Search Dover 72 Hour Booking
Dover 72 Hour Booking records cover the first stage of jail intake for arrests made in Delaware's capital city. A Dover 72 Hour Booking can start with city police, state troopers, or Capitol Police, and most male arrestees end up at James T. Vaughn in Smyrna within hours. Search by name or case number through CourtConnect and the state inmate locator. This page walks you through Dover Police, the Vaughn booking site, local courts, and the FOIA steps for a Dover 72 Hour Booking record.
Dover 72 Hour Booking Overview
Dover Police and Booking Intake
The Dover Police Department sits at 400 South Queen Street. As the force that serves the state capital, Dover PD handles arrests in the city and some support in the state building zone. The Records Division pulls criminal reports, arrest reports, and traffic crash reports for the public. Most arrestees from Dover move to a state site for full booking within a few hours.
Dover Police are one of three main arresting bodies in the city. The Dover Police work day-to-day city crimes. The Delaware State Police cover state roads and some major cases. Delaware Capitol Police cover the state buildings and grounds. Each of these may start a Dover 72 Hour Booking file, and they all feed data into DELJIS.
Look up the city via the City of Dover official site for the latest contact info and department hours.
The city site links out to Police, the City Clerk's office, and the main phone numbers for each city unit.
Note: Dover PD holds arrestees briefly. Full booking and 72 hour custody happens at James T. Vaughn in Smyrna, about 15 miles north of the city.
James T. Vaughn and Kent County Intake
James T. Vaughn Correctional Center is the main booking jail for male arrestees in Dover and across Kent County. Vaughn sits at 1181 Paddock Road in Smyrna. The main line is (302) 653-9261. Vaughn is the largest men's jail in Delaware and runs all security levels. Dover 72 Hour Booking cases for men move there after the first steps at the Dover Police station.
Female arrestees from Dover book at the Baylor Women's Correctional Institution in New Castle. Baylor is the state's only female jail. The trip is longer for Dover arrestees, but there is no other option under Delaware's unified jail system.
Dover has two local correctional sites too. The Morris Community Corrections Center is in the city and handles work release. The Central Violation of Probation Center is also in Dover and covers short probation hold cases. Both sites are run by the Delaware DOC.
To check live custody status, use the Delaware DOC Inmate Locator. The tool runs on VINE and updates 24 hours a day.
The locator shows where each Dover 72 Hour Booking sits, the case status, and the next court date.
The main DOC site links out to each jail with visit rules, mail steps, and victim alert sign-up.
Courts After a Dover 72 Hour Booking
The Kent County Courthouse sits at 38 The Green in Dover. The courthouse hosts the Superior Court, which handles all felony cases out of a Dover 72 Hour Booking. Misdemeanors and some preliminary matters go to the Court of Common Pleas at 150 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd South. The main Common Pleas line is (302) 735-1900.
Search case data through Delaware CourtConnect. The portal lets you look up cases by name, case number, or attorney. Results include case status, next hearing, and docket entries linked to the Dover 72 Hour Booking.
The Delaware Superior Court site has location details, court staff, and the rules of procedure. See the Court of Common Pleas site for misdemeanor info and traffic case handling.
Bail review happens fast. Most Dover 72 Hour Booking arrestees see a magistrate within 24 hours for arraignment. The court sets bond terms at that step and gives the next court date. Write down the docket number so you can pull the case later.
Dover FOIA for Booking Records
Dover runs a FOIA process through the City Clerk's Office. The coordinator sits at 15 Loockerman Plaza. The main line is (302) 736-7008 and the fax is (302) 736-5068. You can email the clerk at cityclerk@dover.de.us to file a FOIA request for a Dover 72 Hour Booking record held by Dover Police.
Under the state FOIA law, public bodies have 15 business days to reply. The first 20 pages of black and white copies are free. Extra pages run $0.10 each. Color copies carry a $1 add-on. If the case is active, some parts of the file may be held back under 29 Del. C. ยง 10002, which blocks release of open criminal files.
Kent County also runs its own FOIA portal. Check the Kent County FOIA page for county-level requests tied to a Dover 72 Hour Booking.
The county FOIA tool lets you pick the right public body and track your reply online.
For a state-level FOIA on state police records, see the DSP FOIA page. The DSP handles requests tied to a Dover 72 Hour Booking made by state troopers from Troop 3 in Camden.
Note: File separate FOIA notes for each agency. Dover PD, Kent County, and DSP all keep their own records and will not cross-pull for one request.
DSP Troop 3 and State Coverage
Delaware State Police Troop 3 covers the Dover area. The troop is at 3859 Bay Road in Camden, just south of the city. The main line is (302) 697-4454. Troop 3 handles state road arrests, some major crimes, and back-up calls for the city. Booking data from Troop 3 feeds into DELJIS, the state's core criminal hub.
Check the DSP Arrest Archives for press notes on state-level arrests in and around Dover. The archive posts charges, the arresting officer's troop, and the court of arraignment. It gives you a free look at a Dover 72 Hour Booking from state roads.
The State Bureau of Identification Kent office is in Dover at 600 South Bay Road, Suite 1. The main line is (302) 739-5871. SBI Kent handles fingerprints and state background checks. Walk-in hours run 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM by appointment. Fees are $52 for a state check and $65 for a state-plus-FBI check. See the DSP background check page for steps.
DELJIS HQ also sits in Dover at 800 Silver Lake Blvd, Suites 101-102. DELJIS runs the state's main booking database and shares data with all police in Delaware. Check the DELJIS homepage to review open warrants with a name and date of birth. Title 11, Chapter 85 of the Delaware Code lays out the rules. See 11 Del. C. Chapter 85 for the statute.
County and Nearby City Links
Dover is the seat of Kent County. The county page covers the full list of booking sites and courts in Kent County.
Nearby cities with 72 Hour Booking pages: