Johnson County Court Records Search
ArkansasCourts.us is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the FCRA and does not provide consumer reports. All searches conducted on ArkansasCourts.us are subject to the Terms of Service and Privacy Notice.
Johnson County, Arkansas is a rural county in the Arkansas River Valley, with Clarksville as the county seat. The county court system centers on a Circuit Court operating through four divisions and a single District Court. These courts produce a wide range of records — felony criminal filings, divorce decrees, probate estates, civil disputes, and more — all maintained by either the Circuit Clerk's Office or the County Clerk's Office depending on the case type.
You can research Arkansas court records, including those from Johnson County, through official court resources, public access terminals at the courthouse, and state judiciary online tools. ArkansasCourts.us can help you locate court contact information and find publicly available case data across all Arkansas counties.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Johnson County?
Start with Search ARCourts, the Arkansas Judiciary's official public portal. You can search by party name or case number to find docket entries, case summaries, and documents from courts using the Contexte Case Management System. Some information excluded from public access under Arkansas Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 19 won't appear in these results.
For records not available online, or when you need certified copies, the Circuit Clerk's Office is your best in-person resource:
Johnson County Circuit Clerk's Office
Address: 215 West Main Street, P.O. Box 189, Clarksville, AR 72830
Phone: (479) 754-2977 | Fax: (479) 754-4235
Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Circuit Clerk: Monica King
Mail requests go to P.O. Box 189, Clarksville, AR 72830. Include enough identifying information — party name, case number, and approximate filing year — along with the applicable copy fees.
Johnson County Courts — Directory
| Court | Judge(s) | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court – Division 1 | Judge James Dunham | — |
| Circuit Court – Division 2 | Judge Gordon "Mack" McCain | (479) 968-2280 |
| Circuit Court – Division 3 | Judge Ken Coker | (479) 968-3869 |
| Circuit Court – Division 4 | Judge Jack "Jay" Patterson | (479) 754-0266 |
| District Court | Judge Sarah Capp | (479) 754-8533 |
All Circuit Court divisions are located at the Johnson County Courthouse, 215 West Main Street, Clarksville, AR 72830. The District Court operates from two locations: the courtroom at 301 Porter Industrial Road and a clerk's office at 110 Fulton Street, Clarksville, AR 72830, with office hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The District Court Clerk is Miranda Reardon (mreardon@jcdc-ar.org).
Are Court Records Public in Johnson County?
Johnson County court records are generally open to the public under the Arkansas Supreme Court's Administrative Order No. 19, which sets the statewide framework for public access to court records. The order affirms that anyone has the right to inspect or copy court records unless a specific exemption applies.
Under Section VII of Administrative Order No. 19, the following categories are excluded from public access:
- Information excluded by federal law or the Arkansas Code Annotated
- Information restricted by individual court order or rule
- Social Security numbers
- Account numbers for assets, liabilities, credit cards, and personal identification numbers (PINs)
- Records sealed or expunged pursuant to Arkansas law
- Judicial deliberative materials, including notes and communications of judges, jurors, and court staff
- Home and business addresses of petitioners who request anonymity in domestic protection order cases
When a record contains both public and confidential information, the confidential portions must be redacted before the record is released — the remaining public content must still be made available. Records that have been sealed through a Petition and Order to Seal — previously known as expungement in Arkansas — are removed from public view as a matter of law.
Johnson County Criminal Court Records
Felony criminal cases in Johnson County are heard in the Circuit Court, which sits in the Fifth Judicial Circuit. All four circuit divisions share jurisdiction over criminal matters, with case assignments distributed according to the court's local allocation plan. The Circuit Clerk's Office maintains all criminal filings — indictments, informations, warrants, motions, orders, and final judgments.
To search criminal case records online, use the Search ARCourts portal and enter the defendant's name or case number. The portal returns publicly available docket entries but excludes sealed records and other confidential information under Administrative Order No. 19.
Misdemeanor criminal cases and traffic violations are handled by the Johnson County District Court under Judge Sarah Capp. The District Court operates separately from the Circuit Court and covers lower-level offenses, ordinance violations, and small claims matters.
