Dover Court Docket

The Dover court docket covers cases at the Kent County Courthouse, JP Court 16, JP Court 7, and the Family Court on Court Street. Dover is the state capital and the county seat of Kent County. Civil case info is open on CourtConnect. For records not online, the Prothonotary at the courthouse can pull the file. The state's main criminal records office, the SBI, sits in Dover on DuPont Highway.

Dover Kent County Courthouse

The Kent County Courthouse is the main building for state courts in Dover. It is at 38 The Green and 414 Federal Street, Dover, DE 19901. The courthouse holds the Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, JP Court 16, Register in Chancery, Prothonotary, Law Library, and Jury Services. Public access starts at 8:30 AM on weekdays.

Key phone numbers:

• Superior Court: (302) 735-1900
• Court of Common Pleas: (302) 735-3925
• Family Court: (302) 672-1000
• JP Court 16 (Civil): (302) 739-4316
• Court of Chancery: (302) 736-2242

To pull a Dover court docket record, give the clerk the party names, the case number (if known), and the filing date. Copies and certified documents cost a fee. The Prothonotary for Kent is Annette Ashley.

Read the full info on the Kent County Courthouse page.

Dover JP Court 16 Civil Docket

JP Court 16 handles civil matters for Dover and central Kent County. The court is inside the Kent County Courthouse at 414 Federal Street, Room 173, Dover, DE 19901. Phone (302) 739-4316. Fax (302) 674-7111. Email JPCourt16@delaware.gov.

The court hears debt collection, landlord-tenant cases, and small claims up to $25,000. Cases can be filed online or in person. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

See the JP Court 16 page for case filing info.

The JP Court 16 page shows fees, hours, and forms. Civil case info is on CourtConnect. For certified copies, contact the court directly. Standard JP fees apply: $7 for a disposition record, $10 for a certified civil copy.

Dover JP Court 7 Criminal Docket

JP Court 7 handles criminal cases, DUI, and truancy for Dover. The court is at 480 Bank Lane, Dover, DE 19904. Phone (302) 739-4554. Fax (302) 739-6797. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The court handles minor criminal offenses, bail hearings, and preliminary proceedings. Some criminal case info shows on CourtConnect. For a detailed file, contact the court directly.

The Dover Police Department works closely with the JP Court for criminal case processing. The PD is at 400 S. Queen Street, Dover, DE 19904. Phone (302) 736-7130. Incident reports, arrest records, and accident reports can be requested at the Records Division.

Kent County Superior Court and Common Pleas

The Superior Court in Dover hears felonies and civil cases over $50,000. The Prothonotary keeps the civil court docket. The address is 38 The Green, Dover, DE 19901. Phone (302) 735-1911. Fax (302) 739-6717.

The Court of Common Pleas in Dover takes civil cases up to $50,000, misdemeanors, DUIs, and traffic cases. It also hears appeals from the JP Court. The court is at 414 Federal Street, Dover, DE 19901. Phone (302) 735-3925. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Certified copies at the Superior Court cost $15 for the first three pages, then up to $2 per extra page. A $25 retrieval fee may apply for old files. Pay by cash or check. Full fee details are on the Superior Court page.

Under 10 Del. C. § 2304, the Prothonotary keeps two indices of judgments, one by plaintiff and one by defendant. Each is in alphabetical order. Every judgment is indexed the same day it is entered.

Dover Family Court

The Kent County Family Court is at 400 Court Street, Dover, DE 19901. Phone (302) 672-1000. The court handles divorce, child custody, child support, adoption, juvenile cases, and protection from abuse orders. Records involving minors are not open online. Basic case info may be on CourtConnect, but full files are kept private.

Divorce records from 1979 to the present are at the Family Court in Dover. For divorces from 1978 and earlier, the Prothonotary at the Superior Court has the file.

Other Dover Court Docket Resources

The Delaware State Police headquarters is in Dover. So is the State Bureau of Identification. The SBI is at 1407 N. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Phone (302) 739-5880. For a certified Delaware criminal history, the SBI is the only source. The fee is $52 per check. Bring a rolled fingerprint card and a photo ID.

The Delaware Public Archives keeps old court records in Dover. The office is at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd N. Phone (302) 744-5000. Files include probate records, land records, and old court case files. Most records can be viewed in the research room for free. Research services cost a fee.

The Kent County Levy Court at 555 Bay Road, Dover, runs a Property Information Management System with judgment liens. The statewide CourtConnect tool at courtconnect.courts.delaware.gov lets you search civil dockets from any device.

How to Search the Dover Court Docket

For a civil case filed in Dover, the fastest start is CourtConnect. Enter a party's name or a case number. The system covers Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and the JP Court for each county. Basic case info is free. Some document downloads may cost a fee.

If the case is not on CourtConnect, head to the Kent County Courthouse. Tell the clerk the party names and the rough filing date. The clerk can look in the docket index and pull the file.

Older Dover cases may have been moved to the Delaware Public Archives. For a case from decades back, start at the Archives. Staff can help you find the right file.

Some Dover cases, like federal bankruptcy or patent disputes, are heard in the U.S. District Court in Wilmington, not the Kent County Courthouse. Federal court dockets are on the PACER system at pacer.gov.

A Delaware court docket report lists every filing, hearing, and order in a case. The docket is the quickest way to see the history of a case without pulling every file. Use the civil case search page for a quick look at the Dover docket.

Other Kent County Cities

Dover is the county seat. Harrington and part of Milford also use Kent County courts. Pick a city for its local JP Court info.

See the Kent County court docket page for the full list of courts.