Search Arkansas Death Index Records
The Arkansas Death Index is the primary tool for locating death records in the state. Arkansas has kept statewide death records since February 1, 1914, and those records are held by the Arkansas Department of Health. Whether you need a certified copy for legal purposes or you are tracing a family line, this guide covers the main ways to search the death index, request documents, and find historical records across all 77 Arkansas counties. Start a search below or browse by county or city to find resources near you.
Arkansas Death Index at a Glance
Where to Find the Arkansas Death Index
The Arkansas Department of Health, Division of Vital Records is the official custodian of all death records in the state. The office is located at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. You can reach them by phone at (501) 661-2174 or toll-free at (800) 637-9314. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Walk-in requests are accepted, but you must arrive by 3:00 PM to receive same-day service. The office maintains death records from February 1914 to the present, and some original Little Rock and Fort Smith records go back to 1881.
The Arkansas State Archives holds a separate resource called the Death Index, which covers 1914 through 1949. It is an alphabetical listing only. The Archives does not keep copies of the actual certificates. What you get from them is a finding aid, something that gives you the name, date, and county so you can then contact the Department of Health for the certificate itself. The Archives is located at One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, and can be reached at (501) 682-6900. They also maintain the In Remembrance Database, which covers 1819 to 1920 and draws from church publications, cemetery records, mortality censuses, and newspaper obituaries. That database is the main resource for deaths that occurred before state registration began.
A third option is the Arkansas Digital Archives, which provides a searchable Death Records Index covering 1935 through 1961. You can search by name, date, county, or certificate number. The index is free to use and available online. Once you find a record, you take the certificate number to the Department of Health to request the actual document. The Digital Archives collection was built as a partnership between the Arkansas State Archives and the Department of Health to make historical records easier to find.
The CDC National Center for Health Statistics also provides a clear overview of how Arkansas manages vital records and how to contact the state office. That page is useful if you want to understand the full national context for requesting records state by state.
The CDC page outlines the Arkansas Department of Health's role as the central repository for all Arkansas death records and provides key contact details and ordering instructions for requesters.
How to Request Arkansas Death Records
Arkansas gives you four ways to request a death certificate: online, by phone, by mail, or in person. Each method has different processing times and fees, so pick the one that fits your situation.
Online ordering goes through VitalChek, the authorized online partner for Arkansas vital records. VitalChek has processed vital documents for more than 35 years and works directly with the Department of Health. Orders take 7 to 14 business days to process through standard service. Expedited options can get a certificate to you within 3 business days in some cases. The online form takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. VitalChek uses LexisNexis for identity verification, which adds a $1.85 fee to your order. There is also a $5.00 processing fee for online requests. The first copy of a death certificate costs $10.00, and additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time are $8.00 each.
By phone, you can call (866) 209-9482 to place a credit card order. Mail requests go to Arkansas Department of Health, 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205-3867. Include a completed application, a copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order payable to Arkansas Department of Health. For non-relatives requesting a certificate for someone who died more than 50 years ago, the request must be submitted by mail, not online or by phone.
Local Health Units in every Arkansas county can also assist with applications. You go to the health unit, fill out the application, and the unit forwards it to the state office for processing. The certificate is then mailed to you. This is a good option if you need help with the paperwork or do not want to mail documents yourself.
Note: A photo ID is required for all death certificate requests. If no record is found, a $10.00 non-refundable search fee still applies.
VitalChek is the state-authorized service for ordering Arkansas death certificates online. Orders go directly to the Department of Health for processing and certificates ship from the government office to your door.
What the Arkansas Death Index Contains
There is a difference between the death index and a death certificate. The death index is a finding aid, a list of names, dates, counties, and certificate numbers. It helps you locate a specific record in the state's holdings. The index does not include all the details that appear on the actual certificate.
A full Arkansas death certificate contains much more information. It includes the full name of the deceased, the date and place of death, the cause of death, and the manner of death. The certificate also lists the decedent's date and place of birth, occupation, usual residence, and father's name and mother's maiden name. The name and relationship of the informant, the name of the attending physician, the place of burial or disposition, and the name of the funeral director are all part of the official record. That information is reported by an informant, usually a close relative, so some details may not always be accurate.
Death certificates filed in Arkansas since 1914 are held by the Department of Health. The older the record, the more likely it was filed by hand, which can affect legibility. Electronic registration became the standard method under Arkansas Code § 20-18-601, which sets out the registration requirements generally and mandates that a death certificate be filed within 10 days of the date of death. Physicians must complete their portion within 3 business days.
Note: The death index entries available through the Arkansas State Archives and Digital Archives provide only basic identifying information. For complete details, you must order the actual certificate from the Department of Health.
Arkansas Death Record Laws and Access Rules
Access to death records in Arkansas is governed by several statutes. The key one for most requesters is Arkansas Statute 20-18-305, which restricts access to death records that are less than 50 years old. Those records are not considered public and can only be released to specific people: immediate family members of the deceased, legal representatives of the estate, academic researchers conducting approved studies, or anyone who can show a direct and tangible legal right to the record. Records that are 50 years old or older are open to the public. Anyone can request them by paying the required fee.
The State Registrar's authority comes from Arkansas Code § 20-18-203, which grants the Registrar broad powers to protect the integrity of vital records. One key provision allows the Registrar to match birth and death records to identify deceased persons whose birth certificates could be used fraudulently. This cross-referencing helps prevent identity theft and keeps the state's vital records system accurate.
