Drew County Death Index
Drew County death records have been filed at the state level in Little Rock since February 1, 1914, which means the Arkansas Department of Health holds the certificates for every death in Monticello and across the county from that date forward. The Drew County Clerk in Monticello handles birth and death certificate requests as a local referral point, directing residents to the state office and providing access to probate, marriage, and election records that serve as secondary sources for family research. This page covers how to request a certificate, what local records exist, and which online indexes include Drew County data.
Drew County Death Index Overview
Drew County Death Certificate Requests
All Drew County death certificates 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, toll-free (800) 637-9314. Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Arrive by 3:00 PM for same-day service. The Drew County Clerk's office at 210 S Main Street, Monticello, AR 71655, phone (870) 460-6260, serves as a local referral point and can direct you to the correct state agency if you are unsure where to start.
The first certified copy costs $10.00. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $8.00. A $10.00 search fee is charged even when no record is found, and it is not refunded. Valid government-issued photo ID is required. Under Arkansas Code § 20-18-305, death records from the past 50 years are restricted to immediate family and legal representatives. Drew County deaths that occurred more than 50 years ago are open to the public.
Birth and death certificates for Drew County have always been recorded in Little Rock. They go back to 1914 under the state registration system. Notarized statements are not accepted as proof of identity in Arkansas and are not required as part of a certificate application. Standard government-issued photo ID is all you need for eligible requests.
The CDC National Center for Health Statistics maintains the Arkansas vital records contact page, which is useful for confirming the current state address and phone number for Drew County death certificate requests.
Drew County Clerk Office
The Drew County Clerk's office is located at 210 S Main Street, Monticello, AR 71655. Phone: (870) 460-6260. The County Clerk website is drewcoar.com/departments/county-clerk/. The Clerk serves as the official bookkeeper for county government and as clerk for both the County Court and Probate Court. That means probate court files for decedent estates, including estate inventories, letters testamentary, and heir lists, are maintained by this office. Marriage records on file go back to 1847, making them one of the older continuous series for Drew County family research.
The Clerk also processes U.S. Passport applications, assists with voter registration and elections, and accepts birth and death certificate applications as a referral service. The birth and death certificate page on the county website explains the state process and links to the Arkansas Department of Health application form. It is a helpful starting point if you are requesting a Drew County death record for the first time and are unsure of the process.
Adoptions and guardianship records are also maintained by the County Clerk in Monticello. For genealogical purposes, guardianship files can confirm a death date when a minor child was left without a parent and a guardian was appointed by the court. Those files are a secondary source worth checking when direct certificate access is not possible.
Note: Arkansas courts do not accept notarized statements as proof of identity for vital records requests. Standard photo ID is required, and notarized statements are not a substitute.
Historical Drew County Death Records
Drew County was created November 26, 1846, and named for Thomas Drew, the third governor of Arkansas. Court records in the county go back to 1847, and land records begin the same year. Marriage records also start in 1847. For research before state death registration began in 1914, these older county records, along with church files and cemetery surveys, are the primary sources. The Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock holds the statewide Death Index for 1914 through 1949. The In Remembrance Database at the State Archives covers deaths from 1819 to 1920 using pre-registration sources.
The Arkansas Digital Archives Death Records Index for 1935 through 1961 is free and searchable online. Use it to find a certificate number for a Drew County death before ordering from the Department of Health. The index identifies whether a record was filed and provides basic details that help narrow your request. Ancestry.com holds Arkansas Death Certificates for 1914 through 1969, which includes images of original documents for many Drew County deaths in that period. MyHeritage also offers the Arkansas Death Index for 1935 through 1961.
FamilySearch Arkansas Vital Records provides free access to digitized Arkansas collections and a wiki that explains what records exist for Drew County and where they are held. The FamilySearch collection for Drew County includes marriage records from 1847, death records from 1914, court records from 1847, and land records from 1847. Probate records from 1847 are also listed.
Who Can Request Drew County Death Records
Access to Drew County death records depends on how old the record is. Deaths from more than 50 years ago are public records under Arkansas Code § 20-18-305. Any person with a valid government-issued photo ID can request a certified copy from the Department of Health. No family connection is required for those older records.
For deaths within the past 50 years, access is limited to the following: the registrant's spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent; a legal guardian or authorized representative of the decedent's estate; an attorney acting on behalf of the estate; a person holding a court order; and researchers from academic or government institutions if a formal request is approved. Third parties outside those categories are not entitled to a certified copy of a recent Drew County death certificate. They may still find useful information through the county clerk's probate records or through public court filings.
Birth certificates in Arkansas become fully public after 100 years. Death, marriage, and divorce certificates become public after 50 years. Those are separate timelines and each applies independently. Under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, § 25-19-101, county and court records must be provided within 3 business days of a written request at $0.25 per page. That FOIA right covers court records and probate files, not vital records.
VitalChek is the state-authorized online ordering platform for Drew County death certificates, accepted directly by the Arkansas Department of Health.
Drew County Death Registration Law
Arkansas required statewide death registration starting February 1, 1914. Under Arkansas Code § 20-18-601, the attending physician must complete their portion of the death certificate within 3 business days of the death. The full registration must be submitted within 10 days. Compliance in Drew County was inconsistent through the early 1920s, which means some deaths from that period may not appear in the index. If a search comes back negative for a death you know occurred, it may simply not have been registered at the time.
The State Registrar's authority over the vital records system is established by Arkansas Code § 20-18-203. The Registrar sets registration standards and oversees the statewide system. Electronic registration is now standard, but older Drew County records exist only as paper documents or microfilm copies held in Little Rock. The death certification laws reference covers the Arkansas requirements and explains the role of the medical certifier in completing a death certificate.
Note: If a death occurred in Drew County but the decedent's legal residence was in another county at the time of filing, the record may be indexed under that other county rather than Drew County.
Cities in Drew County
No cities in Drew County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated records page. Monticello is the largest community and the county seat. Tillar and Wilmar are smaller towns within the county. For death records tied to any of these communities, use the state office contact information and the local clerk resources described on this page.
Nearby Counties
Deaths near the Drew County border may have been recorded in a neighboring county. Check these nearby pages for local clerk contacts and search resources.