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Delaware · Delaware Beaches · Delmarva Peninsula · #328 Most Populous County in the US
Sussex County, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, and the Delaware beaches - the "Nation's Summer Capital" (as Rehoboth has called itself since FDR era Washington politicians vacationed there), remarkable tax advantages, and the fastest-growing county in Delaware. Where retirees from Delaware and Maryland discover that Delaware's property taxes are among the lowest in the East. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Sussex County residents.
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Office: Sussex County Emergency Operations – (302) 855-7801 | sussexcountyde.gov
Alert System: DE-Alert; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Multiple shelter locations throughout the county; Sussex County Emergency Management (contact OEM for current shelter info)
FEMA Region: Region 3
Notes: Southern Delaware county; Georgetown is county seat; EXTREME coastal flooding and hurricane risk (Sussex County has the longest Delaware coastline – Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, Delaware Seashore; the barrier island and coastal community risk from hurricanes and nor’easters is among the highest in the Mid-Atlantic; Hurricane Sandy 2012 caused severe damage along Delaware’s coast; sea level rise is an acute and present threat to coastal communities); inland flooding (Nanticoke River, Broad Creek, Indian River); nor’easters; extreme heat (summers are hot and humid on the Delmarva Peninsula); wildfire risk (the Pocomoke State Forest and Great Cypress Swamp area have significant wildfire risk during dry periods – 2007 wildfire in the Great Cypress Swamp burned over 20,000 acres – one of the largest fires in Delaware/Maryland history); one of the fastest-growing counties in the Mid-Atlantic due to coastal resort development
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Sussex County maintains some roads (more county road function than other Delaware counties due to its rural extent); DelDOT primarily manages roads
Transit: DART First State Beach bus service (seasonal – connects Wilmington, Dover, and interior Delaware communities to the beaches); limited year-round bus service; car is essential for most of the county
Airport: Delaware Coastal Airport (Georgetown – (302) 684-3322; general aviation; no commercial service); Salisbury Regional Airport (Maryland – accessible for interior Sussex County); Philadelphia International (80+ miles north) for most commercial needs
Notes: US-1 (the primary Sussex County coastal route – connects Wilmington via Dover to Dewey Beach, Rehoboth Beach, and the Delaware Seashore; becomes extremely congested in summer with beach traffic – one of the most congested summer corridors in the Mid-Atlantic); US-13 (north-south through Georgetown, the county seat); SR-1 (limited access highway to the beaches); The Route 1 beach corridor is the defining summer transportation challenge – the 2-3 hour drive from Washington DC and Baltimore to Rehoboth Beach is the primary driver of the county’s summer economy
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Sussex County Planning and Zoning – (302) 855-7878 | sussexcountyde.gov
Services: County permits for unincorporated areas (the vast majority of Sussex County is unincorporated – county planning has significant influence); Georgetown (county seat), Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Bethany Beach, Seaford, Milford (portions), Dewey Beach, Fenwick Island, Millsboro, Laurel, Selbyville, Delmar (DE/MD border) separate
Notes: Sussex County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the entire Mid-Atlantic – beach resort development and retirement community development are driving enormous growth; Millsboro and the Route 24 corridor are experiencing explosive growth; Coastal wetland construction regulations are significant; Georgetown’s inland community is also growing; Sea Colony and other large planned communities; DNREC coastal zone regulations govern all coastal development; Rehoboth Beach has extensive historic district regulations
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Sussex County Veterans Services – (302) 855-7804
State: Delaware Division of Veterans Affairs – (302) 739-2792; Delaware Veterans Home (Milford – Kent/Sussex border; the primary state veterans home)
VA Medical: Wilmington VAMC (primary hospital – about 80 miles north; significant drive); Georgetown VA CBOC – (302) 856-5800 (important local outpatient access for Sussex County); Seaford VA CBOC – (302) 628-0900
Notes: Georgetown and Seaford CBOCs provide important local VA outpatient coverage for Sussex County; Wilmington VAMC is the hospital of record; Sussex County has a large and growing veteran population (many military retirees choose the Delaware beaches for retirement – the state has no income tax on pension income and military retirement pay, a significant attraction); telehealth is important for rural interior county veterans
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Sussex County Public Libraries – libraries.delaware.gov (state library system); Georgetown Public Library – (302) 856-7958; Rehoboth Beach Public Library – (302) 227-8044; Seaford District Library – (302) 629-2524; Lewes Public Library – (302) 645-4633; Bridgeville Public Library; Millsboro Public Library; Laurel Public Library; Milton Public Library
Services: Books, e-books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Delaware coast and maritime heritage; Nanticoke heritage; poultry industry history; beach community culture
