Is New Castle County deed search free?

The county states that occasional users may search the document index without charge. The public-access system currently lists a one-dollar-per-page charge to view document images.

What records does the Recorder of Deeds keep?

The office records and maintains deeds, deed restrictions, easements, mortgages, mortgage assignments and satisfactions, federal tax liens, plot plans, and other land-related records.

Can I search New Castle County property by address?

For an address-based property lookup, start with New Castle County Parcel Search. It provides owner, parcel, assessment, tax, and sales-history information that can help identify the recorded deed.

How can I get a certified copy of a New Castle County deed?

Locate the recording information first, then contact the Recorder of Deeds for the current certified-copy procedure and charge. Recording and copy fees can change, so use the office's current published fee schedule.

What are the Recorder of Deeds office hours?

The official office page lists Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with recording windows closing at 3:45 p.m.; Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with recording windows closing at 12:45 p.m.

How can I receive deed-fraud alerts in New Castle County?

New Castle County offers AlertMe, a voluntary notification service that can alert registered users when a document containing a specified name is recorded or corrected.

Does the Recorder of Deeds show property tax amounts?

Recorded land documents are handled by the Recorder of Deeds. For property ownership, assessment, tax information, and sales history, use the separate New Castle County Parcel Search system.

New Castle County, Delaware · Deeds, mortgages, liens, satisfactions, easements and recorded land documents

New Castle County Recorder of Deeds: Search Records & Office Guide

Q: How do I search New Castle County deeds online?

Open New Castle County's official Document Search page and select the Occasional User search. Search by an available party name, instrument information, or book and page, then verify the result before opening the document image.

Q: Where is the New Castle County Recorder of Deeds office?

The Recorder of Deeds is at 800 N. French St., Fourth Floor, Wilmington, Delaware 19801.

If you landed here to find a deed, verify who transferred a property, locate a mortgage or satisfaction, check an easement, obtain a recorded document, or visit the New Castle County Recorder of Deeds, start with the official county record systems below.

The key is choosing the correct system. The Recorder of Deeds maintains recorded land documents. New Castle County Parcel Search is better for an address, current owner display, parcel number, assessment, tax information and sales history. This guide shows how to use both without bouncing between unrelated third-party sites.

Search official deed records Search a property by parcel/address Office hours & location

Owner or party name Parcel number Approximate recording year Instrument number Book & page

NEW CASTLE COUNTY LAND RECORDS OFFICIAL RECORD ROUTING

RECORDED

DEED MORTGAGE SATISFACTION EASEMENT / LIEN

Recorder search and property search are not the same thing. Use the Recorder of Deeds when you need the actual recorded instrument—such as a deed, mortgage, satisfaction, restriction or easement. Use New Castle County Parcel Search when you primarily know the street address and need to identify the parcel, displayed owner, tax information, assessment or sales history first.

Public index search

Occasional users may search the county’s recorded-document system without a search charge.

Online document images

The current public-access portal lists a $1-per-page online image-viewing price.

Frequent-user option

The county lists a $100-per-month Subscription Search for unlimited document access.

Office location

800 N. French St., Fourth Floor, Wilmington, Delaware 19801.

Start with your actual task

Which New Castle County record do you need?

Users often lose time because a deed, tax bill, parcel record and probate file can all involve the same property but are controlled by different county offices. Use this routing guide before searching.

RECORDED DOCUMENT Deed, mortgage or satisfaction

Use the Recorder of Deeds Document Search to locate the recorded instrument and its recording reference.

Search walkthrough

PROPERTY LOOKUP Owner, parcel, tax or sales history

Use Parcel Search when an address is your strongest starting point or you need tax and assessment information.

Use Parcel Search

OFFICIAL COPY Recorded or certified deed copy

Locate the instrument first, then use the Recorder’s current copy procedure for the type of copy you need.

Copy options

RECORD A DOCUMENT Submit a deed or other instrument

Check document format, parcel information, preparer details, notarization, transfer-tax forms and current fees before filing.

Recording checklist

FRAUD MONITORING Alert when your name is recorded

Use the county’s voluntary AlertMe service to receive notifications based on names you register.

Set up AlertMe

HOA / COMMUNITY Covenants, bylaws or restrictions

Use the Community Association Portal for free access to many recorded community governing documents.

Community documents

New Castle County Recorder of Deeds guide

Jump directly to the task that brought you here.

