Stone County Probate Records Lookup
Stone County Probate Court Records sit at the County Clerk's office in Mountain View. The clerk serves as clerk to the probate division of the 16th Judicial Circuit. Files cover wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and adult name changes. You can search Stone County probate cases online through CourtConnect, visit the clerk in person, or mail a request for copies. This page walks through how to find a case, what a probate file holds, and how to get plain or certified copies.
Stone County Probate Court Records Overview
Stone County Probate Court Records Office
The Stone County Circuit Clerk and County Clerk share duty over probate. The County Clerk is clerk to the probate court under § 28-1-106. Papers, bonds, and letters all pass through the clerk's counter. The main office sits at the Stone County Courthouse, 107 West Main Street, Mountain View, AR 72560.
Hours run Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call ahead if you plan to pull a large file. Staff can quote copy fees and find the case number from a name and year. Bring a photo ID. The office is small, and staff may ask you to wait during busy hours.
Stone County sits in the 16th Judicial Circuit with Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, and White counties. Probate judges rotate between seats. All new estate cases, small estate affidavits, and guardianship petitions are filed here first.
Note: The Stone County District Court does not hear probate matters. Wills, estates, and guardianships must be filed with the Circuit Court clerk.
Search Stone County Probate Court Records Online
The Arkansas Judiciary runs a free case search at CourtConnect. Pick Stone County from the list. You can search by party name, case number, or case type. Probate cases show the docket, next hearing date, and list of parties.
The state search is free and open to all. No login. Most cases from the past 15 years are in the index. Older cases sit in paper only at the Mountain View clerk's office. The search returns case summaries, not full will or accounting images.
A view of the main search home page is below.
From the main portal, pick the circuit and Stone County, then run a name search. Each match links to the case docket.
Types of Stone County Probate Court Records
The probate division hears estate cases, wills held for safekeeping, small estate affidavits, guardianships, conservatorships, adult adoptions, and name changes. Each file is its own public record, with a few narrow limits. Adoption files are sealed by law.
Full estate cases start with a petition. The court admits the will, names a personal representative, and issues letters. The rep files an inventory under § 28-48-101 within 60 days. Creditor claims are due within six months of first publication under § 28-40-111. Claim payment order rules live at § 28-50-201.
A standard Stone County probate file holds:
- Petition for probate or administration
- The will and proof of will
- Letters testamentary or of administration
- Inventory and appraisal of assets
- Creditor claims and court orders
- Final accounting and order of discharge
Guardianship files hold medical statements, reports from the guardian ad litem, and yearly status reports to the court. See § 28-65-101 and § 28-65-207.
Stone County Probate Court Records Fees
The standard filing fee for a full Stone County probate case is $165. Small estate affidavits under § 28-41-101 run about $25 to $30. Small estates cover assets at or below $100,000 in value, not counting the homestead or family allowance under § 28-39-101 and § 28-39-201.
Copy fees follow the state schedule. Plain copies run $0.25 per page. Certified copies are $5 for the first page plus $0.50 to $1.00 per page after. Letters testamentary are $5 per set. Order two or three certified sets up front for bank, deed, and life policy work.
The clerk takes cash, check, or card in person. Mail-in requests should include a check to the Circuit Clerk and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Request Stone County Probate Court Records
You have three ways to get copies. Pick the one that fits your need.
In person: walk in to 107 West Main Street, Mountain View. Bring a photo ID. Give staff the case name or number. They will pull the file and copy the pages you want. Plain copies often ship same visit. Certified copies take a few more minutes for the seal.
By mail: send a short letter with the case name, case number, return address, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check for the copy fees. The clerk mails copies back, most often within one to two weeks.
Online: start at CourtConnect to find the case. Full document images sit at the clerk, not online. The Arkansas Judiciary site hosts blank forms for pro se filers.
Historic Stone County Probate Court Records
Stone County was formed April 21, 1873, from parts of Izard, Independence, Searcy, and Van Buren counties. Probate records date from that time. Loose papers and pre-1920 files are held on microfilm at the Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock.
The FamilySearch wiki lists reels and online indexes for Stone County. Many probate images are free to view through an affiliate library. The wiki also links to county histories and published will abstracts.
Old estate packets are a strong source for family history work and land title research. A packet may hold the will, letters of administration, guardian bonds, inventories, and receipts from heirs. These files often show who lived in the same home and what the estate held.
Legal Framework for Stone County Probate Court Records
Arkansas Circuit Courts hold probate jurisdiction under § 28-1-104. District courts have no probate role. A will must be filed within five years of death under § 28-40-103. Two attesting witnesses are needed to prove a will under § 28-40-117. Intestate succession runs under § 28-9-203.
Public access comes from the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and Administrative Order No. 19. Anyone may view a Stone County probate file during office hours. Clerks redact social security numbers, bank account numbers, and the full names of minor children. Adoption files are sealed by statute.
The full probate code is at Justia's Arkansas Code Title 28. Guardianship rules sit at § 28-65-101. Notice of guardianship hearing runs 20 days under § 28-65-207. Final accounting rules live at § 28-52-101.
Tip: If the person who died owned timber land along the Buffalo River, the estate may need a federal tax ID and a separate accounting of timber sale income.
Legal Help in Stone County
Legal Aid of Arkansas serves Stone County for low-income clients. Apply online at arlegalaid.org. Legal Aid helps with simple estates, small estate affidavits, and guardianships when the case fits their rules. A phone intake starts the review.
For full probate with real estate or a contested will, a private attorney is a better fit. The Arkansas Judiciary site hosts blank forms, filing guides, and rules of probate procedure for pro se filers. The Arkansas Bar Association runs a referral service for lawyers who handle probate.
Nearby Arkansas Counties
Stone County sits in north-central Arkansas in the Ozarks. Each neighbor files probate cases at its own county seat.