In Arkansas, public records remain available and open for the public to use. Who is the public? As defined by Arkansas's law, any person who has a vested interest in accessing the information provided is able to do so. While there is no limitation or definition in terms of what this actually is, most people who need to know some type of public record information can obtain that information from one of the numerous state agencies. Only a small portion of these records is available online, though.

Arkansas Public Records Searching

To search the public records in the state, individuals and businesses will need to determine if the type of information they need is readily available. In Arkansas, public records including the following may be available to access.

·         Vital statistics data is readily available. This includes birth certificates and records, death certificates and records as well as marriage license information.

·         Data regarding civil courts and judgments is available.

·         Most criminal records data is available through public records searches.

·         Data regarding property records, including tax information, deeds, sales and exchanges and titles is available through the public records searches.

Public data like this may be available. Not all information is accessible though.

Only in the State?

In 1967, the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, was passed. This law went into effect to require that all non confidential government record information must be made accessible to the public. This information must be available during normal business hours. It provided the public with access to most types of documentation regarding the government's actions, rulings and other information.

There was a law in the state that allowed for limitations on who could access the Arkansas public records. In short, the laws allowed only citizens of the state to have access and use this information. However, the federal laws that require that certain types of information be made public and that anyone in the country has the right to that information superseded this state law. There are restrictions, but it is important for citizens to know there is no limit on who can access this information in terms of location.

Gathering Key Information

Arkansas public records information is available through numerous means. The state, with nearly 2.4 million people, provides for record access of a great deal of information through online records and searches as well as through offline visits to key locations. The most common data is available form the following organizations.

·         The Arkansas State Police provides accident reports and other data.

·         The Attorney General's Office in Little Rock provides information regarding most business and organizational information.

·         The Arkansas Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics provides most information regarding birth and death certificates.

·         Corporation records are available through the Secretary of State.

Gathering Arkansas public records is one way that individuals can ensure that they have access to the data they need to make decisions or to learn about their history. This data is available to those who need it.

• Arkansas Census 2000 Highlights

• Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration

• Arkansas Mapstats from FedStats

• Arkansas QuickLinks

• Arkansas State & County QuickFacts

• Arkansas Vital Records