Track Down Free Arkansas Divorce Records (Search Anyone)

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Free Arkansas Divorce Record Search

Find out if someone in Arkansas is divorced, free of charge.

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View free Arkansas divorce records seamlessly with this resource’s direction.

Interested parties may be pleased to learn that many divorce records and dissolution of marriage information can be accessed conveniently; these records typically include all documents issued and submitted as a part of the divorce proceedings.

By accessing these records, inquirers can learn details such as when the divorce took place, the name of a divorcee’s former spouse, and whether either party was awarded alimony.

Arkansas’ divorce laws are different from those of other states, and as such, there are some intricacies to be aware of when accessing divorce papers; this article will make the process clear and streamlined.

Are Divorce Records Available to the Public in Arkansas?

In Arkansas, divorce records are not openly available to the general public until 100 years after the date of the divorce. Up until that time, only certain people can legally access divorce records. For example, a spouse, immediate family member, or guardian of a person named on the record will be allowed access.

Those interested in accessing divorce records out of curiosity or for personal reasons are often able to use third-party services to do so. These third-party services are not endorsed by the state and therefore cannot be used for official purposes. However, they can turn up useful and relevant information, nonetheless.

Third-party services may also reveal whether the person in question was divorced or separated in a state other than Arkansas.

How To Look Up Arkansas Divorce Records for Free

There are several organizations and websites – both at the state and county levels – that you can use in your search for divorce records. The following are a few top suggestions.

Interested parties can order official copies of divorce records through the Arkansas Department of Health.¹ There are four options: records can be ordered online, by mail, in person, or over the phone.

Online requests can be made through the Arkansas Department of Health’s Vital Records Online Service.² Note that in order to request records that are less than 100 years old, an individual must have one of the following relationships with the individual whose records are being requested:

• Their spouse or registered domestic partner
• Their descendant
• Their parent or legal guardian
• Their designated attorney
• A federal, state, or local government agent
• Their genealogist

In order to use this service, requesters will need their credit card, a driver’s license, and proof of their relationship with the individual whose records they are requesting. Two alternate forms of ID can be used in place of a driver’s license.

There is a $10 fee for the first copy and an additional $10 fee for each additional copy. There is also a $5 processing fee and a nonrefundable $1.85 identity verification fee. Once the request is approved, the divorce certificate will be mailed to the requester within 7 – 14 business days.

Those who prefer to make a request by mail can fill out a Divorce Coupon Application and mail it to the Arkansas Department of Health:

Arkansas Department of Health
Vital Records, Slot 44
4815 West Markham
Little Rock, AR 72205

Phone: 866-209-9482

A copy of the requester’s photo ID and a check or money order are to be included with the application. There is a $10 fee for each requested copy, plus a $5 non-refundable processing fee and a $1.85 nonrefundable identity verification fee.

Requesters can also bring their completed request form to the Vital Records office on West Markham in-person between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday – Friday. Requests can usually be honored the same day.

The Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records Office also takes requests over the phone at the number listed above. Requesters will be asked to provide payment via debit or credit card. Expedited shipment is available, if needed.

Searching Divorce Records at the County Level in Arkansas

In Arkansas, a state-level search always delivers the broadest results in terms of divorce records. It is therefore often helpful for requesters to also search for divorce records at the county or city level. Many counties and cities are more attentive to in-person requests and may have dedicated staff members to honor such requests.

In Pulaski County, you can search for divorce records through the Administrative Office of the Courts Public CourtConnect Website.⁴ Click “Search by person name, business name, or case type,” which will take you to an empty form. Under “Case Type,” select “14 – Domestic Relations.”

Enter the individual’s name and date of birth, then click submit. The search will turn up any public divorce records.

Benton County also allows interested parties to search for divorce records through the AOC Public CourtConnect Website. You can also research records in person at:

The Circuit Court Recorder’s Office
215 East Central
Room 202
Bentonville, AR 72712

Phone: 479-271-1015

The office is open Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.

Sebastian County also uses CourtConnect for records searches. Alternatively, you can request records via a kiosk located at:

Fort Smith Courthouse
901 South B St.
Room 205
Fort Smith, AR 72901

Phone: 479-782-1046

Or:

Greenwood Courthouse
301 East Center
Room 103
Greenwood, AR 72936

Phone: 479-996-6885

Although cities in Arkansas don’t host divorce records, the local county clerk or courthouse will have them available. Some of the most populous cities in Arkansas are used as examples below, along with their respective divorce record custodians.

In Little Rock, Arkansas, divorce records are maintained by the Pulaski County District Court. As such, if you are looking for records for a divorce that took place in Little Rock, you can use CourtConnect to search online.

In Fayetteville, divorce records are maintained via the Washington County Circuit Court. You can access those records electronically via CourtConnect, or you can request them in person at:

Washington County Circuit Court
280 N. College Ave.
Ste 202
Fayetteville, AR 72701

Phone: 503-846-8767

For divorces in Jonesboro, records are maintained by the Craighead County Clerk. To request records in person, you can visit:

Craighead County Clerk’s Office
511 South Main St. #202
Jonesboro, AR 72401

Phone: 870-933-4520

The office is open between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday.

Checking With the Arkansas State Divorce Archives for Genealogy & Lineage Research (Free Searches)

Older divorce records can often be helpful for genealogy and lineage research.

In Arkansas, many older divorce records are archived and are therefore not available directly through the court’s standard divorce index. Instead, you’ll want to search for these archived records through the Arkansas State Archives.⁶

The Arkansas State Archives offers up to two hours of free research. Interested parties can submit an Ask an Archivist form to request divorce records.⁸ The form asks for your name, contact information, and the specifics of your request.

The more information you’re able to provide, the better.

