Calhoun County Divorce Decree Records
Calhoun County divorce decree records have been maintained at the county courthouse in Hampton, Arkansas since the court system began in 1880. The Circuit Clerk is the official custodian of all domestic relations filings, including final divorce decrees. This page explains how to locate and request a divorce decree for a case filed in Calhoun County, what the process looks like for in-person and mail requests, and where to find state-level resources if you cannot access records locally.
Calhoun County Divorce Records Overview
Calhoun County Circuit Court and Clerk
The Calhoun County Circuit Court is located at the courthouse on Main Street, Hampton, AR 71744. The main phone number for the courthouse is (870) 798-2517. The Circuit Clerk maintains divorce records as part of the court's domestic relations jurisdiction. Calhoun County was created on December 6, 1850, from Dallas and Ouachita Counties. Court and divorce records have been kept at this courthouse since 1880.
The Circuit Clerk handles all domestic relations cases, including divorce, custody, child support, and civil matters. Divorce decrees are part of the permanent record set maintained at the Hampton courthouse. The clerk's office also functions as county recorder, keeping property instruments and related documents alongside court records. No known courthouse fires or floods have affected Calhoun County's records, so older filings should be intact.
Calhoun County is a small county in south-central Arkansas. As with other smaller Arkansas counties, online access to specific case documents may be limited. Your best option for finding or requesting a divorce decree is to contact the courthouse directly by phone or in writing. The CourtConnect portal may show case-level information for some Calhoun County cases, but full documents require a direct request to the clerk.
Note: The Calhoun County Health Unit is at 1119 Prestress, Hampton, AR 71744, phone (870) 798-2808. The health unit handles local vital records inquiries but full divorce decrees are a court matter held by the Circuit Clerk, not the health unit.
How to Search Calhoun County Divorce Records
The statewide CourtConnect case search from the Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts is the primary online tool. It allows searches by participant name, case type, and case ID. The portal covers case-level information for circuits across the state. Help is available toll-free at (866) 823-5778 if you encounter problems with the search.
For cases that do not appear through CourtConnect, or when you need the actual text of a divorce decree rather than case summary data, contacting the Calhoun County courthouse directly is required. You can call (870) 798-2517, write to the Circuit Clerk at the Hampton courthouse, or send a fax if the office accepts fax requests. Include party names, approximate year, and your contact information in any written request.
Divorce records in Calhoun County go back to 1880. Marriage records maintained by the County Clerk go back even further, to 1851. For cases from before the digital record era, the clerk maintains paper indexes that can be searched by staff. Free genealogy search tools are available through platforms like FamilySearch's Calhoun County guide, which lists the record types available and the earliest dates covered.
Divorce Decree vs. Certificate in Calhoun County
Understanding the difference between these two records saves time. A Calhoun County divorce decree is the complete court order. It covers all terms of the final dissolution, including property, debt, support, and any custody or parenting arrangements. The Circuit Clerk at the Hampton courthouse holds the original. No other office in the county or state maintains a copy of the full decree for cases filed in Calhoun County.
A divorce certificate is a different document. It is a short verification record maintained by the Arkansas Department of Health for divorces since January 1923. The certificate lists names, date, and county. It does not include the terms of the decree. The fee is $10 per copy from the Department of Health. Walk-in service is at 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mail orders go to the same address at Slot 44. Phone orders use the toll-free line at (866) 209-9482.
Under Arkansas Code § 20-18-305, divorce certificates are not public records. They are restricted to the parties, their close family, and legal representatives until 100 years after the divorce date. Full divorce decrees at the courthouse fall under the Arkansas FOIA § 25-19-105, which provides broader public access to court records. Sensitive data fields are redacted from public copies, but the general terms of the decree are accessible.
State-Level Resources for Calhoun County Research
Because Calhoun County is small and has limited online access to local records, state-level tools are especially useful. The CDC's Arkansas vital records guide provides an overview of where to write for divorce certificates and other vital records. The guide confirms that the Arkansas Department of Health holds divorce coupons since 1923 and that full certified copies of divorce decrees must be obtained from the county where the divorce was granted.
This federal resource confirms the structure of Arkansas divorce records and is particularly useful for people approaching the process for the first time.
The Arkansas State Archives offers up to two hours of free remote research. For older Calhoun County cases, staff can search microfilm and other archived materials and send results within a few weeks. Contact them at One Capitol Mall, Room 2B-215, Little Rock, AR 72201, phone 501-682-6900, or email state.archives@arkansas.gov.
The Archives' main Little Rock location holds records from across all 75 Arkansas counties, including Calhoun County. Two regional branches also serve parts of the state: the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives (NEARA) and the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives (SARA), which covers south Arkansas counties including Calhoun.
Arkansas Divorce Filing Requirements
To file for divorce in Calhoun County, at least one spouse must have lived in Arkansas for 60 days before the petition is filed. To receive a final decree from the Calhoun County Circuit Court, that spouse must have been a county resident for three months. These rules come from Arkansas Code § 9-12-301, which governs divorce law across the state.
Arkansas requires a stated legal ground for divorce. Grounds include adultery, cruelty, habitual drunkenness for at least one year, felony conviction, permanent insanity, and indignities making cohabitation unreasonable. Spouses who have lived apart for 18 months without sexual contact can also file using separation as grounds. In uncontested cases where both parties agree, the defendant can waive proof of grounds in writing, simplifying the process.
Filing a new domestic relations case costs $165 at the base rate. The Circuit Clerk does not provide legal forms. Free forms are available through Arkansas Legal Services (arlawhelp.org). That site includes interactive forms for divorce cases and general legal information for pro se litigants. The clerk will accept completed forms but cannot review them for accuracy or provide advice.
Under Arkansas Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 7, final divorce decrees are retained permanently. Case files are kept for at least 10 years. Cases involving minors are held until the youngest child reaches their early-to-mid twenties. This means Calhoun County divorce decrees going back decades should be available through the Hampton courthouse.
Genealogy and Historical Research in Calhoun County
Calhoun County has a complete set of historical records with no known major losses. The FamilySearch Calhoun County genealogy guide lists the types of records available and the starting dates. Court and divorce records go back to 1880. Marriage records to 1851. The guide also covers census, land, probate, birth, and death records for the county.
For Arkansas divorces between 1923 and 1939, the FamilySearch Arkansas divorce index provides an index compiled by the Arkansas Genealogical Society. This is useful as a starting point to confirm a divorce occurred before requesting the full decree from Calhoun County. For 1923 to 1969, Ancestry.com holds a broader index with images for subscribers.
The Family Tree Magazine Arkansas guide notes that statewide vital records for divorces began in 1923. For divorces before that date, the county court is the only source. Pre-1923 divorces in Calhoun County must be requested directly from the Hampton courthouse.
Legal Help for Calhoun County Residents
Arkansas Legal Services Partnership provides free divorce forms and legal guides for residents throughout the state, including those in rural south Arkansas counties like Calhoun. The site covers divorce, custody, and support matters in plain language. It is designed for people who represent themselves without an attorney.
The Arkansas Court Kiosk program is installing kiosks at courthouses statewide to help residents access records and forms without traveling to Little Rock or dealing with complex online systems. The program aims to place at least one kiosk in every county courthouse. Check with the Calhoun County courthouse in Hampton to confirm whether a kiosk is currently available for public use.
Nearby Counties
Calhoun County sits in south Arkansas surrounded by several other counties. Each maintains its own divorce records through the local Circuit Clerk. If a case might have been filed in a neighboring county, check with those offices as well.
Hampton is the only municipality in Calhoun County and the courthouse location. No cities in Calhoun County meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.