Civil Cases
How to file, defend, respond to, and appeal a general civil action. Also, obtain information on collecting a judgement and post judgement procedures.
Justice of the Peace Court
Effective July 1, 2024 the Justice of the Peace Court will provide a free Residential Eviction Diversion Program for landlords and tenants involved in eviction cases. This program provides an opportunity for landlords and tenants to discuss a potential resolution of any issues before resorting to a legal eviction. For more information, go to https://courts.delaware.gov/jpcourt/landlordtenant.
Effective March 3, 2024, Justice of the Peace Court 3 in Georgetown, Delaware, will be reducing its hours as part of a pilot program. The court will be open from 6:00 a.m. – midnight daily and will be staffed with judicial officers from 8:00 a.m. – midnight. The court will not accept new cases after 11:00 p.m. and all in-person and virtual activity after 11:00 p.m. should be directed to Justice of the Peace Court 7, 480 Bank Lane, Dover, Delaware.
This is a pilot program and will be in effect until further notice. Any questions or concerns may be directed to the Justice of the Peace Court Administrator during normal business hours at 302-323-4530.
Effective March 3, 2024, Justice of the Peace Court 3 in Georgetown, Delaware, will be reducing its hours as part of a pilot program. The court will be open from 6:00 a.m. – midnight daily and will be staffed with judicial officers from 8:00 a.m. – midnight. The court will not accept new cases after 11:00 p.m. and all in-person and virtual activity after 11:00 p.m. should be directed to Justice of the Peace Court 7, 480 Bank Lane, Dover, Delaware.
This is a pilot program and will be in effect until further notice. Any questions or concerns may be directed to the Justice of the Peace Court Administrator during normal business hours at 302-323-4530.
Cellular telephones and other personal electronic devices are allowed in court facilities with restrictions which can be found in the Portable Electronic Devices policy.
When Coming to
Court
Who We
Are
As the place where justice starts, it is the mission of the Justice of the Peace Court to serve the people of Delaware and its court users through the efficient and accessible administration of justice and to treat all persons with integrity, fairness, and respect. Legal Jurisdiction of the Justice of the Peace Court is explained in our Jurisdiction section.
Information and
Assistance
Criminal Cases
Criminal court proceeding information including crime victim information, offense and defendant information and probation before judgement.
Court Proceedings
See the differences between a civil, criminal, and traffic case. You can also learn about your options if you have received a traffic ticket, and check out our FAQ and Legal Glossary.
Landlord/Tenant
Everything you need to know about landlord/tenant matters in the JP Court.
Make an ePayment
Make an ePayment using the Delaware Courts payment service designed to allow citizens to pay, using a safe and secure online form.
eFiling in Justice of Peace Court
Any person intending to eFile in the Justice of the Peace Court must register and attend the eFlex class. Please visit the efiling page for available training session and to sign up for class.
Latest
News
Governor Meyer Recognizes 60th Anniversary of the Justice of the Peace Court Joining the Delaware Judiciary
In a short ceremony at his Wilmington office on March 31, 2025, Gov. Meyer signed a proclamation recognizing the 60th Anniversary of the Justice of the Peace Court joining the Delaware State Court System, declaring the Justice of the Peace Court “a cornerstone of our state’s judicial system” that has provided the citizens of Delaware accessible, efficient and fair judicial services.
Justice of the Peace Court 3 in Georgetown to Change Hours of Operation
Effective March 3, 2024, Justice of the Peace Court 3 in Georgetown, Delaware, will be reducing its hours as part of a pilot program. The court will be open from 6:00 a.m. – midnight daily and will be staffed with judicial officers from 8:00 a.m. – midnight. The court will not accept new cases after 11:00 p.m. and all in-person and virtual activity after 11:00 p.m. should be directed to Justice of the Peace Court 7, 480 Bank Lane, Dover, Delaware.
Justice of the Peace Court Call Center Logs One Million Calls
This month the Justice of the Peace Court’s eight-year-old call center – set up to improve access for the public and increase efficiency for court staff – received its one millionth call, a significant milestone and proof that the center is fulfilling its mission. The Mark E. Hitch Information Center was created in 2015 to improve access for the public and allow staff at courthouses to focus on in-person clients.
