Scott County Divorce Decree Lookup
Scott County divorce decree records are filed with the Circuit Clerk in Waldron, Arkansas, and the office is the sole custodian of all domestic relations filings for the county. If you need to search for a divorce case, get a certified copy of a final decree, or learn how the filing process works in Scott County, this page covers the office location, the steps involved, and the resources you can use.
Scott County Divorce Records Overview
Circuit Clerk in Waldron
The Scott County Circuit Clerk maintains all divorce decree records for the county. The office is at 190 W 1st St, Box 10, Waldron, AR 72958. Call (479) 637-2642 to reach the clerk's office. Hours are generally Monday through Friday during regular courthouse business hours.
Scott County is in the 8th Judicial Circuit. All divorce petitions, final orders, and post-decree modifications filed in Scott County are kept at this office. The Circuit Clerk is your primary contact for any request related to divorce records, whether you need to confirm a case exists, request copies, or check the status of an active filing.
The County Clerk in Waldron handles different records: marriage licenses, probate filings, and land records. If you need a divorce decree specifically, the Circuit Clerk is the right office. Staff at either office can point you in the right direction if you call with a general question.
Searching for Divorce Decrees Online
Arkansas provides a free online case search tool through the state judiciary. The system, called CourtConnect, lets you search Scott County court records by party name, case number, or citation. It shows case-level data including filing dates, case type, party names, and current status. It does not display the full text of a divorce decree.
Use the Arkansas CourtConnect public access portal to search Scott County divorce records at no cost before making a formal request.
Once you find the case number through CourtConnect, take it to the Circuit Clerk at 190 W 1st St in Waldron to request a certified copy of the actual decree document.
If a case does not show up online, it may predate electronic filing. Older records require a direct call or written request to the clerk at (479) 637-2642. Providing the names of both parties and an approximate year is usually enough for staff to locate a paper file.
Divorce Decree vs. Divorce Certificate
These two documents are different in scope and come from different agencies. The divorce decree is the full court order. It contains all terms set by the judge: property division, custody, support obligations, alimony, and grounds. The Scott County Circuit Clerk holds this document.
A divorce certificate is a summary document maintained at the state level. It lists the parties' names, the date, and the county. The Arkansas Department of Health at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205 keeps these certificates for all Arkansas divorces from January 1923 onward. Certificates cost $10 each. You can order by phone at (501) 661-2336, online, or by mail.
If you need the full terms of a Scott County divorce, the Circuit Clerk in Waldron is where you go. The health department only has the short certificate and cannot provide the decree itself under any circumstances.
Note: For divorces before 1923, the Scott County Circuit Clerk is the only source, as the state health department's records do not go back that far.
Requesting Certified Copies and Fees
To get a certified copy of a Scott County divorce decree, go to the Circuit Clerk at 190 W 1st St, Waldron, or submit a written request by mail. Bring or include a valid photo ID and the names of both parties. A case number helps speed things along but is not required if you know the approximate year and party names.
Certified copy fees are generally $5 or more per document under Arkansas law, and the exact amount depends on page count. State law caps copy fees at actual reproduction costs. For mail requests, include your name, relationship to the case, names of the parties, the approximate year of divorce, your contact information, and a check or money order payable to the Circuit Clerk. The office will follow up if more detail is needed to locate the file.
Not everyone can get a certified copy. Access is limited to the named parties, their close family members, and authorized legal representatives. This restriction is part of Arkansas vital records law. Records become fully public after 100 years from the date of divorce.
Filing Requirements and Arkansas Divorce Law
Divorces in Scott County are filed at the Circuit Court in Waldron. At least one spouse must be an Arkansas resident for 60 days before the petition is filed. The final decree cannot be issued until the filing spouse has lived in the county for at least 90 days. These are the minimums under state law.
Arkansas law recognizes both fault and no-fault grounds for divorce under Arkansas Code § 9-12-301. The grounds include adultery, cruelty, felony conviction, habitual drunkenness for one or more years, permanent insanity, inability to have sexual relations, indignities that make the other spouse's situation intolerable, and voluntary separation for 18 continuous months. In uncontested cases where both parties agree on all issues, the defendant can waive proof of grounds in writing. Where minor children are involved, both parents must complete a court-approved parenting education class before the decree is entered.
For those handling their own case, ARLawHelp.org provides free interactive forms and plain-language guides. The estimated base filing fee in Scott County is around $165. Additional motions or hearings may increase the total.
Historical Records and Arkansas State Archives
For older Scott County divorce records, the Arkansas State Archives offers remote research assistance. They provide up to two free research hours per request. Contact them at state.archives@arkansas.gov or by phone at 501-682-6900. Most responses come within a few days; document delivery takes one to three weeks depending on workload.
The Arkansas State Archives holds microfilm collections and original documents that predate modern electronic court filing systems, making it a key resource for genealogical and historical research on Scott County divorces.
The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act § 25-19-105 gives the public the right to access most court records. The clerk must make non-restricted records available within three working days. Divorce decree access is restricted but not sealed; eligible parties and representatives can obtain them through a standard request at the Circuit Clerk's office.
Nearby Counties
Scott County borders several counties in western Arkansas. Divorce records for those areas are held by each county's Circuit Clerk:
No cities in Scott County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. Waldron is the county seat and the location of the Circuit Clerk for all divorce filings in the county.