Search Union County Death Index Records
Union County sits in the heart of south Arkansas, anchored by El Dorado and a network of smaller communities spread across the Ouachita lowlands. Searching the Union County Death Index means working through the Arkansas Department of Health in Little Rock, since death certificates have never been filed locally. The County Clerk in El Dorado holds probate and marriage records that serve as powerful secondary sources, especially when a death falls within the restricted 50-year window. This page covers where to send requests, what local offices maintain, and how historical collections fill in the gaps before state registration began in 1914.
Union County Death Index Overview
Union County Death Certificate Requests
Death certificates for Union County residents are filed with the state, not stored in El Dorado. The Arkansas Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, maintains all certificates at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. The main line is (501) 661-2174, and the toll-free number is (800) 637-9314. Walk-in service runs Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. If you plan to visit in person, arrive by 3:00 PM to receive same-day processing. The Union County Local Health Unit in El Dorado can accept vital records applications and forward them to the state office for processing, which is a convenient option for residents who prefer to start close to home.
A certified copy of a death certificate costs $10.00 for the first copy. Additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time cost $8.00 each. If the state office searches and cannot locate the record, the $10.00 search fee is still charged and will not be refunded. Photo ID is required with every request. 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 older than 50 years are public and anyone may request them.
Online orders are placed through VitalChek, the only state-authorized platform for Arkansas vital records. VitalChek charges a $5.00 processing fee and a $1.85 identity verification fee on top of the certificate cost. Mail requests go to the Little Rock office with a completed application, a copy of your government-issued photo ID, and a check or money order made out to "Arkansas Department of Health."
Union County Clerk and Probate Records
The Union County Clerk is located at 101 North Washington, Suite 102, El Dorado, AR 71730. Phone: (870) 864-1910. County Clerk Mandi Fudge oversees this office, which maintains marriage records dating back to 1846, probate court records, county court records, voter registration, and DBA filings. Marriage records from that long stretch are valuable for death research. When you need to confirm a surviving spouse, establish who held legal authority over an estate, or simply verify the correct person before ordering a death certificate, the marriage index in El Dorado is a practical starting point.
Probate records are the County Clerk's most useful output for death research. When a Union County resident died leaving property, debts, or dependents, an estate case was frequently opened with the probate court. Those files contain dates of death, heir lists, and sometimes letters testamentary that confirm the basic facts a researcher needs. Fees on file with the Clerk include a probate case opening fee of $165.00, small estate affidavit at $30.00, and certified document copies at $5.00 per document. Certified copy of a marriage license is also $5.00. All fees are set by the county and are separate from any state vital records fees.
Note: Birth and death certificates are not maintained at the Union County Clerk's office. All vital records have been filed in Little Rock since February 1, 1914.
Union County Circuit Clerk Court Records
The Union County Circuit Clerk is also located in El Dorado at the county courthouse. This office maintains civil, criminal, domestic relations, and probate court records. As the ex-officio county recorder, the Circuit Clerk also holds real estate documents including deeds, mortgages, and liens. When a Union County resident died and their land or home was transferred to heirs or sold to cover debts, those transactions were recorded with the Circuit Clerk. Deed records can confirm a death event even when the formal death certificate is restricted or has not yet been located in the state index.
Arkansas court records are public under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, § 25-19-101, with exceptions for juvenile matters, adoptions, and certain protective proceedings. Probate case indexes for Union County can be searched through the Arkansas CourtConnect portal, which provides case-level information for courts statewide. CourtConnect is the right first step when you want to confirm whether a probate case exists for a Union County resident before making a physical request at the courthouse. Document copies cost $0.25 per page under FOIA.
The Arkansas CourtConnect portal provides online access to Union County probate and court case indexes, a useful tool when you need to confirm whether an estate was opened for a Union County resident before visiting the El Dorado courthouse.
Historical Union County Death Records
Union County was established November 2, 1829 from Clark and Hempstead counties. El Dorado became one of the most economically significant cities in Arkansas following the oil boom of the 1920s, which brought a wave of new residents and expanded the county's record-keeping activity significantly. Historical death records before 1914 do not come in the form of certificates, but church burial registers, cemetery records, and local funeral home logs cover much of that earlier period. Several rural churches in Union County kept their own records going back into the mid-1800s, and indexed copies may be available through genealogical societies or local historical collections.
At the state level, the Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock holds the Death Index for 1914 through 1949. That printed index lists names and certificate numbers and can confirm whether a record exists before you pay the state search fee. The Arkansas Digital Archives Death Records Index covers 1935 through 1961 and is free to search online by name and county. Use that tool to locate Union County certificate numbers before placing a mail or VitalChek order. The Arkansas State Archives also maintains the In Remembrance Database, which covers deaths from 1819 to 1920 using secondary sources including obituaries and church records.
The Arkansas Genealogical Society publishes county-level research guides and maintains a library collection that includes Union County genealogies and compiled death records. Ancestry.com, through a partnership with the Arkansas Health Department, has digitized death certificates from 1914 through 1969 and makes them searchable online. This is a fast way to find an image of an early Union County death certificate without waiting for a state office response.
VitalChek is the only authorized online platform for ordering Union County death certificates, covering all deaths recorded in Arkansas since February 1, 1914.
Death Registration Law and Access in Union County
Arkansas has required death registration since February 1, 1914. In oil-boom-era Union County, the influx of workers and transient residents meant that some deaths in the 1920s may have been underreported or registered in a different county if the person died away from their home address. When a search turns up empty, check whether the death might have been registered in a neighboring county before concluding the record was never created.
Under Arkansas Code § 20-18-601, deaths must be filed within 10 days of occurrence. The attending physician must complete their portion within 3 business days. Electronic filing is now the standard process for current deaths, but older Union County records exist only in paper or microfilm form. Requests for records from the 1914 through 1960s range require the Department of Health to retrieve physical copies.
The 50-year public access rule under § 20-18-305 means Union County deaths before roughly the mid-1970s are publicly accessible by anyone. More recent records require proof of eligibility. The State Registrar's authority over this system is established under § 20-18-203. Under the Arkansas FOIA at § 25-19-101, agencies must respond to public records requests within 3 business days. Document copies through FOIA are $0.25 per page.
Cities in Union County
No cities in Union County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated records page. El Dorado is the county seat and largest community. For death records tied to El Dorado or any other Union County city, use the county-level resources on this page.
Nearby Counties
Deaths near the Union County border may have been recorded in a neighboring county. Check these nearby county pages for local contacts and search resources.