How to Look Up Eviction Records in Arkansas 2026

Where to Search Arkansas Eviction Records

In Arkansas, an eviction case lives in the District Court for the county where the rental sits, and the practical reality is that you cannot pull these records from one place. There is no statewide online portal for eviction filings, so every search is a county-by-county errand handled through the local county court clerk. Whether a record is even available online depends entirely on which county you are dealing with, some clerks publish case indexes, others keep everything at the counter. Certified copies run $1 per page when you need an official document for a file or a dispute.

The other half of the picture is sealing. Arkansas has no statutory right to expunge an eviction record, which means a filing tends to sit in the public index indefinitely. That matters for both sides: a renter cannot simply petition it away, and a landlord screening applicants has to read each record carefully rather than treat the mere existence of a case as a verdict. The sections below walk through how to find a record, how to read it, and what the screening rules require.

How to look up an eviction record in Arkansas

Start with the county. Because there is no central database, you have to identify the District Court that covers the property's address and go to that county's clerk. From there you have two practical routes:

• Online, if the county offers it. Some Arkansas counties post a searchable case index or docket lookup; access is uneven, so a county that publishes its records tells you nothing about the next one over.
• In person or by request to the clerk. Where nothing is online, the county court clerk is the authoritative source. You can search by tenant name or case number and ask staff to locate the file.

When you need an official copy, for a lease file, a screening dispute, or court, request a certified copy. Arkansas clerks charge $1 per page for certified copies, so the total depends on how long the docket and judgment run.

Reading the result: a filing is not a judgment

The single most important habit when reading an Arkansas District Court record is to check the disposition, not just the existence of a case. A filing is not a judgment. Landlords open eviction cases for many reasons, and a sizable share are dismissed, settled, or decided for the tenant.

Look for how the case actually ended: a judgment for possession, a dismissal, a voluntary nonsuit, or a settlement. The case caption tells you a complaint was filed; the disposition line tells you who won. A pending or dismissed case carries very different weight than a final possession judgment with a money award. If the docket is unclear, that is exactly when a $1-per-page certified copy of the final order earns its cost, it removes the guesswork about what the court actually ordered.

Expungement and what it means for screening

Arkansas does not provide a statutory path to expunge or seal an eviction record. There is no eviction-record expungement law in Arkansas, so once a case is filed it generally remains in the county's public index without a built-in mechanism to clear it.

For landlords, that permanence is not a license to act on stale or partial information. Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), when you use a tenant-screening company, you must follow adverse-action procedures, disclosure, a copy of the report, and the applicant's right to dispute. Screening firms also operate under their own reporting-age limits. The pivotal caution: do not treat a bare filing as proof of wrongdoing. Read the disposition, confirm identity, and base decisions on final outcomes, not on the fact that a case once existed.

The tenant's side: what you can and cannot do

Because Arkansas has no eviction-sealing statute, a tenant cannot petition the District Court to expunge an eviction filing the way some states allow. The most productive steps are accuracy-based rather than removal-based.

• Verify the disposition is recorded correctly. If a case was dismissed or decided in your favor, make sure the clerk's record reflects that, an accurate disposition is your strongest defense when an old filing resurfaces.
• Dispute errors at the screening level. If a tenant-screening report is wrong, mismatched to the wrong person, or misstates the outcome, the FCRA gives you the right to dispute it directly with the reporting company.
• Keep your own copies. A $1-per-page certified copy of a dismissal or favorable order is worth holding onto, since you may need to show a future landlord what really happened.

Step-by-Step: How to Search Arkansas Eviction Records

1. Identify the county court. Find the District Court website for the county where the property is located.
2. Search by party name. Enter the prospective tenant's full legal name (last name, first name) as a defendant/respondent. Try name variations including maiden names.
3. Filter by case type. Select eviction, forcible detainer, unlawful detainer, or summary possession as the case type depending on the court's terminology.
4. Review the disposition. Identify whether the case resulted in a judgment for the landlord (eviction), dismissal (tenant won or case settled), or is still pending. A filing alone does not mean the tenant was evicted.
5. Check the filing date. Consider how old the record is, most tenant-screening best practices recommend discounting records older than 5-7 years.
6. Request certified copies if needed. For a certified copy of the court record, contact the District Court clerk's office directly. Fees are typically $1/page.

This guide was prepared by the Eviction Risk Map research team using public information about the Arkansas District Court system and county court clerks, which administer eviction case records statewide. Arkansas has no statutory eviction-record expungement law, so no sealing citation is provided. Last reviewed June 2026. This is general information, not legal advice; consult a licensed Arkansas attorney or the relevant county court clerk for guidance on a specific case.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I look up an eviction record in Arkansas?

Eviction cases are heard in the District Court, and Arkansas has no statewide portal, so you search county-by-county. Identify the county where the rental is located and check that county court clerk's records, some counties offer an online case index, while others require an in-person or clerk-assisted search by tenant name or case number.

Are Arkansas eviction records public?

Yes. Arkansas District Court eviction filings are public records maintained by the county court clerk. Anyone can search them, though availability varies by county because there is no single statewide database, some clerks publish records online and others keep them at the courthouse counter.

Can a tenant expunge an eviction record in Arkansas?

No. Arkansas has no statutory right to expunge or seal an eviction record, so a filing generally remains in the county's public index. The most useful steps are making sure the court's disposition is recorded accurately and disputing any errors on a tenant-screening report under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.

How much does a certified copy of an Arkansas eviction record cost?

County court clerks in Arkansas charge $1 per page for certified copies. The final total depends on how many pages the docket and judgment run, so a short order costs little while a longer case file with multiple filings will add up.

Related Arkansas Landlord Guides

Court portal information sourced from the Arkansas court administrative office official website. Expungement laws from published Arkansas statutes (see citations above). Last updated August 28, 2026. For informational purposes only, not legal advice.