Jonesboro Dissolution of Marriage Case Search

Jonesboro residents file dissolution of marriage cases at the Craighead County Circuit Court, which has maintained divorce records for the county going back to 1878. This page explains how to find and access those records in person, by mail, or through online search tools.

Craighead County Circuit Court: Where Jonesboro Cases Are Filed

Jonesboro is one of two county seats for Craighead County. Because Jonesboro is the larger seat, it is where most dissolution of marriage cases are filed. The Circuit Clerk office in Jonesboro is at 511 S. Main Street, Suite 202, Jonesboro, AR 72401. Phone: (870) 933-4530. The County Clerk is also at that address and can be reached at (870) 933-4520. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

There is also a second courthouse location in Lake City at 107 Cobean Boulevard, Lake City, AR 72437. Phone: (870) 237-4170. Lake City serves the eastern part of Craighead County. If you are not sure which location holds a specific case, call either office. Both have access to the county's full records system.

Craighead County has kept divorce records since 1878. That is a long history. For cases filed after the early 1990s, the digital CourtConnect system has records. For older cases going back to 1878, you may need to contact the clerk's office for help locating physical records. The clerk can tell you what years are indexed and how to access older files.

Search Jonesboro Dissolution of Marriage Cases Online

Arkansas CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov covers Craighead County Circuit Court records. The search is free and public. Look up a case by name or case number. You will see filing date, case status, docket entries, and the assigned judge.

The Craighead County divorce records page at craigheadrecords.us/divorce-records is another resource for finding local case information. Check there for any county-specific search tools or additional indexes not available through CourtConnect.

Copy fees at the Craighead County clerk's office are $0.25 per page for standard copies. Certified copies cost $5.00. If you need copies by mail, write to the clerk at 511 S. Main Street, Suite 202, Jonesboro, AR 72401. Include the full names of both parties, approximate filing year, and payment. The clerk will confirm the exact fee before processing your request.

Jonesboro FOIA Portal for City Records

Jonesboro has an online FOIA portal for requesting records from city departments. This is separate from court records. The Jonesboro FOIA portal at jonesboroar.justfoia.com handles requests for police reports, city documents, and other municipal records. Dissolution of marriage records are not requested through this portal. Those go to the Craighead County Circuit Clerk.

The screenshot below shows the Jonesboro FOIA portal. It is useful for city records like police reports, which may be relevant if law enforcement records relate to a family law matter. Visit jonesboroar.justfoia.com/publicportal for more information about city FOIA requests.

The Jonesboro FOIA portal handles city department records. For dissolution of marriage court records, contact the Craighead County Circuit Clerk at (870) 933-4530.

Jonesboro Police Public Records

If you need police reports from the Jonesboro Police Department for use in a legal matter, the department has a public information page at jonesboropolice.com/public-information. You can also contact the department directly at 1001 S Caraway Rd, (870) 935-5562. Police records and court records are different things, maintained by different agencies.

Police public records and court dissolution records are separate systems. Court records are at the Craighead County Circuit Clerk. Police records are at the Jonesboro Police Department.

Craighead County Dissolution of Marriage Records

The screenshot below shows the Craighead County divorce records page, which covers how to search and access dissolution filings in the county. Visit craigheadrecords.us/divorce-records for more information.

Craighead County has maintained dissolution of marriage records since 1878, making it one of the more complete historical archives in northeast Arkansas.

Arkansas Dissolution Law and Jonesboro Residents

Arkansas is not a pure no-fault divorce state. You must state legal grounds when filing. The most common options are general indignities (Ark. Code Ann. § 9-12-301(b)(3)(C)) and 18-month continuous separation (§ 9-12-301(b)(5)). General indignities is flexible -- it covers patterns of behavior that make life together unreasonable. The separation ground is straightforward when both parties have simply lived apart for 18 months and are not disputing the split.

Residency matters. At least one spouse must have been an Arkansas resident for 60 days before filing and must remain a resident at the time of filing (§ 9-12-303). After the other party is served, a 30-day waiting period applies before the court can finalize anything (§ 9-12-307(a)(1)(B)). This applies to all cases, contested or not. The court cannot skip this period even when both sides agree.

Arkansas Department of Health maintains a statewide divorce index from 1923 onward. For a simple confirmation that a divorce occurred, call ADH at (800) 462-0599. For the full case file and certified decree, the Craighead County Circuit Clerk is the right contact. Free legal guidance is available through AR Law Help. Legal Aid of Arkansas at (870) 972-9224 serves northeast Arkansas.

Nearby City With Dissolution Records

Paragould, also in Greene County, is nearby. Its dissolution cases are filed at the Greene County Circuit Court, not Craighead County. If you need records from a Paragould case, that is a separate court and a separate clerk.

• Paragould -- Greene County Circuit Court