Arkansas Court Records: How to Search, and Why This Guide Stays General

The Arkansas Judiciary provides an online case-information search reachable from arcourts.gov. Beyond that basic fact, this guide stays deliberately general: the underlying portal pages did not load reliably enough during research to confirm exact coverage, fees, or how current the data is, and this article will not print specifics it cannot stand behind.

What can be confirmed, directly from an Arkansas legal-aid source, is how the state's own record-sealing law is structured, which is covered below.

Information last verified on 2026-08-10. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

This guide is part of a broader look at court records by state. For the general mechanics of federal versus state versus county searches, see how to look up court records and are court records public.

Searching an Arkansas Court Record

Arkansas's court system provides an online case-information search accessible from arcourts.gov. This guide intentionally does not state a specific coverage list, fee, or update frequency for that tool, because the underlying pages could not be reliably confirmed from a primary source in this research session. Rather than guess, the safer and more accurate route for a specific case is to identify the court where it was or would have been filed, generally the circuit court for the relevant county, and contact that court's clerk directly. Search by party name or case number is the general pattern used by most state court case-lookup tools, but confirm the exact fields and any cost with the specific court before relying on a result.

Arkansas's General Presumption of Openness

Arkansas starts from a strong presumption that court proceedings and records are public. Arkansas Code § 16-10-105 states that the sittings of every court shall be public, and every person may freely attend the sittings of every court, and Arkansas Rule of Civil Procedure 77(b) requires that all trials and hearings be public except as otherwise provided by law. The Arkansas Supreme Court has recognized this presumption as rooted in common law, though it is not absolute, a party seeking to close a proceeding or seal a record has to meet a specific legal test.

Certified Copies

A certified copy of an Arkansas court document comes from the clerk of the circuit court where the case was filed. Fees are set locally; this guide does not publish a statewide figure because none was confirmed from a primary source.

Sealing Your Record: Arkansas's Own Terminology

Arkansas's statutory term is sealing, not expungement, under Ark. Code § 16-90-1401 et seq. Sealing in Arkansas does not destroy the underlying record. Instead, under Ark. Code § 16-90-1413(e), the district or circuit court clerk removes the petitions, orders, docket sheets, and related documents and sequesters them in a separate, confidential holding area inside the clerk's office, and the prosecuting attorney and arresting agency sequester their own copies. The underlying criminal history data stays with the Arkansas Crime Information Center, whose access rules are set by Ark. Code § 12-12-1001 et seq. Ark. Code § 16-90-1416(a) then limits release of a sealed record to a short list of requesters, including the person whose record was sealed, a criminal justice agency for specified purposes, a prosecuting attorney acting for a criminal justice purpose, a court on a showing of good reason, and certain licensing bodies.

Relief is petition-based, not automatic. A petitioner, or their attorney, files the Arkansas Crime Information Center uniform petition, which Ark. Code § 16-90-1403(c)(1) requires before a court may hear the matter, in the district court or circuit court that sentenced them, in the county where the offense was committed. Ark. Code § 16-90-1413(a)(1) allows either court, and because most Arkansas misdemeanors and violations are handled in district court, that is the correct courthouse for many petitioners. The process runs through eligibility verification, the waiting period, court filing, prosecutorial review, and a judicial decision. A separate, related track, relief under the First Offender Act at Ark. Code § 16-93-303, applies to defendants placed on probation without a formal adjudication of guilt who are later discharged without a conviction on their record.

For the specific eligibility rules, waiting periods, and filing steps, see Arkansas expungement laws, which this guide does not duplicate.

Using Arkansas Court Records the Right Way

Any Arkansas court record search should stay focused on a legitimate personal purpose, such as checking your own case or confirming a court date, rather than compiling a background file on someone else. If an Arkansas court record is used to screen a job applicant or a tenant, that use is governed separately by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, a criminal conviction is exempt from the standard seven-year reporting window that applies to most arrests and civil judgments, meaning it can be reported indefinitely unless it has been sealed under Arkansas law. The FTC's 2023 settlement with TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate, over marketing public-records reports for tenant and employee screening without following federal background-check law, is a reminder that a do-it-yourself court records search is not itself an FCRA-compliant screening product.

Related Resources

Court Records by State covers the full 50-state picture. See also How to Look Up Court Records, Are Court Records Public?, Arkansas Expungement Laws, Arkansas Background Check Laws, Arkansas Warrant Search, and Arkansas Public Records Laws.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about searching Arkansas court records and how Arkansas's sealing law is structured. It is not legal advice. Because portal-level details could not be independently confirmed, verify current search options and fees directly with the Arkansas Judiciary or the relevant circuit clerk, and consult a licensed Arkansas attorney for advice about a specific case.

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Last updated: 2026-08-10. Portal facts and fees reflect their published status as of August 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free way to search Arkansas court records?

The Arkansas Judiciary provides an online case search through arcourts.gov. This guide does not state a specific fee or coverage claim for that tool because it could not be confirmed from a primary source; contact the relevant circuit clerk to confirm details for a specific case.

Does Arkansas use the word sealing or expungement?

Sealing. Arkansas's sealing statute, Ark. Code § 16-90-1401 et seq., uses sealing as its operative term, and the process does not destroy the underlying record.

Is Arkansas record sealing automatic?

No. It is petition-based. A person files the Arkansas Crime Information Center uniform petition in the district court or circuit court that sentenced them, in the county where the offense was committed. Ark. Code § 16-90-1413(a)(1) allows either court, and many misdemeanors are sentenced in district court. The case then goes through eligibility review, a waiting period, and a judicial decision.

How do I get a certified copy of an Arkansas court document?

Contact the clerk of the circuit court where the case was filed. Fees are set locally.

Can I use an Arkansas court record to screen a job applicant or tenant?

Not on its own. A personal case search is not an FCRA-compliant screening product. Employment and tenant screening are separately governed by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.