Search New Castle Public Records

New Castle public records cover Mayor & Council minutes, ordinances, historic district files, Municipal Services Commission utility records, police reports, and municipal contracts. The City of New Castle is a historic city in New Castle County with a well-preserved colonial historic district. The Mayor & Council and the Municipal Services Commission both take FOIA requests under 29 Del. C. Chapter 100. New Castle public records requests follow the standard state form. The city responds within 15 business days as required by Delaware law.

New Castle City FOIA Form

Request for Public Records forms for the City of New Castle are available online. Complete the form and return it by mail, fax, or in person to the Mayor & Council office. The city website hosts the current form at newcastlecity.delaware.gov/foia.

The form asks for the name of the public body, requester name, request date, address, email, phone, and records requested. Instructions ask for as much specificity as possible about record types, dates, parties to correspondence, and subject matter.

The New Castle FOIA page above hosts the form and contact info. Download it and fill it out clearly for faster processing.

What the city does with your request:

• Reviews the form for clarity and scope
• Routes the request to the right department
• Provides access within 15 business days
• Denies access with an exemption citation if needed
• Notifies you if more time is needed

Note: A FOIA request or petition, along with any attached info or documents submitted to a public body, may itself be deemed a public record under 29 Del. C. §§ 10001-10006.

City of New Castle Government Records

The City of New Castle maintains comprehensive municipal records through the Mayor and City Council. The Council has five members, with a quorum of three required to take official action. Regular municipal elections are held on schedule under the city charter.

Meeting notices are posted per FOIA requirements. Agendas and minutes are available. Public comment periods are offered at regular meetings. Special meetings are called as needed.

The city portal above is the hub for most City of New Castle public records research. Department pages link to forms, contacts, and records when available.

Records typically available under FOIA include:

• Meeting minutes and agendas
• Ordinances and resolutions
• Municipal contracts
• Budget documents
• Planning and zoning records
• Historic district preservation records

The New Castle Historic District Commission keeps Certificate of Appropriateness records, historic preservation guidelines, and related files. These city public records are open under FOIA.

Delaware DOJ Opinions on New Castle

The Delaware Attorney General's Office has issued multiple FOIA opinions concerning the City of New Castle. In Opinion 22-IB49 (December 2022) the DOJ addressed a petition alleging that councilmembers discussed hiring a tourism director outside of a public meeting. The DOJ found no FOIA violation but encouraged Council to review email practices with counsel.

In Opinion 25-IB64 (December 2025) the DOJ ruled on a complaint about a November 2025 meeting where a quorum attended a private committee's event. The DOJ found the City did not violate FOIA because no public business was discussed.

Opinion 99-IB02 from 1999 is still cited. It addressed a consultant's report on police department management. The City claimed the report was exempt as a personnel file. The DOJ agreed that while not a formal personnel file, the common law right of privacy outweighed the public's right to know because the report summarized candid interviews with officers.

The pattern shows that New Castle's FOIA practice has been carefully reviewed by the Delaware DOJ over many years.

Municipal Services Commission Records

The Municipal Services Commission of the City of New Castle maintains separate utility and public works records. Pamela A. Patone serves as FOIA Coordinator for the Commission at 216 Chestnut Street, New Castle, DE 19720. Email patonep@newcastlecity.

Records available through the Commission include water and sewer utility records, utility billing records, infrastructure maintenance records, and public works contracts. The Commission uses its own FOIA request form, separate from the Mayor & Council form, because it handles different subject matter.

The New Castle Police Department keeps incident reports, accident reports, arrest records, and crime statistics. Some records can be released at the department directly. Others require a FOIA request through City offices.

Fingerprint-based criminal history checks for New Castle residents run through the Delaware State Bureau of Identification. Book at uenroll.identogo.com. A certified Delaware criminal history costs $72.00.

County and State Resources

The City of New Castle sits within New Castle County. County-level deeds, assessments, and recorded documents flow through county offices. Visit the New Castle County public records page for the Recorder of Deeds, parcel search, and assessment info. Transfer tax for property in the city is collected by the county Recorder.

Court cases involving City of New Castle residents run through Delaware CourtConnect. The Delaware Courts website lists which court hears each case type. Delaware business entities at New Castle addresses appear on the Division of Corporations search. Historic files are at the Delaware Public Archives.

License-based background checks go through the Division of Professional Regulation. For state-level FOIA help, see the Delaware FOIA portal.

Tips for City of New Castle Records Searches

The City of New Castle is easy to confuse with New Castle County. They are separate bodies with separate FOIA processes. The city handles local council, zoning, historic district, and police records. The county handles property deeds, assessment data, and county-level planning.

Before filing a FOIA request with the city, check whether the record is actually a county matter. Deeds, assessments, and property tax are county-level. Council votes, municipal ordinances, and city permits are city-level.

Common City of New Castle public records to request:

• Council meeting minutes and agendas
• Historic District Commission files
• Certificate of Appropriateness records
• Municipal ordinances and resolutions
• City budget and contracts
• Police reports (closed cases)

For utility-related records (water, sewer, infrastructure), go directly to the Municipal Services Commission. Their FOIA process is separate from the Mayor & Council process, which trips up many first-time requesters.

Fees follow the state schedule. First 20 pages are free. Standard copies are $0.10 per sheet. Administrative fees may apply for requests that require more than one hour of staff time. Payment is due at the time of records release. Prepayment may be required for large requests.

Note: The New Castle Historic District Commission keeps paper files that may need to be examined on site. Coordinate a visit through the FOIA Coordinator before heading to City Hall.

Nearby Cities and County

The City of New Castle is near Wilmington to the north and Middletown to the south. All share the same county-level services for deeds, taxes, and court cases, but each city runs its own FOIA process for local records.