Office responsibility

What does the New Castle County Recorder of Deeds record?

The Recorder of Deeds is New Castle County’s repository for land transaction records and other documents authorized for recording. The office receives, records, indexes, preserves and provides access to records that establish or affect interests in real property.

Ownership documents

Deeds, deed restrictions and other instruments that convey or affect interests in real estate.

Mortgage records

Mortgages, mortgage assignments, modifications, partial releases and mortgage satisfaction records.

Property restrictions

Easements, rights-of-way, recorded restrictions and related instruments affecting use or access.

Liens

Federal tax liens and other recordable lien-related documents within the office’s statutory responsibilities.

Plans

Plot plans, subdivision-related plans and other plans accepted for recordation.

Other filings

The office also handles specified financing statements and other documents proper for recording.

A displayed owner name is not a substitute for reading the deed. Parcel databases are useful for finding a property, but the recorded deed is the document to review when the exact grantor, grantee, vesting language, legal description or conveyance terms matter.

Official Recorder of Deeds page Official Document Search page

Micro step-by-step search

How to search New Castle County deeds and recorded documents online

The county provides a Document Search for occasional users and a separate Subscription Search for frequent users. A regular homeowner, buyer, researcher or occasional title search normally starts with the public-access option.

Open the county’s official Document Search page. Do not rely on an old bookmark because New Castle County has changed the public-access URL. Start from the county page so you can follow the current link.
Open New Castle County Document Search

Choose “Occasional User.” This sends you to the county’s current TrakRecord public-access service. Searching the index does not require the $100 monthly subscription.
Open the public-access system directly

Start with your strongest identifier. An instrument number or known book and page is usually more precise than a name. If you do not have one, search using the relevant grantor, grantee, borrower, lender or other indexed party.

Use a broad name search before adding filters. If a full name fails, remove middle initials, punctuation or extra words. Try the surname with a practical date range, and check alternate spellings or a business name when appropriate.

Compare every plausible result before paying for pages. Review the document type, party names, recording date, instrument number or book/page reference and any available property identifiers. A similar name alone is not enough.

Open the image only after identifying the correct instrument. The county currently states that occasional users can search without charge and that document images cost $1 per page to view online.

Save the instrument reference with your copy. Record the instrument number or book and page. Those references make it much easier to locate related deeds, mortgage assignments, satisfactions or earlier documents later.

Useful portal tip: The public-access system says registration is not required, but creating an account is recommended because an account can retain search settings, search history and documents saved to a cart.

Search strategy when you do not know the document number

Best starting information for common land-record searches
You know	Start here	Then verify
Street address only	Use Parcel Search first.	Owner, parcel number and deed/sales-history clues.
Current owner’s name	Search the Recorder index by party name.	Property identity and recording date.
Buyer/seller from a past sale	Search the relevant party and approximate sale year.	Grantor/grantee pair and deed reference.
Instrument number	Use the exact recording identifier.	Document type and property information.
Book and page	Use the book/page or Archives function.	Names and legal description in the image.
Mortgage lender	Search mortgage-related index information.	Borrower, original mortgage and later assignments/satisfaction.

When an address is your starting point

Use New Castle County Parcel Search before the deed system when necessary

The Recorder’s document database is built around recorded instruments. If you only know a property address, New Castle County Parcel Search is often the faster first step because it provides property information such as the displayed owner, parcel number, assessment, tax information and sales history.

Open official Parcel Search. Go directly to New Castle County Parcel Search.

Search the street number and main street name. County guidance recommends omitting street suffixes such as Road, Lane or Avenue when an address search is not producing a result.

Open the correct parcel details. Confirm the location and parcel number before assuming the owner or sale information belongs to your property.

Note the owner and deed-history clues. Use the party name, sale date, deed reference or parcel information to continue the research in the Recorder of Deeds system.

Return to Document Search for the actual instrument. Parcel Search helps identify the property; Recorder of Deeds records let you inspect the recorded deed or related document.

Practical shortcut: When researching an unfamiliar property, the most efficient workflow is usually address → parcel record → owner/deed reference → recorded deed image.

Copies and proof

How to get a copy or certified copy of a New Castle County deed

First decide whether you need an ordinary document image for research or a certified copy for an official transaction. An online image may be enough to review a deed, legal description or mortgage reference, while a court, lender, government agency or legal process may require certification.