Under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, codified at Arkansas Code § 25-19-101 et seq., most government records are open to Arkansas citizens. Written requests get a response within 3 business days. Standard copy fees run $0.25 per page. Death records older than 50 years fall under this public access framework, while more recent records remain restricted under the vital records statutes. Some related documents, like coroner reports and burial permits, may be available through county offices under FOIA even when the death certificate itself is restricted.
Arkansas Code § 20-18-601 sets the legal foundation for death registration in the state, requiring every death to be reported to the Division of Vital Records within 10 days and establishing electronic filing as the standard method.
Arkansas Code § 20-18-203 defines the authority of the State Registrar, including the power to match birth and death records as a fraud prevention measure, helping ensure that vital records remain reliable legal documents.
Fees for Arkansas Death Certificates
The cost for a certified copy of an Arkansas death certificate is $10.00 for the first copy. If you need additional copies of the same record and you order them at the same time, each additional copy costs $8.00. These fees apply whether you order in person, by mail, or by phone.
Online orders through VitalChek carry extra charges. There is a $5.00 processing fee and a $1.85 identity verification fee on top of the base certificate cost. If the Department of Health searches for a record and cannot find it, the $10.00 search fee is non-refundable. Payment can be made by personal check or money order payable to Arkansas Department of Health for mail requests. VitalChek accepts credit and debit cards for online and phone orders.
You can call (501) 661-2336 to hear a recorded message that confirms current fee information before you submit a request. Fees can change, so it is worth checking before you mail in a payment.
Genealogy and Historical Death Records in Arkansas
Searching Arkansas death records before 1914 requires a different approach because state registration did not exist yet. For that time period, researchers turn to substitute records. Church registers, cemetery transcriptions, mortality censuses, newspaper obituaries, and probate court files are the main alternatives.
The Arkansas State Archives maintains the In Remembrance Database, covering 1819 to 1920. It pulls information from church publications, cemetery records, the 1850 through 1880 mortality censuses, and newspaper obituaries. This database is the best starting point for pre-1914 death research in Arkansas. The Archives also holds some Little Rock death records on microform and provides research assistance for genealogists. The Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at 401 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72201, phone (501) 320-5700, is another resource with historical materials.
FamilySearch has several Arkansas death databases available at no cost. These include Arkansas Deaths and Burials 1882 to 1929, covering some years before and after state registration began, and the Arkansas Death Index 1914 to 1950. Sevier County maintains death records from 1914 to 1923 with an index available at FamilySearch. Ancestry has the Arkansas Death Index 1914 to 1950 as a subscription database.
The Arkansas Genealogical Society publishes The Arkansas Family Historian quarterly. The Society is based at P.O. Box 26374, Little Rock, AR 72221-6374. Their publications include record transcriptions and research guides that go beyond what you can find in official databases. For anyone doing sustained genealogy research in Arkansas, membership gives you access to their collections and to other researchers who know the state's records.
Probate records are another path to death information. The Arkansas CourtConnect system provides online access to court records from courts across the state. Probate filings include wills, estate inventories, and administration documents, all of which can confirm death dates and family relationships. County circuit clerks maintain the official probate records, and many participate in CourtConnect for online access. For older records not available online, you need to contact the circuit clerk in the county where the person died.
The Central Arkansas Library System at 100 Rock Street, Little Rock, phone (501) 918-3000, has Ancestry Library Edition and the African American Heritage database available in-library. Their genealogy collection includes the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Historical Archive from 1867 to 1994, obituary indexes, and census records. The Arkansas Death Certificates 1914 to 1969 and the Arkansas Death Index 1914 to 1950 are both accessible there.
The Arkansas Genealogical Society publishes research guides and record transcriptions specific to Arkansas, making them a valuable complement to official death index records when you are tracing a family line in the state.
Arkansas CourtConnect is the statewide online portal for court records, including probate matters. Searching probate files is often the most reliable way to confirm a death date when the actual death certificate is restricted or unavailable.
Death Certification Requirements in Arkansas
When a death occurs in Arkansas, the process of creating a record moves quickly. The law requires the certificate to be filed within 10 days of the date of death. The attending physician must certify the cause of death within 3 business days. Under Arkansas Code § 20-18-601, electronic registration is the standard method, though exceptions apply in some cases.
Hospital deaths, home deaths, and deaths in nursing facilities all follow different workflows, but the end result is the same. Every death gets a certificate. That certificate goes to the Division of Vital Records, and it becomes part of the Arkansas Death Index. The physician who attended the person in their final illness signs the medical portion. A funeral director, coroner, or medical examiner typically completes the rest and files the document.
Arkansas also has specific rules for fetal deaths. A hospital files a Report of Fetal Death if the fetus weighed 350 grams or more. A Certificate of a Birth Resulting in Stillbirth is available to anyone who can prove a relationship to the fetus. These records are handled separately from standard death certificates but go through the same Division of Vital Records.
This reference from the College of American Pathologists outlines Arkansas's death certification laws, including the 10-day filing deadline and the 3-business-day requirement for physicians to complete their section of the death certificate.
Browse Arkansas Death Index by County
Each of Arkansas's 77 counties has its own local resources for death record research. County health units can assist with applications, circuit clerks maintain probate records, and county clerks hold marriage and estate files. Select a county below to find local contact information and resources tied to the Arkansas Death Index.
Arkansas Death Index Records by City
Major Arkansas cities each have local health units, libraries, and county clerk offices that can assist with death index searches and certificate requests. Select a city below to find resources for the Arkansas Death Index in that area.