Find Kent County Public Records

Kent County public records run through the Levy Court in Dover, Delaware's state capital. The Levy Court is the county's governing body. It handles property assessments, deeds, tax records, meeting minutes, and FOIA requests for the whole of Kent County. Many Kent County public records are free to look up online. Property searches, tax data, and deeds going back to 1873 are posted on the county website. When a record is not online, a written FOIA request is the path forward. The county follows 29 Del. C. Chapter 100 and the Kent County FOIA policy.

Kent County FOIA and the Levy Court

The Delaware Freedom of Information Act binds Kent County under 29 Del. C. Chapter 100. The county has also adopted its own FOIA policy to cover the Levy Court and its departments. Most small questions do not need a formal FOIA. Staff often answer by phone or email. For detailed pulls or cross-department requests, a written FOIA form is the right tool. See the process on the Kent County FOIA page.

Kent County's FOIA coordinator is Kelly Pitts, the Public Information Officer. Her office is at 555 Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901. Call 302-744-2305 or fax 302-736-2279. Email PIO@kentcountyde.gov for questions or to send a signed form. One submission usually covers multiple departments.

The FOIA page above hosts the request form and step-by-step directions. Save it if you plan to file more than one request.

Note: Your FOIA request itself may be treated as a public record under Delaware law, so keep personal data out of the description.

Kent County Property Records

The Levy Court runs a free property records search. It is open to any user with a browser. Visit Kent County Property Records Search to start.

Three search paths cover most lookups. You can search by address, by owner name, or by parcel identification number. A map-based tool lets you click any parcel on the county map to pull data. Results show ownership, source of title, recent sales prices and dates, legal descriptions, lot and building details, and full assessment history.

The property search above is the daily tool for agents, lenders, and owners. It pairs well with the county's deed search when you need to go deeper.

The county posts a clear disclaimer. Information is shown "as is" and users should confirm against original records before relying on any data for legal or financial decisions.

Kent County Deeds and Land Records

The Deeds Office sits on the 1st Floor at 555 Bay Rd, Dover, DE 19901. Hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Call (302) 744-2314, fax (302) 736-2035, or email Recorder@kentcountyde.gov.

The online search lets you dig into Kent County recorded deeds, mortgages, and property transfers. Records go back to 1873. Research is free. Start at the deeds search page.

The deeds search supports chain-of-title work and quick grantor/grantee lookups. Results display the book and page reference for each document.

The Deeds and Property Records page is a resident-focused hub. It bundles together the property search, the estate search, Transfer on Death Deed information, and free Property Fraud Alert registration.

Walk-in help is free at 555 Bay Road. Staff can pull prior ownership, tax data, permitting history, and sales data for any Kent County parcel.

Kent County Tax and Assessment Records

The Kent County Assessment Office holds property values used for tax bills. Per FOIA guidelines, Assessment Office staff will perform research for the public. The office answers most questions directly without a formal request. For complex or archived pulls, call the Levy Court Public Information Officer and file a written FOIA.

Tax records are tied to the property search. Tax bills go out after each school district sets its rate, which is usually in early August. Full payment is due by September 30. Online payment is open. Rate charts are posted each year so owners can see how their bill was built. The county also supports online inquiries and payments for most tax accounts.

What you can see in the Kent County tax search:

• Current tax amount due
• Payment status and history
• Assessment value of the parcel
• School district rate
• Delinquent balances, if any
• Prior tax year data for comparison

Note: Assessed values and tax amounts are two different numbers. Read both before you appeal. Appeals go to the Kent County Board of Assessment Review, not to the tax collector.

State-Level Resources for Kent County

Some Kent County public records live at the state level. Court cases run through CourtConnect, the state's online docket system. The full court directory is at courts.delaware.gov. The Kent County Superior Court sits in Dover.

Historical Kent County files go back to the 1600s at the Delaware Public Archives. Land records, probate files, and government papers are open in the Mabel Lloyd Ridgely Research Room in Dover. Archives are open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The building is at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. North.

Criminal history and fingerprint-based checks are centralized. Dover has two SBI sites. Make an appointment through uenroll.identogo.com. A certified state-only criminal history runs $72.00. A combined state and federal report costs $85.00 when mandated by law. The state police page at dsp.delaware.gov walks through the service codes and forms.

Delaware business entities, many of them tied to Kent County addresses, show up on the Division of Corporations search. The free lookup is the go-to tool for quick checks on any Delaware LLC or corporation. License-based background checks go through the Division of Professional Regulation.

The Delaware General Assembly FOIA page is also a useful reference for Kent County residents, since Legislative Hall sits in Dover. The coordinator is Mark Cutrona at Leghall_FOIA_Requests@delaware.gov or (302) 744-4114. Note that the General Assembly is not bound by the standard FOIA used by state agencies, so its request rules are slightly different.

Cities in Kent County

Kent County's county seat is Dover, the state capital. Several other Kent County cities and towns have their own FOIA coordinators and city clerk offices. Local council records, ordinances, and police reports live at the city level, while deeds and property tax stay at the Levy Court. Pick any city below for direct links to the city clerk's FOIA page.

Smyrna and Smaller towns in Kent County still use county offices for deeds, assessments, and property tax. Residents should check the city first for permits and utility records.

Nearby Counties in Delaware

Kent County sits between New Castle County to the north and Sussex County to the south. If a record crosses county lines, check each county of record for its own filings. Kent County does not hold deeds or tax rolls for property in neighboring counties, so always confirm the correct county of record before filing a request.