Sussex County Deed Records

Sussex County deed records are filed at the Recorder of Deeds office at 2 The Circle in Georgetown. The office keeps every deed, mortgage, and lien for property in the county. Records go back more than two centuries. Online search is free through the Landmark Web portal. You can look up any parcel by owner name, street address, or parcel ID. This page covers the search tools, the office hours, the fees for copies, and the steps to file a new Sussex County deed.

Sussex County Recorder of Deeds

The Sussex County Recorder of Deeds is led by Alexandra Reed Baker. The office exists to serve Sussex County residents by recording and indexing deeds, mortgages, and related papers in a timely way, collecting the right fees and taxes, and providing staff with the training to do the job well.

Sussex County also operates a full suite of property and land use tools that tie into the deed records. The main county portal links out to property search, deeds search, tax info, PDF maps, online mapping, and sheriff sales. The site is the hub for most Sussex County records work.

Search Sussex County Deed Records

Sussex County runs two main online tools for deed records. Both are free to search and view. Pick the one that matches your goal.

The Sussex County Landmark Web Official Records Search is the main tool for recorded documents. It holds property deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and related papers. Search by grantor name, grantee name, book and page, or document type. The office warns users to try every spelling variation of a proper name, since indexing styles have changed over the years.

The Sussex County Property Search pulls together assessment and tax data for every parcel. You can search by owner, street address, parcel ID, or through the advanced search form. Results show the assessed value, tax status, basic property traits, and a short ownership history. The site notes that the info is compiled from recorded deeds, plats, and tax maps, and is for convenience only. Always cross-check with the official record at the recorder office.

Search tips for Sussex County:

• Try multiple spellings of a last name
• For old records, start with the Landmark Web then verify in person
• Use the property search for the parcel ID, then take that ID to Landmark Web
• For a chain of title, pull every deed back to the earliest grantor

Sussex County also ties deed research to its Assessment Department and Planning and Zoning Department for land use questions. The Assessment Department handles property values and tax status. The Planning and Zoning Department keeps records tied to subdivisions, setbacks, and land use rules. All three offices share the same parcel number system, so you can move a parcel ID from one system to the next without trouble.

Documents in Sussex County Deed Records

The Sussex County recorder takes every kind of paper that affects real property. The office indexes each one by grantor and grantee, and by book and page. A clean index is what makes the online search useful.

Documents in the Sussex County file:

• Warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds
• Mortgages and satisfaction pieces
• Federal tax liens and state tax liens
• Easements and right-of-way grants
• Assignments of mortgage
• Plot plans and subdivision maps
• Transfer on Death deeds (new as of Dec. 5)

Sussex County also began recording Transfer on Death deeds on Dec. 5 under the new Transfer on Death Act. The deed names an heir who will get the property when the owner dies. No probate is needed. The owner keeps full control during life and can revoke or replace the deed at any time. This is a new option for Sussex County homeowners who want a simple estate tool.

Under Delaware Code Title 29 Section 10003(h), Sussex County officials must respond to FOIA requests within 15 business days. So if the Landmark Web does not show what you need, a written request to deeds@sussexcountyde.gov will get you to an answer within a few weeks. For court records on top of the deed file, use the Delaware Court Connect online portal to search civil, criminal, and traffic cases tied to the same party.

Sussex County Recording Fees

Recording fees in Sussex County are the lowest of the three Delaware counties for most documents. A two-page deed costs $49. A 20-page mortgage runs $211. A two-page power of attorney costs $49. Each extra page on any document adds $9.

Copy costs at Sussex County:

• 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

Sussex County also collects the state and county portions of transfer tax, which come to a combined 3%. This splits 50/50 between buyer and seller unless the contract says otherwise. First-time home buyers can get the county portion waived if they meet the Delaware rules, and most Sussex County towns recognize the state exemption.

Sussex County Historical Deed Records

Sussex County property records go back more than two centuries. The oldest bound deed books cover 1693 onward. Microfilm copies of Sussex County deeds from 1693 to 1850 and indexes from 1682 to 1844 are available at the FamilySearch Library. These are a good backup when the county office can't find a specific record.

For historical research, many of the oldest Sussex County deeds are tied to the "hundreds" system that Delaware used to divide land for taxation. A deed from Lewes and Rehoboth Hundred, Broadkill Hundred, or Nanticoke Hundred will use these old names rather than modern town lines. Knowing the hundred is key to tracing a property back to a colonial grant.

The Sussex County office also links into the Delaware Public Archives, which keeps the very oldest land records on file in Dover. A trip to the archives is sometimes needed for anything from before 1850. The archive staff can pull bound books and microfilm reels on request.

Sussex County Deed Records Research Tips

Deed research in Sussex County often spans the online system, the bound books in Georgetown, and the state archives in Dover. Start with the Landmark Web search for any record after the 1990s. Drop back to the bound books for mid-century records and microfilm for colonial work.

A few notes that help when working with Sussex County records:

• Many early records use the old "hundred" names, not modern towns
• Spelling of family names often shifted over generations
• Metes and bounds descriptions can be hard to plot without a modern survey
• The tax parcel number did not exist in early records, so use the legal description to match

When in doubt, call the Sussex County office at (302) 855-7785 or email deeds@sussexcountyde.gov. Staff will guide you to the right book or microfilm reel. They cannot do the search for you, but they can tell you where to look.

Cities in Sussex County

These Sussex County cities file deeds at the Georgetown recorder office.

Nearby Delaware Counties

Looking for records in another county? Try these.