Arkansas Court Connect | Case Info & Court Records Search

Key Resources for Arkansas Court Records

Before relying on any online result, compare what you see with information from Arkansas Judiciary portals or the local court clerk, since online case data can lag behind the official record.

Finding court records in Arkansas requires using statewide tools managed by the Administrative Office of the Courts together with information held by county clerks and local courts. This independent guide points you toward official Arkansas Judiciary resources listed under Arkansas Public Records but does not provide legal advice or guarantee that any record is complete.

For most statewide court dockets, case files, and judicial records, you will need basic identifiers such as a party’s full name, a case number, or an attorney’s details. Statewide portals focus on Arkansas state courts only; federal cases are handled in separate federal systems, and older or local paper files may require checking county-level tools or contacting the appropriate clerk’s office.

Overview of Court Records in Arkansas: Structure and Search Tools

Court dockets, case files, and judicial records in Arkansas are created and maintained within a tiered state court system overseen by the Arkansas Supreme Court and supported by the Court of Appeals, circuit courts, and district courts. The Arkansas Judiciary relies on statewide case-management systems administered by the Administrative Office of the Courts to publish selected information online.

Many Arkansas courts use the Contexte case management system, which feeds public case data into the Search ARCourts and Case Search portals. These tools allow the public to review basic case information and, in some courts, view selected documents, but they do not replace the official record kept by each court’s clerk and they do not cover federal court cases.

This page is not a government site and cannot give legal or tax advice. It is meant to help you understand where Arkansas judicial records live, how to start with statewide search tools, and when you must work directly with county or appellate clerks for complete or certified copies.

State Court Structure and How Cases Move Through the System in Arkansas

The Arkansas Supreme Court is the court of last resort in the state, with statewide appellate authority and supervisory power over all Arkansas courts. Below it, the Arkansas Court of Appeals serves as an intermediate appellate court. Together, these appellate courts issue written opinions that interpret Arkansas law and guide future cases, while their dockets and decisions are maintained through the Arkansas Judiciary.

Most cases begin in the trial courts. Circuit courts are general-jurisdiction trial courts with divisions for criminal, civil, probate, domestic relations, and juvenile matters. District courts operate within specific judicial districts and handle traffic offenses, misdemeanors, certain preliminary felony issues, and civil disputes within statutory dollar limits. Appeals from district courts typically go to circuit courts, while appeals from circuit courts may be assigned to the Court of Appeals or directly to the Supreme Court under Arkansas Supreme Court rules.

A case can move from a district or circuit court to the Court of Appeals, and in some situations from the Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court, when a party seeks further review and the Arkansas Supreme Court decides that the case falls within its jurisdiction. At each level, the clerk of that court maintains the official file for the matters before it, while online case lookup tools provide public access to selected docket information and, for appellate courts, electronic slips and official opinions.

Using the Official Arkansas Search ARCourts Case Lookup Tool | Arkansas Judiciary

Search ARCourts is the Arkansas Judiciary’s statewide portal for public case information from courts that use the Contexte case management system. You can usually search by participant name or by case number, and in many courts you will see the parties, presiding judge, filings, scheduled events, charges, dispositions, and sometimes links to electronic documents.

Before you start, gather as many details as possible: full names (including middle name or initial if known), possible filing counties, and any docket or case numbers from court paperwork. With that information, you can check public case details in courts that appear in Case Search, then use the Search ARCourts navigation tools and filters to narrow results by court level, case type, or date range when those options are available.

Search ARCourts focuses on case-level dockets. For higher courts, the Arkansas Supreme Court and Court of Appeals also publish their written opinions electronically, on regular weekly schedules, so you may need to search both for docket activity and for final appellate opinions. Dockets help you track hearings and filings, while opinions contain the courts’ written reasoning and precedential value.

Online information has limits. Some Arkansas courts provide only summary or statistical data through Search ARCourts, and others may not yet publish full dockets. Under Arkansas Supreme Court Administrative Order 19, certain information—such as sealed, juvenile, adoption, or other protected records—is not made available on the internet. Even when a case appears in the portal, individual filings or images may be hidden or redacted.

