Jacksonville Divorce Decree Records

Divorce decree records for Jacksonville residents are held by the Pulaski County Circuit Clerk in Little Rock, not in Jacksonville itself. Jacksonville is part of Pulaski County, and county-level records are always kept at the county seat. This page explains where Jacksonville residents go for divorce decree records, how to search online before visiting, what certified copies cost, and how the filing process works under Arkansas law.

Pulaski County Circuit Clerk for Jacksonville

Jacksonville does not have its own divorce court or circuit clerk. Divorce filings and divorce records for all of Pulaski County, including Jacksonville, are handled by the Pulaski County Circuit Clerk at 401 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72201. The main phone is (501) 340-8500. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This is the office to contact when you need to file for divorce or request a certified copy of a decree.

Jacksonville is roughly 17 miles north of Little Rock. The drive to the Pulaski County Courthouse is straightforward on I-440 or US-67. Plan ahead if you are going in person. The courthouse can be busy during peak hours, and parking near the downtown Little Rock courthouse requires some planning. Calling the office before you go is always a smart step.

When you go in person, bring a photo ID. If you have a case number from a prior search, bring that as well. Certified copies of divorce decrees cost $5.00 each. Mail requests go to 401 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72201. Include the full names of both parties, the approximate year of the divorce, and payment by check or money order made out to the Pulaski County Circuit Clerk.

Central Receiving and New Filings

New divorce cases from Jacksonville go through the Central Receiving department at the Pulaski County Courthouse. The phone for Central Receiving is (501) 340-8431. This department handles all new civil and domestic relations case intakes. When you arrive at the courthouse with your petition and supporting documents, this is where you start.

The Central Receiving staff will stamp and file your documents, assign a case number, and give you a receipt. Pro se filers, meaning those without an attorney, must submit in person or by mail. Electronic filing is available only for licensed attorneys. If you mail your petition, include a self-addressed stamped envelope so the clerk can return your stamped copy.

For the Chancery division, which handles divorce and domestic matters directly, the number is (501) 340-8411. This is the division to call when you have questions about an existing case or want to follow up on a pending matter.

Online Search for Jacksonville Divorce Records

Before making the trip to Little Rock, you can search Pulaski County divorce cases online using CourtConnect. This free tool from the Arkansas Judiciary lets you search by party name, case number, or date range. It shows case-level data: filing date, party names, and case status. The full document text is not available through CourtConnect, but the tool confirms whether a case is in the system and gives you the case number you need to request certified copies.

CourtConnect covers all Arkansas circuit courts and is available any time. For cases filed before 2009, an in-person or mail request to the Pulaski County Circuit Clerk may be needed to locate older records. The Pulaski County Circuit Clerk website also has direct links to each clerk division, forms, and contact information.

Divorce Decree vs. Divorce Certificate

Jacksonville residents sometimes ask about divorce certificates versus divorce decrees. They are not interchangeable. A divorce decree is the full court order from the Pulaski County Circuit Court. It contains the complete case file: the petition, summons, any agreed terms, the judge's final ruling, and all related orders on property, children, and support. Decrees are held by the Pulaski County Circuit Clerk in Little Rock.

A divorce certificate is a short record kept by the Arkansas Department of Health. It shows only the names, county, and date. Certificates are available for all Arkansas divorces since 1923. They cost $10 each and can be ordered by mail from ADH Vital Records, 4815 West Markham Street Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205, or by calling (501) 661-2336. For most legal purposes, you need the decree, not the certificate. The two documents serve different functions and come from different agencies.

Filing for Divorce as a Jacksonville Resident

Jacksonville residents who want to file for divorce go to the Pulaski County Circuit Clerk in Little Rock. Arkansas requires at least one spouse to have lived in the state for 60 days before filing. The final decree cannot be entered until one party has been a county resident for 90 days. Both timelines must be satisfied.

Arkansas uses fault-based grounds for divorce. Common grounds include general indignities, separation for 18 continuous months, adultery, cruel treatment, and felony conviction. General indignities is the most widely used ground in Arkansas. Filing fees are approximately $165. If minor children are involved, a parenting education class is required before the court will enter a final decree.

Self-help resources for people who want to file without an attorney are available at ARLawHelp.org. The site offers free guides, interactive forms, and step-by-step instructions for Arkansas divorce cases. Under Arkansas FOIA § 25-19-105, divorce records filed in Pulaski County are generally public. The parties have full access, and third parties may view basic case data. Sensitive personal information may be redacted.

Nearby Cities and County Page

Jacksonville is in Pulaski County along with several other qualifying cities. Other Pulaski County cities with divorce decree pages on this site include Little Rock and North Little Rock, both of which also file divorce records with the Pulaski County Circuit Clerk. Maumelle is another Pulaski County city with its own page. All Pulaski County divorces, regardless of which city the resident lives in, are filed at the same courthouse in Little Rock.

For the full county-level overview of Pulaski County divorce records, see the Pulaski County divorce decree records page.