New Castle County Traffic Ticket Records
New Castle County traffic ticket records are filed and maintained at the Justice of the Peace Courts and the Court of Common Pleas serving Delaware's most populous county. With over 578,500 residents and the county seat of Wilmington, New Castle County handles a large volume of traffic citations each year. You can search civil traffic cases online through CourtConnect, access records at the courthouse in person, or use the statewide Voluntary Assessment Center to pay and track citations. This page covers the courts, contact information, and procedures specific to New Castle County traffic ticket records.
New Castle County Overview
New Castle County Traffic Ticket Courts
New Castle County has several courts that handle traffic violations, each with distinct jurisdiction. The court system in this county is more complex than the other two Delaware counties because of the population it serves. The Superior Court at 500 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, phone (302) 255-0800, handles major civil cases and felony criminal matters. The Court of Common Pleas at 500 N. King Street, Wilmington, (302) 255-0900, handles misdemeanor traffic cases and serves as the appeals court for JP Court traffic decisions.
For most traffic violations, the process starts at one of the Justice of the Peace Courts. Justice of the Peace Court 11 is the primary criminal JP Court in the county, located at 2 Penns Way, Suite 100A, New Castle, DE 19720, phone (302) 323-4450. This court operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and handles criminal cases only. Justice of the Peace Court 20, located at 500 N. King Street, Floor 7, Wilmington, DE 19801, phone (302) 574-1500, also handles criminal cases only. For civil matters, Justice of the Peace Court 13 is at 2 Penns Way, Suite 203, New Castle, DE 19720, phone (302) 323-6070.
Justice of the Peace Court 9 at 757 N. Broad Street, Middletown, DE 19709, phone (302) 378-5221, serves residents in the southern part of New Castle County and handles both criminal and civil cases. The Voluntary Assessment Center that processes statewide traffic ticket payments is located at 480 Bank Lane, Dover, DE 19904, phone (302) 739-6911, email jpcourt@delaware.gov.
New Castle County has four JP Courts serving different parts of the county. Courts 11 and 20 handle criminal cases only. Court 13 handles civil matters. Court 9 in Middletown handles both criminal and civil cases for southern New Castle County.
The JP Court Voluntary Assessment Center in Dover handles traffic ticket payments for New Castle County residents along with the rest of the state.
The Delaware Courts website gives an overview of each court level, its jurisdiction, and contact information for the courts serving New Castle County.
New Castle County's judicial system follows the state hierarchy with JP Courts at the base and Superior Court handling the most serious matters.
Court of Common Pleas Traffic Ticket Records
New Castle County's Court of Common Pleas has a special procedure for motor vehicle cases. It combines arraignment and trial into a single court appearance to speed up the process. This is unique to New Castle County within Delaware. Motorists convicted at JP Court who want to appeal can transfer their case to the Court of Common Pleas Traffic Court. The exception is violations involving driving after judgment prohibited and driving under the influence, which cannot be transferred this way.
The Court of Common Pleas Traffic Court Records Custodian is located at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center, 500 North King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. This is the same address as the former New Castle County Courthouse. The court has five judges assigned to New Castle County to handle the volume of cases coming through. If you need records from a traffic case that was appealed to Common Pleas, contact the Records Custodian directly.
The Court of Common Pleas Traffic Court page explains the combined arraignment-and-trial procedure and what documents you need if you're contesting a traffic violation in New Castle County.
The CCP traffic court page also covers how appeals from JP Court work and what the process looks like from citation to final disposition.
Searching New Castle County Traffic Ticket Records
Civil traffic cases from New Castle County can be searched online through CourtConnect, the Delaware Judiciary's public portal. You can search by party name or case type and pull docket reports for specific cases. Some criminal traffic cases from Justice of the Peace Court are also searchable by defendant name through CourtConnect. Once you click a linked case number, you can see details including judgments and fines. This is often the fastest way to check whether a citation resulted in a conviction.