In addition to the name of the person whose divorce records you’re seeking, you can also provide the date or year of their divorce, the location where their divorce took place, and other names the person may have used. You should receive a reply confirming your request within three to four days. You’ll receive the divorce records, if available, in an additional 1 – 2 weeks.

You can also conduct a free public divorce records search for historic records at:

Arkansas State Archives
One Capitol Mall, Room 2B-215
Little Rock, AR 72201

Phone: 501-682-6900

For additional genealogical information related to marriage and divorce, consider contacting:

• Churches and religious organizations
• Historical societies
• Libraries

Note that as common law marriage is not recognized in Arkansas. As such, there should be no need to search for common law divorce records in these archives.

If you have an idea of where your ancestors were married or divorced, start your search in those locations. For example, if they lived in Greene County, you could contact the Greene County Library.⁹

Along with genealogical records, this library maintains historical copies of many newspapers, including the Ashley County Ledger, Jonesboro Sun, El Dorado News, and Sentinel Record. You may find a notice of marriage, divorce records, or related information among these papers. You can visit this library in person at:

Greene County Library
120 N. 12th St.
Paragould, AR 72450

Phone: 501-236-8711

Other Arkansas libraries with genealogical rooms and records include:

Little Rock Public Library
100 Rock St.
Little Rock, AR 72201

Phone: 501-918-3000

Fort Smith Public Library
3201 Rogers Ave.
Fort Smith, AR 72903

Phone: 501-442-2242

Saline County Library
224 W. South St.
Benton, AR 72015

Phone: 501-778-4766

Historical societies can be another good source for older divorce decrees and related information. The Randolph County Genealogical and Historical Society maintains marriage records as old as 1837.

They also have census records from 1830 onward, which may be helpful in your search. If needed, you can pay the Randolph County Historical & Genealogical Society a small fee of $2 an hour to assist with your research.

Send your requests by mail, or visit the society at:

Randolph County Historical & Genealogical Society
111 W. Everett
Pocahontas, AR 72445

Phone: 870-892-5617
Email: randhistory@yahoo.com

How To Obtain Information About Arkansas Dissolutions of Marriage

In Arkansas records, the terms “divorce” and “dissolution of marriage” are used interchangeably. If a person was legally married and divorced within the state, then you should be able to obtain a record of the dissolution of that marriage through the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records office.

Interested parties can make a request online through the Vital Records Online Service. You’ll need a credit card, a valid driver’s license or 2 alternative forms of ID, and proof of your relationship to the person whose records you’re requesting

To request records by mail, fill out a Divorce Coupon Application, which asks for information including the name of each spouse, date of divorce, and county in which the divorce was granted. Mail this application to:

Arkansas Department of Health
Vital Records, Slot 44
4815 West Markham
Little Rock, AR 72205

Phone: 866-209-9482

With your application, be sure to include a check to the Arkansas Department of Health and a copy of your ID. There is a fee of $10 per copy.

You can also request a record of dissolution of marriage over the phone at 866-209-9482. You’ll need a debit or credit card to make payment.

Finally, consider requesting these records in person at the Vital Records Office on West Markham Street. Someone will be available to help you between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm Monday – Friday.

Arkansas does not recognize domestic partnerships or civil unions. As such, unmarried couples who live their lives together file taxes separately, and there are no formal dissolutions for such partnerships.

How To Initiate a Divorce & Address Divorce Petitions in Arkansas

In order to file for divorce in Arkansas, you must begin by asking the court to give you divorce papers. The court will only issue you papers if you and your spouse have lived in Arkansas for 60 days. Your spouse must also agree to the divorce.

If your spouse does not agree to the divorce, then you will have to prove, to the court, that you have grounds for divorce.

The following are some common grounds for divorce in Arkansas:

• Adultery
• Impotence
• Drunkenness
• Lack of support

Arkansas will only issue a no-fault divorce if you and your spouse have lived apart for 18 months or more prior to filing.

Once the court has confirmed that you have grounds for divorce, they’ll issue divorce papers. You and your spouse will fill out the papers. If you and your spouse have children, you will also fill out paperwork related to child support and custody.

You’ll return this paperwork to your Circuit Court Clerk’s office.

In Arkansas, each county has its own circuit court. Some counties allow you to file your papers electronically via the eFlex system.¹¹ There is a $100 registration fee required to use this system.

Whether you file online or in person, there is also a $165 filing fee due when you turn in the papers.

If your spouse does not contest the divorce, then the judge will issue a divorce decree once at least 30 days have passed. If your spouse does contest the divorce, then you, your spouse, and your attorneys will have to renegotiate the terms of the divorce before returning to court.

Divorcing spouses can seek alimony in Arkansas. The amount of alimony awarded will depend on the length of the marriage, the couple’s current standard of living, and the future earning prospects of each party.

Arkansas is what’s known as an equitable property division state. This means that anything accumulated during the marriage is divided equally when two people divorce. However, you can negotiate with your spouse to divide assets differently if desired.

If you are presented with divorce papers in Arkansas, you can choose to sign them and return them to the court. Or, you can choose to contest the terms of the divorce. If you would like to split assets in a way other than that which is dictated by equitable property division laws, you will need to come to such an agreement with your spouse.

This is usually best done with the assistance of attorneys and after completing a divorce appraisal.

While understanding the basics of filing for divorce in Arkansas can be helpful, in most cases, it is wise to contact a competitive divorce lawyer to help you navigate this process.

As is the case in many states, Arkansas divorce records can be accessed quite efficiently if you know where to turn and how to submit requests; this resource provides all you need to know.

If you’d like to access additional public records on individuals throughout the state, you can either look up Arkansas marital records or find free Arkansas public information (such as court case details, background checks, inmate records, birth and death records, and more).