Miller County Divorce Decree Records
Miller County divorce decree records are filed and maintained by the Circuit Clerk in Texarkana, Arkansas, under the 9th Judicial Circuit. Whether you need to search for a divorce decree, request a certified copy, or start a new filing, the Circuit Clerk at 400 Laurel Street is the right office. This page explains the process, access rules, and everything you need to know about Miller County divorce records.
Miller County Divorce Records Overview
Miller County Circuit Clerk Office
The Circuit Clerk in Texarkana is the official custodian of divorce decree records for Miller County. The office is at 400 Laurel St, Suite 109, Texarkana, AR 71854. The phone number is (870) 774-4501. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Call ahead before visiting, especially if you are looking for a record that may need to be pulled from storage.
Texarkana straddles the Arkansas-Texas state line, which can create confusion about which records belong to which state. The Miller County Circuit Clerk handles only divorce cases filed in Arkansas. If a divorce was filed in Texarkana, Texas, those records are held by a separate Texas court. All cases filed in the Arkansas portion of Texarkana and anywhere else in Miller County are in the clerk's office at 400 Laurel Street.
The Circuit Clerk maintains the complete case files for all domestic relations actions heard by the Miller County Circuit Court. Files include the original petition, any motions and orders, property and custody agreements, and the final decree signed by the circuit judge. The clerk's index allows searches by party name or case number, so even an approximate year is enough to start a search.
Search Miller County Divorce Decrees Online
The Arkansas Judiciary CourtConnect portal is the state's free public access tool for court case information, including Miller County. Search by party name, case number, or citation to find case-level data: filing date, case type, current status, and party names. The system does not provide full document text, but it confirms whether a filing exists and gives you the case number to use when contacting the clerk for copies.
The CourtConnect system covers all Arkansas circuit courts and is a good first step before visiting the clerk's office. It is free and requires no registration. Once you have the case information you need, call (870) 774-4501 to arrange certified copies or discuss in-person access.
Under Arkansas FOIA § 25-19-105, divorce records are available to the named parties, their close family members, and authorized legal representatives. If the file must be retrieved from off-site storage, the clerk has up to three working days to produce it. CourtConnect support is at (866) 823-5778.
Divorce Decree vs. Certificate in Miller County
A divorce decree is the full court order. It contains every ruling the judge made about property, debts, custody, child support, alimony, and the grounds cited in the original petition. The Miller County Circuit Clerk holds all decrees for cases filed in the county, including cases filed in the Arkansas side of Texarkana.
A divorce certificate is a short summary. It lists only the names of the parties, the date, and the county. The Arkansas Department of Health at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205, phone (501) 661-2336, holds statewide certificates for divorces granted since January 1923. Certificates cost $10 and can be ordered by phone, mail, or online. The ADH does not hold the full decree.
If the divorce was filed before 1923, only the county's original records exist. The Arkansas State Archives can assist with remote research requests for older Miller County court records. Staff respond to inquiries at state.archives@arkansas.gov within a few business days.
Note: If the divorce was filed in Texarkana, Texas, Arkansas records will not apply. Verify which state the divorce was granted in before requesting records from either office.
Certified Copy Requests in Miller County
Certified copies of Miller County divorce decrees are available from the Circuit Clerk at 400 Laurel St, Suite 109 in Texarkana. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID when you visit. Fees are typically $5 or more depending on the document's length. Call (870) 774-4501 ahead of time to confirm the current fee and accepted payment methods.
Mail requests are accepted. Send both parties' names as they appear on the case, the approximate year of the divorce, your return address, and a check or money order payable to the Circuit Clerk. The clerk will contact you if more information is needed before processing. Processing time depends on current workload and whether the record needs to be retrieved from storage.
State law restricts access to the named parties, their close relatives, and authorized legal representatives. Records become fully public 100 years after the divorce date. For questions about eligibility, call the clerk's office before making a trip or sending a mail request.
Filing Divorce Cases in Miller County
Divorce cases are filed at the Circuit Clerk's office in Texarkana at 400 Laurel Street. At least one spouse must have lived in Arkansas for 60 days before filing. The filing spouse must also have been a resident of Miller County for 90 days before the court can issue the final decree.
Arkansas uses fault-based grounds under Arkansas Code § 9-12-301. Grounds include adultery, cruelty, habitual drunkenness for at least one year, felony conviction, permanent insanity, inability to have sexual relations, indignities making the situation intolerable, and separation for 18 continuous months without cohabitation. Uncontested cases are handled more quickly when the defendant waives proof of grounds in writing. Cases involving minor children require both parents to complete a court-approved parenting education program before the decree is entered.
Free forms and plain-language guides for self-represented filers are at ARLawHelp.org. Public access terminals through the Arkansas Court Kiosk program are available at select courthouses and offer hands-on help with forms.
Texarkana and Other Cities in Miller County
Miller County's largest city is Texarkana, which has its own page on this site at Texarkana with more specific resource information for residents of that city. All divorce cases for Texarkana, Arkansas, are filed at the Miller County Circuit Clerk's office at 400 Laurel Street in Texarkana. The city has no separate court or clerk office for domestic relations cases.
If you live in Texarkana on the Arkansas side and need to file for divorce or access a decree, the process is the same as for all Miller County residents. The key distinction is that divorces filed in Texarkana, Texas, fall outside the Miller County records system entirely.
Nearby Counties
Miller County is in the far southwestern corner of Arkansas, bordered by Texas and these Arkansas counties, each with their own Circuit Clerk for divorce records: