Craighead County Probate Court Records

Craighead County Probate Court Records are kept at the County Clerk's office in Jonesboro. The office files all papers for wills, estates, guardianships, and adoption cases heard in the Second Judicial District. You can search Craighead County Probate Court Records online through the statewide CourtConnect system, visit the clerk at 511 South Main Street in Jonesboro, or send a mail request for copies. There is also a satellite office in Lake City that keeps local records. This page shows where to start, what a probate file holds, and how to get a plain or certified copy for your own needs.

Craighead County Probate Court Records Office

The Craighead County Clerk is the official bookkeeper of the county and serves as clerk to the probate court. As clerk, the office files all instruments in decedent estate cases, swears in witnesses for contested estates, and keeps all records for adoptions and guardianships. The clerk also issues marriage licenses and keeps files for every firm that files to do business in the county.

The main clerk office sits at 511 South Main Street, Suite 202, Jonesboro, AR 72401. You can call (870) 933-4520 with a case question. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except for court holidays. A second clerk office in Lake City keeps copies of local records for folks in the east half of the county, which helps cut a long drive to Jonesboro.

Visit the clerk online at craigheadclerk.com for forms, fee lists, and office news. A view of the county clerk site is shown below.

The page links to the probate unit and to genealogy help for older Craighead County Probate Court Records.

Staff can point you to the fire-proof vault where files live, pull a file, quote fees, and walk you through a records request.

Search Craighead County Probate Court Records Online

Craighead County has taken part in CourtConnect for years. The free statewide case search lets you look up probate cases by party name, case number, or case type. Each hit shows case status, next hearing date, and a full docket list. This is the best first stop when you need to find a case fast.

You can start the hunt at the main Arkansas case search page. Pick the Second Judicial District and narrow the court to Craighead. The page lets you filter by file date or by case type such as Probate, Guardianship, or Adoption. A view of the portal is shown below.

The same portal covers civil, criminal, domestic relations, and juvenile cases, but probate matters sit under the county clerk in Arkansas.

Court records back to January 1, 2009 are open through Public Court Connect. All court cases are scanned back to 2000, and all orders in all cases go back to 1997. Electronic filing started June 1, 2016.

The Craighead County Circuit Clerk also runs a public site with links to court dockets, land records, and search tools. A look at that site is below.

You can reach the circuit clerk at craigheadcircuitclerk.com. Civil, domestic relations, criminal, and juvenile files sit with the circuit clerk, while estates and guardianships sit with the county clerk.

Craighead County Probate Court Records Types

A Craighead County probate file can hold a wide mix of papers. Most files start with a petition for probate or for letters of administration. The judge then admits the will, names a personal representative, and issues letters. From there the case builds up into a full record.

Common papers in a Craighead County Probate Court Records file include the petition, the will and proof of will, letters testamentary or of administration, the inventory and appraisal of assets, creditor claim forms, notices to heirs, petitions for family or homestead allowances, sale orders for real estate, the final accounting, and the order of discharge that closes the estate. Adoption cases and sealed guardianship files have their own folder and are not open to the public.

Arkansas law sets firm deadlines for probate filings. A will must be filed within 5 years of death under § 28-40-103. The personal representative has 60 days to file an inventory per § 28-48-101. Creditor claims are due within 6 months of first notice under § 28-40-111. Proof of the will needs at least two attesting witnesses per § 28-40-117. Each step leaves a paper trail in the file.

Guardianship cases run on a parallel track. The court follows Arkansas Code § 28-65-101 and gives 20 days notice of each hearing under § 28-65-207. The file holds medical statements, a report from the guardian ad litem, and a yearly report from the guardian. The clerk keeps this file locked with the estate files.

Craighead County Probate Probate Court Records Fees

The Craighead County probate filing fee is $165 to open a new estate case. A small estate affidavit runs about $25 under § 28-41-101 for estates at or under $100,000 in value, not counting the homestead or family allowance. You must wait 45 days after death before you can file a small estate. The small estate path is often the fastest way to close a short file.

Copy fees at the Craighead County clerk are set by the office. Plain copies run $0.25 per page. Certified copies of probate documents are $5 each. Letters testamentary cost $5 per set. Mail requests should include a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check made out to the Craighead County Clerk. The clerk can quote an exact total once staff pull the file.

Get a few more certified copies than you think you need. Banks, brokers, title firms, and the state tax office each want one. The per-copy fee is low, and a second trip or a second mail cycle costs much more time.

Historic Craighead County Probate Court Records

Craighead County was formed in 1859 and sits in the crowley's ridge belt of northeast Arkansas. Old records had a rough start. A fire hit the courthouse in 1869, and a second fire in 1878 burned more files. Records are thin from before 1886. Since 1886, all files have been kept in a fire-proof vault, and no Craighead County record has been lost since March 28, 1878.

Marriage records and probate records at the clerk go back to 1878. Divorce records and land records at the circuit clerk reach back to 1878 and 1900. Book A of the early marriage records was rebuilt from old newspaper notices after the fire. For the earliest files you may need to use local history books and estate notices in the old Jonesboro papers.

The Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock holds many old Craighead County files on microfilm. Start at arkansasheritage.com to set up a visit or ask for a search by staff. The archives are free to use for family history.

FamilySearch has put many Craighead County probate files online as well. The Craighead County research wiki links to microfilm reels and online indexes. You can read a will from the 1880s from your own kitchen table if the film has been scanned.

Request Craighead County Probate Court Records

You have three main paths to get Craighead County Probate Court Records. Pick the one that fits your need and your time.

In person: walk in to 511 South Main Street during office hours. Bring a photo ID and as much case info as you have. Give staff the decedent's name, the year of death, or the case number. Plain copies often happen at the counter. Certified copies take a few more minutes for the raised seal.

By mail: send a short letter with the case name or number, your return address, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check for the copy fees. Include the decedent's full name and year of death if you do not have a case number. The clerk will search the index and mail the copies back.

Online: start at CourtConnect to find the case number. For historical cases not online, use the FamilySearch wiki or the State Archives. Not every page of a probate file is online, so you may still need to mail or visit the office.

Public Access to Craighead County Probate Records

Probate files in Craighead County are open to the public. The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and Administrative Order No. 19 both back this rule. You do not need to be an heir, a party, or a lawyer to ask for the file. Anyone can walk in or send a written request.

Some items stay sealed. Adoption files are closed by state law. Social security numbers, bank account numbers, and the full names of minor children are redacted before the file is shown. Medical records in a guardianship case may be limited to the parties and the court. The rest of a Craighead County Probate Court Records file is open.

A party can ask to seal a full record under Rule 19 and § 28 rules. The court then weighs privacy against the public right to see court work. Most requests to seal are denied unless a strong case is made.

Local Help in Craighead County

Legal Aid of Arkansas has a Jonesboro office that serves Craighead County. The group helps low-income folks with small estate affidavits and simple guardianships. Call for intake or visit arlegalaid.org for forms and online help. The Arkansas Judiciary self-help page has standard forms for personal reps, guardians, and heirs who want to file on their own.

The Craighead County Veteran's Reward Program at the circuit clerk office gives local discounts to vets who file at the courthouse. Ask at the counter for the form when you next visit.

Cities in Craighead County

Craighead County holds several cities and towns. Each files probate cases at the County Clerk in Jonesboro.

Nearby Arkansas Counties