Craighead County Property Deed Records
Craighead County deed records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk, who serves as the ex-officio recorder for all land instruments filed in the county. Craighead has two county seats, Jonesboro and Lake City, with a Circuit Clerk office in each location. Both offices handle deed recording and land record access for their respective districts.
Craighead County Deed Records
Accessing Craighead County Deed Records
Craighead County has two Circuit Clerk locations. The Jonesboro office is at 511 S. Main Street, Suite 202, Jonesboro, AR 72401, and the phone number is (870) 933-4530. The Lake City office is at 137 N. Main, Lake City, AR 72437, and the phone number is (870) 237-4343. Both offices record and maintain land records. If you are looking for a deed tied to property in a specific area of the county, call ahead to confirm which office handles records for that district.
In-person searches are available to the public during business hours. The deed index can be searched by grantor name, grantee name, instrument type, recording date, or book and page number. All searches are public under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Copies cost $0.25 per standard page. Certified copies are $1.00 per page plus a $2.50 certification fee per document.
Mail requests are accepted at both offices. Include the names of the parties, the approximate recording date, and the type of document. Send a check for the estimated copy fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope for return delivery.
The Craighead County Circuit Clerk website provides information about the Jonesboro and Lake City offices, deed recording services, and related court functions.
The Craighead County Circuit Clerk website covers both the Jonesboro and Lake City offices and provides guidance on deed recording, search procedures, and office services.
Online Deed Record Search Tools
Craighead County offers online access to property records through a county-maintained portal. The property records site at craigheadrecords.us gives users a searchable interface for land records filed with the Circuit Clerk. This is one of the more developed online search tools among Arkansas counties and lets you look up deeds, mortgages, and other instruments without visiting the courthouse in Jonesboro or Lake City.
The county also maintains a portal at craighead.countyportal.net that provides additional property data and record access. Between these two tools, Craighead County gives users more online options than many rural Arkansas counties. The indexes and images available through these portals may cover more recent recordings more thoroughly than older deed books.
For assessor-based property data, ARCountyData's Craighead County page provides ownership information and parcel details pulled from county assessor records. This tool is free and can be a quick way to verify current ownership before requesting certified copies from the clerk.
The Craighead County property records portal provides searchable access to deed and land record data from the Circuit Clerk's offices in Jonesboro and Lake City.
The Craighead County property records portal lets you search deed records online for the county, including instruments filed through both the Jonesboro and Lake City offices of the Circuit Clerk.
Recording Fees and Lien Searches
Craighead County applies the standard Arkansas recording fee schedule. The first page of any recorded instrument costs $15. Each additional page is $5. Two-sided documents count as two pages. When a single submission contains multiple instruments, each additional instrument carries its own $15 base fee, capped at $300 total.
The Real Property Transfer Tax of $3.30 per $1,000 of stated consideration applies to most deed recordings in Craighead County. The clerk collects this tax at the time of recording before stamping and indexing the deed. Exemptions include transfers between spouses, gifts between family members, and certain trust-related transfers.
Lien searches in Craighead County involve more than just the deed index. Judgment liens filed with the Circuit Clerk's office must be checked separately from deed records. Tax liens are handled by the County Tax Collector, reachable at (870) 933-4548. The online portal at craigheadrecords.us can help search for various lien types. For a full picture of encumbrances on a property, you need to check the deed index, the judgment lien index, and tax records separately.
All deed documents must comply with Arkansas Code ยง 14-15-403 formatting rules. Standard 8.5 by 11 inch paper is required. The top right of the first page must have a 2.5-inch blank margin. All margins must be at least half an inch on sides and bottoms. The last page needs a 2.5-inch bottom margin. Any document that does not meet these standards may be rejected or held.
Note: Starting August 5, 2025, individuals filing deeds at either Craighead County Circuit Clerk location must present a valid photo ID under Act 752. Attorneys, real estate brokers, and bank employees acting in official capacities are exempt.
Historical Craighead County Land Records
Craighead County has historical deed records available through FamilySearch. The collection includes deed records from 1878 to 1889, along with an index to deeds covering 1878 to 1916. Township plats and surveyor records from 1859 to 1898 are also part of that digitized collection. These older records are searchable online and are especially useful for tracing property ownership through the late 19th century without making a trip to either courthouse.
Craighead County was formed in 1859, carved out of Greene and Mississippi counties. Land records before that date would have been recorded in those predecessor counties. The Assessor's Office, located at 511 S. Main Street, Suite 106, Jonesboro, AR 72401 (phone: (870) 933-4547), maintains current property assessment records that can help confirm ownership and parcel boundaries for modern research.
The Arkansas State Archives Digital Collection and the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives (NEARA) serve the 16-county northeast Arkansas region that includes Craighead County. NEARA holds older records that may supplement what is available through the county clerk's office or FamilySearch for very early land history in this part of the state.
State Resources and Online Tools
The Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands manages tax-delinquent property statewide, including Craighead County parcels. If a property has unpaid taxes, the COSL may hold delinquency records, prior auction results, and current status information. The COSL auction site lists Craighead County properties available through state tax sales.
The Arkansas Judiciary Case Search covers all Arkansas circuit courts. Craighead County circuit court cases including foreclosure actions, judgment liens, and probate cases that affect property title are searchable through this free tool. Because Craighead has two county seats, both Jonesboro and Lake City district cases may appear in the search results depending on where the case was filed.
For electronic recording, Craighead County may accept e-filed documents through one of the approved Arkansas vendors. The main vendors are Simplifile, CSC eRecording Solutions, eRecording Partners Network, and Indecomm Global Services. Contact either Circuit Clerk location to confirm which vendors are currently active for Craighead County e-recording.
The full Arkansas recording statutes at Arkansas Title 14, Chapter 15 set out the race-notice rule, formatting requirements, and the clerk's recording duties that apply in Craighead County and all other Arkansas counties.