Arkansas Genealogy Records
Arkansas genealogy records stretch across more than two centuries of county clerks, circuit courts, and vital records offices spread across 75 counties. Whether you need a birth certificate from the 1920s, a marriage license filed before the Civil War, or a probate record from the territorial period, Arkansas holds a rich collection of public and archival sources to search. This page connects you to official state archives, county-level resources, and online databases that hold the bulk of surviving Arkansas genealogy records, so you can find the right starting point for your research.
Arkansas Genealogy at a Glance
Arkansas State Archives
The Arkansas State Archives is the best place to start your Arkansas genealogy research. Created in 1905 as the Arkansas History Commission, it serves as the official archives of the state. The mission is to preserve official state records, collect material on Arkansas history, and support historical research by the public. Located at 1100 North Street, Little Rock, AR 72201. Phone: (501) 682-6900. Email: state.archives@arkansas.gov. Admission and parking are both free.
Hours run Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. The Archives is also open the first and third Saturday of each month. The collection includes census records, manuscripts, newspapers, state and county government records, photographs, military records, maps, books, pamphlets, and church and cemetery records. Several major collections are available online, including the 1911 Confederate Veterans Questionnaires, Confederate Pension Records, Land Records, and World War I Discharge Records.
The Arkansas Digital Archives extends the collection online. It provides digitized documents, visual materials, maps, and broadsides significant to Arkansas history. The site includes indexes for county records, death records, land records, military records, and newspapers. Free searchable digitized Arkansas newspapers are available through the Library of Congress Chronicling America project. New collections are added regularly.
Below is the main page of the Arkansas State Archives, one of the most important genealogy resources in the state.
The Archives staff can assist with record requests and research guidance during regular business hours at no charge.
Arkansas Vital Records for Genealogy
The Arkansas Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, maintains birth and death records starting from February 1, 1914. A limited number of death records for Little Rock and Fort Smith go back to 1881. Marriage records begin in January 1917. Divorce records begin in January 1923. The Division is located at 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205. Phone: (501) 661-2174. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Under Arkansas Statute 20-18-305, birth records less than 100 years old and death records less than 50 years old are restricted from general public release. Marriage and divorce records held by the Division are also restricted. The statute permits release to persons related to the registrant, to their designated representatives, to academic research groups, and to persons who can show a legal right to the record. Birth record copies cost $12 for the first copy. Death record copies cost $10 for the first copy. Marriage and divorce verification letters cost $10.
For genealogical research, county-level records often go back much further than 1914. Many Arkansas county clerks hold marriage records dating into the 1800s, and probate records in some counties go back to 1814. If you need records before the state began keeping vital records, contact the county clerk in the county where the event took place.
The image below links to the CDC vital records reference page for Arkansas, which lists the Division's full contact information and access procedures.
The CDC vital records page shows current fees and lists the information required to request each type of Arkansas genealogy record.
Note: The Division of Vital Records does not hold records prior to 1914 for most of the state. For older birth, death, and marriage records, contact the county clerk in the county where the event occurred.
Arkansas Genealogical Society
The Arkansas Genealogical Society has served researchers since 1962. The society promotes genealogy, publishes articles on Arkansas ancestors, and works to locate and preserve genealogical and biographical information. Individual membership costs $25 per year. Family membership is $35. The society's mailing address is P.O. Box 26374, Little Rock, Arkansas 72221.
One of the most useful programs the society runs is the Arkansas Ancestry Certificate. This program recognizes ancestors who lived in Arkansas before December 31, 1900. Applications are filmed by the Arkansas History Commission and kept at the State Archives, where they are accessible through the Biographical Index. The application fee is $10. The society also publishes the quarterly journal "The Arkansas Family Historian," which contains research articles, transcribed records, and family histories specific to Arkansas.
The society sells several published reference works that are hard to find elsewhere. The Arkansas Prior Birth Index covers fifteen volumes of index to early birth records. The Arkansas Township Atlas 1819-1930 covers land survey data for genealogical research. Research in the States: Arkansas, 2nd Edition (2019) is a research guide covering sources, strategies, and repositories across the state.
