Access Lewes Deed Records
Lewes is Delaware's oldest town, and its deed records reach back to the early 1600s. All Lewes deeds, mortgages, and liens are filed at the Sussex County Recorder of Deeds at 2 The Circle in Georgetown. You can search Lewes deed records online for free through the Landmark Web system. This page covers how to search, where to go in person, the fees you pay on a new Lewes deed, and how to find the very old records that describe Lewes properties using the Lewes and Rehoboth Hundred language.
Lewes Overview
Where to File Lewes Deed Records
Lewes is in Sussex County. All Lewes deeds, mortgages, and liens get recorded at the Sussex County Recorder of Deeds at 2 The Circle in Georgetown. The trip from Lewes to Georgetown runs about 20 minutes on most days.
| Office | Sussex County Recorder of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | 2 The Circle, P.O. Box 827 Georgetown, DE 19947 |
| Phone | (302) 855-7785 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
Lewes homeowners, researchers, and local history buffs can search the Sussex County database from home without driving to Georgetown. The Sussex County Assessor's Office handles property valuations, tax assessments, and zoning info. The Assessor's Office provides both online access and in-person help at its Georgetown location. For shoreline parcels, the Sussex County Planning and Zoning Department adds a second layer of records tied to flood zones and coastal rules.
Search Lewes Deed Records Online
Search Lewes deed records through the Sussex County Landmark Web Records Search. The system covers deeds, mortgages, liens, and easements for every Lewes parcel. Research and viewing are free. Try multiple spellings of a proper name to catch older records.
Sussex County also offers a property search for assessment and tax data. Search by owner name, street address, or parcel ID. The property search shows the current owner, assessed value, tax status, and basic property traits for every Lewes home. Use the property search first to pull the parcel ID, then move to Landmark Web for the deed itself.
To search Lewes deed records, you need:
- Full name of the grantor or grantee
- Lewes street address or parcel ID
- Approximate date of the transfer
- Book and page for older records
Historical Lewes deeds often describe land using the Lewes and Rehoboth Hundred name. A typical old Lewes deed describes a tract bounded by the low water mark of the Delaware Bay, Roosevelt Inlet, and the Broadkill River. Knowing these landmarks helps when a modern street address does not appear in an old record.
Lewes Deed Record Types
The Sussex County recorder takes every kind of paper tied to a Lewes property. Waterfront Lewes deeds often include riparian rights, easements, and shoreline notations. The office indexes all of these by grantor and grantee.
Common Lewes filings:
- Warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds
- Mortgages and satisfaction pieces
- Federal and state tax liens
- Easements and deed restrictions
- Waterfront easements and riparian rights
- Plot plans and subdivision maps
- Transfer on Death deeds
Lewes area historical deeds include a rich church record collection. 
The Carey's Camp historical marker page lists records such as the Election of the Trustees of Carey's M.E. Church from February 5, 1891 and a deed from Ulysses Carey and his wife May to the Trustees dated September 14, 1908. Both are at the Sussex County Recorder of Deeds.
Lewes Recording Fees
Recording fees in Sussex County are the lowest in the state. A two-page Lewes deed costs $49. A 20-page mortgage runs $211. Each extra page on any document adds $9.
Copy costs for Lewes deeds:
- Self-service copy card: $0.50 per page
- Staff-printed copy: $1 per page
- Mail or email copy: $2 per page
- Certified copy: $3 at the counter
Transfer tax on a Lewes home sale is 1.5% state and 1.5% county, for a combined 3%. Buyer and seller typically split the total 50/50. Lewes does not add a local transfer tax, so the total stays at 3%. First-time home buyers can get the county share waived if they meet the Delaware test. This exemption is a real help in Lewes, where waterfront prices run high.
Note: Lewes waterfront deeds sometimes carry old riparian rights or access easements. Always order a full title search before buying a shore parcel.
Historical Lewes Deed Records
Lewes was the first European settlement in Delaware, dating to 1631. Many of the oldest Lewes land records went to Holland, Sweden, or New Amsterdam during the early colonial period. Few records from before 1655 survive. Later records are in the Sussex County books and in the Delaware Public Archives.
Lewes property descriptions in old deeds sometimes include detailed metes and bounds. One example from the legislative record describes "All that certain tract, piece or parcel of land situate in the Corporate limits of the City of Lewes, and also being situate in Lewes and Rehoboth Hundred, Sussex County, and State of Delaware, and being bounded on the North by the low water mark of the Delaware Bay, on the East by Roosevelt Inlet, on the South by the low water mark, on the Northerly side of the Broadkill River, on the West by the line of the Corporate limits of the City of Lewes." This kind of description is standard for old Lewes waterfront deeds.
Microfilm copies of Sussex County deeds from 1693 to 1850 and indexes from 1682 to 1844 are at the FamilySearch Library. For Lewes properties tied to colonial grants, these old records are often the only source.
Lewes Deed Records and Delaware Law
All Lewes recordings follow Delaware Code Title 9, Chapter 96. Under Section 9605, the Sussex County recorder must accept deeds, mortgages, indentures, and leases tied to a Lewes property. Title 25, Section 151 requires each Lewes deed to be recorded in Sussex County since that is where the land sits. The recorder cannot accept a deed without an affidavit of residence and gain, a tax parcel number on the first page, and a "prepared by" line showing the drafter's name and address.
Lewes is an attorney closing city inside an attorney closing state. Only a Delaware-licensed attorney can conduct a Lewes closing and disburse settlement funds. Both buyer and seller typically have their own attorney at the closing table. The attorneys run the title search, handle the final closing statement, and send the deed to Sussex County for recording.
Lewes deed language usually follows the standard Delaware "grant, bargain and convey" form. This creates a special warranty of title rather than a general warranty. Buyers often order title insurance to cover gaps from earlier owners. For waterfront Lewes parcels, the title insurance usually also covers any old riparian rights or access easements in the chain of title. The insurance policy is a smart buy given the age and value of most Lewes shoreline homes.
Sussex County Deed Records
Lewes is in Sussex County. For more on the county office, search tools, and fees, see the county page.
Nearby Cities
These Delaware cities are near Lewes. Each files deeds through its own county recorder.