For criminal traffic records, you need to contact the court in person or by written request. The most efficient way to request copies of misdemeanor cases tried by the Court of Common Pleas is to email the records office. Include the defendant's full name and date of birth. The office will contact you with the total amount owed and delivery options. The Court of Common Pleas customer service department can be reached at (302) 255-0900. For Superior Court records, the Prothonotary's Office is at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center, 500 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, phone (302) 255-0777.
Records requests may be made orally, in writing, by email, or by fax. All requests must include enough detail to identify what you're looking for. For JP Court records, download the "Justice of the Peace Court Policy on Public Access to Court Records" from the Delaware Courts website and submit the completed form via email, mail, or in person at the appropriate court division. Staff will contact you to arrange payment and document delivery.
JP Court 11 at 2 Penns Way, Suite 100A, New Castle, DE 19720, phone (302) 323-4450, is the primary 24-hour criminal court for the southern part of New Castle County. Contact the court directly by phone or in person to request records from criminal traffic cases.
JP Court 11 in New Castle operates around the clock and is the primary criminal court serving the southern part of New Castle County.
New Castle County Prothonotary and Record Access
The Prothonotary's Office is responsible for filing and maintaining court records in New Castle County. The office enforces Delaware Judicial Branch policies on record release. Records that are sealed, expunged, or excluded by statute are not available to the public. For everything else, the Prothonotary's Office provides access to anyone who asks. Requesters must provide the names of plaintiff or defendant, the case file number, and the date of filing or judgment. Search and copy fees apply.
Physical copies are restricted to in-person visits only. You can't order a physical copy by mail or email. The New Castle County Prothonotary is located at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center, 500 N. King Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, phone (302) 255-0777. Public access terminals are also available at this location for free in-person searching of court records. There is a fee for printing documents from the terminals. If you need a certified copy for legal purposes, the Prothonotary can provide one for a per-page fee plus a certification charge.
Criminal record checks in New Castle County go through the Delaware State Bureau of Identification at (302) 739-5875, which provides fingerprint-based criminal history reports. These cover traffic violations at the criminal level statewide.
The Bureau of Identification process covers which court handled each type of case and what steps to follow when requesting records from different divisions within the county's court system.
Note: Redaction procedures at New Castle County courts require staff to remove personally identifying information including addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers before releasing any records to the public.
Paying Traffic Tickets in New Castle County
New Castle County residents can pay eligible traffic tickets through the same statewide systems available to all Delaware drivers. Online payment goes through the DELJIS ePayment portal at pubsrv.deljis.delaware.gov. You need your case number or ticket number and your last name as it appears on the ticket. The system accepts MasterCard, Visa, and Discover. Some courts add a small fee for online payment, so check the participating courts list before you start.
Phone payments are available at (302) 739-6911, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Fax payments go to (302) 739-7590. Mail payments should include a copy of your ticket and a check or money order payable to "State of Delaware," mailed to: State of Delaware, Voluntary Assessment Center, P.O. Box 7039, Dover, DE 19903. In-person payment is available at any JP Criminal Court location or at kiosks that accept cash, credit, or debit. If you received a ticket from Wilmington's Alderman's Court rather than a state JP Court, payment procedures differ. Contact the Alderman's Court directly using information on your citation.
A payment plan is available within 30 days of the ticket issue date. Go to courtpay.delaware.gov and select "Deferred Amount" to set up six equal monthly payments. If the option doesn't appear, the citation doesn't qualify for a plan.
Note: Traffic tickets issued by municipal Alderman's Courts within New Castle County must be paid to the issuing court, not the Voluntary Assessment Center. Check your ticket for the correct payment address.
Cities in New Castle County
New Castle County includes Delaware's largest city and several major communities. Traffic citations issued in these cities may be handled by city Alderman's Courts or by the county JP Court system depending on the location of the violation.
Other Delaware Counties
New Castle County borders Kent County to the south. If your citation was issued outside New Castle County, check the court information for the county where the violation occurred.