The Arkansas Genealogical Society website lists current publications, membership options, and information about the Ancestry Certificate program for qualifying researchers.
Online Arkansas Genealogy Databases
FamilySearch provides free access to a large set of Arkansas genealogy records. Key collections include Arkansas Births and Christenings 1812-1965 (index only), Arkansas County Marriages 1837-1957 (index and images), the Arkansas Death Index 1914-1950, the Arkansas Divorce Index 1923-1939, Confederate Pension Records 1891-1939, and Arkansas Civil War Service Records. Census records for Arkansas are available going back to 1830. FamilySearch also holds county-specific collections for many of the 75 counties, covering probate records, court dockets, and land records.
The ARGenWeb project maintains county websites for all 75 Arkansas counties through the statewide site. Each county page is run by volunteers and holds transcribed records, cemetery listings, obituary indexes, family histories, and other local materials. Quality varies by county but many have substantial collections of pre-digital records. These pages are free and do not require an account.
FamilySearch has microfilmed many Arkansas county records over the decades. The Pulaski County microfilm collection alone includes marriage records 1838-1851, an index to marriages 1820-1971 on six reels, naturalization records 1870-1918, soldier and sailor discharge records 1919-1948, and cemetery records. Many other counties have comparable microfilm sets available through FamilySearch Family History Centers.
The microfilm reference page lists what Arkansas county records are available on film, how many reels cover each record type, and where to access them.
African American Arkansas Genealogy
Researching African American genealogy in Arkansas requires using a combination of federal and state records. Prior to the Louisiana Purchase, few enslaved people lived in the territory. After 1836, the numbers grew as white settlement moved west from the Southeast. Most enslaved people lived in agricultural regions, especially the Delta counties along the Mississippi River. Research for enslaved ancestors from 1850 to 1860 uses the federal slaveholder census records, which list slaveholders but not the names of the enslaved. These records help narrow down which household and county records to search next.
All Black residents were enumerated starting with the 1870 federal census. Freedmen's Bureau records cover 1865 to 1872 and document labor contracts, rations, marriages, and disputes in Arkansas. U.S. Colored Troops Records contain records of more than 178,000 men who served during the Civil War. The Freedman's Bank Records hold more than 480,000 entries from the Freedman's Savings and Trust, which operated branches in several Arkansas cities. Jefferson County holds a particularly useful resource: Colored Marriage Books I and II, which index marriages from 1865 to 1871 in Pine Bluff and surrounding areas.
The Arkansas African American genealogy resource page outlines available record types and explains strategies for pre-1870 research when names were not recorded in federal census enumerations.
Note: The Central Arkansas Library System genealogy collection includes an African American Heritage database and Civil War Newspapers collection that can support Black family research in Pulaski County and the surrounding region.
Arkansas Land Records and Property Research
Land records are among the most useful genealogy tools for Arkansas research. They often predate vital records by decades and can link family members across generations. The Bureau of Land Management General Land Office maintains records of pre-1908 land patents in Arkansas. These records document the transfer of land from the federal government to individuals and list the legal land description, the issue date, and the names of patentees, assignees, warrantees, widows, or heirs. The BLM site lets you search by name and download original patent documents at no cost.
County-level land records go even further back in some cases. Pulaski County land records begin in 1819. Many other counties hold land records from their founding dates. These county records are maintained at the Circuit Clerk's office in each county seat. The Circuit Clerk is the recording officer for real estate deeds, judgments, and related documents in Arkansas. Several county Circuit Clerk offices have digitized modern records, and older records have been microfilmed by FamilySearch.
The BLM General Land Office records portal lets you search for Arkansas land patent recipients by name and download the original deed documents in PDF format.
