Crawford County Court Records
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Crawford County, Arkansas sits along the Arkansas River in the western part of the state, with Van Buren as the county seat. The court system generates thousands of case records each year across multiple divisions and courthouse locations, covering everything from felony prosecutions and civil disputes to estate administration and family law matters. These records serve attorneys researching precedent, parties tracking case outcomes, journalists investigating public matters, and any member of the public who wants access to government information.
Finding Court Records in Crawford County
Start by identifying which court handled the matter you're researching. Arkansas residents and out-of-state researchers can both use ArkansasCourts.us to locate publicly available case information, explore court resources, and navigate the state court system. Clerk offices, public access terminals at the courthouse, and the Arkansas judiciary's online search portal are the main channels for getting to case records — each of which is explained throughout this guide.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Crawford County?
The Arkansas judiciary maintains the Search ARCourts case lookup system, which is free to use and available around the clock. This portal covers both circuit court and district court matters within Crawford County and lets you search by participant name or case number.
When searching by participant name, you can narrow results with several filters:
- County — select Crawford County specifically
- Court — choose the circuit court or a specific district court division
- Case type — filter by criminal, civil, domestic relations, probate, or other categories
- Party type — distinguish plaintiffs, defendants, and other designations
- Case status — open or closed matters
Each case record in the system shows participant names, case events, offenses, dispositions, sentences, and docket entries. If you're not sure how to navigate the system, the Arkansas judiciary publishes a helpful navigation guide for Search ARCourts.
If you need certified copies or prefer to search in person, the Crawford County Circuit Clerk and Ex-Officio Recorder is the primary office for circuit court records.
Crawford County Circuit Court
Address: 317 Main St, Van Buren, AR 72956
Phone: (479) 474-1821
Fax: (479) 471-0622
Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (document recording stops at 4:30 p.m.)
Crawford County District Court — Van Buren
Address: 1003 Broadway, Van Buren, AR 72956
Phone: (479) 474-1671
Fax: (479) 471-5005
Crawford County District Court — Alma
Address: 804 Fayetteville Ave, Alma, AR 72921
Phone: (479) 632-4170
Fax: (479) 632-4516
Crawford County District Court — Mountainburg
Address: P.O. Box 433, Mountainburg, AR 72946
Phone: (479) 369-2791
Fax: (479) 369-4674
Crawford County District Court — Mulberry
Address: City Complex Building, 207 N Main St, P.O. Box 448, Mulberry, AR 72947
Phone: (479) 997-1321
Fax: (479) 997-1232
The Crawford County State District Courts cover the entire county but operate through these multiple locations. Under Administrative Order 18 of the Arkansas Supreme Court, the district court has exclusive jurisdiction over contract matters not exceeding $100, concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit court over contract and personal property disputes up to $25,000, and handles minor criminal misdemeanors and traffic violations. If you need records from a specific district court division, direct your request to the chief clerk at that location.
Are Court Records Public in Crawford County?
Arkansas law treats court records as presumptively public. The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act establishes broad public access to government records, and the Arkansas Supreme Court's Administrative Order 19 specifically governs access to court records — spelling out which documents must be disclosed and which categories are protected.
Under these rules, the following types of records or information are not available to the general public:
- Juvenile court records — confidential by law; accessible only to attorneys of record and governmental agencies involved in the case
- Sealed and expunged arrest records — shielded from public view upon a court order
- Adoption records — closed to the public as maintained by the circuit clerk's probate division
- Personal identifying information — including credit card details, government identification numbers, and medical records
- Police investigation data and tactics — exempt from public disclosure
- Certain unpublished judicial drafts — not subject to public access
- Information about confidential witnesses and sources — protected from disclosure
All other case records from the Crawford County Circuit Court and district courts are generally accessible through the clerk's office and the online case search portal. Court filings, docket entries, dispositions, and judgments in civil, criminal, domestic relations, and probate matters are open for public inspection.
Crawford County Criminal Court Records
The criminal division of the Crawford County Circuit Court handles felony prosecutions and serious misdemeanor cases. Actions begin when the Prosecuting Attorney files a formal Information with an affidavit establishing probable cause, though cases can also originate by Grand Jury indictment or as appeals from the district court. The Crawford County Circuit Clerk keeps all criminal division records, and you can search them any time through caseinfo.arcourts.gov.
The district courts across Crawford County handle minor criminal misdemeanors and traffic offenses. Records for those matters are held at the respective district court division where the case was heard.
Inmate and Arrest Information
The Crawford County Sheriff's Office maintains an active online roster of individuals currently in custody. The inmate search page shows each person's name, photograph, physical description, race, address, booking number, booking date, arresting agency, offense, and bond information. For detention-related questions, contact the Sheriff's detention division directly. The Sheriff's Office is located at 4235 Alma Highway, Van Buren, AR 72956 and can be reached at (479) 474-2261.
Local police departments — including the Alma Police Department and the Mulberry Police Department — also receive public inquiries about arrest records and police reports for incidents occurring within their respective jurisdictions.
Statewide Criminal History Searches
The Arkansas Department of Public Safety offers two levels of criminal background search through its ARCH (Arkansas Criminal History) system:
| Search Type | Fee | Available To |
|---|---|---|
| Open Criminal History (ARCH) | $24 per search | General public |
| Arkansas background check | $22 ($11 for volunteer-related) | Statutorily eligible entities / consented requests |
| National/FBI background check | $14.25 ($12.25 for volunteer-related) | Statutorily eligible entities / consented requests |
The public-facing ARCH portal requires the subject's first name, last name, date of birth, and sex. Search results display the names of potential matches; you'll need to pay the $24 fee to view criminal history details. If multiple matches appear, one name can be viewed at no charge before payment is required.
