Find Death Index Records in Faulkner County
Searching the Faulkner County Death Index connects you to death records for Conway and the surrounding communities in one of Arkansas's fastest-growing counties. All death certificates go to the Arkansas Department of Health in Little Rock, where they are indexed by name, date, and county. Whether you need a certified copy for an estate, an insurance claim, or genealogy research, this page covers every path to find the record you need, from online ordering through VitalChek to in-person visits at the Faulkner County Health Unit in Conway.
Faulkner County Death Index Overview
How to Access Faulkner County Death Records
Faulkner County death records are held by the Arkansas Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. The office handles all death certificates statewide, including every record tied to Faulkner County since registration began on February 1, 1914. You can reach the office by phone at (501) 661-2174 or the toll-free number (800) 637-9314. Walk-in service is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Arrive before 3:00 PM if you want same-day processing.
The access rules under Arkansas Statute 20-18-305 set a 50-year boundary for public access. Records less than 50 years old go only to immediate family members, legal representatives, and those with a documented legal right. Records 50 years and older are public. If you are not a relative and you are requesting a record that is more than 50 years old, Arkansas requires you to submit by mail. You cannot make that request by phone or online. A copy of your photo ID is required with every request. If no record is found, the $10.00 search fee is not returned.
The Faulkner County Health Unit in Conway is at 811 N. Creek Drive, Conway, AR 72032. Call (501) 450-4941 for hours and availability, noting the office is closed on Tuesdays. The health unit accepts death certificate applications and sends them to the state office. The certificate is mailed back to you. This is a good local option if you want help filling out the form or prefer not to deal with a mail-in request on your own.
Online requests go through VitalChek. The platform adds a $5.00 processing fee and a $1.85 identity verification charge. Each certificate copy is $10.00, and additional copies of the same record ordered together are $8.00 each.
VitalChek is the official online ordering platform for Faulkner County death certificates and processes requests directly with the Arkansas Department of Health.
Faulkner County Clerk and Probate Records
The Faulkner County Clerk is located at 801 Locust Street, Conway, AR 72034. Phone: (501) 450-4911. Email: Doug.Curtis@faulknercounty.org. You can also access county records online at faulknerrecords.us. The Clerk's office does not hold death certificates. All vital records in Arkansas, including birth and death records, go to the state office in Little Rock. But the County Clerk maintains records that can be important secondary sources for death research.
Marriage records dating back to 1873 are on file with the Faulkner County Clerk. Probate records are also held here, and they often contain key death information. When someone in Faulkner County died and had an estate, a probate case was frequently opened. Those case files include the decedent's name, date of death, heirs, asset lists, and wills. If the death was recent and the certificate is restricted, a probate filing may be the only public document that confirms the date of death. Filing fees for probate are $165.00 for standard probate and $30.00 for small estates. Certified document copies from the Clerk are $5.00, and standard copies are $0.50 per page.
County court records, DBA filings, and voter registration are also maintained here. Chief Deputy Stephanie Haile oversees day-to-day operations of the office alongside the County Clerk.
The Faulkner County Clerk's office in Conway holds marriage and probate records that serve as secondary sources when death certificates are restricted or unavailable.
Faulkner County Circuit Clerk Records
The Faulkner County Circuit Clerk online records search gives you direct access to court documents including death certificates on file with the court, deeds, mortgages, wills, and letters testamentary. Index data is available from January 1, 1972 to present. Images are also available from that same date. The database is updated every 30 minutes, so records filed recently show up quickly.
Access options include Pay-As-You-Go at $0.50 per page, an Unlimited Search subscription at $70.00 per month, and a higher-tier plan at $150.00 per month that includes bulk downloads. For genealogy research or a one-time lookup, the pay-as-you-go option works well. Court-filed death certificates in Faulkner County sometimes appear here when they were submitted as part of a legal proceeding, estate action, or probate matter.
Note: Court-filed copies of death certificates are not the same as certified copies from the Department of Health and cannot be used as legal substitutes in most cases.
The Faulkner County Circuit Clerk's online portal provides searchable access to court documents, including wills, estate filings, and death certificates submitted in legal proceedings.
Genealogy and Historical Death Records in Faulkner County
The Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock holds a statewide Death Index for 1914 through 1949. This is an alphabetical list of names with dates and county references. The Archives does not have the actual certificates, but the index can confirm a death occurred and give you the certificate number to use when ordering from the Department of Health. The Archives also maintains the In Remembrance Database, covering deaths from 1819 to 1920 using church records, mortality censuses, cemetery listings, and newspaper death notices. The Archives is at One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, phone (501) 682-6900.
For Faulkner County specifically, there is a dedicated historical resource worth knowing. The Faulkner County Death Records Index 1924-1933 is available through the Arkansas Genealogy website. This free index covers a decade of county death records and is useful for researchers working on that specific period. Entries include names, dates, and basic record details that help you locate the certificate in the main state collection.
The Arkansas Digital Archives has a searchable Death Records Index covering 1935 through 1961. Free to use. Search by name, date, or county. Once you find a match, take the certificate number to the Department of Health to request the actual document. The Conway Public Library also has a local history collection that includes obituary indexes and cemetery records for Faulkner County, which is worth visiting if you are researching older deaths in the area.
The Arkansas Genealogical Society is another solid resource. Based in Little Rock, the Society maintains indexes and connects researchers with county specialists. FamilySearch Arkansas Vital Records includes free digital collections for the state and is a good first step for new researchers.
Death Record Laws Affecting Faulkner County
Under Arkansas Code § 20-18-601, every death in Faulkner County must be registered within 10 days. The attending physician has 3 business days to complete and sign the medical portion of the certificate. Electronic filing is now standard across the state. The certificate goes to the State Registrar's office in Little Rock once filed. That creates the official record in the death index.
The 50-year access rule comes from Arkansas Statute 20-18-305. Recent records are restricted to those with a qualifying relationship or legal purpose. Older records are public. The State Registrar's broader authority is set out in Arkansas Code § 20-18-203, which also covers the birth and death record matching system used to prevent fraud.
Arkansas Code § 20-18-203 establishes the State Registrar's authority over all death records in Faulkner County and every other county in the state.
Under Arkansas FOIA § 25-19-101 et seq., death records older than 50 years are public records subject to FOIA request procedures. Written requests are required, agencies have 3 business days to respond, and copies are $0.25 per page. For Faulkner County records, all FOIA requests for death information go to the Department of Health, not the County Clerk.
Cities in Faulkner County
Conway is the county seat and the only city in Faulkner County with its own records page.
Nearby Counties
If the person you are researching lived near a county border, records may be held in a neighboring county. These pages have local courthouse contacts and search options.