Pulaski County Divorce Decree Records

Pulaski County divorce decree records are maintained by Circuit Clerk Terri Hollingsworth at the courthouse in Little Rock, Arkansas. As Arkansas's most populous county, Pulaski has one of the highest-volume circuit courts in the state. This page covers how to search for and request divorce decree records in Pulaski County, including the clerk's office contact details, department-specific phone numbers, online case search access, certified copy procedures, electronic filing rules for attorneys, filing requirements for self-represented parties, and resources for residents of Little Rock, North Little Rock, Jacksonville, and Maumelle.

Pulaski County Circuit Clerk: Office Details

Pulaski County Circuit Clerk Terri Hollingsworth leads the office at 401 W Markham St, Suite 100, Little Rock, AR 72201. Main phone: (501) 340-8500. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Pulaski County clerk's office is one of the larger circuit clerk operations in Arkansas, with multiple internal departments handling different types of filings and records requests.

The office has a public-facing FOIA and records portal at pulaskiclerkar.gov. This site provides department-specific contact information, forms, and general guidance on how to interact with the clerk's office for different types of requests. Divorce and domestic relations matters involve the domestic division of the circuit court. The Chancery Clerk handles divorce and name change matters specifically. The Chancery division phone is (501) 340-8411.

Certified copies of Pulaski County divorce decrees cost $5.00 for the first page and $0.50 per additional page. Plain copies are available at lower cost. Both in-person and mail requests are accepted. For mail requests, send to the courthouse at 401 W Markham St, Suite 100, Little Rock, AR 72201.

Central Receiving and County Records Departments

Pulaski County's circuit clerk office uses a department system that directs new and existing cases to different points of contact. Understanding which department to call or visit saves time.

For new case filings in civil, domestic, or probate matters (including new divorce petitions), contact the Central Receiving department. Phone: (501) 340-8431. The department information page is at pulaskiclerkar.gov/departments/central-receiving/. Central Receiving handles the intake of all new filings. Pro se filers (self-represented parties) file in person at the courthouse or by mail. Fax and email filing are not accepted for pro se litigants. Attorneys file electronically through the state's electronic filing system.

For requests related to existing cases, including certified copy orders and records from cases already on file, contact the County Records department. Phone: (501) 340-8500 (main). The County Records page is at pulaskiclerkar.gov/departments/county-records/. Certified copies cost $5.00 and are available in person or by mail. The County Records department processes copy requests from both active and closed divorce case files.

Note: Attorneys practicing in Pulaski County must use the state's electronic filing portal for new filings. Pro se parties are not required to use electronic filing and may continue to file in person or through USPS, FedEx, or UPS at the courthouse address.

Online Case Search: CourtConnect and FOIA Portal

The Arkansas judiciary operates CourtConnect, a free public access portal for all circuit court records. You can search Pulaski County divorce cases by party name or case number without any account or fee. The portal returns case filing dates, party names, docket entries, and current case status. It does not display document images. For the actual text of a Pulaski County divorce decree, contact the County Records department at the courthouse after identifying the case number on CourtConnect.

The Pulaski County FOIA portal at pulaskiclerkar.gov also allows for formal records requests directly with the clerk's office. For standard divorce decree copy requests, the County Records department phone line or an in-person visit is typically faster than submitting a formal FOIA request. FOIA requests are better suited for records that require a formal written response or when access is uncertain.

Under Arkansas Administrative Order No. 19, Pulaski County divorce case records are generally public. Social security numbers and financial account numbers are redacted. Cases sealed by court order are restricted. Standard Pulaski County divorce cases carry no such restrictions and are fully accessible.

CourtConnect provides free public access to Pulaski County divorce decree cases in the 6th Judicial Circuit. Search by party name or case number to find docket entries and case status for Little Rock area filings.

Cities in Pulaski County

Pulaski County contains several qualifying cities with individual pages on this site. All of them file divorce cases through the same Pulaski County Circuit Clerk's office at 401 W Markham St in Little Rock. There is no separate courthouse or records office for individual cities within the county.

