Dover Booking Reports
Dover is the state capital and the seat of Kent County. Dover Booking Reports are held by the Dover Police Department Records Unit at 15 The Plaza. The city splits its public records work between the Dover Police side and the City Clerk's Office. This page lays out each desk, the phone lines, the fees, and the state tools that let you search for a Dover booking file or a local police report.
Dover Records Overview
Dover Police Records Unit
The Dover Police Records Unit sits at the main station at 15 The Plaza, Dover, DE 19903. The line is (302) 736-7105. The unit is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The unit holds incident reports, arrest reports, crash reports, and investigative notes.
Crime reports are free for victims. A victim must show up in person with photo ID. The Records Unit can verify a report is ready before you drive down. Custodial parents can pull a copy for a minor child. Next of kin can pull one for a deceased victim with proof of relationship.
Insurance firms can request copies tied to their insured's property. The fee is $25 per report. The Dover PD page at doverpolice.org/policereport gives the full process and mailing route.
Note: Fire Investigative Reports are not given out unless a court signs a subpoena. Get a Statement of Verification from the City Fire Marshal's Office instead.
Dover Booking Reports and City FOIA
The City of Dover FOIA Coordinator is Crystal Wheeler, who also serves as the city's Records Manager. The City Clerk's Office can be reached at (302) 736-7008 or cityclerk@dover.de.us. The City of Dover FOIA page sets out the rules.
FOIA requests follow the state rule at Title 29, Chapter 100 of the Delaware Code. Every city department has 15 business days to reply. The first 20 pages are free. After that the cost is $0.10 per sheet. An admin fee kicks in after one hour of staff time.
The Clerk's Office pairs with the Records Unit on formal FOIA pulls for Dover Booking Reports. The Clerk tracks the 15-day clock. The Records Unit holds the file. A FOIA request for police data can be sent through the City Clerk's intake or direct to the Records Unit.
Fire Marshal and Arson Cases
The Dover Fire Marshal is Jason Osika. The office line is (302) 736-7099. Email is Josika@dover.de.us. The office is at City of Dover, P.O. Box 475, Dover, DE 19903.
The Fire Marshal works with the Dover Police on any fire that looks like arson. The 2022 annual report logged 37 fire investigations with total fire loss of $1,421,905. Of those, 6 were ruled incendiary or arson. One arrest came from those six. 14 fires were ruled undetermined with $1,052,502 in loss. The office clocked 145 investigation hours that year.
Fire investigative reports stay out of public release unless a court order asks for them. A person can get a Statement of Verification from the office for insurance or related work.
Kent County Records and Dover Booking Reports
Because Dover is the county seat, many state and county desks sit inside the city. The Kent County Levy Court at 555 Bay Road is a short drive from the Dover Police HQ. The Levy Court handles county-side public records, not police files. Their site at kentcountyde.gov has a running list of resources.
The Kent County Sheriff's Office is part of the county side. The Sheriff is Hon. Norman Barlow. The line is (302) 744-2161. The Sheriff's Office handles warrant service and civil process, not town arrests.
The Kent County Courthouse at 414 Federal Street houses the Court of Common Pleas. The Clerk of Court line is (302) 735-3900. Criminal dockets and judgments for Dover cases live in the Clerk's office.
Delaware State Police Troop 3
Delaware State Police Troop 3 sits at 1653 South Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901. The line is (302) 697-4454. Troop 3 covers state highways and rural parts of Kent County, including stretches near Dover that the city police do not patrol.
Troop 3 works hand in hand with Dover Police on major cases. A person booked by a state trooper on Route 13 will have a file at Troop 3, not Dover PD. Send the records request to the DSP records section.
The Delaware State Bureau of Identification has its main office at 600 S. Bay Road Suite 1, Dover, DE 19901. SBI runs the state's criminal history work through fingerprint-based checks. A state-only report is $72. A state plus federal report is $85. Book a slot at IdentoGO.
Off-Highway Vehicle Arrests in Dover
Dover runs a strict rule on dirt bikes and ATVs. City Ordinance 18-040 bans riding an OHV on any public street, sidewalk, or right-of-way in the city. State law requires OHV owners to register the vehicle. A person who owns an unregistered OHV faces a civil fine of $2,000.
Dover Police can seize an OHV if there is probable cause the rider broke the rule. Owners may give up the vehicle within 48 hours of the fine. OHV arrests and seizures end up in the same Records Unit as other Dover Booking Reports.
State Tools for Dover Booking Reports
The state-level tools cover Dover as well as the rest of Delaware. The Wanted Person Search on DELJIS lists open warrants tied to Kent County and Dover. The VINELink tool shows live inmate status at DOC sites.
Steps to pull a Dover booking file:
- Call the Records Unit at (302) 736-7105
- Confirm the file is ready
- Bring photo ID in person for a victim copy
- Pay by check, money order, or cash (no credit cards)
- Use the City Clerk for a formal FOIA pull
Appeals to a FOIA denial go through the Delaware Attorney General's FOIA page. The AG issues written rulings on disputes and sets guidance for coordinators.
The Delaware Sex Offender Registry at sexoffender.dsp.delaware.gov lets Dover residents search by zip code for tier 2 and tier 3 registrants tied to a local address.
Dover Booking Reports Request Process
A clean Dover records pull starts with a clear request. Call the Records Unit first at (302) 736-7105. The clerk can tell you if the file is ready, what the fee is, and who needs to come in person. Walk-in hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday. No weekend pulls.
Bring photo ID for a victim copy. Bring a check or money order if you are an insurance firm paying the $25 fee. Cash is fine in person, but is not used for mail-ins. Credit cards are not taken at all.
If the arresting officer was a state trooper, the file is at DSP Troop 3 on South Bay Road. If the arresting officer was a Kent County Sheriff's deputy, the file is at the Sheriff's Office at 555 Bay Road. If a federal agent was involved, the federal case file may live at the U.S. Attorney's Office. Name the lead agency up front to cut back on ping-pong between desks.
Requests that cross agencies can take more than 15 business days. Start with the lead agency, then work out from there.