Municipal Annexations

Legal Requirements

Municipal annexations are governed by 22 Delaware Code §101. Among other requirements, all annexations must be consistent with the most recently adopted municipal comprehensive plan (Chrome is the preferred browser for viewing the database), be depicted as future annexation areas within that plan, and must be rezoned by ordinance to classifications consistent with the adopted comprehensive plan or development strategy.

Cities and towns are also required to prepare a Municipal Annexation Plan of Services for all annexations. The Plan demonstrates how services are to be provided and the operating and financial capabilities necessary to support them. The Plan of Services collects property and land-use data, information about needed utility and public safety services, and helps municipalities examine the impact of development in annexation areas.

Municipal Annexation Plan of Services

The Plan of Services form is a PDF document with instructions, automatically expanding fields, and references. Completed Plans with all required attachments can be emailed as follows:

Jurisdictions in New Castle County: Samantha Bulkilvish
Jurisdictions in Kent County (includes Smyrna & Milford): Joshua Thomas
Jurisdictions in Sussex County: Dorothy Morris

Paper copies can be mailed to:

The Plan of Services must be received by the OSPC for review and acceptance at least 20 working days prior to the final discretionary action taken by the municipal legislative body. Municipalities are also asked to provide OSPC with final reports or annexation resolutions on the disposition of annexation proposals. We use this information to maintain a statewide geospatial data set of municipal boundaries.