Arkansas Obituaries and Cemetery Records
Obituaries and cemetery records fill in details that formal records often miss. Arkansas obituary resources include death notices from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette in Fayetteville, and the Southwest Times Record in Fort Smith. Genealogy Bank holds Arkansas obituaries from 1824 to the present across more than 50 Arkansas newspapers. The Arkansas Obituary Project has indexed archived newspaper obituaries by county through the US GenWeb Archives.
Cemetery records for Arkansas are available through several sources. FindAGrave has indexed thousands of Arkansas burials with photos and additional family notes contributed by volunteers. The Arkansas State Archives holds cemetery transcriptions in its physical collection. County-level ARGenWeb sites often have cemetery listings contributed by local volunteers with specific county knowledge. The Fort Smith Public Library maintains indexes for several local cemeteries, including Calvary Cemetery, Forest Park Cemetery, and the U.S. National Cemetery, with date ranges going back to the mid-1800s.
The Arkansas obituaries resource page links to newspaper archives across the state and explains which databases cover which regions and time periods.
Arkansas Genealogy Records Access and the Law
Arkansas Statute 20-18-305 is the main law governing access to vital records in the state. Under this statute, birth records less than 100 years old are not released to the general public. Death records less than 50 years old carry the same restriction. Marriage and divorce records held by the Division of Vital Records are also restricted. The Division may release records to persons related to the registrant, to their designated representatives, to academic research groups, and to persons who can demonstrate a legal right to the record. For genealogy research, records that fall outside these time windows are generally accessible to anyone who requests them.
County clerk records and circuit court records operate under somewhat different access rules. Court records in Arkansas are generally considered public under state law. Many older county records, including probate filings, deed books, and marriage records, can be viewed in person at the county clerk or circuit clerk's office with no special eligibility requirement. Researchers who cannot visit in person can often request copies by mail or, in some counties, access records through online portals.
The Arkansas genealogy vital records statute page summarizes access rules under Statute 20-18-305 and explains who qualifies to obtain restricted records from the Division of Vital Records.
National Archives and Regional Resources
The National Archives at Fort Worth holds records created by federal agencies and courts in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. For Arkansas genealogy, this means access to federal census records on microfilm, naturalization records, passenger arrival lists, and military records. The facility is located at 501 West Felix Street, Building 1, Fort Worth, Texas 76115-3405. Phone: (817) 831-5620. Email: ftworth.archives@nara.gov. Military pension files held here often contain family details not found anywhere else. Naturalization records document the origins of immigrants who settled in Arkansas.
Two regional branches of the Arkansas State Archives serve specific parts of the state. The Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives (SARA), located at 201 Highway 195 S, Washington, AR 71862, phone (870) 983-2633, collects material from 12 southwest Arkansas counties: Columbia, Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada, Ouachita, Pike, Polk, Sevier, and Union. The Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives (NEARA), located at 11 Heritage Park Drive, Powhatan, AR 72458, phone (870) 878-6528, covers 16 northeast Arkansas counties: Baxter, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Fulton, Greene, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Mississippi, Poinsett, Randolph, Sharp, and Stone.
The Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at 401 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, AR 72201, phone (501) 320-5700, is a department of the Central Arkansas Library System dedicated to the study of Arkansas history and culture. It holds extensive manuscript collections, photograph archives, maps, and historical documents relevant to genealogy research across the state.
The National Archives at Fort Worth website lists its available Arkansas record types, current hours, and how to request copies of federal records for genealogy research.
Note: If you are researching ancestors in southwest or northeast Arkansas, contacting the relevant regional archive directly can save significant time compared to searching through the main state archives.
Browse Arkansas Genealogy by County
Each of Arkansas's 75 counties holds its own genealogy records. County clerks have marriage, probate, and tax records. Circuit clerks have court and land records going back to each county's founding date. Pick a county below to find specific resources, addresses, and record dates for that area.
Arkansas Genealogy in Major Cities
City residents file records at the county courthouse for their area. Pick a city below to find out which county office holds genealogy records for that location, along with local library and historical society resources.