| Circuit Clerk | White County Circuit Clerk |
|---|---|
| County Clerk | White County Clerk |
| Clerk address | White County Courthouse, 300 North Spruce Street, Searcy, AR 72143 (Circuit Clerk and County Clerk) |
| Phone | Circuit Clerk: (501) 279-6203 or (501) 279-6223; County Clerk: (501) 279-6204 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (both clerks) |
| 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 |
White County (Searcy, Beebe, Bald Knob, Judsonia) sits northeast of Little Rock and is part of the 17th Judicial Circuit. Circuit court records — criminal, domestic relations, civil, and juvenile cases — are kept by the White County Circuit Clerk, Sara Brown-Carlton, at the White County Courthouse, 300 North Spruce Street in Searcy. The office is also the county recorder for deeds, mortgages, and liens and registers notaries public.
Probate is a County Clerk matter in White County. The White County Clerk, Carla Barnett, keeps decedent estates, small estates, guardianships, civil commitments, and adoptions, plus marriage records running from the late 1800s to the present, county court orders, and voter registration. Both clerks are in the same courthouse and keep the same hours.
Felony criminal trials for White County Circuit Court are heard at the White County Law Enforcement Center on East Booth Road rather than the courthouse, and the same complex houses Searcy District Court, which handles misdemeanors, traffic, small claims, and city ordinance cases for Searcy.
Search White County court records online
Circuit Clerk
White County Circuit Clerk
- Cost
- Free case search through Search ARCourts; copy and certification fees per the clerk's posted fee schedule
- Coverage
- Circuit court criminal, domestic relations, civil, and juvenile case records for White County; also real-estate recording and notary registration
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
The clerk's page links to the state eFlex e-filing system (efile.arcourts.gov) and posts a Recording and Filing Fee Schedule PDF. Case lookup is through the statewide Search ARCourts. Juvenile files are confidential.
County Clerk
White County Clerk
- Cost
- Free to inquire; fees for copies and licenses per the clerk's posted fee sheet
- Coverage
- Probate records (decedent estates, small estates, guardianships, civil commitments, adoptions), marriage licenses from the late 1800s forward, county court orders, DBA certificates, voter registration
- Records
- Probate
(501) 279-6204, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Adoption files are confidential. No online case search of its own.
Other courts
Searcy District Court
- Cost
- Free to inquire; contact the clerk for copies
- Coverage
- Traffic violations, misdemeanor criminal offenses, small claims, and civil cases arising in Searcy
- Records
- Criminal, Traffic, Civil
Located at the White County Jail complex, 1600 East Booth Road, Suite 600, Searcy; state court clerks (501) 268-7622, city court clerks (501) 279-1040, small claims (501) 207-5777; Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Some traffic fines can be paid at pay.arcourts.gov. A separate system from the circuit clerk.
What is available online
White County circuit court cases are searchable through the statewide Search ARCourts (caseinfo.arcourts.gov); the Circuit Clerk does not run a separate county case portal. Civil, criminal, and domestic relations cases show case information and, for many filings, document images. Juvenile cases are confidential. Attorneys and self-represented parties file electronically through the state eFlex system linked from the clerk's page. Recorded land records are e-recorded through CSC, Simplifile, and ePN but are not offered as a free public search on the county site. Probate files kept by the County Clerk and Searcy District Court files (misdemeanors, traffic, small claims) 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
White County clerk offices
White County Courthouse, 300 North Spruce Street, Searcy, AR 72143 (Circuit Clerk and County Clerk)
Phone: Circuit Clerk: (501) 279-6203 or (501) 279-6223; County Clerk: (501) 279-6204
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (both clerks)
In person. For criminal, civil, divorce, or child-support files, go to the Circuit Clerk at the White County Courthouse, 300 North Spruce Street, Searcy, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Bring the case number or party names and say whether you need plain or certified copies. Estates, guardianships, and marriage records are requested from the County Clerk in the same building.
By mail. Write to the Circuit Clerk (or County Clerk for probate) at 300 North Spruce Street, Searcy, AR 72143, with the case number or names, the documents needed, and whether you want certification. The Circuit Clerk posts a Recording and Filing Fee Schedule on its page; call (501) 279-6203 to confirm the copy fee before enclosing payment.
Online. Use Search ARCourts for case information and document images. There is no county-run search.
District court. Searcy misdemeanor, traffic, and small-claims files are kept by Searcy District Court at 1600 East Booth Road, Suite 600, (501) 268-7622. Other cities in the county (Beebe, Bald Knob) have their own district courts; contact the city.
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
Where are White County probate and estate records?
With the White County Clerk at the courthouse, (501) 279-6204 — not the Circuit Clerk. The County Clerk also holds marriage records back to the late 1800s.
Can I search White County court cases online?
Yes, circuit court cases are in Search ARCourts (caseinfo.arcourts.gov). Probate files and Searcy District Court cases are not included and must be requested from those offices.
Where are felony trials held in White County?
At the White County Law Enforcement Center, 1600 East Booth Road, Searcy, rather than the courthouse. The case file itself is still kept by the Circuit Clerk at 300 North Spruce Street.
How do I handle a Searcy traffic ticket?
Contact Searcy District Court at (501) 268-7622, located at 1600 East Booth Road, Suite 600. Some fines can be paid online at pay.arcourts.gov depending on the violation.
Sources
- White County Circuit Clerk — https://whitecounty.ar.gov/circuitclerk
- White County Clerk — https://whitecounty.ar.gov/countyclerk
- White County — Contact Us — https://whitecounty.ar.gov/contact
- City of Searcy — Courts & Probation — https://www.cityofsearcy.org/courts-probation
- 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.