If you need to verify an attorney’s status or contact details related to a case, you can use the Arkansas attorney licensing site to confirm an attorney’s status. Always remember that these online tools are informational; official records and disciplinary or licensing determinations are maintained by the appropriate Arkansas courts and administrative offices.

Which Court Handles What in Arkansas: Case Types and Filing Locations

In Arkansas, circuit courts handle most major case types, including felony criminal matters, higher-value civil lawsuits, probate of estates, adoption and guardianship proceedings, and many family law disputes such as divorce and custody. These courts are divided into criminal, civil, probate, domestic relations, and juvenile divisions, but they are all part of the general-jurisdiction circuit system that feeds most trial-level data into the statewide case portals.

District courts have more limited subject-matter and monetary jurisdiction. They cover traffic violations, misdemeanors, violations of state law and local ordinances, preliminary stages of felony cases, and civil disputes up to statutory dollar limits—often including a small claims division for lower-value contract and property matters. District courts’ jurisdiction is territorial, so a single district court may serve a city, a whole county, or multiple counties within one district, and only some district courts currently contribute detailed case information to Search ARCourts.

Specialty or problem-solving courts in Arkansas, such as certain drug, mental health, or other focused dockets, typically operate within the circuit court structure. Their records usually remain part of the underlying circuit case file, and public access will depend on the same confidentiality rules that apply to other cases. For information about incarceration status or supervision after a criminal judgment, court dockets are only the starting point; custody details are handled separately by correctional agencies and are discussed on the Arkansas Inmate Search page.

Requesting Official Court Records and Certified Copies in Arkansas | Arkansas Judiciary

Search ARCourts, Case Search, and other Arkansas Judiciary tools are designed for convenient public access, but the online dockets and documents are not a substitute for certified records. For legal, administrative, or licensing purposes, you will usually need an official copy issued by the clerk of the court where the case is pending or was decided, often bearing a seal or certification language.

For appeals, the Clerk of the Courts in the Justice Building in Little Rock manages records for the Arkansas Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, including appellate dockets and records on file. For trial-level matters, certified copies are obtained from the circuit or district court clerk in the county where the case was filed. Each clerk may have its own procedures, which can include written requests, identification requirements, and per-page certification fees set by law or local practice.

A practical approach is to start online: use statewide case lookup tools to confirm the exact case number, parties, and court. Then contact the appropriate clerk’s office to ask how to request certified copies or older records, and whether requests can be made in person, by mail, or through any Arkansas Judiciary e-filing or document-request options. Because procedures and availability can change, always rely on directions from the clerk’s office rather than any unofficial guidance.

Court Record Access: What You Need to Know About Limits and County Handoff in Arkansas

  • Administrative Office of the Courts: 625 Marshall Street, Little Rock, AR 72201 (View on Google Maps)
  • Phone: 501-682-9400

Not every Arkansas case or document is available online. Records involving juveniles, adoptions, certain mental health matters, and other protected topics are often confidential, and even in otherwise public cases some filings may be sealed or redacted under Arkansas Supreme Court administrative orders. In many instances, Search ARCourts will show only basic case information without exposing underlying documents.

Coverage also varies by court and by age of the file. While circuit courts must provide statistical data to statewide systems, not all courts publish full dockets or document images online, and very old cases may exist only in paper or microfilm at the local courthouse. Technical outages, recent filings, or data-entry delays can also create short-term gaps between what the clerk has and what appears in statewide search tools.

Statewide case portals are best viewed as an index or snapshot of Arkansas court activity. The physical case files, exhibits, older judgments, and many certified records remain with county circuit clerks or district court clerks. To follow up on a docket you find online, or to investigate a case that does not appear in statewide tools, you will need to contact the appropriate county office listed in the directory below and follow that clerk’s rules for in-person or mailed requests.

County Court Records
Pulaski County Search

Why can’t I see every filing or document for an Arkansas case online?
Search ARCourts and other Arkansas Judiciary tools often show basic docket details only. Confidential, sealed, or very old paper records may be kept only with the local clerk, so you may need to contact the county court directly for the full file.

What should I do if Search ARCourts does not show any results for my Arkansas case?
If a case does not appear in Search ARCourts, it may be from a court that is not yet online, may be restricted from public access, or may be an older paper-only file. In those situations, follow up with the circuit or district court clerk in the county where the case was filed.