Notes: Lewes Public Library serves one of Delaware’s most historically significant communities (Lewes was Delaware’s first settlement, 1631; the Cape Henlopen area has deep maritime heritage); Rehoboth Beach’s library serves a resort community with a distinctive LGBTQ+ community presence (Rehoboth Beach is the most significant LGBTQ+ beach resort in the Mid-Atlantic); Georgetown’s library serves the county seat and its agricultural interior community
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
State Parks: Delaware Seashore State Park (Rehoboth Beach/Dewey Beach – the primary Delaware beach state park; 7 miles of ocean and bay beaches; camping; swimming; surfing; birding; one of the finest Atlantic beach state parks in the Mid-Atlantic); Cape Henlopen State Park (Lewes – extraordinary state park at the mouth of Delaware Bay; the hawk watching tower is world-famous – Cape Henlopen is one of the East Coast’s premier fall hawk watching sites; WWII concrete observation towers; the “walking dunes”; fishing; camping; the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal); Trap Pond State Park (Laurel – the southernmost natural stand of bald cypress trees in the eastern US; beautiful black water pond; canoeing through bald cypress; excellent birding; camping; one of Delaware’s most unique natural areas); Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge (Milton – significant Delaware Bay shorebird and waterfowl habitat; part of the Atlantic Flyway shorebird corridor)
Regional: Rehoboth Beach (the “Nation’s Summer Capital” – traditionally the summer destination for Washington DC politicians and diplomats; now more broadly the premier beach resort of the Mid-Atlantic; the boardwalk, Dolle’s Candyland, Atlantic Sands, the beach itself; a distinctive and beloved resort community with a significant LGBTQ+ presence and strong food/restaurant culture); Lewes (Delaware’s oldest city (1631); the Cape May-Lewes Ferry connection to New Jersey; Zwaanendael Museum – Dutch colonial history; the Historic District is beautifully preserved; the Lewes Maritime Memorial; fishing fleet; boutique shops); Bethany Beach (“The Quiet Resort” – a family beach community with a distinctive peaceful character; the boardwalk and the native American heritage of Bethany); Cape May-Lewes Ferry (the 85-minute ferry crossing of Delaware Bay from Lewes, DE to Cape May, NJ – one of the Mid-Atlantic’s finest ferry experiences; 17 miles of open water crossing; spectacular Delaware Bay views; dolphins frequently visible; an important alternative to I-95 for coastal travel)
Notes: Sussex County’s coastal Delaware is one of the Mid-Atlantic’s premier beach destinations; Rehoboth Beach’s “Nation’s Summer Capital” designation (traditionally the summer retreat for Washington DC’s government community) reflects its long importance to the political class; Cape Henlopen State Park’s hawk watch (at the tip of the Delaware Bay peninsula where raptors funnel southward in fall – sharp-shinned hawks, Cooper’s hawks, ospreys, merlins, peregrine falcons pass through in thousands) is one of the East Coast’s finest; Trap Pond’s bald cypress swamp (the northernmost natural stand of bald cypress on the East Coast) is genuinely extraordinary – canoeing through the moss-draped cypress trees in the black water creates a uniquely Southern landscape in Delaware; the Cape May-Lewes Ferry crossing is one of the finest short ferry experiences in the eastern US – the open water crossing of Delaware Bay, the approach to the Victorian seaside town of Cape May, and the wildlife (bottlenose dolphins often follow the ferries) make it genuinely memorable
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Sussex County GIS – sussexcountyde.gov/gis; Delaware FirstMap; NOAA coastal mapping (extensive); DNREC coastal zone maps; Delaware Seashore and Cape Henlopen maps; Prime Hook NWR maps; sea level rise vulnerability mapping
Notes: Sussex County has an active GIS system; coastal flood hazard mapping is among the most extensive in the county given the significant risk; sea level rise vulnerability mapping is a key planning tool; Delaware Seashore State Park and Cape Henlopen maps; wetland mapping through DNREC; Route 1 corridor development tracking
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Sussex County SPCA – (302) 856-6361 | sussexspca.com (well-regarded county humane organization)
Services: Stray intake, adoptions, owner surrenders, spay/neuter, microchipping; wildlife management (migratory birds at Cape Henlopen and Prime Hook; horseshoe crab management – Delaware Bay; white-tailed deer; foxes; coyotes; black bears occasional from Maryland; sea turtles nesting)
Notes: Delaware Bay horseshoe crab management (May spawning; shorebird connection); Cape Henlopen and Prime Hook NWR wildlife management through USFWS; sea turtle monitoring (loggerhead sea turtles occasionally nest on Delaware beaches); shorebird management (piping plover nesting on Delaware beaches – federally threatened; sections of beach are closed during nesting season); Trap Pond area has diverse wildlife including wood ducks, great blue herons, and the cypress swamp birds
Recycling: DSWA statewide programs; beach community recycling programs; Sussex County recycling events
Environmental: Delaware DNREC – (302) 739-9000 (primary environmental agency); EPA Region 3; Delaware Coastal Management Program (DNREC); The Nature Conservancy Delaware; Delaware Wild Lands
