Our holdings contain birth records older than 72 years and marriage records older than 50 years. If you were born after 1951 or married after 1973 you need to contact the Office of Vital Statistics at (302) 744-4549 (https://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/ss/vitalstats.html). If you were born or married before these years, please contact us directly using archives@delaware.gov or call (302) 744-5000 to obtain a certified copy of your certificate(s).
Divorce records are obtained from the county where the divorce was granted.
For Divorces from 1976 to the present, please contact:
For Divorces from 1975 and prior please contact:
The research room staff can supply you with a certified copy of your pardon if you provide us with your name at the time of the pardon, the year of the pardon, and the Governor who granted your pardon. The cost is $10.00 for each request.
Visit our Research Room for full access to Ancestry.com and various records like birth, marriage, death, land, and newspapers. Not all of our records are digitized, but you can contact us to schedule an appointment to do family history research on-site.
Please read about obtaining Dual Citizenship on our Dual Citizenship Page.
We do not charge patrons a search fee. Please view our fees on our Duplication Fees Page.
The Archives is open Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. We’re closed on weekends and state holidays, and we have no current plans to open on Saturdays.
The Delaware Public Archives has over 1 million photographs in its collections. These images date from the 1850s to the present (the majority are from the 1920s to the 1990s) and include views of most aspects of Delaware life.
Some of our collections have been digitized and can be found in our Digital Archives. To view the collections that have not been digitized, you can visit the Research Room.
Please view our Preservation Basics page for helpful information about preservation at home. We also offer presentations for groups interested in basic preservation.
We accept public donations, which are reviewed quarterly by our Accessions Committee. Please visit our Donations and Accessioning page for information on what material the Archives will accept, the donation process, and more.
Kindly utilize the tax assessments and Treasurer Records (Journal A and Waste Book A) to demonstrate patriotic service. The links for both organizations are here:
The rate at which we respond to inquiries depends primarily on the number of requests we receive. The more requests we receive the longer it will take for us to respond. In most cases we respond within a week or two; however, we may take up to one month to respond. We ask patrons not to resubmit a request until 30 days have passed.
We are dedicated to continuously reviewing and enhancing our descriptive practices to incorporate more respectful and inclusive terminology when possible. Please see our Harmful Content Advisory for more information.
Please visit our Volunteer & Internship Opportunities page for information on volunteering or interning at the Archives and how to apply.
Check statejobs.delaware.gov, choose State under the Agency/Dept filter, and look for Delaware Public Archives under Work Locations for openings.
Yes, call 302-744-5000 or email archives@delaware.gov to arrange a tour for you or your group. We also offer tours tailored for school groups; contact us with your group’s details and interests.
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