| Circuit Clerk | Craighead County Circuit Clerk |
|---|---|
| County Clerk | Craighead County Clerk |
| Clerk address | Circuit Clerk: Craighead County Courthouse, 511 South Main Street, Room 200, Jonesboro, AR 72401 (Lake City office: 107 Cobean Blvd., Lake City, AR 72437). County Clerk: 511 South Main Street, Room 202, Jonesboro, AR 72401 |
| Phone | Circuit Clerk — Jonesboro: (870) 933-4530; Lake City: (870) 237-4342. County Clerk: (870) 933-4520 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except court-approved holidays) |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | $0.25 per page at most circuit clerks (set locally; e.g., Saline and Lonoke counties post $0.25) |
| Certified copy fee | $5.00 per document for the clerk's certificate and seal (Ark. Code Ann. § 21-6-402), plus the per-page copy charge |
Craighead County (Jonesboro, Brookland, Bay, Lake City) is the largest county in northeast Arkansas and one of the few Arkansas counties with two county seats. Circuit court records — civil, criminal, domestic relations, and juvenile — are kept by the Craighead County Circuit Clerk, David Vaughn, with a main office on the second floor of the Craighead County Courthouse in Jonesboro and a second office at the Eastern District courthouse in Lake City. The office is also the county recorder for deeds, mortgages, and liens.
Probate matters (decedent estates, guardianships) are filed with the separate Craighead County Clerk in Room 202 of the same Jonesboro courthouse, which also issues marriage licenses for both the Western (Jonesboro) and Eastern (Lake City) districts and keeps voter registration and quorum court records.
Misdemeanors, traffic tickets, and ordinance violations are handled by Craighead County District Court, whose clerk's office and payment window are at 511 S. Main Street with a mailing address on South Madison. The circuit clerk's court-information page points to Search ARCourts (CourtConnect) for online case lookup; juvenile records are confidential and are never posted online.
Search Craighead County court records online
Circuit Clerk
Craighead County Circuit Clerk
- Cost
- Free case search through Search ARCourts; fees for copies and certification
- Coverage
- Circuit court civil, criminal (felony), domestic relations, and juvenile case records for Craighead County; also real-estate recording
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
Offices in Jonesboro (511 S. Main St.
County Clerk
Craighead County Clerk
- Cost
- Free to inquire; fees for copies and licenses
- Coverage
- Probate filings (decedent estates, guardianships), marriage licenses for both county districts, DBA filings, voter registration, quorum court minutes and county financial records
- Records
- Probate
Room 202 of the Craighead County Courthouse, (870) 933-4520, Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Probate cover sheets and forms are posted on the clerk's site.
Other courts
Craighead County District Court (Jonesboro)
- Cost
- Free to inquire; contact the clerk for copies
- Coverage
- Misdemeanor, traffic, ordinance, and small-claims cases in Craighead County
- Records
- Criminal, Traffic, Civil
The county's departments page lists the district court at 603 S. Madison (mail), with the payment window and court appearances at 511 S. Main and 511 S. Union (courtroom 4A), Jonesboro; (870) 933-4508, 933-4509, or 933-4581; Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Citations can be paid at pay.arcourts.gov.
What is available online
Craighead County circuit court cases are searchable through Search ARCourts / CourtConnect (caseinfo.arcourts.gov), which the Circuit Clerk's court-information page links to directly. Civil, criminal, and domestic relations cases show case information and, for many filings, document images; juvenile cases are confidential and do not appear. The Circuit Clerk does not run a separate county case portal. Recorded land records are available online only through the paid Tapestry (per-search) or Laredo (monthly subscription) services. Probate files kept by the County Clerk and district-court files (misdemeanors, traffic) are not online and must be requested from those offices.
Which clerk has your record
In Arkansas, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Arkansas page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Courts (28 judicial circuits) | Felony criminal cases; Civil cases above the district-court limit; Divorce, custody, and other domestic-relations cases | Circuit Clerk of the county |
| District Courts (state and local) | Misdemeanor criminal cases; Traffic violations and city ordinance violations; Preliminary felony hearings (first appearance and bond) | Clerk of the individual district court |
| City Courts | Legacy municipal-court matters in cities that have not converted to district court | Clerk of the individual city court |
Request records in person or by mail
Craighead County clerk offices
Circuit Clerk: Craighead County Courthouse, 511 South Main Street, Room 200, Jonesboro, AR 72401 (Lake City office: 107 Cobean Blvd., Lake City, AR 72437). County Clerk: 511 South Main Street, Room 202, Jonesboro, AR 72401
Phone: Circuit Clerk — Jonesboro: (870) 933-4530; Lake City: (870) 237-4342. County Clerk: (870) 933-4520
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except court-approved holidays)
In person. Visit the Circuit Clerk in Room 200 of the courthouse at 511 South Main Street, Jonesboro, or the Lake City office at 107 Cobean Blvd., Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Bring the case number or party names and say whether you need plain or certified copies. Estate and guardianship files are requested from the County Clerk in Room 202.
