Arkansas Background Checks

The ability to perform background checks on the people you meet in your life is an important part of keeping you safe. You cannot simply trust everyone you meet to tell you the honest truth about their past, no matter how trustworthy they are. You need to be able to perform some type of Arkansas background check in order to ensure, without a doubt, they are the person they seem to be.

Yet the only way to do that is with some type of place that you can go to perform these background checks. That's where public records databases come in.

Public records provide a considerable amount of data that is collected by the government. These records are designed to be made public - meaning that they are yours to view if you need them. The only issue is that normally it's very difficult to find the right documents if you're not sure where to look.

So the best place to go is a public records database. There you'll find companies that have already requested all of the records, placed them online, and provide users with a user friendly experience that makes finding the records you're looking for much easier.

Performing a Search

You don't need anyone's permission to perform a search. All you need is to know the name of the person you're searching for, and possibly the city or state of residence for that person as well. As long as you have that information, you can perform any search you want, regardless of whether or not you have the individual's permission. That gives you a great deal of freedom, and allows you to find any of the information you need on anyone without having to go through multiple different government channels.

Arkansas Criminal Records

If you are looking for Arkansas criminal records for Arkansas background checks, then you will need to contact the Arkansas State Police. The State Police offers two ways to obtain Arkansas criminal records.

To request criminal records by mail do the following:

Step 1: Fill out an ASP-122 and have it notarized. Click Here.
Step 2: Provide payment. The cost of this Arkansas background check is $20.
Step 3: Mail your application and payment to the address indicated on the form. Your request will be processed and mailed to the authorized person on the form. It will take 7-10 days, excluding mailing time, to complete.

To request criminal records online follow the instructions below. This method is only available to employers and professional licensing boards through the Arkansas State Police website.

Step 1: Visit the Online Criminal Background Check webpage. To create an account Click Here. Make sure the employer or licensing board requesting the record is registered with the Arkansas State Police. Have an approved application.
Step 2: The employer must obtain a signed release from the employee. Results are generally available within a few minutes, although in some cases several hours are needed.
Step 3: Provide payment. The cost for this method is $22.

Both requests will show felony and misdemeanor convictions in the State of Arkansas. Arkansas background checks will not show arrests pending, cases that have been dismissed, not processed, or found not guilty, non-criminal traffic records, or sealed offenses. The electronic process will show pending felony arrests and if the person is required to register as a sex offender.

For more information on Arkansas criminal records, you can contact the office using the information below:

Arkansas State Police Identification Bureau
1 State Police Drive
Little Rock, AR 72209
(501) 618-8500

Resource Links
Arkansas Criminal Background Check
Request Form

Arkansas Court Records

If you need to access Arkansas court records as part of your Arkansas background check, then you will need to contact the Arkansas Judiciary. The Arkansas Judiciary allows you to search for current cases, as well as any closed cases that have had activity in the last 90 days.

To access these records online, you will need to do the following:

Step 1: Visit the Arkansas Judiciary Docket Search webpage. Click Here.
Step 2: Enter the case number or the name of one of the parties involved. The docket search will only include Arkansas Supreme Court and Court of Appeals cases, but not circuit or district court cases.
Step 3: View the results. The information is free to access online and will show the parties involved in the case and the actions taken to date.

If you need additional information about Arkansas court records, then you can contact the office using the information below:

Justice Building
625 Marshall Street
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 682-6849

Resource links
Arkansas Judiciary Docket Search

Arkansas Jail Records

If you wish to access Arkansas jail records as part of your Arkansas background checks, then you will need to contact the Arkansas Department of Corrections. The ADC allows you to search the inmate population using a number of criteria. You can narrow your search by searching by ADC number or name, gender, age, facility, and more. You can also conduct a search by the type of crime. All information is considered public and free to access.

If you need more information about accessing Arkansas jail records, then you can contact the office using the information below:

To search for jail records online do the following:

Step 1: Visit the Arkansas Inmate Search webpage. Click Here.
Step 2: Select a Criminal History and Offense category and fill out all required information fields.
Step 3: Click “Find Inmates” to run your search and view results.

Arkansas Department of Correction
P.O. Box 8707
Pine Bluff, AR 71611
(870) 267-6999

Resource Links
Arkansas Inmate Search

Arkansas Driving Records

If you need to access Arkansas driving records as part of an Arkansas background check, then you will need to contact the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Part of this Department’s responsibility is maintain motor vehicle records.

There are numerous types of Arkansas driving records available to those who have statutory rights to access them. Most of the searches will require you to log in and provide a password in order to start your search. A Title, Registration and Liens search is available for $1.50 per record.

A Traffic Violation Report is available for $8.50 for an insurance record and $11.50 for a commercial record. Commercial Driver Watch is available for $11.50 per record or as a status screening for $1.00 per month per driver. Crash and Accident records are free to search, and copies are available for $12 per record. You will need to know the name and date of the crash to find results, and you can narrow results by county and date of birth.

If you need additional information regarding Arkansas driving records, then you can contact the office using the information below:

Ragland Building
1900 W. 7th St., Ste 1100
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 682-4692

Resource Links
Arkansas Driving Record Information

Additional Resources

Arkansas Sexual Offender Registry
Arkansas Attorney General