For arrest records and current inmate information, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office maintains detention records and an online jail roster:
Johnson County Sheriff's Office
Address: 301 Porter Industrial Road, Clarksville, AR 72830
Phone: (479) 754-2200 | Fax: (479) 754-2210
Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Sheriff: Tom Hughes
For a statewide criminal background check, the Arkansas State Police online criminal background check system provides name-based searches for a fee. The Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) does not directly process background check requests; direct those to the Arkansas State Police at (501) 618-8000 or through their criminal background check portal.
Johnson County Civil Court Records
The Johnson County Circuit Court handles general civil matters — contract disputes, personal injury claims, property disputes, and evictions. The District Court handles small claims and lower-value civil matters. Because the Circuit Clerk also serves as the ex officio county recorder, the Circuit Clerk's Office maintains both civil case files and recorded instruments such as deeds, mortgages, and liens.
Here's how to locate civil records:
- Search the Search ARCourts portal using a party name or case number for circuit-level civil case information.
- Visit the Circuit Clerk's Office in person at 215 West Main Street, Clarksville, during regular business hours for documents not available online.
- For property-related records such as deeds, mortgages, and liens, contact the Circuit Clerk's Office directly — those instruments are recorded and maintained by the same office in its capacity as ex officio recorder.
Property assessment records are searchable online through ARCountyData.com, which hosts a free public search sponsored by the Johnson County Assessor at 108 S Fulton St., Clarksville, AR 72830, Phone: (479) 754-3863
Copy fees vary based on document type and whether certification is required, so confirm the current rates with the Circuit Clerk's Office before submitting any request.
Johnson County Family Court Records
Family law cases in Johnson County — divorce, legal separation, child custody, child support, and domestic violence protective orders — are filed in the Circuit Court and maintained by the Circuit Clerk's Office. You can partially access non-confidential filings through Search ARCourts online, though visiting in person gives you a broader view of case documents.
Divorce records are filed with the Circuit Clerk. To get a certified copy of a divorce decree, contact the Circuit Clerk's Office at (479) 754-2977 and provide the case number or both parties' names along with the approximate year of filing.
Marriage records involve two offices. The Johnson County Clerk's Office issues marriage licenses and maintains local marriage records. County Clerk Michelle Frost can be reached at (479) 754-3967 (fax: (479) 754-2286), P.O. Box 57, Clarksville, AR 72830, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. A certified copy of a marriage certificate from the County Clerk's Office costs $10.00, payable with a valid photo ID.
Marriage records from 1917 onward are also available through the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). The ADH charges $10.00 per copy for marriage certificates. You can order online — a $5.00 processing fee and $1.85 identity verification fee apply — by mail, by phone at (866) 209-9482, or in person at the ADH Vital Records Office, 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Birth records are maintained by the ADH, not any county office. The first certified copy of a birth certificate costs $12.00; additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time are $10.00 each. Access is restricted to the person named on the record, parents, close family members, and authorized legal representatives under Arkansas Code § 20-18-305. Orders can be placed through the ADH online portal or by mail to: Arkansas Department of Health, Vital Records, Slot 44, 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205.
Death records are also maintained by the ADH. The first certified copy costs $10.00, with additional copies at $8.00 each. You can order online, by mail, or in person at the ADH office, following the same process as birth record requests.
Johnson County Probate Court Records
Probate matters in Johnson County fall under the County Clerk's Office rather than the Circuit Clerk. County Clerk Michelle Frost administers probate court proceedings, which include probating wills, administering decedents' estates, appointing guardians for minors and incapacitated adults, and handling related proceedings.
The County Clerk's Office is at P.O. Box 57, Clarksville, AR 72830, reachable at (479) 754-3967, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Common probate case types handled through the County Clerk include:
- Administration of testate estates (with a will)
- Administration of intestate estates (without a will)
- Guardianship of minors
- Guardianship of incapacitated adults
- Conservatorships
- Name changes
- Mental health-related proceedings
To search probate records, visit the County Clerk's Office in person and provide the decedent's or ward's name along with an approximate date. Some probate case information may also appear in the Search ARCourts portal. Certified copies of probate documents require payment of applicable fees — confirm those amounts directly with the County Clerk's Office before submitting a request.
For older or historical probate records, the Arkansas State Archives and the Arkansas County Records database may hold indexed records useful for genealogical and historical research.