Ouachita County Court Records
Ouachita County court records are kept at the Circuit Clerk's office in Camden, Arkansas. The office handles civil, criminal, domestic relations, probate, and juvenile case files. You can search for Ouachita County court records online through the statewide Arkansas Judiciary portal, visit the courthouse in person, or request documents by mail. Five district court locations also serve the county for smaller cases. This page covers the key information you need to find and get Ouachita County court records.
Ouachita County Court Records Overview
Ouachita County Circuit Clerk
The Ouachita County Circuit Clerk's office is at 145 Jefferson St SW, Camden, AR 71701. The phone number is (870) 837-2230. Fax is (870) 837-2252. The office handles civil, criminal, domestic relations, probate, and juvenile court matters. All circuit court records for Ouachita County are maintained here. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
A note on Ouachita County's record history: a fire on December 19, 1875 destroyed all county records. Records are complete from that date forward. Court records are available from 1876 onward. Land records survived the fire and go back to 1869. If you need records from before the 1876 cutoff, very few documents exist. For historical research, the Arkansas State Archives may have some materials that survived or were reconstructed.
Ouachita County was established in 1842. The county is named after the Ouachita River. Camden is the county seat and is home to the main courthouse where circuit court cases are filed, heard, and recorded.
Note: All Ouachita County records before December 19, 1875 were destroyed by fire, so complete records begin from 1876 for court matters and 1869 for land records.
Search Ouachita County Court Records Online
The Search ARCourts portal is the main free online tool for Ouachita County court records. The Arkansas Judiciary runs this system. You can search by participant name, case number, or citation number. Results show case IDs, filing dates, presiding judges, party details, case status, and dispositions. Some records include document links. Searching costs nothing and requires no account.
Civil, criminal, and probate records are available through the portal for most cases filed since 2009. Cases before that date may appear with limited detail. Sealed records, juvenile cases, and expunged files do not show up online. For those records, contact the Circuit Clerk's office directly at (870) 837-2230. An inmate roster is also available separately through the Ouachita County Sheriff's Office online portal for anyone looking for jail or detention information.
The circuit clerk page has the office address, phone number, and direct links to help you find Ouachita County court records quickly.
District Courts in Ouachita County
Ouachita County has five district court locations that handle misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, small claims, and civil matters under $25,000. Each location serves a different part of the county:
- Bearden District Court: P.O. Box 134, Bearden, AR 71720, (870) 687-2204
- Camden District Court: 213 Madison St, Camden, AR 71701, (870) 836-0331
- Chidester District Court: 118 Willow St, P.O. Box 26, Chidester, AR 71726, (870) 685-2906
- East Camden District Court: P.O. Box 994, Camden, AR 71711, (870) 574-2900
- Stephens District Court: P.O. Box 8, Stephens, AR 71764, (870) 786-5818
If you are looking for a traffic ticket, a misdemeanor case, or a small claims filing in Ouachita County, contact the district court location nearest to where the case was heard. District court records may or may not appear in the statewide online portal depending on whether that specific court participates in the Contexte case management system.
Note: With five district court locations across the county, knowing where your case was originally filed helps you contact the right office and get the records faster.
Copy Fees and How to Request Records
Ouachita County has slightly different copy fees than many other Arkansas counties. Plain copies cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies cost $5.00. Birth certificates are $12 for the first copy and $10 for each additional copy. Death certificates are $10 for the first copy and $8 for each additional copy. Marriage licenses cost $60. These fees are set by the county and apply to requests made at the Circuit Clerk's office in Camden.
To request records by mail, write to the Ouachita County Circuit Clerk at 145 Jefferson St SW, Camden, AR 71701. State the case name, case number if known, the record type you need, and your contact information. Attach a check or money order for the estimated fee. If you are not sure of the cost, call (870) 837-2230 first. Staff can calculate the fee based on the number of pages involved.
In-person requests are handled at the courthouse during regular hours. Bring cash, check, or money order. Credit card acceptance varies by county, so call ahead to confirm payment options before making the trip.
Arkansas FOIA and Record Access Rights
Under Arkansas Code Annotated ยง 25-19-101 et seq., most court records are public. Any Arkansas citizen can view or copy public records. Agencies must respond within three working days. The first hour of staff search time is free. Fees may only cover the actual cost of reproducing records.
Some records are not public. Sealed case files, juvenile records, expunged documents, grand jury materials, and records protected by court order are exempt from disclosure. Arkansas Supreme Court Administrative Order 19 also governs the redaction of sensitive personal information from records released online or by mail. Social security numbers, financial account numbers, and home addresses in certain sensitive cases must be removed.
If your records request is denied and you believe the denial is improper, contact the Attorney General's FOI Hotline at 1-800-482-8982. The FOIA Handbook from the Arkansas Attorney General explains your rights in detail and covers the most recent updates from the 94th General Assembly.
Legal Aid and Self-Help Options
Residents of Ouachita County who need free legal help can contact Legal Aid of Arkansas at (870) 972-9224. The Center for Arkansas Legal Services covers other parts of the state at (501) 376-3423. Both provide civil legal assistance to qualifying individuals in matters such as family law, housing, and consumer issues.
Courthouse kiosks in Ouachita County let you access court records, find court forms, print documents, and apply for legal aid on-site. This statewide kiosk network is managed by the Arkansas Access to Justice Foundation at arkansasjustice.org. For forms, visit courts.arkansas.gov/directories/resources. The Arkansas Judiciary's self-help section at arcourts.gov also has guides for handling court matters without an attorney.
The Ouachita County CourtConnect portal on Search ARCourts allows free online searching of circuit court cases by name or case number.
The statewide portal covers Ouachita County civil, criminal, and probate cases and is accessible for free from any internet-connected device.
Nearby Counties
Ouachita County is in southern Arkansas. Use the links below if you need court records from a neighboring county.