Yell County Divorce Decree Records
Yell County divorce decree records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk, with offices in both Danville and Dardanelle, Arkansas. Yell County has two county seats, and each office holds records for its district. If you need to search for a divorce decree, request a certified copy, or find out how to file for divorce in Yell County, this page covers both offices, the process, and the tools available to help you.
Yell County Divorce Records Overview
Two Circuit Clerk Offices in Yell County
Yell County is one of the few Arkansas counties with two county seats, and it has two Circuit Clerk offices as a result. If you are looking for a divorce decree, the record will be at the office in the district where the case was filed. If you do not know which district the case was filed in, checking both offices or using CourtConnect online is the best approach.
The Danville office is at PO Box 219, Danville, AR 72833. Call (479) 495-4850 to reach the Danville Circuit Clerk. The Dardanelle office is at 108 Union Street, Room 105, Dardanelle, AR 72834. The Dardanelle number is (479) 229-4404. Both offices are part of the 15th Judicial Circuit and operate under the same state rules for record access and certified copy requests.
The division of jurisdiction between the two offices is based on which part of the county the case was filed in. Residents near Danville typically file at the Danville office, and those near Dardanelle file there. When in doubt about which office holds a specific case, calling either one is a reasonable first step since staff can often direct you to the right location.
Online Divorce Decree Search for Yell County
Arkansas provides a free statewide case search system through the judiciary called CourtConnect. It covers all Arkansas counties including Yell County. You can search by party name, case number, or citation. Results show filing dates, case type, party names, and current case status. The full text of the decree is not available online, but CourtConnect helps you confirm a case and locate the case number before making a formal request.
Use the Arkansas CourtConnect public access portal to search Yell County divorce records across both office districts at no cost.
Once you find a case number, contact the appropriate Yell County Circuit Clerk office (Danville at (479) 495-4850 or Dardanelle at (479) 229-4404) to request a certified copy of the actual decree.
Older Yell County cases that predate electronic filing will not appear in CourtConnect. For those records, call either office or submit a written request by mail. Providing names of both parties and an approximate year gives staff what they need to search older paper files. CourtConnect technical support is at (866) 823-5778.
Divorce Decree vs. Divorce Certificate
These two documents are different. Knowing which one you need avoids a wasted call or trip to the wrong agency.
The divorce decree is the full court order. It contains everything the Yell County Circuit Court judge ordered: property division, debts, custody, child support, alimony, and grounds for the divorce. The Circuit Clerk in Danville or Dardanelle holds this document depending on where the case was filed.
A divorce certificate is a short summary at the state level. It confirms the divorce happened and lists the party names, date, and county. Nothing else. The Arkansas Department of Health at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205 maintains these for Arkansas divorces from January 1923 forward. They cost $10 per copy. Order by phone at (501) 661-2336, online, or by mail. For the actual court order from a Yell County case, you must go to the Circuit Clerk. The state health department cannot provide a decree under any circumstances.
Note: If you are unsure whether a Yell County divorce decree is held in Danville or Dardanelle, check CourtConnect first or call either office since staff can identify which district holds the record.
Requesting Certified Copies and Fees
Certified copies of Yell County divorce decrees are available from the Circuit Clerk at either the Danville or Dardanelle office, depending on where the case was filed. In-person requests at either office require a valid government-issued photo ID. Mail requests should include your full name, relationship to the case, names of both parties, the approximate year of divorce, your return address, and payment for the applicable fee.
Certified copy fees in Arkansas are generally $5 or more per document, varying by page count. State law limits fees to actual reproduction costs. Call either office before sending a mail request to confirm the current fee and processing time. The Danville office can be reached at (479) 495-4850 and the Dardanelle office at (479) 229-4404. Staff will follow up if additional information is needed to find the file.
Access to certified copies is restricted. Only the parties named in the case, their close family members, and authorized legal representatives can receive certified copies under Arkansas law. After 100 years from the date of divorce, records become fully public. If you are not a named party, be ready to explain your relationship and provide documentation if requested.
Filing for Divorce in Yell County
Divorce petitions in Yell County are filed at the Circuit Court in either Danville or Dardanelle, based on where the filing party lives. Arkansas requires at least one spouse to have been an Arkansas resident for 60 days before filing. The final decree cannot be issued until the filing spouse has lived in Yell County for at least 90 days. These are the state minimums that apply in every Arkansas county.
Arkansas recognizes both fault and no-fault grounds for divorce under Arkansas Code § 9-12-301. Recognized grounds include adultery, cruelty, felony conviction, habitual drunkenness for one year or more, permanent insanity, inability to have sexual relations, indignities that make the other spouse's situation intolerable, and voluntary separation for 18 consecutive months. For uncontested cases, the defendant can waive proof of grounds in writing. Cases with minor children require both parents to complete a court-approved parenting education class before the court enters the final decree.
Self-represented filers in Yell County can use ARLawHelp.org for free forms and guides. The estimated base filing fee is around $165. Contested cases with additional hearings will cost more. The Arkansas Court Kiosk program also provides self-service terminals at courthouse locations with forms and referrals to legal aid services.
Historical Records and Additional Resources
For older Yell County divorce records, the Arkansas State Archives provides remote research assistance at no cost for up to two hours per request. Reach them at state.archives@arkansas.gov or call 501-682-6900. Responses come within a few days; document delivery takes one to three weeks depending on workload.
The Arkansas State Archives holds microfilm and original records covering Yell County going back before the electronic filing era, making it a useful resource for genealogical research and historical case lookups from either county seat district.
The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act § 25-19-105 governs public access to court records across the state. The clerk must make non-restricted records available within three working days of a request. Yell County divorce records are restricted but not sealed; eligible parties may request them at either the Danville or Dardanelle Circuit Clerk office.
Nearby Counties
Yell County borders several counties in west-central Arkansas. For divorce records in those areas, contact each county's Circuit Clerk:
No cities in Yell County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. Danville and Dardanelle are the two county seats, and both host Circuit Clerk offices that handle divorce filings for their respective districts.