Key Issues: Sea level rise and coastal flooding (Sussex County is Delaware’s most vulnerable county – the barrier beaches (Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany, Fenwick) are narrow barrier islands; sea level rise at the Delaware coast is approximately 4-5 mm/year (higher than global average due to land subsidence); storm surge from major hurricanes or nor’easters threatens the barrier beach communities; the DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management section actively manages beach replenishment and coastal armoring; the retreat vs. defend debate is ongoing); horseshoe crab and shorebird conservation (Delaware Bay is the critical stopover for red knots (federally threatened) and other shorebirds that depend on horseshoe crab eggs; horseshoe crab harvesting for biomedical use (Limulus amebocyte lysate – LAL – from horseshoe crab blood is used to test pharmaceuticals and medical devices for bacterial endotoxins; it is an essential product) must be balanced with the ecological needs of the shorebird migration; DNREC and ASMFC regulate the harvest); poultry industry water quality (Delmarva’s chicken industry generates enormous amounts of nutrient-rich waste that affects groundwater and surface water quality; phosphorus management is a significant challenge; the Inland Bays (Indian River Bay, Rehoboth Bay, Little Assawoman Bay) are affected by nutrient loading from agricultural runoff; the Inland Bays are designated as a National Estuary Program area); Great Cypress Swamp (the largest pocosino swamp in the mid-Atlantic; significant wildfire risk as documented in 2007; DNREC manages the state wildlife management area)
Notes: Sussex County’s environmental management challenges are multifaceted – the barrier beaches face existential threat from sea level rise (some models project significant loss of barrier beach land by 2100); the horseshoe crab/red knot ecological connection is one of the most extraordinary examples of ecological interdependence on the East Coast; the Inland Bays’ nutrient pollution from agricultural sources is a significant and challenging long-term water quality problem; the poultry industry’s scale on the Delmarva Peninsula (tens of millions of chickens grown annually) creates a nutrient management challenge that individual farms cannot solve – watershed-scale nutrient management is required; Delaware’s small size and centralized governance (through DNREC) provides advantages in coordinating environmental management across the entire Delaware Peninsula portion of the state; the Delaware Estuary (where the Delaware River meets Delaware Bay) is one of the most ecologically significant estuaries on the East Coast, supporting shad spawning, oyster restoration, and significant commercial fisheries
About Sussex County
Sussex County is Delaware’s largest county by area and its fastest-growing, driven by coastal tourism and retiree migration to the Delaware beaches. Rehoboth Beach — known as “the Nation’s Summer Capital” because of its proximity to Washington D.C. — is one of the East Coast’s premier beach resort communities and has a significant LGBTQ+ resort culture. Lewes, the first European settlement in Delaware (Dutch, 1631), is a historic waterfront town. The county is a major poultry producer (Perdue Farms is headquartered in nearby Salisbury, MD; Allen Harim is based in Harbeson). Cape Henlopen State Park at the Delaware Bay/Atlantic Ocean junction is one of the finest state parks on the Mid-Atlantic coast.
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Assessment: (302) 855-7824 | 2 The Circle, Georgetown, DE 19947
Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–4:30 PM
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Sussex County Register of Wills (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above); historical Sussex County probate records back to 1680 have been separately compiled (“Calendar of Sussex County, Delaware, Probate Records, 1680-1800,” Delaware Public Archives Commission, 1964).
Sussex County deed books run from Book A (1769) through volume 399 (1951) – notably starting later than New Castle’s and Kent’s, since Sussex was the last of the three counties to be fully organized administratively.
The Old Sussex County Courthouse (built 1793), now preserved as a historic house at S. Bedford Street in Georgetown, was the county’s original courthouse before being relocated in 1837 to make way for the current Sussex County Courthouse on The Circle.
A genuine Delaware quirk worth knowing: the colony (later state) was historically subdivided below the county level into “hundreds” – an old English land division, smaller than a county and larger than a tithing, once used for tax assessment, and for judicial/legislative districts. Hundreds still appear in older Delaware genealogical and property records and can be a useful search term for pre-20th-century research.
Local societies
Sussex County Genealogical Society – meets at the library in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, with various speakers and activities scheduled throughout the year.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Register of Wills, Sussex County Sussex County Courthouse Annex, 2 The Circle, P.O. Box 589, Georgetown, DE 19947 (302) 855-7700 (also listed as 302-855-7875) Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Appointments are required for opening/closing a probated estate, ancillary estates, and depositing a will for safekeeping; appointments are strongly recommended for other services. Walk-ins are welcome but worked in around scheduled appointments.
