 1925 forward stay at the county level. Estate searches cannot be done by email. Use the Estate Search Request Form instead.

The Sussex County Clerk of the Peace also sits in Georgetown and issues county marriage licenses. Marriage and death data are often paired in family research. More on wills and estates is at Sussex County Wills and Estates.

Sussex County Recorder of Deeds

The Sussex County Recorder of Deeds runs a 24/7 online land records search called Landmark Web. Coverage is from 1964 to the present. Basic search is free. Document viewing and printing can carry fees. Three subscription levels are offered for heavy users.

Search fields include party name in all variations, document type, date range, instrument number, and book and page. The service disclaimer is that users should try every spelling variation, as the index follows the original filings. Pay online by credit or debit card, cash, check, or money order. Convenience fees apply to cards. Access the tool at Sussex County Recorder of Deeds Landmark Web.

Recording fees are $30 for the first page and $10 for each added page. Satisfaction of mortgage runs $65 flat. Certified copies are $25 per document. The office does not issue refunds. The Sussex County Property Records Search at property.sussexcountyde.gov links deed and tax data by owner, address, or parcel ID.

Sussex County also hosts the Family Court and the Court of Chancery Register in Chancery at 22 and 34 The Circle in Georgetown. The Family Court handles divorces, which tie into later probate filings. Basic case data shows up in Delaware CourtConnect at courtconnect.courts.delaware.gov.

Cities in Sussex County

Sussex County holds the beach and bay cities as well as the farming towns inland. Each city has its own library, historical society, or city clerk that supports Sussex County death records research.

Milford is split between Sussex and Kent counties. Its city clerk serves residents on both sides of the county line.

Nearby Delaware Counties

Sussex County sits at the south end of the state, along the Atlantic and Delaware Bay. Kent County borders it to the north. New Castle County is at the north end of Delaware. Both hold their own death, probate, and deed records.