Search Howard County Criminal Court Records
Howard County criminal court records are kept by the Circuit Clerk's Office in Nashville, which serves as the county seat and main courthouse for the area. The clerk maintains felony cases, misdemeanor appeals, domestic matters, and civil filings. You can search basic case information through CourtConnect online, visit the courthouse in person during business hours, or submit a request by mail. This page covers each option and gives you the contact details and procedures you need to get Howard County criminal records.
Howard County Criminal Court Records
Howard County Circuit Clerk
Barbara M. Wilson is the Circuit Clerk for Howard County. Her office is at 421 N Main Street, Nashville, AR 71852. Mailing address is P.O. Box 25, Nashville, AR 71852. Phone is (870) 845-7500, fax is (870) 845-7505. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The county government website at howardcounty.arkansas.gov has basic contact information for the clerk's office and other county departments.
Under Ark. Code Ann. § 16-20-102, the circuit clerk is responsible for recording all court proceedings, issuing summons and warrants, and keeping complete files for every pending and closed case. The clerk also serves as the ex-officio county recorder, which means land records like deeds, mortgages, and liens are filed with the same office that holds criminal court records.
Howard County is a smaller rural county in southwest Arkansas. Its circuit court docket covers the range of case types you would expect: felony charges, appeals from the Nashville District Court, domestic relations matters, and civil cases. Email general inquiries to howardclerk@arkansasclerks.com.
The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts provides forms, self-help guides, and contact information for Howard County and all other Arkansas courts through its main website at arcourts.gov.
Searching Howard County Cases Online
Howard County participates in the Arkansas CourtConnect system at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. Participation is partial, so you get basic case information without document images. You can search by party name or case number, see case status, filing dates, and general docket entries. The search is free and no account is needed.
Partial participation means CourtConnect is a good starting point. It lets you confirm a case exists and get the case number so you can make a more targeted request to the clerk. What it will not show are the actual court documents, sealed records, juvenile cases, or cases that predate the county's entry into the system. Limited historical records are available through the online portal.
For more detail or for cases not online, contact the Circuit Clerk directly at the Nashville courthouse. Staff can search the physical records and let you know what is available. CourtConnect is down for maintenance from 12:30 AM to 2:00 AM weekdays and from Saturday evening through Sunday noon.
Note: Cases handled entirely at the district court level do not appear in CourtConnect's circuit court records search. Contact the Nashville District Court directly for those.
How to Get Howard County Court Records
In-person visits to the Howard County courthouse at 421 N Main Street in Nashville give you direct access to criminal court records. Public inspection is free. Copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies run $5.00 per document. Bring a photo ID and any case details you have. Staff can look up records and tell you the cost before you pay anything.
Mail requests go to P.O. Box 25, Nashville, AR 71852. Include the case number or party names, the approximate filing date, and the record type you need. Attach a check or money order for the estimated fees. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101, the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, the office must respond to written requests within three business days.
Fax requests go to (870) 845-7505. For email inquiries, contact howardclerk@arkansasclerks.com. Staff can answer general questions by email but cannot send confidential documents through email. Filing fees under Ark. Code Ann. § 21-6-403 set the standard new case filing fee at $165.00 and reopening a case at $50.00.
Howard County Sheriff and Arrest Records
Arrest records for Howard County are held by the Sheriff's Office, not the Circuit Clerk. The Sheriff's Office is at 101 E. Elm Street, Nashville, AR 71852, phone (870) 845-2626. The Sheriff maintains arrest records, warrant information, inmate data, and incident reports. These are separate from what the clerk keeps, though an arrest often generates a court case that later appears in the clerk's files.
To get incident reports from the Sheriff, you need to submit a written FOIA request. Give the date, time, and location of the incident plus the names of any parties if you know them. The office has three business days to respond. Warrant checks typically need an in-person visit with valid ID.
For a statewide background check across all Arkansas counties, use the Arkansas State Police Criminal Background Check system at cbc.ark.org. Name-based checks cost $22.00 per search. The Arkansas Crime Information Center sex offender registry is also searchable by name or county at no cost.
Types of Criminal Records in Howard County
The Circuit Clerk's files in Howard County cover a range of case types. Criminal records include felony cases and misdemeanor appeals from Nashville District Court. Domestic relations cases include divorce, child custody, and child support matters. Civil cases cover contract disputes and other civil litigation. Probate matters are also filed with the circuit court. Each criminal case file typically holds the charging document, warrant information, bond records, plea agreement or trial record, judgment, sentencing order, and the docket sheet showing every step from filing to close.
Juvenile delinquency records are sealed under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309 and are not available to the public. Expunged records are also not public. Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and victim address information in domestic violence cases are redacted from copies. Certified copies carry the clerk's official seal and certification statement.
For old records that are not in CourtConnect or that date back many decades, contact the clerk's office directly. In some cases, very old records may be stored at the Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock.
Howard County Court Resources
The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts provides self-help guides and contact information for all Arkansas courts, including Howard County. The Arkansas Association of Counties lists contact information for circuit clerks and other county officials statewide. For legal aid in Howard County, Arkansas Legal Services can help low-income residents with court matters in southwest Arkansas. The Arkansas Courthouse Kiosk program provides free public access terminals at participating courthouses for record searches and legal forms.
For federal criminal cases with a connection to Howard County, the PACER system through the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas covers federal filings. The Fort Smith Division handles federal cases from southwest Arkansas counties including Howard.
Nearby Counties
If the case you need was filed in a neighboring county, these Circuit Clerk offices may have the records you are looking for.