Delaware’s Register of Wills is a branch of the Delaware Court of Chancery – each of the state’s three counties has its own Register of Wills office, and there is no separate statewide probate court. The Sussex County Courthouse sits on “The Circle” in Georgetown, a historic town green laid out in 1791–92; the current courthouse building dates to 1837–1840 and was designed by architect William Strickland.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Delaware has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code; its probate procedures are set out in Title 12 of the Delaware Code.
Small Estate Affidavit – a recent, significant change: for anyone who died on or after June 10, 2026, the threshold is $50,000 or less in personal property with no solely-owned real estate. For deaths before June 10, 2026, the older $30,000 threshold still applies. (Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed House Bill 333 on June 10, 2026, raising the threshold from $30,000 – unchanged since 2005 – to $50,000, effective immediately and non-retroactively.) This route avoids formal probate administration entirely.
Full Probate Administration – required when the estate exceeds the applicable small-estate threshold, or when the decedent owned Delaware real estate solely in their own name (or as a tenant in common).
If using the small estate affidavit
Confirm the decedent’s date of death to determine which threshold applies ($30,000 for deaths before June 10, 2026; $50,000 on or after).
Confirm the estate’s personal property (excluding jointly-held assets, beneficiary-designated accounts, and other non-probate property) falls at or under the applicable threshold, and that the decedent owned no solely-held Delaware real estate.
Complete the Small Estate Affidavit request form, available from the Register of Wills.
Submit it to the Sussex County Register of Wills.
Once certified, the affidavit gives the named inheritor legal authority to collect and transfer the decedent’s assets directly – any person or institution holding the property is required to release it upon presentation of the certified affidavit.
If full probate administration is required
File a Petition for Authority to Act as Personal Representative (Form 1) with the Register of Wills to admit the will (if any) and request appointment.
The Register of Wills issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one).
The personal representative inventories the estate, notifies creditors, pays valid debts and taxes, and files an accounting.
Once approved, the estate is closed and remaining assets are distributed to heirs and beneficiaries.
What it costs
Probate fees are generally calculated based on the value of the estate, set by the Register of Wills fee schedule.
No Delaware state estate tax or inheritance tax – the state repealed its estate tax (which had applied as a “pick-up tax” tied to the old federal credit).
A surviving spouse is entitled to an elective share of one-third of the decedent’s augmented estate, protecting against disinheritance.
If a Delaware resident also owned real property in another state, that state requires a separate ancillary probate proceeding – Delaware’s Register of Wills has no authority over out-of-state real estate.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Register of Wills / Orphans Ct
2 The Circle, Georgetown, DE 19947
(302) 855-7877
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
DE Dept of Elections — Sussex
119 N. Race St., Georgetown, DE 19947
(302) 856-5367
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Sussex County Health Unit
546 S. Bedford St., Georgetown, DE 19947
(302) 703-3300
DE Medicaid / DMAP
(302) 255-9500
DE SNAP/Cash Assistance
(302) 855-3030
DE Health & Social Services
dhss.delaware.gov
Division of Public Health
dhss.delaware.gov/dph
Beebe Healthcare
beebehealthcare.org (regional hospital, Lewes)
TidalHealth Peninsula Regional
tidalhealth.org (Salisbury MD — serves western Sussex)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Sussex County Health Department (limited function); Delaware Division of Public Health; Sussex County health districts; Indian Health Service (Nanticoke Lenape – limited tribal health)
Services: Immunizations, WIC, STI testing, environmental health, restaurant inspections, vital records; behavioral health; poultry industry worker health; agricultural worker health; seasonal population health management
Hospital: Beebe Healthcare (Lewes – (302) 645-3300; the primary hospital for coastal Delaware; coastal medical center; full range of inpatient services); Nanticoke Memorial Hospital (Seaford – (302) 629-6611; interior Sussex County hospital); Atlantic General Hospital (Berlin, MD – accessible for southernmost Sussex County)
Notes: Beebe Healthcare is the primary hospital for the booming coastal Delaware communities – it has grown significantly to accommodate the county’s rapid population growth; seasonal population surge (the summer beach population multiplies the county’s permanent population many times – healthcare demand spikes dramatically); behavioral health challenges; agricultural worker health (the Delmarva poultry industry employs tens of thousands, many immigrants; occupational health and immigration health are significant); retirement community health services (Sussex County’s large and growing senior population drives significant healthcare demand)
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County Facts
County Seat: Georgetown
Population: 250,000
Area: 938 mi²
Established: 1683
Tier: 2
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Sussex County facilities via Amazon.