Research copy

Locate the document in Public Access and purchase only the pages you need. The portal currently lists $1 per page for online document images.

Certified copy

Locate the instrument number or book/page first, then contact the Recorder’s office for the current certification procedure and fee.

Check the current fee schedule before ordering or recording. New Castle County posted a Recorder of Deeds fee-increase notice in September 2026. Older cached fee schedules may therefore show amounts that no longer apply. Use the official Recorder page and its current Fee Schedule on the day you submit or order records.

Open official fee schedule View 2026 fee increase notice

Visit or call

New Castle County Recorder of Deeds office address, phone and hours

Recorder of Deeds

Louis L. Redding City/County Building
800 N. French St.
Fourth Floor
Wilmington, DE 19801

Phone: 302-395-7700
Fax: 302-395-7732

Official office page

Published office hours

Monday–Thursday:
8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Recording windows close at 3:45 p.m.

Friday:
8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Recording windows close at 12:45 p.m.

Do not arrive at the closing time with a document that must be recorded that day. The recording window closes before the office itself closes. Allow additional time for document review, fee calculation and any issue that must be corrected.

Document Search support

New Castle County separately lists Document Search support at 302-395-7792. Published search-support hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–3:45 p.m., and Friday, 8:00 a.m.–12:45 p.m.

Before presenting a document

New Castle County recording requirements: practical pre-filing checklist

Recording is not simply uploading or handing over a signed page. New Castle County publishes formatting requirements for documents affecting real property. A document that does not satisfy the applicable requirements may be rejected or delayed.

Use 8½ × 11 or 8½ × 14 paper where the county’s specifications apply.

Reserve 2½ inches at the upper-left of the first page for recording information.

Reserve 1 inch at the upper-right of the first page for additional recording information.

Place the tax parcel ID, preparer information and return address in the required first-page area.

Keep at least ¾-inch left, right and bottom margins on the first page.

Use a 1-inch top margin and at least ¾-inch remaining margins on additional pages.

Use legible type of at least 12-point size under the published specification.

Check signatures, acknowledgments and notary identification before submission.

Micro step-by-step document preparation

Identify the correct tax parcel number. Search the property at New Castle County Parcel Search. Documents affecting real property generally require the county tax assessment parcel identification number in a conspicuous location, subject to statutory exceptions.

Check the first-page layout. Leave the county’s recording space clear. Do not place text, signatures or graphics inside the areas reserved for the recorder.

Add the “prepared by” information. The county’s specification requires the preparer’s name and address for deeds and other covered real-property instruments.

Add a clear return-to address. The Recorder prefers the return address in the upper-right area so staff can quickly identify where the recorded instrument should be returned.

Verify execution and notarization. Ensure the document type has the required signatures and acknowledgment. The notarial officer’s name and title must be legible when a certificate of notarial act is part of the document.

Determine which transfer-tax forms apply. For a deed conveying real estate, review the county’s official Transfer Tax page before presenting the document.

Calculate current recording charges immediately before filing. Use the official current fee schedule rather than an old saved PDF or third-party fee calculator.

Official specification: Read New Castle County’s Recording Specifications before preparing a document for recordation.

Preparing a deed can affect legal ownership. Recorder staff record documents that meet recording requirements; they are not a substitute for legal advice about which deed to use, how title should be held, whether a transfer is advisable, or what legal rights a document creates.

Avoid stale fee information

Recording fees and Delaware realty transfer tax

Recording cost depends on the document being filed, the number of pages, parcel descriptions, applicable document or technology charges, and—in a property conveyance—taxes and forms that can be much larger than the basic recording fee.

2026 fee update: New Castle County posted an official Recorder of Deeds fee-increase notice on September 21, 2026. Because older search results and cached PDFs may still display earlier amounts, verify the current fee schedule before writing checks or submitting an electronic recording.

For a real-estate transfer

New Castle County’s official Transfer Tax page states that the State of Delaware Realty Transfer Tax Return Form 5402 must be completed for properties being transferred. It also directs filers to complete the New Castle County Realty Tax Affidavit for properties in New Castle County and provides additional forms for exemptions and other situations.

Open the official Transfer Tax page. New Castle County Transfer Tax

Download the current forms for your transaction. Do not reuse an old closing package merely because the property or parties look similar.

