Delaware Genealogy Records
Delaware genealogy research draws on records held across state archives, county offices, and historical societies throughout the First State. The Delaware Public Archives in Dover serves as the central repository for vital records, probate files, land records, and historical documents going back to the 1600s. Delaware residents can search many collections for free through state partnerships with Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. Certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records come from the Office of Vital Statistics. This guide explains what genealogy records exist in Delaware, where they are kept, and how to get them.
Delaware Genealogy at a Glance
Delaware Public Archives
The Delaware Public Archives is the most important stop for genealogy research in Delaware. It holds vital statistics records consisting of births, deaths, and marriages going back to the colonial era. State law has required the recording of these vital records since 1913. Prior to that, each county's Recorder of Deeds handled births, marriages, and deaths, with copies furnished quarterly to the Secretary of the State Board of Health. That means records created before the central Bureau of Vital Statistics was set up in 1913 may show some gaps, but researchers are often surprised by how much survives.
The archives sit at 121 Duke of York Street, Dover, DE 19901. Phone is (302) 744-5000. Email requests go to archives@delaware.gov. Research room hours run Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with evening hours on Wednesday and Thursday until 8:00 p.m. Staff can do minimal searching of available indexes and checklists. For more detailed work, you visit in person or send a written request limited to five specific items per letter.
Access follows time-based thresholds set by Delaware law. Birth records open to the public after 72 years. Death records open after 40 years. Marriage records open after 50 years. Records that fall within those windows go through the Office of Vital Statistics, not the archives. The split point currently sits around 1953 for births, 1985 for deaths, and 1975 for marriages.
The minimum charge for copies is $10.00 for up to ten pages. Beyond ten pages, charges increase in $5.00 increments for every ten pages. Self-service reader-printer copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies needed for legal use cost $25.00 per certificate. Manuscript copies are also $0.50 per page and are done by staff as time allows.
The Delaware Public Archives publishes a detailed guide to its vital statistics holdings, showing what each record type contains and how to request it. Birth records from 1913 onward list the child's name, race, sex, date and place of birth, and parents' names along with their age, race, occupation, and place of nativity. Death records may include name, age, place of birth, current residence, cause and place of death, parents' names, spouse's name, and place of burial.
The Archives also maintains a full list of genealogical repositories across the state. It covers the Delaware Historical Society, county Recorders of Deeds, the University of Delaware's Morris Library, the Hagley Museum and Library, and other research facilities. This list helps researchers find the right place to look based on record type and time period.
Office of Vital Statistics
The Office of Vital Statistics (OVS) under the Delaware Division of Public Health maintains records for births, deaths, marriages, and divorces that occurred in Delaware and fall within the restricted period. The central office is at the Jesse S. Cooper Building, 417 Federal Street, Dover, DE 19901, phone (302) 744-4549. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Most certificates can be issued while you wait for walk-in requests.
The OVS has three locations around the state. New Castle County is served from 258 Chapman Road, Newark, DE 19702, phone (302) 283-7130. The Kent County central office handles statewide requests from 417 Federal Street, Dover. Sussex County residents can go to 546 S. Bedford Street, Georgetown, DE 19947, phone (302) 515-3190. All three locations are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except on holidays.
The OVS holds birth certificates from 1938 to the present, death certificates from 1969 to the present, and marriage certificates from 1969 to the present. It also maintains a divorce index from 1935 to the present, but certified copies of divorce records are not available from this office. For divorce records, you go to the county Family Court where the divorce was granted. Records older than the OVS cutoff dates go to the Delaware Public Archives.
The fee for each certified copy is $25.00, as set under Delaware Code Title 16, Chapter 31, Section 3132. You can order online through GoCertificates.com or VitalChek.com, each of which adds a service fee. Mail requests require a copy of your photo identification and allow up to 4-7 weeks for processing. In-person requests are fastest. Heirloom birth certificates printed on specially designed security paper are also available for commemorative purposes.
The State of Delaware's certificates guide at delaware.gov/guides/certificates outlines exactly which office holds each type of record based on the year it was created. This is the clearest single reference for knowing whether to contact the Delaware Public Archives or the Office of Vital Statistics for a given record.
The CDC's "Where to Write for Vital Records" page provides an independent breakdown of Delaware vital records. It confirms that the state office holds births from 1942 forward and deaths from 1974 forward, with earlier records at the Archives Hall of Records in Dover. Photo identification is required for all transactions, including mail requests.
Free Online Delaware Genealogy Access
Delaware residents can access many historical genealogy records for free through the Delaware Public Archives Digital Ancestry Partnership. The partnership with Ancestry.com provides free access to digitized Delaware records for anyone with a Delaware zip code. To use it, create a free account at Ancestry.com and enter your Delaware zip code at the bottom of the page. This access covers only the Delaware Public Archives records digitized by Ancestry as part of this collaboration, not Ancestry's full nationwide subscription.
Collections available through the Delaware-Ancestry partnership include birth records from approximately 1650 to 1908, death records from approximately 1650 to 1933, marriage records from approximately 1650 to 1933, land records from 1677 to 1947, final wills and testaments from 1677 to 1947, and naturalization records from 1796 to 1820. FamilySearch.org is always free for everyone and also holds large Delaware collections covering vital records, probate, land, military, census, and church records.