Crawford County Civil Court Records
Civil litigation in Crawford County is divided between the circuit court and the district courts based on the amount in controversy. Cases seeking more than $25,000 fall exclusively under circuit court jurisdiction. Contract and personal property disputes up to $25,000 can be heard by either court. The district court has exclusive jurisdiction over contract matters not exceeding $100.
The civil division of the circuit court handles a wide range of case types — negligence, fraud, malpractice, product liability, contract disputes, foreclosures, quiet title actions, unlawful detainer proceedings, incorporations, election disputes, foreign judgments, administrative appeals, property forfeitures, and name changes. Parties filing in the civil division must submit a Civil Court Cover Sheet along with their complaint or petition.
Filing Fees for Circuit Court Civil Cases
Under Ark. Code Ann. § 21-6-403, the following uniform fees apply:
- Initiating a new cause of action (including appeals from inferior courts): $165.00
- Reopening an existing cause of action: $50.00
- Transfer of cause of action by court order: $50.00
If you qualify as indigent, you may petition the court for in forma pauperis status under Rule 72 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure, which waives the filing fee. No initial filing fee is charged for domestic violence petitions filed under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-15-201 et seq.
Additional fees may come up during the life of a case — writs of garnishment and execution cost $20.00 (with each additional at $2.50); summonses beyond the initial three courtesy summonses issued per new case cost $2.50 each; and document copies from the clerk's office run $0.50 per page for in-office copies and $1.00 per page for copies sent by mail or fax.
The Crawford County Circuit Clerk's office handles records for circuit court civil cases, while district court civil records are kept at each individual courthouse division. The Search ARCourts portal gives online access to civil case information from both court levels — filter by case type and select the specific court when running a participant name search.
Crawford County Family Court Records
The Domestic Relations Division of the Crawford County Circuit Court handles matters involving family status and relationships. Cases include divorce, annulment, separate maintenance, child custody and visitation, child support, paternity, domestic abuse protective orders, contempt proceedings, and body attachment matters. Proceedings begin by filing a complaint or petition with the circuit clerk, or by transfer from another jurisdiction.
Required filings for domestic relations cases include a Domestic Relations Cover Sheet and, for cases involving children, a Confidential Cover Sheet (Form 35), which is not open to public inspection. The court also operates under local Standing and Administrative Orders that govern pretrial procedures in family law cases.
Child support payments ordered to be paid through the Court Registry are tracked by the circuit clerk's office, reachable at (479) 474-1821. Payments handled through wage withholding are administered separately by the Arkansas Child Support Clearinghouse at (866) 428-8382, or through the local Child Support Enforcement office at (479) 471-8855.
Marriage and Divorce Records
Marriage and divorce certificates in Arkansas are managed by the Vital Records Division of the Arkansas Department of Health. Each copy of a marriage record costs $10.00. Eligible requesters include the spouses named on the document (must be at least 16 years old), parents, children, grandchildren, and maternal grandparents of the named individuals.
Requests can be submitted four ways:
- Online through the department's online vendor, subject to a $5.00 processing fee, $1.85 non-refundable identity verification fee, and applicable shipping charges
- Mail using the Marriage Coupon Application form sent to Vital Records, Slot 44, 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, with a check or money order and a copy of valid ID
- In person at 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, or at the Crawford County local health unit at 2040 Chestnut Avenue, Van Buren, AR 72956, Phone: (479) 474-6391
- Telephone by calling (866) 209-9482, with additional processing and shipping fees applying
Divorce certificates are available through the same ordering methods and at the same cost as marriage records. Original divorce and annulment case files — including pleadings and court orders — can be obtained directly from the circuit clerk's office.
Birth and Death Records
Birth certificates and death certificates are also available through the Department of Health's Vital Records Division. Birth certificates cost $12.00 for the first copy and $10.00 for each subsequent copy. Death certificates cost $10.00 for the first copy and $8.00 for each additional copy. Online requests carry the same $5.00 processing fee and $1.85 identity verification charge. Access to birth records is restricted to the registrant (age 16 or older), parents, spouse, children, grandchildren, and legal guardians. Death records may be requested by the deceased's relatives, spouse, funeral homes, and certain beneficiaries with appropriate documentation.
Crawford County Probate Court Records
The Probate Division of the Crawford County Circuit Court oversees the administration of decedent estates, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, adoptions, and the filing of affidavits for small estates. As clerk of the probate court, the circuit clerk files all instruments as matters of record in decedent estate cases. Probate proceedings begin by petition and are part of the circuit court's general docket.
Guardianship and conservatorship case records are generally open to public inspection. Adoption records held by the probate division, however, are sealed and not available for public review.
To obtain probate case records, contact the Crawford County Circuit Clerk directly:
Crawford County Circuit Clerk
Address: 317 Main St, Van Buren, AR 72956
Phone: (479) 474-1821
Fax: (479) 471-0622
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Standard forms for probate proceedings — including petitions for administration, letters testamentary, letters of guardianship, inventories of wards' estates, and accounting forms — are available through the Arkansas judiciary's Official Probate Forms library. A Probate Cover Sheet must accompany all probate filings.
Probate case information is also searchable online through the Search ARCourts case portal by filtering results to the probate case type within Crawford County. This lets you review docket entries, case events, and basic case information without having to visit the courthouse in person.