Determine whether an exemption or credit applies. Family transfers, first-time-homebuyer situations and other transactions can involve separate legal and tax rules. Use the official form instructions for the actual transaction.

Confirm the total with the office or closing professional before recording. Recording fees and transfer taxes are different charges and should not be confused with the $1-per-page online document-image price.

Transfer tax forms & guidance Current fee schedule

Electronic submission

Does New Castle County accept eRecording?

Yes. The Recorder of Deeds publishes an electronic-recording program and filer agreement. eRecording is particularly relevant to title companies, law offices, lenders and other repeat submitters; it does not eliminate the legal or formatting requirements that apply to a recordable instrument.

What eRecording changes

The document can be submitted electronically rather than delivered as a paper recording, subject to the county’s electronic filing requirements and approved process.

What it does not change

The document still needs proper execution, notarization when required, correct indexing information, applicable taxes and fees, and a recordable first-page format.

The county’s filer agreement describes electronic-payment procedures and requires e-filed documents to comply with its recording standards. New users should begin at the official Recorder page rather than signing up through an unrelated commercial service.

Read New Castle County eRecording agreement Recorder electronic-recording resources

Property-record monitoring

Use AlertMe to watch for documents recorded under your name

New Castle County’s AlertMe service is a voluntary notification system. After registration, users can create criteria for names they want to monitor. The system can send an alert when a document containing specified information is newly recorded or when an older document is corrected.

Open the county’s official AlertMe page. Go to New Castle County AlertMe.

Select the registration link. Create an account using an email address and the requested profile information.

Verify your registration. Complete any confirmation step sent to your contact information.

Add the names you want the system to monitor. Consider common forms of the name that may appear on recorded documents.

Investigate an unexpected alert promptly. An alert is a notification—not proof that fraud occurred. Open the recorded instrument and contact the appropriate authorities if the filing appears unauthorized.

AlertMe does not block recordings or guarantee fraud prevention. The county describes it as a notification service. If an alert concerns a document you do not recognize, inspect the actual filing rather than assuming the email alone proves ownership was changed.

Covenants and association documents

Searching HOA bylaws, covenants, deed restrictions and community plans

Homeowners and buyers looking for association rules may not need the general paid-image workflow. New Castle County provides a Community Association Portal where the public can access many recorded governing documents free of charge.

Available categories can include:

Declarations and covenants

Deed restrictions

Bylaws and amendments

Subdivision or site plans

Maintenance declarations

Other recorded community real-estate documents

For a home purchase: Checking the Community Association Portal before closing can help identify recorded covenants, restrictions and association documents tied to the community. A portal search should still be combined with the title work appropriate to the transaction.

Open Community Association Portal

Historical land research

Finding older New Castle County deed books and archived records

New Castle County’s land records extend far beyond recent digital closings. The Recorder’s public-access system includes an Archives function for older book-and-page research, and the portal states that many images from Deed Books C42 through Z82 can be viewed online without an image charge through the Archives area.

When you have an old book and page citation

Open Recorder Public Access. Use the county’s current PAXWorld public-access portal.

Look for the Archives option. Enter or select the available book and page reference rather than trying to reconstruct a modern parcel search.

Read the deed itself. Older deeds may describe land through metes and bounds, adjoining owners, roads, waterways, subdivisions or prior book/page references rather than a modern street address.

Follow prior-record references backward. A deed’s reference to an earlier conveyance can be used to build a chain of title one instrument at a time.

Historical research and current ownership are different tasks. An old deed proves what was recorded at that time. Continue the chain forward if you need to understand later conveyances or the present record.

Fix common search failures

What to do when you cannot find the deed

Recorder search troubleshooting
Problem	Likely reason	Best next step
No result for the property address	The Recorder index is document-based, not primarily an address search.	Use Parcel Search first, then search the owner or deed reference.
No result for full owner name	Name formatting, initials, spelling or indexing may differ.	Use fewer name terms and widen the date range.
Too many records	The name is common or the date range is broad.	Add an approximate year, document type or exact recording identifier.
Owner shown in Parcel Search looks outdated	A deed may have been recorded recently or the systems may update on different schedules.	Search Recorder records by recent seller/buyer names and call the appropriate office if timing matters.
Mortgage still appears in history	You may need the separate satisfaction or release record.	Search for a mortgage satisfaction, release or related instrument.
Old deed image is hard to locate	The record may be organized by historical book/page references.	Use the Archives function and follow references from later deeds backward.
You need a tax bill, not a deed	The Recorder is the wrong record system.	Move to New Castle County Parcel Search and tax services.

