Union County Criminal Court Records
Union County criminal court records are filed and maintained by the Circuit Clerk's Office in El Dorado, Arkansas. Whether you need to look up a felony case, track an active criminal matter, or get certified copies of court documents, this guide covers every method available to search Union County criminal court records, from the state's online portal to direct requests at the El Dorado courthouse. The Circuit Clerk keeps records for all circuit-level criminal filings in the county and is your main point of contact for any case documentation.
Union County Criminal Court Records
Union County Circuit Clerk Records
Sharon H. Nivens is the Circuit Clerk for Union County. Her office is at 101 N Washington Street, El Dorado, AR 71730. The mailing address is P.O. Box 704, El Dorado, AR 71731. Phone is (870) 864-1920, fax at (870) 864-1925. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Email contact is at unionclerk@arkansasclerks.com.
The Circuit Clerk's duties are set out under Ark. Code Ann. § 16-20-102. That statute requires the clerk to record all court proceedings, issue summons and warrants, and keep files on every pending and closed case. All felony charges, misdemeanor appeals from district court, and civil filings are part of the office's holdings.
The Union County government website has contact details for the Circuit Clerk and other county offices. Online case searches, however, run through the state's CourtConnect portal rather than the county site itself.
The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts provides statewide oversight for all circuit clerks, including Union County. Their site lists court contacts and policy information for every county.
Search Union County Criminal Records Online
Arkansas runs a free case search tool called CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. No login is needed. You can search by party name, case number, or citation number, and you can filter by court, case type, and date range. Union County participates on a partial basis, so you will find basic case index information but not full document images.
When you search Union County in CourtConnect, results show party names, case numbers, filing dates, case status, disposition, scheduled hearings, and general docket entries. What does not appear are the actual case documents, transcripts, affidavits, or exhibits. Sealed records and juvenile cases are never included. Cases that predate Union County's entry into the Contexte case management system are also not in the online database.
If a case does not show up online, it may be too old to be in the system. Call the clerk's office to check on older records. CourtConnect goes offline for maintenance from 12:30 AM to 2:00 AM on weekdays and from Saturday evening through Sunday noon.
Note: CourtConnect is a good first step to confirm a case exists and get the case number before you contact the clerk directly for documents.
How to Get Union County Court Documents
Visiting the courthouse in person is the fastest way to get Union County criminal court records. Go to 101 N Washington Street, El Dorado. Bring a photo ID and any case information you have, such as the case number or both party names. Public access terminals are available so you can do a self-directed search. Staff can pull records and let you know copy costs before you pay.
Mail requests go to the Union County Circuit Clerk, P.O. Box 704, El Dorado, AR 71731. Your written request should include the case number if known, both party names, approximate filing date, and case type. Attach a check or money order for estimated copy fees and include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail processing takes around 7 to 14 business days. For general questions you can email unionclerk@arkansasclerks.com, though staff cannot send restricted documents by email.
Standard copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 per document. There is no charge to look at public records in person. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101, the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, public records must be available during regular office hours. Fee waivers exist for indigent parties when the court approves the request.
El Dorado District Court Filings
District courts in Arkansas handle misdemeanors, traffic matters, and small claims. The El Dorado District Court handles the first level of criminal cases in Union County and can be reached at (870) 864-1930. When district court cases are appealed or involve more serious charges, they move up to circuit court where the Circuit Clerk takes over record-keeping.
Filing fees for new circuit court cases are set under Ark. Code Ann. § 21-6-403. A new case filing costs $165.00. District court appeals carry a $150.00 fee. Reopening a closed case costs $50.00. These fees go to the Circuit Clerk when a case enters the circuit court system.
CourtConnect is Arkansas's statewide case search portal. Union County cases are searchable here by name or case number, giving you basic docket information without a visit to the El Dorado courthouse.
Union County Sheriff Arrest Records
Arrest records for Union County come from the Sheriff's Office, not the Circuit Clerk. The Sheriff's Office is at 250 American Road, El Dorado, AR 71730. Phone is (870) 864-2222. The Sheriff handles arrest records, warrant information, inmate rosters, and incident reports. Arrest records and court records are maintained separately.
To request incident reports, file a written FOIA request with the Sheriff's Office. Under Arkansas FOIA law, the office must respond within three business days. Give the date, time, and location of the incident and the names of any parties involved if you know them. Warrant checks typically need an in-person visit with a valid ID.
For statewide criminal background checks, the Arkansas State Police Criminal Background Check system runs name-based searches for $22.00 per search. This covers all Arkansas counties and is useful when you need results from beyond Union County alone.
Note: An arrest record from the Sheriff does not always mean a circuit court case was filed. The two offices are separate and keep different records.
Types of Criminal Records Held in Union County
The Union County Circuit Clerk holds several types of criminal case files. Felony cases make up most of the circuit-level volume, covering charges like drug offenses, theft, violent crimes, and fraud. Misdemeanor cases appealed from district court also land in the circuit clerk's files. A typical case file includes the charging document, arrest warrant if issued, bond records, plea agreements, judgment and sentencing orders, and the full docket sheet showing every step of the case from start to finish.
Not all records are public. Juvenile delinquency cases are sealed under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309 and are not available to the public. Records that a court has ordered sealed or expunged do not show up in searches. Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and victim addresses in domestic violence cases are redacted from public copies. Certified copies carry the clerk's seal, signature, and a statement confirming the document as a true and correct copy.
Older Union County records going back many decades exist in the clerk's archives. Very old files may be stored off-site or with the Arkansas State Archives. If you are researching a case from several decades ago, contacting the archives directly may get you further than starting with CourtConnect.
Union County Court Record Resources
Several state resources assist with Union County criminal record searches. The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts lists contact details for every court in the state and offers forms and self-help guides. The Arkansas Courthouse Kiosk program maintains public access terminals at select courthouse locations where you can search records and find legal forms at no cost. The Arkansas Association of Counties directory provides contact information for circuit clerks and other officials statewide.
Nearby Counties
If the records you need were filed in a neighboring county, these Circuit Clerk offices can help.