Clay County Deed Records Search
Clay County deed records are filed with the Circuit Clerk, who serves as the ex-officio recorder for all real property instruments in the county. Clay County is one of only a few Arkansas counties with two county seats, so knowing which office holds the records you need is important before you make contact or submit a request.
Clay County Deed Records
Searching Clay County Deed Records
Clay County deed records are split between two offices because the county has a Western District and an Eastern District, each with its own Circuit Clerk location. If the property sits in the western part of the county, you go to the Corning office. If it is in the eastern part, Piggott is the right place. Both offices hold land records for their respective districts, including deeds, mortgages, liens, assignments, and UCC filings tied to real property. The split can cause confusion if you are not sure which district your parcel falls in.
The best starting point for any Clay County deed search is to identify the property's legal description and township. That will tell you which district covers the land. Once you know the district, contact the right office to ask about available records. In-person visits let you search deed indexes by party name, instrument type, recording date, book and page number, or legal description. Both offices are open standard courthouse hours Monday through Friday.
For online searching, ARCountyData's Clay County page provides property and assessment data pulled from county records. Index data varies by year, so checking that source first can save a trip to the courthouse. If you need certified copies or older records, you will need to contact the clerk directly.
The ARCountyData portal for Clay County lets you search property records by owner name and parcel number, as shown here.
The ARCountyData Clay County portal offers a quick way to look up property information before contacting the Circuit Clerk's office directly for certified deed copies.
Circuit Clerk Contact Information
Clay County has two Circuit Clerk offices, one in each county seat. The Western District office is in Corning, and the Eastern District office is in Piggott. Both locations handle the recording and maintenance of land records for their respective areas.
The Piggott office serves the Eastern District and can be reached at (870) 598-2524. The Corning office covers the Western District and is available at (870) 857-3271. There is no shared online portal listed for Clay County deed records. Mail requests and in-person visits are the standard ways to obtain copies. When sending a written request, include the grantor or grantee name, approximate recording date, and the instrument type you need. Including a self-addressed stamped envelope speeds up the response.
The clerk's staff can search indexes by party names, legal descriptions, recording dates, book and page numbers, and instrument type. If you have a book and page reference from a prior title search or abstract, that is the fastest way to locate the specific document you need.
Note: Clay County does not currently list a public online deed search portal. Searches require direct contact with one of the two Circuit Clerk offices, and some older records may only be available in paper form.
Recording Requirements and Fees
Clay County follows Arkansas state law for recording fees and document standards. The base fee is $15 for the first page of any recorded instrument and $5 for each additional page. A two-sided document counts as two pages. The Real Property Transfer Tax is $3.30 per $1,000 of consideration on transactions over $100. Common exemptions include gifts between family members, transfers between spouses, and transfers to or from a living trust.
Documents must be on standard 8.5 by 11 inch paper. The first page must have a 2.5-inch blank margin at the top right for the recorder's stamp, and a 2.5-inch margin at the bottom of the last page. Side and bottom margins on all other pages must be at least half an inch. Any deed that does not meet these standards may be returned or held pending correction.
Under Arkansas Code ยง 18-12-104, deeds must be signed before two disinterested witnesses or acknowledged by a notary public. If the property being conveyed is a homestead, both spouses must sign. The grantee's mailing address must appear on the deed so that future tax statements can be sent to the new owner.
Starting August 5, 2025, individuals filing deeds must present a valid photo ID under Act 752. Licensed attorneys, real estate brokers, bank representatives, and government employees acting in their official capacity are exempt from this requirement.
Electronic recording is available across most of Arkansas through vendors including Simplifile and CSC eRecording Solutions. Check with the specific Clay County office to confirm which e-recording vendors they currently accept.
Historical Clay County Deed Records
Clay County has a notable gap in its historical deed records due to a courthouse fire. Records from December 1875 through February 1893 were destroyed in a fire at the Piggott courthouse. Deed Record E, covering March 1, 1891 through January 31, 1892, was also lost in that fire. Will and deed records that survived begin in April 1881 for those books that were not burned. This gap affects title searches going back to that period.
Researchers working on pre-fire land records may find partial information through federal land patents filed with the General Land Office, which are available through the Bureau of Land Management's GLO Records database. The Arkansas State Archives Digital Collection also holds some early land records including swamp land applications and land patents that predate county-level records.
FamilySearch has digitized some Clay County deed books and indexes. Their collections include deed records and indexes that survived the courthouse fire, covering portions of the county's early land history. For research going back to the formation of the county, cross-referencing BLM federal land patents with county deed records can help bridge the gap left by the fire.
Note: If you are conducting a full title search covering the pre-1893 period, a local title company or attorney familiar with Clay County's record history will be best equipped to help work around the fire-related gaps.
State Resources for Clay County Property Research
Several state-level tools supplement what is available at the Clay County Circuit Clerk's offices. The Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands handles tax-delinquent property across all 75 counties. If a property in Clay County has unpaid taxes, the COSL may have records showing its delinquent status, redemption history, or auction results. The COSL auction portal lists properties available for purchase through state-run tax sales.
The Arkansas Judiciary Case Search lets you check for circuit court cases that might affect property title. Foreclosure actions, judgment liens, and probate proceedings that result in property transfers all show up in this system. Searching by party name can reveal whether there are active or resolved court matters tied to a parcel you are researching.
For recording statutes that govern how deeds must be prepared and what effect recording has on title, the full text is available at Arkansas Title 14, Chapter 15. This covers the race-notice recording rule, formatting requirements, the recorder's duties, and related provisions that apply in every county including Clay County.