Correct office routing

Recorder of Deeds vs. other New Castle County offices

Where to go for common New Castle County property questions
Need	Office/system	Best resource
Recorded deed, mortgage, easement or satisfaction	Recorder of Deeds	Document Search
Owner display, parcel, assessment, sales history or tax information	New Castle County property/finance records	Parcel Search
Realty transfer-tax forms	Recorder of Deeds / county transfer-tax resources	Transfer Tax
Will or probate estate	Register of Wills	Register of Wills
HOA bylaws, covenants or association documents	Community Association Portal	CAP
Name-based recording notifications	Recorder AlertMe	AlertMe

Why this matters: A tax database can help identify a property, but it does not replace a recorded deed. Likewise, a recorded deed does not tell you the current property-tax balance. Use each official system for the record it controls.

Official links

New Castle County Recorder of Deeds resources in one place

Recorder of Deeds

Office responsibilities, contact details, recording documents and electronic-recording resources.

Open official page

Document Search

County landing page for Occasional User and Subscription Search access.

Open Document Search

Public Access

Search the TrakRecord public database for recorded land documents.

Open Public Access

Parcel Search

Find owner, parcel, assessment, tax information and sales history.

Open Parcel Search

Recording Specifications

First-page layout, margins, parcel number, preparer and related recording requirements.

Open specifications

Transfer Tax

County and state transfer-tax information, forms and links.

Open Transfer Tax page

AlertMe

Voluntary notification system for newly recorded or corrected documents matching a name.

Open AlertMe

Community Association Portal

Free access to many recorded HOA, condominium and community governing documents.

Open CAP

Frequently asked questions

New Castle County Recorder of Deeds FAQs

How do I search New Castle County deeds online?

Open the official Document Search page and choose the Occasional User system. Search by the strongest information you have, such as an instrument number, book/page reference or indexed party name, then verify the result before opening the image.

Is the New Castle County deed search free?

The county states that occasional users can search for documents without a search charge. The public-access portal currently lists a $1-per-page charge to view document images online. A separate Subscription Search is listed at $100 per month for frequent users.

Can I search New Castle County property records by street address?

Yes, but use New Castle County Parcel Search for the address lookup. After identifying the parcel and owner, move to the Recorder’s Document Search when you need the actual recorded deed or mortgage.

Where is the New Castle County Recorder of Deeds office?

The office is at 800 N. French St., Fourth Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801, in the Louis L. Redding City/County Building. The main telephone number is 302-395-7700.

What are the office hours?

The official office page lists Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., with recording windows closing at 3:45 p.m. Friday hours are 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., with recording windows closing at 12:45 p.m.

How do I get a certified copy of a deed?

Find the deed’s instrument number or book/page information first. Then contact the Recorder of Deeds for the current certified-copy procedure and charge. Use the county’s current fee schedule because recording and copy fees can change.

How can I find out whether a mortgage was paid off?

Search for a mortgage satisfaction, release or related recorded instrument associated with the borrower and original mortgage. A mortgage appearing in historical records does not by itself tell you whether a later satisfaction was recorded.

Can I receive an alert if someone records a document using my name?

Yes. New Castle County provides the voluntary AlertMe notification service. Register an account and add the names you want monitored. An alert should be investigated, but it is not by itself proof of fraud.

Does the Recorder of Deeds prepare deeds or tell me which deed to use?

The Recorder’s role is to receive and record documents that meet applicable requirements. Questions about drafting a deed, changing legal ownership, choosing vesting language, resolving title problems or determining the legal effect of a transfer should be handled with appropriate legal or title advice.

Bottom line

Start with the record that matches your question

For the actual deed, mortgage, satisfaction, easement or other recorded instrument, use the New Castle County Recorder of Deeds Document Search. If all you have is a street address, identify the parcel first with Parcel Search, then bring the owner or deed reference back to the Recorder system.

Before recording a new document, review the county’s formatting specifications, transfer-tax requirements and current fee schedule rather than relying on an old form or cached fee table. For deed-fraud monitoring, register for AlertMe; for recorded HOA and community governing documents, check the free Community Association Portal.

Search recorded documents Find a property parcel Visit official Recorder page