Search Arkansas County Probate Records

Arkansas County Probate Court Records cover estates, wills, guardianships, and adoption files kept by the County Clerk in both DeWitt and Stuttgart. The county has two districts, so probate cases can be filed in either county seat depending on where the person lived. You can pull Arkansas County Probate Court Records online through the state CourtConnect portal, at the courthouse in person, or by mail. This page shows the clerk offices, the kinds of case files you can find, the cost to get copies, and how probate is handled in the First Judicial Circuit.

Arkansas County Probate Court Records Office

Arkansas County is one of the few counties in the state with two county seats. DeWitt is the Southern District seat. Stuttgart is the Northern District seat. Each seat has its own County Clerk office, and each office keeps probate files for cases that begin on its side of the county. The County Clerk is clerk to the probate court under § 28-1-106 and files each paper that comes in for an estate, a guardianship, or a minor's adoption.

You can find the DeWitt County Clerk office at 101 Court Square, DeWitt, AR 72042. The phone there is (870) 946-4338. The Stuttgart office sits at 302 S College Street, Stuttgart, AR 72160. Call that office at (870) 673-8388. Both run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call first if you plan to drive in, and have the case number or the full name of the person who died so staff can pull the file fast.

For circuit clerk work like civil and criminal cases, the DeWitt Circuit Clerk is at the same Court Square address, phone (870) 946-4219. The Stuttgart Circuit Clerk sits at 302 S College Street, phone (870) 673-2056. See arkansascountyar.com/county-clerk for staff contacts, hours, and links to forms.

Search Arkansas County Probate Court Records Online

Arkansas County takes part in CourtConnect. The tool is free, runs in any web browser, and covers probate cases filed in the First Judicial Circuit. You can search by party name, file number, or case type. Results list the case caption, the filing date, the next hearing, and each docket entry.

Start at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. Pick the First Circuit and narrow to Arkansas County. The search runs in seconds. If you want to jump right to the main portal page, use caseinfo.arcourts.gov. The state also runs a full court homepage at arcourts.gov with forms, rules, and guides for self-filers.

Arkansas County Probate Court Records Types

The probate court in Arkansas County hears estates, small estates, guardianships, adoptions, and name changes. Each file holds many kinds of papers. A typical estate file starts with a petition, the will, the proof of will, and letters testamentary or letters of administration. The personal representative then files an inventory within 60 days under § 28-48-101, sends notice to creditors, and pays claims under § 28-50-201.

Under § 28-40-103, the will must be filed within five years of death or it cannot be admitted. Two witnesses are needed for a will per § 28-40-117. A small estate affidavit under § 28-41-101 works for estates at or under $100,000, not counting the homestead or family allowance. The wait is 45 days after death. The fee at the Arkansas County Clerk is usually $25 for this track.

A guardianship case covers minors or adults who cannot manage their own affairs. The rules sit at § 28-65-101, with 20 days of notice before each hearing under § 28-65-207. Adoptions are sealed by law. Heirship cases under § 28-53-101 let the court find the legal heirs when no will is filed.

Arkansas County Probate Probate Court Records Fees

A new probate case in Arkansas County costs $165 to open. That fee covers the filing, the first notice, and the case docket. Small estate affidavits run $25. Certified copies of any probate order are $5 each from the clerk. Plain paper copies are $0.25 per page.

If you need letters testamentary to work with a bank, ask for a few sets at once. The extra sets cost only a few dollars more, and it saves a second trip to DeWitt or Stuttgart. The County Clerk takes cash, a check to the Arkansas County Clerk, or a money order. Mail-in requests should come with a self-addressed stamped envelope and the right check amount so the file can be mailed back fast.

Request Arkansas County Probate Court Records

You have three ways to get a copy. Each works for most files.

In person, walk in to either the DeWitt or Stuttgart office. Staff can pull the file while you wait. Bring a photo ID. If you need a certified copy for a title company or a bank, ask for the seal and signature at the window. By mail, send a short letter with the case name or number, a return address, a stamped envelope, and a check. Online, start at CourtConnect for case lookup, then follow up with a mail or in-person request for full document images. Full record scans for older probate cases are not on the web yet.

Arkansas County was created in 1813 and is the oldest county in the state. Records go back almost that far. Book-A probate and marriage entries from 1819 are still in the vault at DeWitt, and later books cover every decade since.

Historic Arkansas County Probate Records

Older probate files from the 1800s and early 1900s tell rich family stories. Wills, slave schedules, and heirship orders from the pre-Civil War era still exist in fireproof vaults at each county seat. These papers are open to the public under the state FOIA and Administrative Order No. 19.

Many Arkansas County wills and probate papers from the 1800s are now scanned on FamilySearch. See the Arkansas County wiki page for links. The Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock also keeps microfilm of many older books. Their home page at arkansasheritage.com has a research room finder and an email contact for staff help.

Probate law is set in Title 28 of the state code. You can read the full chapters at law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-28. That site is free and always current.

Public Access to Arkansas County Probate Records

Probate files are public by law. You do not need to be an heir or a lawyer to ask for one. Just call the clerk, walk in, or write. The Arkansas FOIA, at § 25-19-103, backs up the right of access. Admin Order No. 19 sets what must be redacted: social security numbers, bank account numbers, and the names of minor children. Adoption files are sealed and closed to the public.

A guardianship medical report may be limited to the parties. Most of the rest of the guardianship file, though, stays open. If the court seals a whole file, it must find a clear privacy interest that beats the public right to see it.

Legal Help in Arkansas County

Arkansas County sits in the service area of the Center for Arkansas Legal Services and its sister group, Legal Aid of Arkansas. Low-income residents can apply for free help with a small estate, a simple will, or a basic guardianship. Start at arlegalaid.org or call their intake line for a screening.

The Arkansas Bar lawyer referral service matches probate seekers with local counsel who take short first calls. If you plan to file on your own, use the self-help forms page at arcourts.gov.

Nearby Arkansas Counties

Probate cases near Arkansas County are often linked to these neighbors. Each has its own clerk and filing office.