FamilySearch maintains major Delaware collections including Delaware Vital Records 1650-1974 with index and images, Delaware Vital Record Index Cards 1680-1934, Delaware Births and Christenings 1710-1896, Delaware Marriage Records 1683-1894, and Delaware Death Records 1855-1961. Military collections include Civil War service records 1861-1865, World War I servicemen records 1917-1919, and WW II Draft Registration Cards 1940-1945. FamilySearch Centers in Dover, Newark, and Wilmington offer in-person access to additional center-only databases and microfilm resources.
The Collections Gateway at the Delaware Public Archives website showcases indexes of the most requested collections. You can search Manuscript Genealogies, Newspapers on Film, Orphans' Court Records, Pauper Books, Private Accounts, Probates, State Deeds, and the Row Collection, which is a database of research notes, newspaper clippings, and document copies compiled by Jean and Howard Row. Many of these indexes are searchable by name online at no cost.
Note: FamilySearch Centers do not respond to mail inquiries. Out-of-state researchers should contact a FamilySearch Center in their own area rather than writing to the Delaware locations.
Delaware Genealogy Societies and Libraries
The Delaware Historical Society in Wilmington holds the largest collection of Delaware genealogies, newspapers, manuscripts, maps, and photographs covering all aspects of Delaware history and people. The research library is at 504 N Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, phone (302) 656-0637. Collections include approximately 500,000 surname file cards, family genealogies and folders, church and cemetery records, Delaware newspapers back to the 1790s, DAR bible records, maps and deeds, and a growing collection of African Americana. The society also maintains the Read House and Gardens at 42 The Strand, New Castle, Delaware 19720.
The Delaware Historical Society's searchable collections include photographs and documents in digital form, an objects catalog for artifacts, an archives catalog for manuscripts and personal records, and a library catalog covering books, rare books, serials, newspapers, pamphlets, and maps. The Jewish Historical Society of Delaware, located at 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801-3091, maintains synagogue records, a biographical file, photograph collections, family collections, and genealogical reference books. Contact them at (302) 655-6232 or info@jhsdelaware.org.
The Delaware Genealogical Society is headquartered at 505 N. Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801-3091. The society publishes the Delaware Genealogical Research Guide, a 171-page softcover book available through Amazon that serves as a road map for finding records about Delaware ancestors. The DGS Journal has published original source material for Delaware genealogy since 1980. The "First State Genealogist" newsletter comes out five times a year. The society also maintains a database of more than 500 Delaware newspapers with information about where to find them online.
The University of Delaware Morris Library at 181 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19717, phone (302) 831-2965, maintains a comprehensive online research guide for genealogy alongside a strong physical collection. Materials include family genealogies, vital statistics, wills and deeds, military records, census information, genealogical society publications, maps, and special collections of rare printed and original manuscript materials from the 1700s. The Special Collections Department on the second floor holds rare items and requires appointments. The Microforms Room on the lower level has Delaware land deeds and other records on microfilm, most of them copies from the Delaware Public Archives.
The Hagley Museum and Library in Greenville near Wilmington, at P.O. Box 3630, Wilmington, DE 19807, phone (302) 658-2400, holds the largest collection of U.S. city directories in Delaware, US Census records for 1790-1920 on microfilm, unique manuscript collections documenting American business and technology for over 1,000 firms, DuPont Company records including 19th century pay records, Irish workers lists, and 178 digitized oral history interviews with people who worked in the powder yards or lived nearby. It is especially valuable for anyone tracing ancestors who worked in Delaware industries.
Delaware Genealogy Laws and Record Access
Delaware Code Title 16, Chapter 31 governs the Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages, Divorces, Annulments, and Adoptions. Under Section 3101, "vital records" means certificates or reports of birth, death, marriage, divorce or annulment, and data related thereto. Section 3110 covers confidentiality and access. The records and files of the Office of Vital Statistics are considered confidential except as authorized by the chapter or by court order. Under Section 3110(b), the State Registrar issues certified copies to the registrant, the registrant's spouse, children, parents, or guardian, or their authorized representatives. Others may be authorized to obtain certified copies when they can show the record is needed for genealogical purposes or the determination of personal or property rights.
The fee cap set by Section 3132 is $25 per certified or noncertified copy, or for a search of the files when no copy is made. The fee for each certified copy of a marriage license or certificate is also $25. The State Registrar must issue a noncertified copy of a vital record, including an original birth certificate, to a registrant who is an adoptee 21 years of age or older.
Subchapter II of Title 16, Chapter 31 sets out registration timelines. Birth certificates must be filed with the Office of Vital Statistics within 7 days after birth under Section 3121. Death certificates must be filed within 3 days after death under Section 3123. Marriage records must be filed within 5 days following the ceremony under Section 3125. A record of each divorce granted by the Family Court is filed with the Office of Vital Statistics under Section 3128. Delayed birth registration is possible when a birth was not registered within one year, supported by documentary evidence under Section 3122.
Note: For genealogical access to older records at the Delaware Public Archives, you do not need to prove a direct relationship. The Archives will assist researchers in accessing records that have passed the public access threshold.
Find Delaware Genealogy Records by County
Delaware has three counties, each with its own set of local resources including county courthouses, historical societies, and genealogical organizations. Select a county below to find specific offices, addresses, and research resources for that area.
Delaware Genealogy Records by City
Major cities in Delaware each have local archives, libraries, and historical societies that hold genealogy records and can help with family history research. Pick a city below to find local resources.