Arkansas Death Records Index spans 1812‑2006 and contains more than 150,000 entries drawn from church registers, cemetery ledgers, county mortality censuses and nineteenth‑century newspaper obituaries. Hosted by the Arkansas State Archives, the index—formerly the “In Remembrance Death Index”—links each entry to its original repository, whether a county clerk’s office, a parish church archive, or a state library microfilm collection. By cross‑referencing names, dates and locations, genealogists can identify the exact source file for an ancestor without travelling to every archive in person.
To obtain certified copies, the Arkansas Department of Health’s Vital Records Division processes requests at 4815 West Markham Street in Little Rock, typically within 10–14 business days and delivers the documents by USPS. Walk‑in applicants must show a government‑issued photo ID, complete a request form, and pay $12 for a single copy or $25 for multiple copies; out‑of‑state requesters provide a notarized letter of authorization and can pay an extra surcharge for expedited service. Records older than fifty years are publicly accessible through the State Archives, county offices, the Arkansas.gov portal, FamilySearch, and LDS Genealogy collections, all of which offer searchable indexes and guidance on eligibility under the Freedom of Information Act.
Arkansas Death Records Index (1812‑2006)
The Arkansas Death Records Index is a searchable compilation that spans from 1812 through 2006, created to augment the state’s official vital records system inaugurated in 1914. Researchers can locate over 150,000 individual entries that were originally documented in church registers, cemetery ledgers, county mortality censuses, and nineteenth‑century newspaper obituaries. The index, once known as the “In Remembrance Death Index,” is hosted by the Arkansas State Archives and links each record to its physical repository, whether that be a county clerk’s office, a parish church archive, or a microfilm collection at the state library. By cross‑referencing names, dates, and locations, genealogists can pinpoint the exact source file for a given ancestor without needing to examine every archive in person.
https://digitalheritage.arkansas.gov/death-records-index/ 
Ordering Arkansas Death Records from the Department of Health
The Arkansas Department of Health’s Vital Records Division, located at Slot 44, 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, processes certified copies of death certificates for both recent and historic cases. Standard processing takes 10–14 business days, after which the documents are mailed via United States Postal Service. Walk‑in applicants must present a government‑issued photo ID and complete a request form; fees range from $12 for a single certified copy to $25 for multiple copies of the same record. For out‑of‑state requests, the department accepts notarized letters of authorization and offers expedited service for an additional surcharge.
https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/order-death-records 
How to Locate an Arkansas Death Record – State Records Guide
Arkansas maintains public access to death registrations that are older than fifty years; records more recent than that are restricted to the decedent’s immediate family, legal representatives, or individuals holding a valid court order. The state’s Freedom of Information Act outlines the eligibility criteria and provides a formal request template that can be submitted online or by mail. Each record includes the deceased’s full name, date and place of death, cause of death as listed on the death certificate, and the informant’s relationship to the deceased. Requests for older records may also be fulfilled by the Arkansas State Archives, which houses original death registers for many counties dating back to the early 1800s.
https://arkansas.staterecords.org/deathrecords 
County Office Search for Arkansas Death Records
Each of Arkansas’s 75 counties operates a local vital records office that retains death certificates filed within its jurisdiction. These offices collaborate with the Arkansas Department of Health and contribute data to the National Death Index, enabling a statewide searchable platform. Users can request records directly from county clerks, who often provide both paper copies and digitized PDFs. Some counties, such as Pulaski and Washington, have begun posting indexed death records online, complete with scanned images of original certificates dating from the 1920s onward. The county offices also maintain supplemental documents like burial permits and coroner’s reports, which can be valuable for constructing a complete genealogical profile.
https://www.countyoffice.org/ar-death-records/ 
Official Arkansas Death Certificate Portal (Arkansas.gov)
The Arkansas.gov portal offers a centralized hub for accessing death certificate information, including instructions for ordering copies, eligibility guidelines, and a live chat feature staffed by department representatives. Users can initiate a conversation via web chat, email, or SMS to receive immediate answers to questions about required identification, payment methods, and processing timelines. The site also links to an online directory of local health department offices, each of which provides in‑person assistance for completing certificate requests. Additional resources include a searchable FAQ database and downloadable request forms that meet federal confidentiality standards.
https://directory.arkansas.gov/agency/department-of-health/service/death-certificates/ 
Finding Arkansas Death Records Using FamilySearch
FamilySearch’s wiki page outlines the steps for locating Arkansas death records, noting that statewide registration began in 1914. The site highlights that indexed records from Little Rock and Fort Smith are available as early as 1881, captured from municipal health reports and local newspaper death notices. Researchers are directed to filter results by pre‑1914 and post‑1914 periods, with the former requiring manual review of microfilm collections at the Arkansas State Archives. The wiki also advises users to search the “Arkansas Death Index” within the FamilySearch catalog for digitized entries covering 1914‑1969, which can be accessed free of charge by creating a FamilySearch account.
https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/How_to_Find_Arkansas_Death_Records 
Arkansas Death Record Resources from LDS Genealogy
LDS Genealogy aggregates a variety of Arkansas death record collections, including the Statewide Death Records (1914‑1950) and the Arkansas Death Index (1914‑1969) available through Ancestry.com. The page also lists the Arkansas Death Certificates database (1935‑1961) and the MyHeritage Death Certificate Index (1935‑1961). Additional records are provided by the Arkansas Department of Health, which maintains the “Deaths and Burials” series for 1882‑1929 and 1945‑1963. Links to FamilySearch’s Arkansas Death Index and the Archives.com repository are included, offering researchers multiple avenues for locating original certificates, probate files, and burial permits.
https://ldsgenealogy.com/AR/Death-Records.htm 
Arkansas Death Certificate Search and Order Service (1935‑1961)
The Arkansas Department of Health provides an online search portal that covers death certificates issued between 1935 and 1961. Users can enter a decedent’s name, year of death, and county to retrieve a preview image of the original certificate, which includes cause of death, funeral home details, and the attending physician’s signature. After confirming the record, the system guides the requester through a secure payment process and prompts for a mailing address to deliver the certified copy. For certificates older than 1961 or those less than fifty years old, the portal directs users to submit a formal request to the Vital Records Section of the department, where additional verification may be required.
Arkansas Department of Health – Vital Records Services
The Vital Records Division of the Arkansas Department of Health oversees the issuance of birth, marriage, and death certificates, as well as the maintenance of related statistical data. The office, located at 4815 West Markham Street in Little Rock, operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and can be reached by phone at 1‑800‑462‑0599 for immediate assistance. In addition to certificate processing, the division provides public health reports, disease surveillance data, and emergency response guidance. Researchers can request aggregated mortality statistics for epidemiological studies, while family members may obtain certified copies of death certificates for probate or insurance purposes.
Contact Us
Address: 4815 West Markham Street
https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/vital-records 