Union County Public Records /Union County Court Records

Union County Court Records

How To Find Court Records in Union County in 2026

Members of the public seeking court records in Union County, Arkansas may access publicly available case information through UnionCountyRecords.org, which aggregates data drawn from official government sources. Court records maintained by Union County's judicial offices may reflect a range of proceedings, and the availability of specific documents depends on case type, court jurisdiction, and applicable access restrictions under Arkansas law. Records that may be found through official channels include:

Civil case filings and judgments
Criminal case dockets and disposition records
Probate filings, including estate and guardianship matters
Family court orders, including divorce decrees and custody rulings
Traffic and misdemeanor case records
Small claims court filings

Court records in Union County may be searched through five primary methods:

Clerk of Court or Court Records Office — The Circuit Clerk's office maintains the official case files for circuit court proceedings. Members of the public may present a case number, party name, or approximate filing date to request record retrieval. Staff are authorized to assist with locating filed documents, though they are not permitted to provide legal interpretation.
Courthouse Public Access Terminals — Public computer terminals are available at the Union County Courthouse for in-person case lookups. These terminals provide access to docket information and, in some instances, scanned document images without charge.
Online Court Search — The Arkansas Judiciary operates the Case Search portal, which provides online access to publicly available case information statewide, including Union County circuit court records.
State-Level Judicial Search Tools — The Arkansas Judiciary's Search ARCourts platform offers enhanced filtering and advanced search options for locating court cases across Arkansas counties, including Union County.
Written or Mail Requests — Members of the public who are unable to appear in person may submit written requests to the Circuit Clerk's office. Requests should include the full name of the party, approximate case filing date, and case type. Fees for copies apply and must be submitted with the request.

Union County Circuit Clerk's Office
101 N. Washington Ave.
El Dorado, AR 71730
Phone: (870) 864-1940
Union County Arkansas

Are Court Records Public In Union County

Court records in Union County are subject to public access under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, codified at Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101, et seq., which establishes a presumption of openness for public records maintained by government agencies, including courts. Under current law, the following categories of records are accessible to members of the public:

Case dockets and docket entries
Party names and case numbers
Hearing dates and court calendars
Filed pleadings, motions, and orders
Final judgments and decrees
Sentencing entries and disposition records

Certain records are exempt from public disclosure or are subject to restricted access under Arkansas statutes and court rules:

Juvenile court records, which are confidential pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309
Adoption records, which are sealed by operation of law
Mental health commitment proceedings, which carry restricted access
Expunged criminal records, which are treated as if the underlying offense never occurred
Protected personal identifiers, including Social Security numbers and financial account information, which are redacted from public filings
Sealed filings ordered by the court upon a showing of good cause

A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While members of the public may inspect a broader range of documents at the courthouse, the online case search systems maintained by the Arkansas Judiciary may display only docket-level information and may not include full document images for all case types.

What Are Court Records in Union County?

Court records are the official documentary record of judicial proceedings conducted before a court of competent jurisdiction. In Union County, court records are created at the moment a party files an initiating document — such as a complaint, petition, or criminal information — and are updated continuously as the case progresses through hearings, motions, orders, and final disposition.

A docket entry is a chronological log of events in a case, while a full case file encompasses all documents filed with the court, including pleadings, exhibits, orders, and correspondence. Civil court records document disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records reflect proceedings initiated by the state against an individual accused of a criminal offense. Filed pleadings represent the parties' formal legal positions, whereas final judgments represent the court's authoritative resolution of the matter.

Public filings are accessible to any member of the public under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, while sealed or restricted filings are withheld from public inspection pursuant to court order or statutory mandate. Trial court records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk's office at the county level, while appellate records are maintained by the Arkansas Court of Appeals or the Arkansas Supreme Court, depending on the nature of the appeal.

The Union County Clerk's office maintains records related to probate proceedings, including small estate filings, guardianship matters, commitment proceedings, adoption records, and ministers' credentials, in addition to marriage records dating from 1885 to the present.

What's Included in a Union County Court Record?

A court record in Union County may contain a range of documents and data fields depending on the case type and the applicable public-access rules. The following information may appear within a publicly accessible court record:

Case number — the unique identifier assigned at filing
Court name and division — identifying the specific court and judge assigned
Filing date — the date on which the initiating document was received by the clerk
Party names — including plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and interested parties
Case type and status — indicating whether the matter is civil, criminal, probate, family, or traffic, and whether it is open, closed, or on appeal
Docket entries — a chronological log of all filings and court actions
Hearing dates — scheduled and completed court appearances
Motions, complaints, petitions, answers, orders, judgments, notices, minute entries, and decrees
Outcome information — including dismissals, guilty pleas, convictions, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
Administrative and financial information — such as filing fees, assessed costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly displayed

Records that are excluded or restricted from public access include sealed filings, expunged criminal matters, juvenile case files, adoption records, protected personal data such as Social Security numbers and financial identifiers, and certain exhibits that contain sensitive information. The official probate forms maintained by the Arkansas Judiciary provide additional context regarding the types of documents filed in probate proceedings.

