Delaware Background Check Records

A Delaware background check brings together criminal history, court filings, and arrest records from state and local offices. The State Bureau of Identification keeps the main file at the state level. Court cases can be looked up through CourtConnect. Each county runs its own police records unit, and cities add their own files on top of that. This page shows you how to search Delaware background check records, where to go for fingerprinting, how to find court cases online, and what to do if you want your own criminal history report.

State Bureau of Identification Background Checks

The Delaware State Police run the State Bureau of Identification, known as the SBI. The SBI is the central repository for criminal history in Delaware. It holds arrest data, charges, court outcomes, sentences, and fingerprint files. The agency was created under Title 11, Chapter 85 of the Delaware Code. The law gives the SBI the job of building and running the state's criminal justice records system.

A Delaware background check from the SBI is fingerprint-based. You bring photo ID. You do not need a social security card. You do not need a birth certificate either. The SBI can run a state-only check or a combined state and federal check. Federal checks must be ordered by a law or rule. Most reports come back in 7 to 10 business days, though busy weeks can stretch that wait.

The Delaware Code sets the rules for how the SBI shares files. Section 8513 of the code gives people the right to view their own records and fix errors. Chapter 41 covers the Delaware Sex Offender Registry, which the SBI also runs. Subchapter IV creates the Child Sex Abuse Information Repository. These rules are laid out in the Delaware State Bureau of Identification code page at delcode.delaware.gov.

The statute page is worth a look if you want the full legal backing for a Delaware background check. See the code at Title 11, Chapter 85, Subchapter I.

The law also allows the SBI to charge fees, run firearm checks under the Firearm Transaction Approval Program, and share data with the FBI. Subchapter V deals with records shared with child care agencies. Subchapter VI covers school staff checks.

Getting a Delaware Background Check

All fingerprinting for a Delaware background check is done through IdentoGO. You book an appointment online at uenroll.identogo.com. You need a service code from the group asking for the check. Codes tell IdentoGO which kind of record to pull. A wrong code means you have to pay and start over, so double check before your visit.

The SBI has nine fingerprint sites. They cover Wilmington, Newark (two locations), Middletown, Dover (two locations), Milford, Georgetown, and Seaford. Most partner sites offer weekend hours. The Dover site at 600 South Bay Road is a walk-in location. It does not need an appointment. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. each weekday.

Common service codes used for a Delaware background check:

• 27RVGT for a personal certified criminal history
• 27S8N2 for a handgun qualified purchaser permit
• 27S23V for an expungement application
• 27S47F for Delaware Volunteer Fire Company
• 27RX6F for Emergency Medical Technician
• 27S424 for a Driver Privilege Card

Call IdentoGO at (844) 321-2124 if you run into trouble. You can also learn more about the process at the Delaware State Police SBI page. Law enforcement fingerprinting, such as for some out-of-state concealed carry rules, must be done at 600 S. Bay Rd in Dover.

Delaware Court Connect Case Searches

CourtConnect is the state's free case search tool. It is part of the court system, not the SBI. You can look up civil cases, judgments, and docket reports. The system covers Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Justice of the Peace Court. Guest access is free and no account is needed for basic searches. The tool is on every day of the year.

The Delaware Judicial Information Center runs CourtConnect. Civil dockets show party names, case type, filing date, case status, and the next event date. A phonetic search helps when the spelling of a name is off. A partial last name search helps when only part of a name is known. You can search for judgments against a person or a business, too.

Start a search at courtconnect.courts.delaware.gov. The CourtConnect page covers what kinds of case files are in the system. Court Connect is described on the state's site, and the home page gives you the full details.

CourtConnect works best for civil case history. Criminal case details are more limited on the public portal. For full criminal files, the clerk's office at the courthouse can help. You can also use the Delaware Courts civil docket search page at courts.delaware.gov/docket.aspx.

The state's civil case page gives more tools. It links to ePayments, court calendars, forms, and court opinions. The civil case search page at courts.delaware.gov is a solid first stop for any Delaware background check research built on court files.

The court site also shows case activity. Every filing and order shows up in the docket. This is a good way to see how a case has moved through the system.

Delaware Department of Correction Inmate Lookup

The Delaware Department of Correction runs an online inmate locator. The DOC site links to VINELink, which is the state's Victim Information and Notification Everyday tool. VINELink shows where an offender is held and can send alerts when custody status changes. Alerts come by phone, email, text, or TTY. The service is free, confidential, and runs 24 hours a day.

An inmate search shows current location, custody status, projected release date, and sentencing data. A mugshot may be shown. Physical and demographic details are listed. The DOC may hold a person past the posted release date when another jurisdiction has a hold on them. Release dates can also shift if good time is forfeited.

Use the search at the Delaware DOC Inmate Locator. You can look by name, ID number, or facility.

Older custody data may not be on the public page. The DOC Records Unit can handle a formal request for historical files. The tool is helpful for families, attorneys, and victims who want to track a case. Register for VINE notifications online or by calling the VINE hotline.

Delaware Background Checks for Child Services

The Delaware DSCYF Criminal History Unit handles a narrow but important piece of the Delaware background check system. The CHU runs checks for over 3,400 agencies, homes, and programs that serve children or vulnerable adults. The unit reviews SBI and FBI fingerprint reports, subsequent arrest records, and out-of-state child abuse records. Initial eligibility rulings are made within 45 days.

