Arkansas Court Records: Difference between revisions

From FamilySearch Wiki
m (Text replacement - "{{Adoption ARGenWeb}}" to "")
m (Text replacement - "{{Adoption ARGenWeb}}" to "")
 
(No difference)

Latest revision as of 19:20, 15 April 2024

Arkansas Wiki Topics
Arkansas flag.png
Beginning Research
Record Types
Arkansas Background
Cultural Groups
Local Research Resources

Online Resources[edit | edit source]


Major Courts[edit | edit source]

Major Arkansas courts that have kept records of genealogical value include the following:

  • Circuit courts have countywide jurisdiction over criminal cases, naturalization, and major civil cases. The FamilySearch Library has copies of many circuit court records.
  • Chancery courts have countywide jurisdiction over equity, divorce, probate, guardianship, and adoptions. The FamilySearch Library has some chancery court records. For Pulaski County, for example, the library has copies of the records from 1839 to 1877.
  • Courts of common pleas have countywide jurisdiction over non-real estate civil matters. The FamilySearch Library has some courts of common pleas records.
  • County courts have countywide jurisdiction over juvenile matters, taxes, claims, and county expenditures. The FamilySearch Library has some county court records, including Pulaski County files from 1846 to 1878.
  • Justice of the peace courts have countywide jurisdiction over preliminary hearings of criminal cases and minor contract matters. The FamilySearch Library has some justice of the peace records, such as the Pulaski County files from 1873 to 1917.
  • Original court records are kept by the clerks in each county courthouse. Copies of records at the FamilySearch Library often date from the creation of a county to about 1900, and some indexes are available through the 1970s. Court records are also available at the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives.