New Castle City Civil Court Records
New Castle is a historic city in New Castle County and was the first capital of Delaware. Civil court records for the city pass through the New Castle County court system. Justice of the Peace Court 11 sits at 2 Penns Way in New Castle, but it handles only criminal matters. Full civil cases from New Castle are filed at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington. You can search New Castle civil dockets online through CourtConnect or walk into the county clerk's office in Wilmington.
New Castle Overview
Justice of the Peace Courts in New Castle
Justice of the Peace Court 11 sits at 2 Penns Way, Suite 100, New Castle, DE 19720. The phone is (302) 323-4450. The court is open 24 hours a day. JP Court 11 handles only criminal matters. For civil cases, Justice of the Peace Court 13 is the right court. It sits at 2 Penns Way, Suite 203, New Castle, phone (302) 323-6070.
Below is the New Castle County court locations page. JP Court 11 is listed there along with the other JP Courts in the county.
JP Court 13 next door takes the civil matters.
JP Court 13 has a $25,000 civil cap. 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 go to the Court of Common Pleas, except for landlord-tenant possession cases.
| JP Court 11 | 2 Penns Way, Suite 100, New Castle (criminal) |
|---|---|
| Phone | (302) 323-4450 |
| JP Court 13 | 2 Penns Way, Suite 203, New Castle (civil) |
| Phone | (302) 323-6070 |
Justice Center for New Castle Cases
Civil cases over the $25,000 JP Court cap go to the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center at 500 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. The building holds the Superior Court, the Court of Chancery, the Court of Common Pleas, and Family Court. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
The Superior Court line is (302) 255-0800. The Prothonotary is (302) 255-0777. For Common Pleas records requests, email CCPNCC_CivilFilings@delaware.gov. The state Superior Court page is courts.delaware.gov/locations/superior_nc. The Common Pleas page is courts.delaware.gov/CommonPleas.
A Superior Court civil filing runs $175 and up, plus the $10 Court Security Assessment Fee. A Common Pleas civil complaint is $85. A Chancery case has a minimum fee of $410. Fee charts are posted at courts.delaware.gov/superior/fees and courts.delaware.gov/help/fees/ccpfees.
Online New Castle Civil Court Records
CourtConnect at courtconnect.courts.delaware.gov is the best place to look up a civil case from the city. The portal covers Superior Court, Common Pleas, and JP Courts for New Castle County. Search by name, business, or case number.
The state also runs the civil case search page at courts.delaware.gov/docket. Both tools pull from the same data. CourtConnect shows the docket, party names, and scheduled hearings. Full documents are not always posted in the online file. For copies, you call the court or visit the clerk.
Note: The U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware at ded.uscourts.gov handles federal civil cases from New Castle residents through PACER.
What New Castle Civil Records Contain
A civil case file for a New Castle matter has the same core parts as any other New Castle 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. The docket is the running log of every event in the case.
Parts of a typical 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 and sealed filings are not. Juvenile records are blocked. Under Rule 79.1, parties must redact Social Security numbers, minor initials, birth dates, and bank account numbers before filing. The Prothonotary does not review filings for redaction.
Historical New Castle Records
New Castle served as the first capital of Delaware. Old court records, deeds, wills, and tax lists from the city are held at the Delaware Public Archives at 121 Duke of York Street in Dover. Call 302-744-5000 or email archives@delaware.gov. The main page is archives.delaware.gov. The archives hold colonial-era documents and many early civil case files for the town.
Superior Court civil case files are kept for 20 years after final disposition. Common Pleas cases run 7 years. JP Court civil cases run 5 years. Records of historical value may go to the archives rather than be destroyed.
Privacy Rule: New Castle civil filings must redact Social Security numbers, minor initials, birth dates, and bank account numbers under Rule 79.1.
New Castle Municipal Records
For city records that are not in a court case, Delaware's FOIA law at 29 Del. C. §§ 10001-10008 applies. The state FOIA portal is delaware.gov/freedom-of-information-act. For Title 10 of the state code, see law.justia.com/codes/delaware/title-10. The city has 15 business days to respond under 29 Del. C. § 10003(h).
Property records for New Castle are held by the New Castle County Recorder of Deeds and the county Assessor. Civil judgments can be recorded as liens against real estate through the Recorder of Deeds.
Visiting the Justice Center from New Castle
New Castle is a short drive from Wilmington. The Justice Center at 500 N. King Street sits in downtown Wilmington near the DART bus lines. Paid parking is available nearby. You will pass through security at the entrance. Bring a valid photo ID and leave anything you do not need in the car.
The Prothonotary's office on the first floor has six public access terminals. Access is by appointment only. Email the Prothonotary with "Public Access" as the subject line or call (302) 255-0777 to schedule. Copies are printed by the clerk at per-page rates set by Civil Rule 77(F).
JP Court 11 at 2 Penns Way is open 24 hours a day, but only for criminal matters. For civil filings, JP Court 13 next door at Suite 203 is the right place. That court keeps standard business hours. Call (302) 323-6070 to check the hours on a specific day. The Delaware State Law Library at courts.delaware.gov/law-library is also a free resource for self-represented parties. Staff can point you to the right volume or section, though they cannot give legal advice on a specific case.
New Castle County Civil Court Records
The City of New Castle sits in New Castle County. For more on the Justice Center, the Prothonotary, and full court contact info, see the New Castle County page.
Nearby Cities
Other cities served by the Justice Center in Wilmington: