St. Francis County Divorce Decree Records
St. Francis County divorce decree records are filed and maintained by the Circuit Clerk in Forrest City, Arkansas, and the office handles all domestic relations cases for the county. If you need to search for a divorce decree, get a certified copy, or understand how the filing process works, this page covers the offices, the steps, and the resources you need to find what you are looking for.
St. Francis County Divorce Records Overview
Circuit Clerk Office in Forrest City
The St. Francis County Circuit Clerk is the official custodian of divorce decree records for the county. The office is located at 313 S Izard, Suite 8, Forrest City, AR 72335. You can reach the Circuit Clerk by phone at (870) 261-1715. Office hours are generally Monday through Friday during regular business hours.
All divorce filings, final decrees, and related domestic relations documents are held here. If you need to look up a case, request copies, or check the status of a divorce filing, the Circuit Clerk is your first contact. The office serves the 1st Judicial Circuit, which covers St. Francis County. Bring a valid photo ID when you visit in person to request records.
St. Francis County is in eastern Arkansas. Most people who need divorce records for this county will deal only with this one office. There is no separate chancery division here; the Circuit Court handles all domestic relations matters.
Searching for Divorce Decrees Online
The Arkansas Judiciary runs a free online case search tool called CourtConnect. You can use it to find St. Francis County divorce cases by name, case number, or citation. The portal shows party names, filing dates, case types, and current status. It does not give you the full text of the decree, but it helps you confirm a case exists before contacting the clerk's office.
The Arkansas CourtConnect public access portal is the starting point for any online search of St. Francis County divorce records. Use it to pull case-level details at no cost.
CourtConnect covers filings across all Arkansas counties. After you locate a case number, bring it to the Circuit Clerk at Suite 8 on S Izard Street to request a certified copy of the actual decree.
For CourtConnect technical help, call (866) 823-5778. If a case does not appear online, it may predate the electronic system. Older records require a direct in-person or mail request to the clerk's office in Forrest City.
Divorce Decree vs. Divorce Certificate
These two documents are not the same. A divorce decree is the full court order signed by the judge. It spells out every detail: property split, custody, child support, alimony, and grounds. The Circuit Clerk in Forrest City holds this document for St. Francis County cases.
A divorce certificate is a short summary document. It lists the parties' names, the divorce date, and the county. The Arkansas Department of Health at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205 keeps certificates for all divorces statewide since January 1923. Certificates cost $10 per copy and can be ordered by phone at (501) 661-2336, online, or by mail. They do not carry the details of the decree.
If you need the actual terms of a St. Francis County divorce, you must go to the Circuit Clerk, not the state health department. For very old divorces that predate 1923, the county is your only source.
Note: The Arkansas Department of Health holds only short-form certificates, not full divorce decree documents from St. Francis County or any other county.
Certified Copy Requests and Fees
To get a certified copy of a St. Francis County divorce decree, contact the Circuit Clerk at 313 S Izard, Suite 8, Forrest City. You can request in person or by mail. Either way, you need to show who you are and your relationship to the case. Bring a government-issued photo ID if you visit the office.
Certified copy fees in Arkansas are generally $5 or more per document, though the exact amount can vary by page count. Arkansas law limits copy fees to actual reproduction costs. Mail requests should include the full names of both parties, an approximate case year or date range, your contact information, and a check or money order for the fee. The clerk's staff will reach out if they need more detail to find the record.
Access to certified copies is limited. Only the parties named in the divorce, their immediate family members, and authorized legal representatives can obtain certified copies. This restriction flows from Arkansas vital records law. After 100 years from the divorce date, records become available to the general public.
Filing Requirements for Divorce in St. Francis County
To file for divorce in St. Francis County, at least one spouse must have lived in Arkansas for 60 days before filing. The final decree cannot be issued until the filing spouse has been a resident of the county for at least 90 days. These are the state minimums under Arkansas law, and the Circuit Court in Forrest City applies them to every case.
Arkansas recognizes fault and no-fault grounds for divorce. The recognized grounds include adultery, cruelty, felony conviction, habitual drunkenness lasting one or more years, permanent insanity, inability to have sexual relations, indignities that make the other spouse's situation intolerable, and living apart continuously for 18 months. For uncontested cases where both parties agree, the defendant can waive proof of grounds in writing. Cases involving minor children require both parents to complete a court-approved parenting class before the decree is entered.
The estimated filing fee in St. Francis County is around $165, consistent with other Arkansas counties. This covers the initial complaint and service. Additional motions or hearings may add to the total cost. For self-represented filers, Arkansas Legal Services at ARLawHelp.org provides free interactive forms and plain-language guides on the divorce process.
Arkansas State Archives and Historical Divorce Records
The Arkansas State Archives is a resource for older divorce decrees and historical court records. The Archives provides up to two hours of free research per request for remote users. You can email state.archives@arkansas.gov or call 501-682-6900. Research responses usually come within a few days, with delivery taking one to three weeks depending on workload.
If you are researching historical cases or genealogical records, the Arkansas State Archives is a strong starting point alongside the Circuit Clerk in Forrest City.
For research on older St. Francis County divorce records, FamilySearch and similar genealogical databases may also have indexed records. The Arkansas State Archives holds microfilm and original documents that predate modern court filing systems, making it especially useful when online case search tools come up empty.
Additional Resources
ARLawHelp.org is the main legal aid resource for Arkansas residents who need help with self-represented divorce cases. The site has free forms, step-by-step guides, and information on uncontested divorce, child custody, and property division. It does not give legal advice, but it makes the paperwork much easier to understand.
The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act at ยง 25-19-105 governs public access to court records in the state. Under this law, most court records are public, but divorce records have restricted access due to the personal nature of the information. The clerk must make available records that are not in active use within three working days of a request.
For questions about Arkansas divorce law, state statutes, or related court processes, the Arkansas Court Kiosk program provides self-service terminals at courthouses with forms, fact sheets, and referrals to legal aid. The CDC also maintains a brief Arkansas vital records summary that covers where to get divorce certificates at the state level.
Nearby Counties
St. Francis County borders several counties in eastern Arkansas. Divorce records for those areas are handled by each county's Circuit Clerk:
No cities in St. Francis County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. Forrest City is the county seat and the location of the Circuit Clerk office for all divorce filings in the county.