Dover DUI Records

Dover DUI records are filed at the Kent County Courthouse at 414 Federal Street, just off Route 13 in downtown Dover. The city is Delaware's capital and the seat of Kent County. Dover Police handle most of the city's DUI arrests, with Delaware State Police Troop 3 covering the surrounding roadways. A Dover DUI case can land at the Court of Common Pleas or Superior Court inside the Kent County Courthouse, depending on offense level. You can search Dover DUI records through CourtConnect or request an arrest report from the Dover Police Records Division.

Dover Police Department DUI Records

The Dover Police Department Records Division is the first stop for Dover DUI arrest reports. The division handles all criminal reports, arrest reports, traffic crash reports, traffic citations, and city ordinance summonses. A Dover DUI arrest produces an arrest report, a chemical test result, and a traffic citation, all of which are available through the Records Division.

Dover is home to Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, Dover International Speedway, and the Delaware Legislative Hall. DUI patrols are enhanced around the casino entertainment district, during legislative sessions, and along the Route 1 corridor through the city. DSP and Dover Police coordinate enforcement around these high-traffic zones. The city's municipal court handles initial DUI proceedings, though serious cases move up the line to the Kent County Courthouse.

To request a Dover DUI police report, contact the Records Division. Applicable fees apply for copies. The department can tell you whether the report is ready and whether any redactions are required. Reports on cases that are still open may be withheld until the investigation closes.

Kent County Courthouse in Dover

The Kent County Courthouse at 414 Federal Street, Dover, DE 19901, is where Dover DUI cases are filed and heard. The main number is (302) 735-1900. Hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Public access starts at 8:30 a.m. The building houses Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Family Court, so a Dover DUI case of any offense level ends up in this same courthouse.

Court of Common Pleas handles first and second offense DUI for Dover arrests. Superior Court has exclusive jurisdiction over third offense and higher DUI cases. Family Court handles juvenile matters. Justice of the Peace Courts around Dover handle bail, arraignments, and first offender elections. All of these courts file their dockets into the statewide CourtConnect system, which is the fastest way to pull a Dover DUI docket online.

Kent County records extend back decades. Older Dover DUI files that predate the digital record system are held at the Delaware Public Archives in Dover. The Delaware State Law Library, also in Dover, stocks Title 21 and related statute books for anyone needing to cross reference a DUI record against the governing law.

Delaware State Police Troop 3 in Dover

Delaware State Police Troop 3 is at 1447 N. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901, phone (302) 739-5901. Troop 3 is the primary DSP unit for Dover. Troopers patrol Route 1, U.S. 13, and the corridors in and out of the city. DUI arrests by Troop 3 get processed at the troop and filed with the Kent County Courthouse.

The DSP newsroom publishes press releases about Dover area DUI arrests. Releases list names, charges, bail, and court assignments, which helps narrow a CourtConnect search. Recent Dover area DUI cases have included fifth and sixth offense felony DUI arrests, multi-vehicle crashes, and DUI-DRE cases where drugs were the primary impairment. DSP's Collision Reconstruction Unit investigates any DUI-related fatal crash in the Dover area.

Statewide, Delaware has 63 Drug Recognition Experts spread across 20 police agencies. Several of those DREs are based in Dover, which lets officers make drug-impaired driving cases that a breath test alone cannot support. Those DRE reports form part of the Dover DUI record under 21 Del. C. § 4177.

SBI Criminal History in Dover

The State Bureau of Identification office is in Dover at the Blue Hen Corporate Center, 655 S. Bay Road, Suite 1B, Dover, DE 19901. Phone is (302) 739-2528. Hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., and Tuesday 11:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. A state criminal history check is $52.50 and a state and federal check is $69.00.

Bring photo ID to the SBI office. An out-of-state license works, so a Delaware license is not required. Payment can be cash, debit card, money order, or bank check made out to Delaware State Police. Personal checks are not accepted. SBI pulls from the DELJIS database, so any Dover DUI conviction on record will appear on the certified criminal history report.

Dover DUI records also show up on DMV driving records. The Delaware DMV DUI FAQ explains the administrative side. A DUI arrest triggers a 15-day temporary license. A driver has 15 days to request an administrative hearing in writing. Revocation runs 3 months for a first offense, 12 months for a second, and 18 months for a third or more. DUI sentences stay on the Dover driver's record for at least five years.

Requesting Dover DUI Records

To run a useful Dover DUI record search:

• Start with the agency that made the arrest (Dover Police or DSP)
• Use CourtConnect to find the court docket for the case
• Note the case number and court level
• Visit the Kent County Courthouse clerk counter for certified copies
• Bring photo ID and be ready to pay per page fees

Online-only searches are free on CourtConnect after a registration. Certified copies and older file reviews happen in person. The DMV handles the license side of the record. SBI handles the statewide criminal history pull. Taken together these sources cover every piece of a Dover DUI record.

A Dover DUI record is only partly a court file. It includes the police arrest report, the chemical test, the DMV revocation paperwork, any DSARP evaluation result, and the course completion certificate. Each piece lives in a different system, so a complete Dover DUI record review means pulling from the Dover Police Records Division, the Kent County Courthouse, the DMV, and SBI.

The image below is a shot of the Kent County courts portal, which lists the Dover courthouse hours and procedures for pulling DUI records.

Use this portal to confirm which court handled a Dover DUI hearing before filing a record request.

The Delaware State Police newsroom shown below posts Dover area DUI arrest press releases with case assignments.

Press releases can point to the JP Court where the Dover DUI defendant was arraigned.

Related Delaware DUI Record Pages

Dover DUI cases roll up into the Kent County court record. Other Kent County cities feed into the same Dover courthouse.