Code Violation Reporting in New Castle County, DE (2026)

2 rules for unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of New Castle County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

How to Report

Before New Castle County code enforcement gets involved, the Tenants' Rights Guide at County Code § 19.03.003 requires tenants to first file a written complaint with the landlord using the county's Tenant Complaint Form for any non-emergency rental problem, delivered by hand, certified mail, certificate of mailing, or email.

New Castle County Rental Complaint Filing Steps

Some Restrictions

New Castle County Code § 19.03.003 (Tenants' Rights Guide Appendix - "Tenant Complaint Form")

If you are experiencing a problem with your rental unit that is NOT an emergency, you must first file a written complaint with your landlord. You may use this form complaint to report non-emergency problems with your rental unit. A complaint form is linked hereto - fill it out with your information. After you have input your information, forward this form to your landlord by hand-delivery, cert...

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Common Violations

New Castle County's code official issues civil-penalty citations for a fixed list of Property Maintenance Code violations once a violation notice has gone uncorrected for 10 days. The citation list covers sanitation, weeds, junk vehicles, illegal parking, outside storage, sidewalk encroachment, pools, and rubbish, the complaints residents most often phone in.

New Castle County's Most-Cited Code Violations

Some Restrictions

New Castle County Code § 7.01.002 (2024 IPMC § 107.9, as amended)

107.9 Violations subject to the citation process. The code official is authorized to assess a civil penalty for any violation of the following subsections of this code that remain uncorrected after 10 days following the issuance of a violation notice: 302.1 Sanitation. 302.4 Prohibited growth of grass and weeds. 302.7 Accessory Structures. 302.8.3 Inoperable or unregistered vehicles. 302.8.4 Ov...

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All New Castle County ordinances

See every category we cover for New Castle County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.

New Castle County Ordinance Hub →