Search Clark County Arrest Records
Clark County arrest records are held by Sheriff Jason Watson's office in Arkadelphia, the Circuit Clerk at the Clark County Courthouse, and the state criminal history database. You can use the sheriff's inmate locator for current bookings, pull case files from the clerk, or run a full Arkansas background check through ARCH. This page walks through each option in plain language. It lists the local phone numbers, the jail address, and the state systems you can lean on when the local page is thin. Most Clark County arrest records are open under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
Clark County Arrest Records at a Glance
Clark County Sheriff Arrest Records
The Clark County Sheriff's Office is the main source for Clark County arrest records. Sheriff Jason Watson runs the office at 406 S 5th Street, Arkadelphia, AR 71923. The phone is (870) 246-2222. The fax is (870) 246-3443. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. You can email the sheriff at jason.watson@clarkar.us. The office covers patrol, civil service, and the county jail. Brad Yancey serves as the jail administrator.
For a current booking, call the sheriff's office or check the public inmate locator. The locator lists the inmate name, case description, arrest records, status, received date, probation sentences, arrest date, and bond. It's the quickest route to see who is in custody and why. For a paper arrest report, file a FOIA request at the front desk or send one by mail. The office has three business days to reply under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101.
Use the sheriff's department page for contact info and links. Visit the Clark County Sheriff's Office site for the jail address, hours, and staff directory.
The page also carries a link to the inmate list and the division rosters. Use it as your jumping-off point when you're tracking a new arrest in Arkadelphia or the rest of Clark County.
Clark County Jail Booking Records
The Clark County Detention Center sits in Arkadelphia. The jail books in suspects from the sheriff's office, the Arkadelphia Police Department, and smaller city departments. Bookings include a name, date of birth, charges, bond amount, and arresting agency. Mugshots may appear on the locator. Records are kept under the general retention schedule for Arkansas law enforcement.
Programs inside the jail include GED classes through a partnership with Southern Arkansas University. Work release is open to qualified inmates. Chaplain service is available for counseling. Those details change when the sheriff updates policy, so call the jail front desk for current info. Staff can read the booking log to you over the phone.
Once charges are filed, the case moves into the court system. The booking record stays with the jail. The case docket moves to the clerk. Both files carry parts of the arrest story. You may need both to see the full picture.
Note: The Clark County Jail inmate locator is the fastest free way to see who is in custody right now, but it won't show sealed or juvenile records.
Clark County Court Arrest Records
The Clark County Circuit Clerk keeps felony case files, civil suits, probate, and domestic cases. The address is 401 Clay Street, Arkadelphia, AR 71923. The phone is (870) 246-4281. Walk in during business hours for certified copies. Staff can guide you through case lookups and the filing system. Online case data appears on CourtConnect.
The Arkadelphia District Court at 136 North 5th Street handles misdemeanors, first appearances, and city ordinance cases. That phone is (870) 246-9552. If someone is booked in Clark County on a misdemeanor charge, the first court appearance lands at District Court. Felonies get bound over to Circuit Court after a probable cause finding.
The Administrative Office of the Courts runs the free public case portal. Try CourtConnect for case lookups by name, business, or case number. Clark County data is on CourtConnect for most case types.
FOIA Access to Clark County Arrest Records
Arkansas FOIA at Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101 et seq. is the main door to records in Clark County. Any Arkansas citizen may inspect or copy public records during business hours. The sheriff, clerk, and police must respond within three business days. Fees cannot go past the real cost to make a copy. An itemized bill is yours if you ask.
Not everything is open. Open investigations stay closed. Juvenile records are sealed under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309. Adult sealed records sit behind the Comprehensive Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2013 at Ark. Code Ann. § 16-90-1401. Undercover officer names, personnel files, and medical records are exempt. The Attorney General's FOIA Handbook is the best short reference. See opinions and guidance at arkansasag.gov.
Incarcerated felons cannot file FOIA requests. Other Arkansas citizens can. Keep a copy of what you send. If a record gets denied, ask the custodian to cite the exemption in writing. That paper trail matters on appeal.
Statewide Tools for Clark County Arrest Records
ARCH is the public statewide search. It's at arch.ark.org. The fee runs $24.00 per search. You need first name, last name, sex, and date of birth. Results are fingerprint supported under Ark. Code Ann. § 12-12-1501. ARCH returns felony and misdemeanor convictions and open felony arrests under three years old. It does not return juvenile, sealed, dismissed, or out-of-state history.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections inmate search is free. Try apps.ark.org/inmate_info. Use it when a Clark County inmate moves to a state prison. VINELink at vinelink.com lets victims track custody status across Arkansas jails and prisons. The hotline is 1-800-510-0415. The state sex offender registry at ark.org/offender-search maps level 3 and 4 offenders near an address under Ark. Code Ann. § 12-12-903.
For a certified criminal history for immigration or adoption, ARCH alone won't do it. Use the Arkansas State Police Identification Bureau. The office is at 1 State Police Plaza Dr., Little Rock, AR 72209. Phone 501-618-8500. Fee is $25 with a self-addressed stamped envelope. Form ASP-122 is the request form.
Note: ACIC runs the state clearinghouse for criminal history. Reach it at 322 S. Main Street, Little Rock, or 501-682-2222 for challenges under § 12-12-1013.
Sealing Clark County Arrest Records
Arkansas uses the word seal where other states say expunge. The Comprehensive Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2013 at Ark. Code Ann. § 16-90-1401 sets the rules. You file the petition in Clark County Circuit Court where the case was heard. Most misdemeanors can be sealed right after the sentence ends. Felony eligibility depends on the charge. Waiting periods range from right away to five years.
Not all offenses qualify. Serious violent felonies, sex offenses that require registry, public sexual indecency, indecent exposure, and exposing a person to HIV stay out of reach. A sealed record does not return from ARCH or CBC. The file stays with the court and with law enforcement for narrow uses. Juvenile sealing uses its own statute at Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309.
Standard petition forms sit on the Administrative Office of the Courts site at arcourts.gov. The Clark County Circuit Clerk can tell you the judge, the filing fee, and which forms fit your case.
Nearby Counties to Clark
If the arrest happened near the county line, the booking may sit in a neighbor's jail. Check these nearby county pages.