How to Get an Arkansas Death Certificate (2026)

You get an Arkansas death certificate from the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) Vital Records office. Until 50 years pass after the death, only the named individual's family or someone with a legal interest may obtain a certified copy. The first certified copy costs $10, and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $8.

How Do You Get a Death Certificate in Arkansas?

You get an Arkansas death certificate from the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) Vital Records office, which maintains death records for the entire state. You do not have to travel to Little Rock to get one. ADH offers vital records services at local health units, and Ark. Code 20-18-305(1)(A) authorizes the State Registrar and other custodians the registrar designates to issue certified copies.

Under the state vital records rule, the local county health unit in each county serves as the registration district for deaths that occur in that county, and the local registrar must issue certified copies of registered death certificates within 24 hours of a request. Call the unit you plan to visit before you go, because access to records filed in other counties is granted at the state registrar's discretion.

You can request a certified copy four ways. Choose the method that fits your timeline and whether you can visit an office in person.

Order Online

The fastest remote option is the state's official Vital Records online service. You complete the request, upload acceptable ID, and pay by debit or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express).

Online orders add a $5 standard processing fee plus a $1.85 non-refundable identity verification fee on top of the certificate cost. Orders typically take 7 to 14 business days from approval, plus shipping.

Order by Mail

You may mail a completed death certificate application, a check or money order payable to the Arkansas Department of Health, and a copy of your acceptable ID. Cash and temporary checks are not accepted.

Send it to: Arkansas Department of Health, Vital Records, Slot 44, 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205. Allow 10 to 14 days for processing plus mail delivery time.

Order by Phone or In Person

You can order by phone toll-free at (866) 209-9482, with expedited shipping options available. To request a certificate in person, visit the Vital Records office at 4815 West Markham Street in Little Rock. Most walk-in requests received there before 4:00 PM are filled the same day.

Your local county health unit is the closer option if you do not live near Little Rock. ADH provides vital records services at all local health units, and you can pick up the paper application there as well. Confirm the unit's hours and whether it can pull the specific record before you make the trip.

Who Is Eligible to Request an Arkansas Death Certificate?

Until 50 years have passed since the death, Arkansas limits certified copies to eligible individuals with a direct connection to the record. This protects recent records from broad public access.

Eligible requesters include the deceased person's spouse, mother, father (if named on the birth certificate), child, grandchild, and maternal grandparents. The informant listed on the record, the funeral home, and a beneficiary with proper documentation may also qualify.

If you are not on this list, you typically need to document a direct legal interest in the record. Every applicant must present acceptable identification, and mail applicants must include a copy of that ID.

Once 50 years have elapsed after the date of death, the record becomes available to any person who submits an application. At that point, eligibility restrictions no longer apply.

Arkansas Death Certificate Cost and Processing Time

An Arkansas death certificate costs $10 for the first certified copy and $8 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. Ordering several copies together is cheaper per copy than placing separate orders.

A non-refundable $10 search fee applies if no record is found. Online orders carry the added $5 processing fee and $1.85 identity verification fee described above.

Processing time depends on the method. Online and mail requests generally take 7 to 14 business days plus shipping, while in-person requests received by 4:00 PM are usually completed the same day.

Certified vs Informational Copy in Arkansas

Arkansas issues certified copies of death records, which carry the state registrar's seal and are accepted as legal proof of death. You need a certified copy to settle an estate, claim life insurance or benefits, close financial accounts, or transfer property.

Arkansas does not market a separate consumer "informational" copy the way some states do. Practically, the certified copy is the document the Vital Records office provides to eligible requesters.

For genealogy or historical research, records that are more than 50 years old are open to any requester, which serves the role an informational copy plays in other states. If you only need details for family history, an older record or a request through the office's genealogy access path may meet your need without proving a current legal interest.

How to Get Additional or Replacement Copies

To get additional or replacement copies, you order them the same way you order the first certified copy, through the ADH Vital Records office. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $8 rather than the $10 first-copy fee.

If you need replacement copies later, after your original order has closed, you submit a new request and pay the standard fees again. You must still meet the eligibility rules and provide acceptable ID for each new order.

Ordering all the copies you expect to need in a single request is the most cost-effective approach, since the discounted $8 rate applies only to copies bought together.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information, not legal advice. Vital records fees, eligibility rules, and processing times can change. Always confirm current requirements with the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records office before submitting a request.

Sources

This page draws on the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records office and the Arkansas vital records rule.

Related: Arkansas Death Records | Death Records by State