Wilmington Booking Reports
Wilmington is the largest city in Delaware and the hub of New Castle County. Wilmington Booking Reports are kept by the Wilmington Police Department at 300 North Walnut Street. The WPD Records Unit is the front door for public record pulls. The city also gives victims free report copies in person. This page lays out the WPD records desk, the FOIA portal, the Cold Case Unit, and the state tools that can help you search for a Wilmington booking file.
Wilmington Records Overview
Wilmington Police Records Unit
The WPD Records Unit is inside the main police building at 300 North Walnut Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. The line for records is (302) 576-3607. The unit processes all requests for incident reports, arrest reports, and crash reports. It works under state FOIA rules and city policy.
A victim's copy of an incident or crime report is free. The victim must come in person with photo ID. The unit can tell you if a report is ready before you drive down. Next of kin can pull a report for a deceased victim with proof of relationship. Custodial parents can pull a report for a minor child.
Crash report copies work on a different track. The fee is $20. You can pay by check or money order made out to the Wilmington Police Department. Mail the request, the fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Records Unit at 300 North Walnut Street. Include a short note with the date, location, and names of the drivers.
Note: Victim copies are only for the person listed on the report. Third parties and friends of the victim do not qualify.
Wilmington Booking Reports and FOIA
The City of Wilmington runs a FOIA Request Portal powered by GovQA. The portal lets any person submit a request, track the status, and search the public archive of prior requests. Wilmington follows Delaware FOIA rules under Title 29, Chapter 100 of the Delaware Code along with the city's own access rules.
A FOIA request should list the records sought in clear terms. Give a date range. Give a location. Give names if you have them. The city has 15 business days to reply under state law. Fees follow the statewide schedule: first 20 pages free, then $0.10 per sheet.
Anonymous requests are allowed. Keep in mind that an anonymous path blocks follow-up contact. If the city needs more detail to find a file, they cannot call you back.
The city does not sell or rent data. The 311 system stores caller info if it's given. Personally identifiable info in 311 calls is kept for follow-up only.
Wilmington Police Administrative Branch
The WPD Administrative Branch houses the Records Unit, the Evidence Unit, and the Technical Resource Unit. The Evidence Unit keeps chain-of-custody notes for every item the police seize. The Technical Resource Unit handles digital evidence, including video files sent by the public.
Records Unit staff need a few things to find a file. Date of the incident. Place of the incident. Names of the people on the report. Your tie to the case, such as victim, witness, or insurance firm. If you have a WPD report number, the pull is faster.
The Records Unit is part of the city's public-facing work. Formal FOIA requests are often cross-referenced with the City Clerk's office, which tracks the 15-day clock.
Video Evidence and Crime Tips
Wilmington runs an online video evidence portal at wilmingtonde.gov/Footage. The portal is hosted by Axon through Evidence.com. The public can send in video and photo evidence tied to a crime. Fill out the web form with date, time, block, and a short note on what the footage shows. After you submit, you get a one-time upload link by email.
The Technical Resource Unit reviews every clip. Footage can come from door cameras, dash cams, or phones. A video submission is not a substitute for a police report. Victims still need to file a report with WPD.
Anonymous tips go to Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. Rewards can run up to $5,000. The Crime Stoppers site is delawarecrimestoppers.com.
Wilmington Cold Case Unit
The WPD Cold Case Unit works unsolved cases that have sat open for a year or more. The unit is part of the Criminal Investigations Division. Cold case investigators work with an agent from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on some cases.
The unit office line is (302) 576-3937. Sgt. Thomas Curley can be reached at (302) 576-3625 or Thomas.Curley@cj.state.de.us. Anyone with info on a cold case can share it direct or through the Crime Stoppers tip line.
Cold case notes stay out of public FOIA returns while the case is open. Old closed case records can be requested through the Records Unit. The agency may still hold some pieces back under the investigatory file exemption.
Wilmington Alert System
The Wilmington Police Department uses Nixle to push out alerts, advisories, and public safety notes. Residents can sign up to get the alerts by email at the WPD Nixle page. The page also holds a running archive of past alerts.
Recent alerts have covered vehicle theft, illegal dirt bike and ATV runs, and calls for help on live cases. The department also runs social feeds on Facebook (@WilmingtonPolice), X (@WPDPIO), and Instagram (@WPDPIO). None of those feeds replace a formal records pull for Wilmington Booking Reports.
Wilmington Court and State Police Links
Wilmington cases heard in state court go to the Leonard J. Williams Justice Center, also known as the New Castle County Courthouse, at 500 N. King Street. The Court of Common Pleas for the county meets in that building. The Clerk of Court's Criminal Section line is (302) 255-0112.
The Wilmington Police work with Delaware State Police Troop 2 in Newark for cross-town cases. Troop 2 sits at 100 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, DE 19702. The main line is (302) 834-2630. Troop 2 also handles fingerprint-based criminal history checks through the State Bureau of Identification.
Residents who need a certified state criminal history should look at the SBI Criminal History page. A Wilmington fingerprint slot can be booked through IdentoGO at uenroll.identogo.com. The fee is $72 for a state check and $85 for a state plus federal check.
State Tools for Wilmington Booking Reports
Statewide search tools pick up Wilmington cases too. The Wanted Person Search on the DELJIS site lists open warrants. The VINELink inmate locator tracks people held at DOC sites. The Sex Offender Registry lists tier 2 and tier 3 offenders by city, county, or zip code.
Steps to pull a Wilmington booking file:
- Call the WPD Records Unit at (302) 576-3607 to confirm the file is ready
- Bring photo ID for a victim copy
- Submit a FOIA request through the city GovQA portal for non-victim pulls
- Pay any fee by check or money order
- Allow 15 business days for a formal reply
Use the state FOIA path when the city points you elsewhere. The Attorney General's FOIA page has the form, the deadline rules, and the appeal route.