Centerton Death Index Records
Centerton is one of the fastest-growing cities in Arkansas, located in Benton County in the heart of the northwest Arkansas metropolitan area. Death certificates for anyone who died in Centerton are held at the Arkansas Department of Health in Little Rock, not at any local Benton County office. The Benton County Clerk in Bentonville handles the county-level probate and marriage records that serve as secondary sources for Centerton Death Index research. This page covers how to request certificates, what the county office maintains, and where to find historical resources for deaths that predate state registration or fall within the restricted 50-year window.
Centerton Death Index Overview
Centerton Death Certificate Requests
Death certificates for Centerton residents are held by the Arkansas Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. Phone: (501) 661-2174, or toll-free at (800) 637-9314. Walk-in hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Arrive by 3:00 PM for same-day service. Centerton is roughly 3 hours from Little Rock, so mail and online requests are the most practical options for most researchers. A Benton County Local Health Unit can accept applications and forward them to the state office.
A certified copy costs $10.00 for the first copy. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $8.00. The $10.00 search fee applies even when no record is found. Photo ID is required. Records less than 50 years old are restricted under Arkansas Code § 20-18-305 to immediate family, legal representatives, and those with a direct legal interest. Records 50 years or older are public. Online orders go through VitalChek, the state-authorized platform, adding $5.00 processing and $1.85 identity verification. Mail requests go to the Little Rock address with a completed application, photo ID copy, and payment to "Arkansas Department of Health."
Benton County Records Supporting Centerton Deaths
Deaths in Centerton fall under Benton County jurisdiction for probate and court matters. The Benton County Clerk at 215 East Central Avenue, Suite 217, Bentonville, AR 72712, phone (479) 271-1013, maintains marriage licenses, probate records, and county court records for Centerton residents. When a Centerton resident died leaving property, a probate case was typically opened with the Benton County probate court. Those estate files contain dates of death, heir lists, and property inventories that serve as secondary evidence when a death certificate is restricted or has not been located in the state index.
Marriage records on file with the Benton County Clerk date back to the county's establishment in 1836. That depth makes the Clerk a useful resource for family timeline research around a death event. The Benton County Circuit Clerk Records Search System provides online access to real estate data and document images going back to 1933 for images and 1945 for index data. Probate and civil case indexes for Benton County are searchable through the Arkansas CourtConnect portal. Under the Arkansas FOIA, § 25-19-101, agencies must respond within 3 business days. Document copies cost $0.25 per page.
Centerton Death Index History and State Archives
Arkansas began statewide death registration on February 1, 1914. Centerton was incorporated in 1914, which means the city and the state death registration system began at almost exactly the same time. Pre-1914 deaths in the Centerton area fall under Benton County's unincorporated record base, accessible through county probate records and church burial registers from the late 1800s. The rapid growth of Centerton over the past two decades means that many current residents have family roots in other counties or other states, and a Benton County search may not capture the full picture of a family's death records.
The Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock holds the Death Index for 1914 through 1949. The free online tool at the Arkansas Digital Archives Death Records Index covers 1935 through 1961 and is searchable by name and county. FamilySearch holds Arkansas vital records with Benton County data, searchable free at FamilySearch Arkansas Vital Records. Under Arkansas Code § 20-18-601, deaths must be registered within 10 days and physicians must complete their portion within 3 business days. The Arkansas Genealogical Society maintains county research guides for Benton County and can assist with Centerton-area research questions.
Note: Centerton's population has grown dramatically in recent years due to the broader northwest Arkansas economic expansion. Many families are relatively new to the area, so checking home-state or home-county records alongside Benton County records is often useful for recent deaths.
Nearby Cities
Other qualifying cities near Centerton in northwest Arkansas have dedicated Death Index pages with local contacts and search resources.