DOVER, Del. — A new bill introduced in Delaware would reduce how often counties are required to reassess the value of real estate.
Currently, counties in Delaware must reassess property values at least every five years. But under this proposed legislation, that timeline would double—requiring reassessments only once every 10 years.
Legislative Shift Follows Years of Inactivity
The shift comes after decades of reassessment inaction across the state. Sussex County had not conducted a reassessment since 1974, while Kent and New Castle counties had not done so since the 1980s. That changed in 2020, when a court order required counties to begin a reassessment process, citing outdated property valuations.
Amidst this, the General Assembly passed a bill in 2023 mandating that all three counties reassess their real property at least once every five years. That law also updated language in the state code, removing outdated references to boards of assessment and requiring property to be valued at its "present fair market value" instead of "true value in money."
Reassessment Impact and Safeguards
Sussex County's court-ordered reassessment began in 2021 and was conducted by Tyler Technologies, a national firm specializing in property evaluations. The company used market data to determine what each property could sell for as of July 1, 2023.
Even with updated values, tax increases are capped by state law. Counties are limited to a 15 percent increase in property tax revenue in the year following a reassessment, while school districts are capped at a 10 percent increase.
The new bill seeks to provide more time between assessments.
If passed, the bill would shift Delaware’s reassessment frequency to once every 10 years—placing it among a minority of states with such a lengthy timeline between updates to property values.