Find Arkansas Recent Arrests
Arkansas recent arrests are tracked at the county level by each of the 75 sheriff offices and at the state level through the Arkansas Department of Corrections and Arkansas State Police. You can search jail rosters, booking logs, and inmate data online for most counties. The tools below help you look up recent arrests by name, booking date, or case number. Whether you need a current jail roster, a 48 hour release list, or a state criminal history, the pages on this site show you where to start your search. Pick a county or city from the list to find local contact info.
Arkansas Recent Arrests Overview
Where to Find Arkansas Recent Arrests
The first place to look for Arkansas recent arrests is the sheriff office in the county where the arrest took place. Each of the 75 counties runs its own jail and posts a daily booking list. Some post the full roster online with mugshots, charges, and bond amounts. Others only list names and charges. A few share no roster at all and ask you to call the jail to check on a person in custody. City police departments make the arrest, but the person goes to the county jail after booking. That is why the county sheriff is the main source for recent arrests.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections runs a state level inmate search that covers state prison inmates. This tool is good for people already sentenced and serving time. It does not show county jail inmates or people who were just booked. For recent arrests you need the county jail roster. A lead-in to the state system is the Arkansas DOC Inmate Search at apps.ark.org/inmate_info, which lets you look up anyone in state custody by name or ADC number.
The screen above shows the Arkansas DOC search fields. You can filter by last name, first name, gender, age, race, county, facility, or offense category. The portal is free and open to the public.
Note: For recent arrests in the last 24 to 72 hours, use the county sheriff jail roster. The state DOC search covers people in state prison, not local county jails.
How to Search Recent Arrests in Arkansas
Arkansas gives you a few ways to search recent arrests. Online is the fastest option. Most county sheriffs post jail rosters on their official sites. Many also use third party portals like R2M, ISOMS, Zuercher, or JailTracker to show current inmates, new intakes, and 48 hour release lists. A quick look at these sites can tell you if someone was booked in that county.
The Arkansas CourtConnect system is a statewide case search run by the Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts. It covers circuit courts in many counties. You can search by person name, case number, or date range. The system shows charges, filings, hearing dates, and disposition. It does not show booking photos or the full jail roster, but it is good for cases that have made it to court. Visit caseinfo.arcourts.gov to run a search. The coverage includes Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Clay, Crittenden, Desha, Drew, Greene, Independence, Jackson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Perry, Randolph, Sebastian, and Stone Counties among others.
CourtConnect is the main court case portal in the state. The search form above lets you plug in a party name, case type, judgment status, or attorney. You can also search by driver license number. Under Arkansas Code Annotated § 25-19-105 court records are public, but some data is sealed per Supreme Court Administrative Order 19.
To search a jail roster, you need:
- Full name or at least a last name
- County where the arrest took place
- Approximate booking date if you have it
You can also call or visit the sheriff office in person. Most offices take walk-in requests during normal business hours. The clerk can pull up a booking record if you have the person name. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. Some offices accept mail requests with a written form and fees paid in advance.
Arkansas State Police and Recent Arrests
The Arkansas State Police Identification Bureau runs the state criminal history system. The Online Criminal Background Check System, or OCBCS, lets approved entities look up a person name based state criminal history. It is run out of 1 State Police Plaza Drive in Little Rock. You need an account with Information Network of Arkansas and signed written consent from the subject. The check is not open to the general public for casual use.
Above is the state OCBCS portal. The name based check costs $22 and the fingerprint based check costs $13. Volunteer rates are lower. A mail in request using the ASP-122 form costs $25 per Arkansas Code § 12-12-1009. The system includes Arkansas felony convictions, misdemeanor convictions, pending felony arrests from the last 5 years, and sex offender status. It does not show traffic records or sealed records.
The FAQ page at cbc.ark.org/static/faqs.html answers common questions about fees, how to submit a check, and how to challenge results. If the report has wrong info you can dispute it by getting fingerprinted at a law enforcement office and asking for a re-check at no cost.
The CBC FAQ page shown here covers status definitions, document upload limits, and submission process. It is a good read before you run a check.
Arkansas FOIA Requests for Recent Arrests
Arkansas has one of the strongest open records laws in the country. The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, codified at Arkansas Code § 25-19-101 through § 25-19-119, makes most law enforcement records public. You do not need to give a reason for your request. You also do not need to be an Arkansas resident. Any citizen can file a FOIA request.
Agencies must respond within three business days. If you ask for a record and the agency can get it out right away, you get it right away. For large or complex requests the agency may ask for more time. Fees are limited to the real cost of copies. Certified copies cost a bit more, and agencies may charge for staff time when the search is heavy.
Written request content should include the date, location, and a report number if you have one. Submit the request to the agency that holds the record. For a jail booking, that is the county sheriff. For a city arrest record, that is the police department. The Attorney General handles appeals if a request is denied. Contact the AG at (800) 482-8982 or visit ag.arkansas.gov for the FOIA handbook.
