Sussex County Public Records

Sussex County public records cover deeds, tax bills, zoning files, council minutes, and FOIA requests for Delaware's largest county by land area. The county seat is Georgetown. Sussex County handles more than 168,500 parcels across 938 square miles. All Sussex County public records follow 29 Del. C. Chapter 100, the Delaware FOIA. Most searches can be done online from home. The county's Open Government portal is the launching pad. When a record is not posted, a written FOIA request goes to the Sussex County FOIA Coordinator at (302) 855-7742.

Sussex County Open Government

Sussex County posts agendas, minutes, budgets, and major reports at the Open Government page. It is the single hub for public access tools. A FOIA request web form sits there too. Call (302) 855-7742 with questions.

The County Council, the Planning & Zoning Commission, and the Board of Adjustment sat for an ethics training in February 2023. The training was open to the public. It covered the state Code of Conduct and day-to-day FOIA rules. The session shows the county takes open meetings seriously.

The Open Government hub above is the starting point for all Sussex County public records research. Bookmark it.

Sussex County Property Records

The county runs a full property assessment and tax search at property.sussexcountyde.gov. The tool is open to all users and does not require a login.

Search options include owner name, property address, parcel ID, or an advanced search with multiple criteria at once. Results show assessment values, tax info and payment status, ownership history, basic property details, municipality filter, and block and lot lookups.

The property search is the tool most often used by title firms, real estate agents, and owners confirming their own data.

The county posts a disclaimer. Data is pulled from deeds, plats, tax maps, and surveys. Errors can happen. The search is for convenience. Official records should still be checked before any legal action.

Sussex County tax data lives at sussexcountyde.gov/property-tax-information. The Billing Division issues over 171,000 tax bills each year and collects about $117 million for county government, local libraries, and the eight school districts that serve Sussex County residents.

The tax info page above lists due dates, discount windows, and the deadline for senior exemptions. Katrina Mears is the Manager of Billing and Collections at (302) 855-7871.

Sussex County Recorder of Deeds

The Recorder of Deeds is Alexandra Reed Baker. The office is at 2 The Circle, P.O. Box 827, Georgetown, DE 19947. Phone (302) 855-7785, fax (302) 855-7787. Hours are Monday-Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, with recording closing at 4:00 PM.

Online deed search lives at deeds.sussexcountyde.gov/LandmarkWeb, a Landmark Web Official Records portal. You can pull deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and other recorded documents. Name search by grantor or grantee is supported. Document type filters and date range searches help narrow down results fast.

What you can do in Sussex County deed search:

• Guest access for basic lookups
• Registered user access for full images
• Filter by document type
• Filter by recording date range
• Run multi-spelling name checks

The deeds portal above is free to browse. Guest users see watermarked images. Full document viewing may require registration. Note: Run multiple spellings of every name to maximize results.

Sussex County FOIA Process

Sussex County follows 29 Del. C. Chapter 100. A written FOIA request is the standard way to get records that are not already posted online. Use the FOIA questions webform on the Open Government page, or contact the FOIA Coordinator at (302) 855-7742.

The Delaware DOJ has ruled on Sussex County FOIA complaints several times. In Opinion 21-IB14, the DOJ addressed posting requirements for meeting notices under 29 Del. C. § 10004(e)(1) and (4). The opinion clarified that executive branch notices must go on the state's designated website. It also reminded readers that the DOJ's FOIA authority does not extend to other statutes beyond the Delaware FOIA itself.

Planning and zoning records follow a parallel process. The Planning & Zoning Department posts paperless packets on the county website. These are updated as of the close of business the day before a hearing. Items received at or after a public hearing are not uploaded, and the legal record stays the paper file held by the department. Contact Michael Lowrey at the Planning & Zoning Department, 2 The Circle, Georgetown, DE 19947.

The county also runs a free Recording Activity Notification Service. It sends email alerts when any recorded document hits a name you have signed up to watch. It is a simple defense against property fraud. Setup takes a few minutes on the county website.

State Resources for Sussex County Residents

Sussex County residents can reach many records through state channels too. The Delaware Courts website links to the Superior Court in Georgetown. Civil case dockets are searchable on CourtConnect. Family Court and the Justice of the Peace Court both sit in Georgetown as well.

Criminal history records run through the Delaware State Police SBI. Georgetown and Seaford both host SBI fingerprint sites, which makes southern Delaware well covered. Appointments go through uenroll.identogo.com. The Division of Professional Regulation handles license-related background checks at dpr.delaware.gov.

Business records for any Sussex County entity sit in the Delaware Division of Corporations search. The free lookup returns entity name, file number, formation date, and the registered agent. Add-ons like status retrievals and detailed filing history are paid.

Historical records tied to Sussex County are at the Delaware Public Archives in Dover. The reading room is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. See the records availability page for which items can be viewed on the spot and which ones need advance arrangements.

The main state portal for FOIA requests is delaware.gov/freedom-of-information-act. Agencies of the executive branch all show up there with their coordinators listed. Note: If your records touch multiple branches of Delaware government, file with each target agency rather than waiting for one office to forward the request.

Cities in Sussex County

Sussex County hosts several incorporated cities and towns. Each one keeps its own municipal records and has a local FOIA contact. County-level public records on property and taxes still run through Georgetown. A city clerk is the right place for meeting minutes, permits, and local police reports, while county tools handle deeds and assessments.

Georgetown, Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, Millsboro, Laurel, and Bridgeville also serve Sussex County residents. Check the city clerk for council records and local permits in each.

Nearby Counties in Delaware

Sussex County borders Kent County to the north. If you are unsure which county handles a record, check the property's address or the court of filing first. Property and tax data only show up in the county where the parcel sits. Court dockets follow the county of filing, not the county of residence, so check CourtConnect to find the right venue when needed.