City pages for Pulaski County include Little Rock, the county seat and state capital; North Little Rock, located across the Arkansas River; Jacksonville, in the northeastern part of the county; and Maumelle, in the western part of the county. Residents of all four cities file divorce cases at the same Pulaski County courthouse. CourtConnect returns results for all Pulaski County cases regardless of the city of residence.

If you lived in North Little Rock or Maumelle and filed for divorce in Pulaski County, the record is at the Little Rock courthouse. City of residence does not determine which courthouse keeps the record. County of residence does.

Divorce Decree vs. Divorce Certificate

Two records document every Arkansas divorce. They serve very different purposes. The Pulaski County Circuit Clerk holds the divorce decree, which is the full court order. It contains every term the judge ordered or the parties agreed to: property division, debt allocation, real estate transfer instructions, custody arrangements, parenting schedules, child support, alimony, and name restoration. This is what you need for most post-divorce legal and financial transactions. Certified copies cost $5.00 for the first page.

The divorce certificate is a brief summary record held by the Arkansas Department of Health. It lists names, date of divorce, and county only. No terms. It costs $10 per copy. The ADH Vital Records office is at 4815 W. Markham St., Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. That address is a few miles west of the courthouse on the same street. Phone: (501) 661-2336. Walk-in service is Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM.

Certificates are restricted to parties and those with a documented legal interest. Divorce decrees at the Circuit Clerk are open public records under § 25-19-105 of the Arkansas FOIA. Anyone can request a copy of a Pulaski County divorce decree.

Residency, Filing, and Legal Aid

To file for divorce in Pulaski County, one spouse must have lived in Arkansas for a minimum of 60 days before filing. After the petition is filed, the final decree cannot be entered until one party has been a Pulaski County resident for at least 90 days. Both conditions are required for the case to close.

Arkansas requires fault-based grounds under § 9-12-301. The petition must state a legal ground: general indignities, cruelty (physical or mental), adultery, habitual drunkenness for one year or more, felony conviction, permanent insanity, or 18 consecutive months of separation. When both parties agree on all terms and the defendant files a written waiver, proof of grounds is not required at a formal hearing. The agreed divorce process is common in Pulaski County for uncontested cases.

New circuit court civil filings cost $165.00. Reopening a case costs $50.00. Free approved divorce forms for self-represented filers are available at Arkansas Legal Help. Pro se filers in Pulaski County submit new petitions in person at the courthouse or by mail (USPS, FedEx, or UPS) to 401 W Markham St, Suite 100, Little Rock, AR 72201.

State Archives and Historical Divorce Records

For older Pulaski County divorce decree records, the Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock can assist. The Archives is at One Capitol Mall, Room 2B-215, Little Rock, AR 72201. They provide up to two hours of free remote research. Email: state.archives@arkansas.gov. Phone: (501) 682-6900. The Archives holds some older circuit court records transferred from county offices. For Pulaski County cases still within normal retention periods, the courthouse is the primary source.

FamilySearch indexes some Arkansas court records and is a useful starting point for genealogical research involving older Pulaski County divorces. For records from the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Archives or FamilySearch may have more complete information than the active courthouse records system.

The Arkansas State Archives research page describes how to submit a remote records request. For older Pulaski County divorce decrees that may have been transferred to state custody, the Archives is the appropriate next step after the courthouse.

Nearby Counties

Pulaski County is in central Arkansas and is the home county of the state capital. It is part of the 6th Judicial Circuit. Neighboring counties each have their own Circuit Clerk offices and independent divorce records. If a party lived near a county line, use CourtConnect's statewide search to confirm the correct county before making a formal copy request.

• Saline County - Benton
• Grant County - Sheridan
• Lonoke County - Lonoke
• Prairie County - Des Arc / DeValls Bluff
• Perry County - Perryville
• Faulkner County - Conway

Each county holds its own records independently. Saline County divorces are not at the Pulaski County courthouse even though Benton is close to the county line. CourtConnect is the most efficient way to confirm which county filed a specific case.