Harrington Civil Court Records
Harrington is a small city in Kent County, best known as the home of the Delaware State Fair. Civil court records for Harrington are held at the Kent County Courthouse in Dover. The Harrington Justice of the Peace Court, also called JP Court 6, handles small civil cases and local matters. Bigger cases over $25,000 go to Dover. You can search Harrington civil dockets online through CourtConnect or walk into the Prothonotary's office in Dover to pull a file.
Harrington Overview
Harrington Justice of the Peace Court
The Harrington Justice of the Peace Court, Court 6, serves Harrington and the nearby towns in Kent County. The court handles small civil claims, landlord-tenant disputes, minor traffic cases, and other local matters. Civil cases are capped at $25,000. For more on the statewide JP Court system, visit courts.delaware.gov/jpcourt.
Below is a court listing for the Harrington JP Court area. For the official state JP Court page, visit courts.delaware.gov/jpcourt.
The state JP Court site is the best source for current hours and filings.
JP Court fees are at courts.delaware.gov/help/fees/jpfees. A trespass claim under $1,000 has a $35 filing fee. A subpoena is $10. Appeals from JP Court go to the Court of Common Pleas, except for landlord-tenant possession cases, which go to a three-judge panel within the JP Court.
Kent County Courthouse for Harrington Cases
Harrington civil cases over $25,000 are filed at the Kent County Courthouse at 414 Federal Street, Dover, DE 19901. The courthouse sits on a 5.3-acre site on The Green. Inside, you will find the Superior Court, the Court of Common Pleas, JP Court 16, the Prothonotary, and the Register in Chancery. The state page is courts.delaware.gov/aoc/kccourthouse.
The Kent Superior Court line is (302) 735-1900. The Prothonotary is (302) 735-1910. For Common Pleas civil filings, contact Julie Brooks at 302-735-3925 or email CCPKent_CivilFilings@delaware.gov. Read more at courts.delaware.gov/CommonPleas.
| Office | Kent County Courthouse |
|---|---|
| Address | 414 Federal Street Dover, DE 19901 |
| Superior Court | (302) 735-1900 |
| Prothonotary | (302) 735-1910 |
Harrington Civil Court Filing Fees
Harrington civil filing fees match the state chart. The same rates apply in Kent, New Castle, and Sussex counties. A Court of Common Pleas civil complaint is $85. A name change petition is also $85. A JP Court appeal runs $135. See courts.delaware.gov/help/fees/ccpfees for more.
Superior Court filings run $175 and up, plus the $10 Court Security Assessment Fee. Technology fees of $0.50 per document apply under Rule 79.1. The Superior Court fee chart is posted at courts.delaware.gov/superior/fees. All filing fees are non-refundable. Checks are made out to the State of Delaware.
Note: A Kent County Prothonotary petition runs $75. The process takes about 8 to 12 weeks from filing to final order.
Online Harrington Civil Court Records
The main tool for Harrington civil case lookups is CourtConnect at courtconnect.courts.delaware.gov. The portal covers the Superior Court, Common Pleas, and JP Courts for Kent County. Search by name, business, or case number. Guest access is fine.
You can also use the civil case search page at courts.delaware.gov/docket. Both tools pull from the same data set. CourtConnect shows docket entries, party names, and scheduled hearings. Full documents are not always in the online file. For copies, call the court or visit in person.
What Harrington Civil Records Contain
A civil case file for a Harrington matter has the same core parts as any other Kent County file. Every case starts with a complaint or petition. The court then adds each motion, answer, order, and judgment to the file as the case moves along.
Parts of a typical Harrington civil file:
- Complaint or petition
- Summons and proof of service
- Answer and any counterclaims
- Motions and court orders
- Final judgment or dismissal
Most parts are public. Family Court matters, sealed filings, and juvenile cases are not. For older files, the Delaware Public Archives in Dover holds cases that have aged out of active storage. Superior Court civil files are kept for 20 years after final disposition. JP Court civil cases run 5 years. Common Pleas cases run 7 years.
Privacy Rule: Harrington civil filings must redact Social Security numbers, minor initials, birth dates, and bank account numbers under Rule 79.1.
Harrington City Records
The City of Harrington runs municipal services but does not keep civil court records. For city records that are not part of a court case, Delaware's FOIA law at 29 Del. C. §§ 10001-10008 applies. The state FOIA page is delaware.gov/freedom-of-information-act. For the state code, see law.justia.com/codes/delaware/title-10. Harrington has 15 business days to respond under 29 Del. C. § 10003(h).
Property records for Harrington are kept by the Kent County Assessor's Office at 555 Bay Road in Dover. Civil judgments can be recorded as liens against real estate through the county Recorder of Deeds. The Kent County Levy Court also runs an online property records system for tax data and parcel maps.
Harrington Historical Records
Older civil case files from Harrington are held at the Delaware Public Archives at 121 Duke of York Street, Dover. Call 302-744-5000 or email archives@delaware.gov. The main page is archives.delaware.gov. The archives hold deeds, probate files, tax lists, and court dockets from the colonial era forward.
Kent County is the site of the official State Law Library under 10 Del. C. § 1942. The library is at the Kent County Courthouse in Dover, and is open to the public. Self-represented parties in a Harrington civil case can use the library to look up statutes, court rules, and published opinions. Staff can help point you to the right volume or code section.
Visiting the Kent County Courthouse from Harrington
Harrington residents who need to visit the Kent County Courthouse in Dover can reach it via Route 13. The courthouse sits on The Green at 414 Federal Street. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Bring a valid photo ID. You will pass through security at the entrance.
The Prothonotary's office is on the first floor. Three public access terminals are set up for in-person record searches. Access is by appointment only. Call (302) 735-1910 or email the office with "Public Access" in the subject line. Copies are printed by the clerk at per-page rates.
Kent County uses eCourtPlus and CourtConnect for online case access, so many filings can be pulled without a trip to Dover. If you just need the docket or party info, the online tools will save you time. For a full certified copy of a judgment or order, a courthouse visit is still the fastest way.
Kent County Civil Court Records
Harrington is in Kent County. The Kent County page has more on the Prothonotary, fees, and full court contact info.
Nearby Cities
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