Types of Courts in Union County

Union County is served by the Arkansas circuit court system, which functions as the court of general jurisdiction for the county. Under the current Arkansas judicial structure, the following courts operate within or in relation to Union County:

Circuit Court — The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit serves Union County and handles felony criminal cases, civil matters exceeding the jurisdictional threshold of district courts, domestic relations and family law matters, juvenile proceedings, and probate cases. The Circuit Clerk maintains the official record for all circuit court proceedings.
District Court — Arkansas district courts handle misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, civil cases involving smaller monetary amounts, and preliminary hearings in felony matters. The district court clerk maintains records for district court proceedings.
Probate Division — Probate matters, including estate administration, guardianship, and mental health commitment proceedings, are heard within the circuit court's probate division.
Juvenile Division — Juvenile delinquency and dependency-neglect matters are heard within the circuit court's juvenile division, with records subject to confidentiality protections under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309.

The Arkansas Supreme Court and the Arkansas Court of Appeals serve as the appellate courts for matters originating in Union County circuit court. Appellate records are maintained by the respective appellate court clerks in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Union County Courthouse
101 N. Washington Ave.
El Dorado, AR 71730
Phone: (870) 864-1900
Union County Arkansas

How to Search Union County Court Records for Free?

Several methods for accessing Union County court records are available at no cost to members of the public, while other services carry established fees.

Free access methods include:

In-person inspection at the courthouse — Members of the public may inspect court records at the Circuit Clerk's office during regular business hours without charge. No fee is assessed for viewing documents on-site.
Courthouse public access terminals — Computer terminals located within the courthouse provide free access to docket information and, where available, document images.
Online case search — The Arkansas Judiciary's Case Search portal and the Search ARCourts platform are available to the public at no cost for basic case lookups.

Services that carry fees include:

Service	Typical Cost
Photocopies of court documents	$0.25–$0.50 per page (varies by office)
Certified copies of court records	$5.00–$10.00 per document
Clerk research or record retrieval	Variable, based on time and volume
Electronic document access (some systems)	Variable

Fee schedules for the Circuit Clerk's office are established pursuant to Arkansas statutes governing clerk fees. Members of the public seeking certified copies should contact the Circuit Clerk's office directly to confirm current fee amounts prior to submitting a request.

How Long Does Union County Keep Court Records?

The retention of court records in Union County is governed by the records retention schedules established by the Arkansas Supreme Court and applicable state archival authority. Retention periods vary by case type and record category:

Felony criminal records — Retained permanently in most instances, given the severity of the underlying offense and the potential for future legal proceedings.
Civil judgment records — Retained for extended periods, as judgments may be renewed and enforced over time.
Misdemeanor and traffic records — Subject to shorter retention schedules, though specific periods are established by court rule and administrative policy.
Probate records — Retained permanently in many jurisdictions, as estate and guardianship matters may have ongoing legal significance.
Docket books and minute records — Retained permanently as the official record of court proceedings.
Family court and domestic relations records — Retained for extended periods due to the potential for modification proceedings.

Older records may exist in paper format, microfilm, or county archives, and may not be available through online search systems. The distinction between destruction, archival retention, sealing, and expungement is significant: destruction removes a record from existence, archival retention preserves it in a non-active repository, sealing restricts access without destroying the record, and expungement — available under Arkansas law for certain offenses — treats the underlying matter as if it did not occur for most legal purposes.

How To Find a Court Docket in Union County

A court docket is the official chronological index of all filings, hearings, and actions taken in a specific case. It differs from a full case file in that it provides a summary log of events rather than the complete text of filed documents. The docket serves as the primary navigational tool for understanding the procedural history of a case.

Dockets for Union County circuit court cases may be accessed through the following channels:

Arkansas Judiciary Case Search — The Case Search portal allows members of the public to search by party name, case number, or attorney name to retrieve docket information for publicly accessible cases. The system displays docket entries, hearing dates, and case status information.
Search ARCourts — The Search ARCourts platform provides enhanced search functionality, including advanced filtering by court, case type, and date range, and offers a more intuitive interface for locating specific docket entries.
Courthouse public terminals — In-person terminals at the Union County Courthouse provide direct access to docket information for cases filed in Union County.
Circuit Clerk's office — Staff at the Circuit Clerk's office may retrieve docket information upon request, subject to applicable fees for printed copies.

A court docket entry may include the date of the filing or action, a brief description of the document filed or hearing held, the name of the judicial officer presiding, and any continuances or scheduling changes. A docket does not include the full text of filed documents, sealed entries, confidential attachments, or exhibits that are restricted from public access. Hearing calendars and motion calendars may be separately available through the clerk's office or posted at the courthouse.