deedplatState guides / Delaware / New Castle County
New Castle County property data
Where New Castle County's property records live, how its tax and foreclosure sales work, and what Deedplat puts on one map, including Wilmington and Newark.
- 15Cities and towns
Where the records are
The county offices an investor deals with in New Castle County, and what each one puts online.
Deeds and mortgages
New Castle County Recorder of Deeds. Searching recorded documents is free, viewing costs $1 per page for occasional users, and an unlimited subscription costs $100 per month.
Owners and values
New Castle County Assessment Office. Owner and assessed value details are free to look up on the county's online Parcel Search.
Tax sales
New Castle County Sheriff's Office (monition sales). Tax-delinquent property is sold at the Sheriff's in-person sales, and sale lists and the yearly schedule are posted on the Sheriff's web pages.
Foreclosure sales
New Castle County Sheriff's Office. Upcoming sheriff sale lists, the yearly schedule and after-sale results are posted free on the county website.
Parcel maps
New Castle County GIS Services. The free Explore New Castle County map viewer shows parcel lines and aerial photos, and GIS data can be downloaded from the county's GIS Hub.
How property is sold here
New Castle County follows Delaware's rules, with its own calendar and offices. Read the Delaware guide for how the state works.
Tax sales
Delaware does not sell tax liens or certificates; when taxes go unpaid, the county gets a court judgment and the Sheriff sells the property itself at a monition sale. In New Castle County these tax sales run alongside the Sheriff's regular real estate sales at the City/County Building, 800 N. French Street in Wilmington, and bidders must prequalify and pay 100% of the bid at the sale. The owner can still redeem within 60 days after the court approves the sale by paying the price plus 15% and costs.
Foreclosure sales
The New Castle County Sheriff holds real estate sheriff sales about once a month in person at the City/County Building in Wilmington, with a $10,000 certified deposit to register and 20% due on mortgage sales. Sale lists and the yearly schedule are posted on the Sheriff's pages and sales are advertised in local papers such as The News Journal.
Assessed values
New Castle County finished its first countywide reassessment since 1983, with values set at market value as of July 1, 2024 and used starting with tax year 2025, and state law now calls for reassessment at least every five years.
Transfer tax
Delaware's realty transfer tax is usually 4% in total, 2.5% to the state plus a 1.5% local share that goes to New Castle County or, inside city limits, to the City of Wilmington.
Land bank
The Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank takes in vacant and tax-delinquent Wilmington properties and lists homes and lots for sale at wilmingtonlandbank.org.
Worth knowing
New Castle County runs assessment and sheriff sales for the whole county, including Wilmington, but the City of Wilmington mails and collects its own city property tax bills.
Worth knowing
The 2025 reassessment changed many tax bills, so older assessed values from the 1983 base are no longer a guide.
Worth knowing
The Recorder's online search links moved to NewCastle.dts-de.com, so older bookmarks may not work.
Every town in New Castle County
The cities, towns and townships inside the county line.
- Arden village
- Ardencroft village
- Ardentown village
- Bellefonte town
- Clayton town
- Delaware City city
- Elsmere town
- Middletown town
- New Castle city
- Newark city
- Newport town
- Odessa town
- Smyrna town
- Townsend town
- Wilmington city
Questions
Where are deeds recorded in New Castle County?
Deeds and mortgages are recorded by the New Castle County Recorder of Deeds. You can search them online for free and pay $1 per page to view, or buy a $100 monthly subscription.
When is the New Castle County tax sale?
Delaware sells the property itself, not tax liens. New Castle County's tax (monition) sales are held at the Sheriff's in-person sales in Wilmington, and sale lists and the schedule are posted on the Sheriff's web pages.
How do I find who owns a property in New Castle County?
Use the county's free online Parcel Search, linked from the Assessment Office page. It shows the owner and assessed value, and you can confirm the deed through the Recorder of Deeds search.
Are New Castle County property records online?
Yes. Parcel data, parcel maps and sheriff sale lists are free online, and recorded documents can be searched online with a small fee to view images.
Sources for this guide
Office hours, fees and sale dates change. We checked these sources in October 2026; confirm with the county before you act.
- newcastlede.gov/sheriff
- newcastlede.gov/144
- newcastlede.gov/101
- newcastlede.gov/138/Transfer-Tax
- newcastlede.gov/181
- newcastlede.gov/m/faq?cat=52
- newcastlede.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=3994
- delcode.delaware.gov/title9/c087/sc02/index.html
- financefiles.delaware.gov/docs/rtt.pdf
- wilmingtonde.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/8266/637006197702900000
- wilmingtonde.gov/residents/property-tax-faq-s
- empower.tylertech.com/rs/015-NUU-525/images/NCC%20-%20Informal%20Hearing%20FAQ%20Final_11-
Every parcel in New Castle County, on one map
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