Justice of the Peace Court Management Analyst Charlotte Walsh Named 2023 Judicial Branch Employee of the Year
Charlotte, who has been with the Justice of the Peace Court for more than 34 years, started as a clerk in 1989, worked her way up through the ranks to Judicial Case Processor – where she oversaw the clerical staff – and then to Management Analyst III. Charlotte’s contributions may not be visible to the general public, but her work is well known to both court management and her peers and is critical to the court’s everyday operations.
Updated JP Criminal Form 51 “Request to Transfer from VAC”
Effective 8/1/23 - JP Criminal Form 51 is used to request the transfer of a Voluntary Assessment ticket, or mail-in fine, to a court location for a hearing. Once the Voluntary Assessment Center receives the JP Criminal Form 51 request, they will transfer the case to the appropriate location for the hearing as indicated on the request form. Once the case is transferred, the fine amount due is put on hold pending the final disposition of the case and cannot be paid to avoid attending the newly scheduled court date. The requestor of the transfer will receive a notice to appear at the appropriate court of jurisdiction on a scheduled date and time. Any further communication regarding the transferred case should be sent to that court location.
Updated Civil Form No. 50 Certificate of Representation for an Artificial Entity or Public Body
Effective 11/28/23 – The Justice of the Peace Court has updated their Certificate of Representation for an Artificial Entity or Public Body (Form 50) document. The court removed the principle office address and added an optional field requesting the number of units owned or managed by the entity. Please use this new form in place of any old copies of the form 50 you may be using.
Updated Standard E-Filing Rejection Reasons List (Civil)
Effective October 16, 2023 - The Justice of the Peace Court has updated their Standard E-Filing Rejection Reasons List with the following item “WHEN USING A FILLABLE FORM, FILL THE FORM AND SAVE A COPY TO YOUR PC SO YOU CAN EDIT IT LATER IF NEEDED. THEN SELECT PRINT AND SELECT "ADOBE PDF" AS THE PRINTER. THIS WILL SAVE A NON-EDITABLE PDF VERSION OF THE DOCUMENT TO YOUR PC AND IS THE VERSION YOU SHOULD ATTACH TO YOUR FILING.” This update is to protect your filing documents from being updated by the court and/or other parties.
Delaware Courts to hold second “Safe Surrender” Event on November 3, 2023 in Dover
The Delaware Judiciary will be hosting its second “Safe Surrender” event of 2023 on Friday Nov. 3, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Kent County Courthouse in Dover to give individuals who have outstanding warrants or capiases a chance to clear their records in a one-stop, day-long event with help from the entire justice system.
Justice of the Peace Court 2 Moves to New Location on June 12, 2023
On Monday June 12, 2023 Justice of the Peace Court 2 will close operations in its current location in Rehoboth Beach and reopen five miles north in Lewes on June 14, 2023 at 16283 Willow Creek Road.
Delaware Courts to hold “Safe Surrender” Event on May 12, 2023 at Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington
The Delaware Judiciary will be hosting a “safe surrender” event from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday May 12, 2023 at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington to give individuals who have outstanding warrants or capiases a chance to clear their records in a one-stop, day-long event with help from the entire justice system.
UPDATED CIVIL FORM NO. 49 APPLICATION AND AFFIDAVIT TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS
Effective February 20, 2023 - The Justice of the Peace Court has updated their JP Civil Form No. 49 Application and Affidavit to Proceed In Forma Pauperis and Order to make it more user-friendly for self-represented litigants.
UPDATED CIVIL FORM 58 SUBPOENA IN A CIVIL CASE
Effective February 17, 2023 - The Justice of the Peace Court has updated their Subpoena in a Civil Case CF58. Subpoena now includes wording to include ZOOM hearings and ZOOM link information.
UPDATED CIVIL FORM 31 SERVICE FOR NON-RESIDENTS INSTRUCTIONS
Effective February 16, 2023 - The Justice of the Peace Court has updated their Service for Non-Residents Instructions document CF31. See last page, item (C) “If Form 31A (Affidavit of Service) is not returned to the Court within 365 days (1 year), the case may be dismissed by the Court.
UPDATED FORM 50 INSTRUCTION DOCUMENT
Effective February 15, 2023 - The Justice of the Peace Court has updated their Certificate Representation Artificial Entity (Form 50) Instruction document CF50I. The instructions now include a reminder on the last page that all Form 50 agents MUST submit an approved Form 50 with all filings to the Court and to bring a copy of the approved Form 50 to every court appearance.