CHU checks are needed for DSCYF staff and contractors, child placing agency staff, residential youth care workers, youth camp staff, prospective foster or adoptive parents and their adult household members, child care license applicants and their adult household members, and relative child care providers. Health care, school, hospital, and visitation center staff need a child protection registry check, but not the full CHU review.

Each person gets a written eligibility result. If a person is marked ineligible, the CHU sends notice by mail with steps for an administrative review. The review is the formal way to challenge the result if it looks wrong.

Out-of-state checks are needed for people who lived outside Delaware in the past five years. The CHU coordinates with the Delaware Child Protection Registry to confirm any substantiated abuse or neglect cases. More info is at the CHU page or by email to DSCYF_CHU@delaware.gov.

Phone: 302-892-4525. The unit also gives technical support to agencies that need help reading background check results.

Background Checks for Fire and EMT Service

Under Delaware Code Title 16, Section 6712, anyone seeking EMT certification must pass a criminal background check. Under Title 16, Chapter 66, § 6647, any applicant or member of a Delaware Volunteer Fire Company must get a state and federal background check through the SBI. The State Fire Commission oversees both tracks.

Service codes for this track are 27S47F for fire and 27RX6F for EMT. Members of volunteer fire companies are not charged a fee. EMT applicants pay for their own fingerprinting. The Commission reviews the result and decides on certification. Convictions for certain crimes block certification, such as felony sexual misconduct, abuse of a child or an impaired person, or a crime against an out-of-hospital patient.

Some crimes block certification unless five years have passed or there are extraordinary circumstances. Those include felony crimes of violence, drug crimes, and serious property crimes. Clear and convincing evidence is needed to show that certification will not risk public safety.

Full rules, forms, and the affidavit are on the State Fire Commission background check page.

Delaware Professional License Background Checks

The Delaware Division of Professional Regulation handles background checks for more than 50 licensed professions. Since September 5, 2023, the old paper form has been retired. All fingerprinting now goes through IdentoGO. The applicant picks a profession-specific service code from the DPR site. A wrong code means the check has to be redone, including paying again.

Under federal law, the DPR may not give a copy of a criminal background check to the applicant or to any other agency. The only time the DPR may share a copy with an applicant is when the applicant wants to dispute charges for the sake of Delaware licensure. The DPR keeps all criminal history info confidential.

Licensing denials can be appealed through an administrative hearing. Good moral character is part of the test under Title 24 of the Delaware Code. A conviction that is tied to the practice of the profession can lead to denial. A profession may also require licensees to self-report later charges or convictions.

Full instructions and service codes are on the DPR background check page.

Call IdentoGO at (844) 321-2124 with questions. The DPR works with the SBI on the Rap Back system to flag new arrests of current licensees.

Delaware Background Check Fees

A state-only criminal history check costs $72.00. A combined state and federal Delaware background check costs $85.00. The expungement application fee is $72.00 at the start. Members of volunteer fire companies do not pay a fee.

IdentoGO takes cash, credit, debit, and money order at most sites. The Georgetown site at 546 S. Bedford Street does not take cash. The Dover walk-in site takes all common payment types. Copy fees at the courts are a separate matter. Most Delaware courts charge 50 cents per page for a plain copy. A certified copy runs about $25. Copy fees at a county police records unit vary by office.

A personal certified criminal history report is tied to service code 27RVGT. That report can only be issued to the person who was fingerprinted. It is not a valid check for any agency, employer, or licensing body. Legally mandated checks must use the right profession-specific code.

FOIA fees are set by the Delaware Freedom of Information Act. Agencies may charge for copying and staff time. Fee waivers may be granted when the request serves the public interest.

Public Records and FOIA Access

Delaware public records are covered by the Delaware Freedom of Information Act. It is coded at 29 Del. C. §§ 10001-10007. State agencies must respond to a FOIA request within 15 business days. The response can be the records, a denial with a cited exemption, or a written request for more time.

Use the online form at sos.delaware.gov to send a request to a state agency. The electronic submission tool lives at alpha.delaware.gov/foia. A written request should be specific. Include the type of records, dates, parties, and subject matter when you can.

Exemptions cover personnel files, investigative records, trade secrets, and some law enforcement materials. Police incident reports are not released under the Delaware FOIA. A victim can still ask a local police department for a copy of an incident report.

Denials can be appealed to the Attorney General's Office within 60 days. The AG issues binding opinions on FOIA disputes. Each agency has a FOIA Coordinator who handles requests.

Are Delaware Background Check Records Public

Most court records in Delaware are public. You do not need to be a party to the case. Civil dockets, judgments, and filings are on CourtConnect. Criminal case details have limits on the public portal. A full criminal file usually requires an in-person visit to the clerk's office. Certain records are sealed, such as juvenile files.

A Delaware background check report from the SBI, however, is tightly controlled. The code only lets the SBI share criminal history with approved criminal justice agencies or other entities with a clear statutory right. A person can request their own record for personal review under Section 8513.

Sex offender registry data is public. The SBI maintains that registry. Inmate status is public through the DOC and VINELink. Recorded property documents, including military discharge records filed with a Recorder of Deeds, are public.

Browse Delaware Background Check by County

Delaware has three counties. Each one has its own courthouse, police records unit, and recorder of deeds. Pick a county below to see local background check resources.

View All Delaware Counties

Delaware Background Check by City

City police departments and town clerks also keep records that feed a Delaware background check. Pick a city below for local contact info.

View Major Delaware Cities