By mail. Write to the Circuit Clerk at 511 South Main Street #200, Jonesboro, AR 72401, with the case number or names, the documents needed, and whether you want certification. Call (870) 933-4530 first for the current copy and certification fee so you can enclose payment.
Online. Use Search ARCourts for case information and document images. Land records can be pulled online through Tapestry ($8.75 per search plus $1.00 per printed page) or a Laredo subscription.
District court. Misdemeanor and traffic files are kept by Craighead County District Court, (870) 933-4508; fines can be paid online at pay.arcourts.gov.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $0.25 per page at most circuit clerks (set locally; e.g., Saline and Lonoke counties post $0.25) |
| Certified copy | $5.00 per document for the clerk's certificate and seal (Ark. Code Ann. § 21-6-402), plus the per-page copy charge |
Ark. Code Ann. § 21-6-402 fixes the circuit clerk's certificate-and-seal fee at $5.00, an authentication certificate at $5.00, and certifying costs at $2.50, but leaves the plain per-page copy charge to each clerk; the large-county schedules we checked (Saline, Lonoke) charge $0.25 per page. Uniform filing fees are in § 21-6-403. Confirm with the clerk before mailing payment, since some counties add a technology fee or charge more for oversized or archived files.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Arkansas court records are presumed open, but several categories are not available in any public search:
The Arkansas guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Does Craighead County have two courthouses?
Yes. Jonesboro is the Western District seat and Lake City is the Eastern District seat. The Circuit Clerk keeps an office at each (511 S. Main St. in Jonesboro and 107 Cobean Blvd. in Lake City).
Where do I get a probate or guardianship file in Craighead County?
From the Craighead County Clerk in Room 202 of the Jonesboro courthouse, (870) 933-4520. The Circuit Clerk keeps civil, criminal, domestic, and juvenile files but not probate.
Can I look up a Craighead County felony case online?
Yes, through Search ARCourts (caseinfo.arcourts.gov), which the Circuit Clerk links to. Juvenile records are confidential and are not available online or at the counter to the general public.
How do I pay or look up a Jonesboro traffic ticket?
Contact Craighead County District Court at (870) 933-4508 or the payment window at 511 S. Main Street. Many citations can be paid online at pay.arcourts.gov.
Sources
- Craighead County Circuit Clerk — https://www.craigheadcircuitclerk.com/
- Craighead County Circuit Clerk — Court Information — https://www.craigheadcircuitclerk.com/court-information
- Craighead County Circuit Clerk — Public Records — https://www.craigheadcircuitclerk.com/public-records
- Craighead County Clerk — Contact — https://www.craigheadclerk.com/contact
- Craighead County — Departments — https://craigheadcountyar.gov/government/departments
- Craighead County — County Office Locations — https://craigheadcountyar.gov/government/elected-officials/county-office-locations
- Arkansas Judiciary — Circuit Courts — https://arcourts.gov/courts/circuit-courts
- Arkansas Judiciary — District Courts — https://arcourts.gov/courts/district-courts
- Arkansas Judiciary — Search ARCourts (CourtConnect) — https://arcourts.gov/administration/acap/courtconnect
- Arkansas Judiciary — Supreme Court — https://arcourts.gov/courts/supreme-court
- Arkansas Online Criminal Background Check System — https://cbc.ark.org/
- Arkansas Code § 16-90-1416 — Release of Sealed Records — https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-16/subtitle-6/chapter-90/subchapter-14/section-16-90-1416/
- Arkansas Code § 21-6-403 — Circuit Court Clerks, Uniform Filing Fees — https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-21/chapter-6/subchapter-4/section-21-6-403/
- Arkansas Judiciary — Filing Fee Information — https://arcourts.gov/courts/clerk-of-the-courts/filing-information
- Arkansas Code § 21-6-402 — Circuit Court Clerks, Miscellaneous Fees — https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-21/chapter-6/subchapter-4/section-21-6-402/
- Saline County Circuit Clerk — Filing Fees — https://www.salinecounty.org/government/circuit_clerk/circuit_juvenile_court/filing_fees_efiling_lite.php
- Lonoke County Circuit Clerk — Filing Fees — https://www.lonokecircuitclerk.com/filingfees.html
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas — https://www.are.uscourts.gov/
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Arkansas — https://www.arwd.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Arkansas counties.