Ongoing investigations are exempt. Juvenile arrest records are not public. Sealed records are not available except in set cases. Records with personal data like social security numbers may be redacted before release.
What Arkansas Recent Arrests Records Show
A booking record for Arkansas recent arrests holds the basic facts of the arrest. When a person is brought into a county jail, the sheriff takes fingerprints, a photo, and personal info. This data goes on the booking log. Jail staff also note the arresting agency, the charge or charges, and the bond amount if bond has been set. These records stay on file per Arkansas Code § 13-4-404, which calls for a five-year retention on jail booking records.
An arrest record in Arkansas usually shows:
- Full legal name and any aliases
- Date of birth and age at time of arrest
- Race, sex, height, weight
- Address at time of booking
- Arresting agency and officer
- Charge or charges with statute references
- Booking date, time, and number
- Bond type and amount
- Mugshot when available
Charge info often cites the Arkansas Code section. For example, a drug case may cite Arkansas Code § 5-64-419. A DWI cites Arkansas Code § 5-65-103. The authority for arrest itself is set in Arkansas Code § 16-81-106, which spells out when a law enforcement officer or private person may make an arrest.
Bond info tells you the amount set for release and the type. It could be cash, surety, or release on own recognizance. A higher bond often means the charge is more serious or the person is a flight risk. Court dates are set at the first appearance and get updated as the case moves forward. All of this data is public under Arkansas FOIA.
Note: Mugshots are public records under Arkansas law. Sheriffs must release them on request, though some offices post them online for free so you do not even need to ask.
Sealing Arkansas Arrest Records
Arkansas has a record sealing process under Arkansas Code § 16-90-1401 and the sections that follow. Sealing takes a record out of public view. Non-violent misdemeanors are eligible after 5 years. Some non-violent felonies are eligible too. Class Y felonies, sexual offenses against minors, manslaughter, and Class A or B felonies (other than drug offenses) cannot be sealed.
To seal a record you file a Petition and Order to Seal with the court in the county where the case was heard. If the judge grants it, the order goes to the Arkansas Crime Information Center. ACIC has 30 days under state law to update the record. The ACIC office sits at One Capitol Mall in Little Rock, phone (501) 682-2222. The website is acic.org.
A sealed record is still seen by law enforcement and some licensing boards. But it no longer shows on a standard background check. Expungement is a related process, though in Arkansas the term "sealed" is used in most of the code. After sealing the person may say they have not been convicted of the offense for most purposes.
Other State Sources for Arkansas Arrests
The Arkansas Secretary of State site at sos.arkansas.gov is not an arrest records site, but it holds business records and voter info that can help verify a person's identity when you do a search. Use it to cross check names or find ties to a business.
The Secretary of State site shown above covers elections, business filings, and campaign finance reports. None of these are arrest records on their own, but they help tie names to places.
The Arkansas State Auditor at auditor.arkansas.gov handles the state unclaimed property search and financial reports. Again, not an arrest site, but a state resource worth knowing.
The auditor screen above is the entry point for the unclaimed property tool. It is unrelated to recent arrests but tied into state services.
The Arkansas State Legislature website at arkleg.state.ar.us is where you go to read the Arkansas Code. When a booking record cites a charge, the code section tells you what the law says. The full Arkansas Code and Constitution live at the legislature site and the Bureau of Legislative Research runs it.
The image shows the legislature home page with code search. Use it to read charge statutes and arrest authority sections.
The Arkansas Transparency Portal at transparency.arkansas.gov shows state spending, revenue, and employee pay. It runs under the Department of Finance and Administration.
The transparency page shown here is a check on state agencies. It includes contract info that can tie back to law enforcement funding.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services runs its own portal at portal.dhs.arkansas.gov. DHS posts a lot of records online now without a FOIA request. The portal has forms if you need one.
The DHS portal view above is where you can start a search for services or file a FOIA. Again, not arrest records, but a state service touch point.
Little Rock Police Department has its own records division. Their reports page is at littlerock.gov/residents/police-department/contact-us/reports. Police reports cost $5 to $10, accident reports are free 8 hours after the event, and you can file a new report online at secure.coplogic.com/dors/startreport/300005074.
The Little Rock PD records page shown above is a good model for how a city police department handles arrest record requests. The phone is (501) 371-4654 and hours are 9 AM to 4 PM Monday to Friday.
Arkansas Recent Arrests by County
Each of the 75 counties in Arkansas has a sheriff office that handles arrests and runs the county jail. Pick a county below to find the local sheriff phone, jail roster link, and FOIA contact for that area.
Recent Arrests in Major Arkansas Cities
Major Arkansas cities use the county sheriff jail for bookings after a city arrest. Pick a city below to find the police department, the county jail it uses, and local contact info.