Search Lincoln County Death Index
Lincoln County sits in southeast Arkansas, and its Death Index covers deaths from Star City and the rural communities across this county since state vital records registration started in February 1914. Death certificates are not kept at the county courthouse in Star City; they are held by the Arkansas Department of Health in Little Rock, which has maintained all Arkansas death records centrally since mandatory registration began. This page walks through how to request those certificates, what the Lincoln County Clerk and Circuit Clerk hold for supporting records, and where to find historical collections useful for genealogy and legal research in this southeast Arkansas county.
Lincoln County Death Index Overview
Lincoln County Death Certificate Requests
Death certificates for Lincoln County are held by the Arkansas Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. The main phone number is (501) 661-2174. The toll-free number is (800) 637-9314. Walk-in service is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. If you plan to walk in, arrive by 3:00 PM to receive same-day service. The Lincoln County local health unit in Star City can help with referrals if you're not sure which office handles your specific request or what documentation you'll need to bring.
The first certified copy is $10.00. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $8.00. A $10.00 search fee applies even if no record is found, so the more information you bring to the request, the better. Photo ID is required. Records less than 50 years old are restricted to immediate family and authorized legal representatives under Arkansas Code § 20-18-305. If you're researching a more recent death, make sure you qualify before submitting a request.
Online ordering is available through VitalChek, which is the state-authorized platform for Arkansas vital records. VitalChek charges a $5.00 processing fee plus $1.85 for identity verification in addition to the base certificate cost. Mail requests go directly to the Little Rock office with a completed application form, a photocopy of your government-issued ID, and a check or money order made payable to "Arkansas Department of Health."
VitalChek is the state-authorized platform for ordering Arkansas death certificates online, including records for Lincoln County deaths from 1914 forward.
Lincoln County Clerk and Probate Records
The Lincoln County Clerk is located at the Lincoln County Courthouse in Star City, AR 71667. This office holds probate records, marriage licenses, and county court documents. Marriage records in Lincoln County go back to approximately 1871, when the county was created. The Clerk is the first point of contact for probate research. When a Lincoln County resident died and left property, heirs, or outstanding obligations, the estate frequently went through county probate court. Those estate files often contain the date of death, names of all recognized heirs, and sometimes a copy of the death certificate or letters testamentary. Even when a certificate is restricted or hard to obtain, a probate file can give you the core facts you need to move forward with a research request.
The Clerk does not hold birth or death certificates. Those records have gone to Little Rock since the state began mandatory registration on February 1, 1914. If a visitor arrives at the Star City courthouse asking for a death certificate, the Clerk will refer them to the Department of Health. That referral is common, so don't be surprised if the Clerk's office confirms they don't hold those records on your first call.
Note: FamilySearch has digitized some Lincoln County marriage and probate records from the late 1800s that are free to search online before making a trip to Star City.
Lincoln County Circuit Clerk Court Records
The Lincoln County Circuit Clerk, also at the Star City courthouse, serves as the ex-officio county recorder and maintains civil, criminal, domestic relations, probate court, and land records for the county. Real property instruments recorded here, including deeds, mortgages, and liens, are useful in death research. When a Lincoln County resident died and their land was transferred to heirs, the resulting deed shows up in the Circuit Clerk's records. Cross-referencing a land transfer date against a known or suspected death date can confirm you're looking at the right person, especially when a name is common across the county.
Under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act § 25-19-101, public records must be provided within 3 business days of a written request. Copies are available at $0.25 per page. Civil and probate court records are generally open to the public. Exceptions cover juvenile records, adoptions, mental health proceedings, and certain custody matters. If you are not sure whether a specific Lincoln County record falls under an exception, ask the clerk directly before making the trip.
The statewide Arkansas CourtConnect portal indexes probate and civil case records from across the state, including Lincoln County. Searching by party name or date range before you contact the clerk's office in Star City can save time and help you arrive with the right case number already in hand.
Historical Lincoln County Death Records
Lincoln County was created on March 28, 1871, and named for President Abraham Lincoln. It was formed from territory that had been part of neighboring counties, and its early records reflect a community still organizing itself in the years after the Civil War. FamilySearch collections for Lincoln County include marriage and probate records from the 1870s onward. Those records are free to search online and are the primary source for deaths before state registration began in 1914, since no official death index exists for that earlier period at the county level.
The Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock holds the Death Index for 1914 through 1949, which covers Lincoln County deaths in that range. For the period from 1935 through 1961, the Arkansas Digital Archives Death Records Index is free to search online by name and county. Finding a Lincoln County listing there and noting the certificate number makes the ordering process at the Department of Health much faster and more accurate. You are less likely to pull the wrong record if you start with a certificate number rather than just a name and year.
Cemetery records from the Star City area and church burial registers are another layer worth checking, particularly for deaths in the 1914-1930 period when registration compliance was still inconsistent. The Arkansas Genealogical Society maintains research resources and has members who focus on southeast Arkansas counties, including Lincoln. Local genealogical groups in Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) sometimes maintain records and contacts relevant to Lincoln County as well, since the two counties share a border and much common history.
Death Registration Law in Lincoln County
Arkansas mandated death registration starting February 1, 1914. Rural counties in southeast Arkansas, including Lincoln, had uneven compliance through the early 1920s. A missing record in the index doesn't always mean the death didn't happen in the county. Under Arkansas Code § 20-18-601, a death must be registered within 10 days. The attending physician completes their portion within 3 business days. Electronic registration is now standard, but older records from the early decades of the index exist only as paper or microfilm.
The 50-year access rule under § 20-18-305 means Lincoln County deaths before the mid-1970s are open to anyone. No family relationship is required to request those older records. Deaths in the more recent half-century require proof of relationship or legal authorization. The State Registrar's authority over all Arkansas vital records, including the systems used for birth-death record matching and central registration, comes from § 20-18-203.
The Arkansas CourtConnect portal provides online access to Lincoln County probate and civil case indexes, which serve as supporting records when researching deaths through the county's estate and court filings.
Cities in Lincoln County
No cities in Lincoln County meet the population threshold for a dedicated records page. Star City is the county seat and the largest community. For death records connected to Star City or any other Lincoln County location, use the resources on this county page.
Nearby Counties
Deaths near the Lincoln County border may have been recorded in a neighboring county. Check these county pages for local courthouse contacts and search resources.