Seaford Court Docket

The Seaford court docket is kept by JP Court 4 for criminal matters and by the Sussex County courts in Georgetown for bigger cases. Seaford sits in Sussex County along the Nanticoke River. The city does not run an Alderman's Court. Civil case info is open on CourtConnect. For records not online, the Sussex County Courthouse in Georgetown is the place to go.

Seaford JP Court 4 Criminal Docket

JP Court 4 is the main local court for Seaford. It is at 408 East Stein Highway, Seaford, DE 19973. Phone (302) 628-2036. Fax (302) 625-2049. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The court handles criminal matters for Seaford and the western Sussex County area.

The court covers minor crimes, traffic, DUI-related filings, and bail hearings. A Truancy Court also runs at the same address for school-age cases. Truancy line is (302) 629-5433. Fax (302) 629-3427.

Criminal case info is on CourtConnect for some case types. For a detailed record, contact the court. Submit Form MISC35 to pull a copy. Standard JP fees apply: $7 disposition record, $10 certified civil copy, $0.25 per page civil docket.

The Sussex JP Court page shows every Sussex location, including JP Court 4 in Seaford.

The page lists phones, faxes, and case types for every JP Court in the county. Each location keeps its own docket, so a request for a Seaford court docket file goes to JP Court 4 directly.

Seaford Police and Local Records

The Seaford Police Department keeps arrest records for the city. The PD is at 300 Virginia Avenue, Seaford, DE 19973. Phone (302) 629-6644. Incident reports and arrest records can be requested through the PD's records office. Cases go to JP Court 4 for criminal charges or to the Sussex County courts in Georgetown for bigger matters.

Seaford's municipal charter is on file with the state. The charter has set out an Alderman role since 1883 for enforcing local ordinances. The city does not run a separate Alderman's Court today. Violations go through the state JP Court system.

The Seaford City Hall is at 414 High Street. The office keeps city records and permits. Court records are not here; they are at JP Court 4 or the Sussex County Courthouse.

Sussex County Courts for Seaford Cases

Bigger Seaford cases go to the Sussex County Courthouse at 1 The Circle, Georgetown, DE 19947. Distance from Seaford to Georgetown is about 12 miles. Phone (302) 855-7055 for the Superior Court. Court of Common Pleas is (302) 858-5700. Family Court is (302) 855-7400.

Civil cases in Seaford use JP Court 17 in Georgetown for the civil docket side. The court is at 23730 Shortly Road, Georgetown. Phone (302) 856-1447. Civil jurisdiction runs up to $25,000.

The Prothonotary at Superior Court keeps the civil court docket for Sussex County. Joyce Collins is the current Prothonotary. Certified copies cost $15 for the first three pages. Extra pages up to $2 each. A retrieval fee of $25 may apply. Submit Form ADM_ADM_03_A for a records request.

The Superior Court page has the full fee chart and forms. The civil case search page is a direct entry for online docket lookups.

Seaford Court Docket Access

Start with CourtConnect. Search by person, business, or case number. The system covers Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and JP Court cases across Delaware. Basic case info is free.

For a case that is not online, visit the courthouse. Sussex County public access terminals at 1 The Circle are free for CourtConnect lookups. Staff can help with searches but cannot give legal advice.

Older Seaford cases may be at the Delaware Public Archives in Dover at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd N. Archive staff can help pull historical files for a fee.

The Delaware FOIA does not cover court records, since the courts are not a "public body" under the statute. Read more on the Attorney General's open government page.

Cases on the Seaford Court Docket

The Seaford court docket covers a mix of case types. Here is a summary:

• Civil cases up to $25,000 in JP Court 17
• Civil cases over $25,000 in Superior Court or Common Pleas
• Landlord-tenant cases in JP Court
• Criminal cases and DUI in JP Court 4
• Truancy cases at the Seaford Truancy Court
• Misdemeanors in Common Pleas
• Felonies in Superior Court

Civil judgments are indexed by the Prothonotary under 10 Del. C. § 2304. Each judgment is indexed the same day it is entered. The lien runs from the time noted on the record.

Seaford Court Docket Filing Fees

Fees depend on the court. Here is a quick rundown:

• Superior Court civil complaint: $200
• Complex Commercial Litigation: $250
• Court of Chancery new case: $410 minimum
• Superior Court certified copy: $15 for first three pages
• JP Court disposition record: $7
• JP Court certified copy: $10

Court of Chancery also charges $2 per page to docket each document. The Superior Court filing fee covers the first 50 filings in a case; each new 50-filing block after that costs $245. These fees are set statewide and apply to Seaford cases filed in Sussex County.

Records retention in Seaford follows the statewide schedule. Superior Court civil cases with judgments run 20 years. Misdemeanors are kept 10 years. JP Court civil files are held 5 years. Traffic cases are 3 years.

For a certified Delaware criminal history (not a docket), go to the State Bureau of Identification at 1407 N. DuPont Highway, Dover. Fee is $52 per check. Bring a rolled fingerprint card and a photo ID. The SBI is the only office that issues a certified history.

Seaford Court Docket Search Tips

CourtConnect is the best first stop for a Seaford case lookup. Search by party name. Phonetic and partial last name searches are built in. Use a date range if you have a rough idea when the case was filed.

For a JP Court 4 case, contact the court directly. Each JP Court keeps its own files. Staff can tell you over the phone if a record exists before you drive over.

The records access policy page on the Delaware Courts website has the full rules on what is public and what is sealed. Family Court cases with minors, juvenile records, and sealed files are not open to the public.

Nearby Cities in Sussex County

Seaford sits in western Sussex County. Lewes, Milford, and Georgetown are nearby.

See the Sussex County court docket page for the full court list.