Crittenden County Deed Records Search
Crittenden County deed records are maintained by Circuit Clerk Terry Hawkins at the courthouse in Marion, Arkansas, where the clerk serves as the ex-officio recorder for all real property instruments filed in the county. Crittenden County is one of the oldest counties in Arkansas, and its land records go back to the early 1800s along the Mississippi River border with Tennessee and Missouri.
Crittenden County Deed Records
Accessing Crittenden County Deed Records
The Crittenden County Circuit Clerk's office is at 100 Court Square, Marion, AR 72364. The phone number is (870) 739-3248 and the fax is (870) 739-3287. You can also reach the office by email at thawkins@crittco.com. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The clerk's office records deeds, mortgages, conveyances of land and buildings, plats, powers of attorney, liens on real property, leases, soldiers' discharges, and real estate fixture filing statements.
In-person searches are available during business hours. The deed index is searchable by grantor name, grantee name, instrument type, and recording date. Certified copies of recorded instruments are available at standard Arkansas copy fees. Mail requests are also accepted. Include the names of the parties involved, the approximate recording date, and the type of document. A self-addressed stamped envelope helps ensure return delivery of copies.
For online access, ARCountyData's Crittenden County page provides property assessment data pulled from county records. The CountyService portal for Crittenden County offers additional land record search capabilities. Together, these tools give you a starting point for verifying ownership and parcel information before requesting formal certified copies from the Marion courthouse.
The Crittenden County website includes information on the Circuit Clerk and other county offices in Marion.
The Crittenden County website provides contact information for the Circuit Clerk's office and other county departments relevant to property record research in Marion.
Circuit Clerk Functions and Land Record Types
The Crittenden County Circuit Clerk handles two distinct functions. The first is serving as clerk of the civil, domestic relations, criminal, and juvenile courts, which includes filing, docketing, attending court, issuing notices, managing records, and reporting to the Administrative Office of Courts. The second is acting as the ex-officio recorder, responsible for recording and maintaining all land instruments for the county.
The types of documents the clerk records as part of the land record system are broad. They include deeds, mortgages, and conveyances of land and buildings; maps and plats of newly laid out subdivisions; powers of attorney; liens on real property; soldiers' discharges; leases; real estate fixture filing statements; and performance bonds and public official bonds. This wide range means the clerk's office holds a lot more than just standard warranty deeds and mortgages.
The County Clerk (Paula Brown, (870) 739-4434, email: crittcoclerk@gmail.com, fax: (870) 739-3072) handles marriage licenses and other county-level administrative functions. The Circuit Clerk and County Clerk are separate offices in Crittenden County, so make sure you contact the right one depending on the type of record you need.
The Circuit Clerk page on the Crittenden County website details the recording services and court functions managed from the Marion courthouse.
The Crittenden County Circuit Clerk page covers the office's recording duties and provides direct contact details for reaching the clerk in Marion.
Online Search Tools for Crittenden County
Two online portals provide supplemental access to Crittenden County property and land record data. The ARCountyData portal is the primary state-linked tool for assessor-based property searches in Arkansas, and it covers Crittenden County with ownership and parcel data searchable by name or parcel number.
The ARCountyData portal for Crittenden County provides searchable land and property data from county records.
The ARCountyData Crittenden County page lets you search property records by owner name and parcel number as a first step before requesting certified deed copies from the Circuit Clerk.
The CountyService portal for Crittenden County provides another web-based option for searching land record data filed with the county.
The CountyService portal for Crittenden County provides web access to land record data and property information from the county's recording system in Marion.
Recording Fees and Document Standards
Crittenden County applies the standard Arkansas recording fee schedule. The base fee is $15 for the first page of any recorded instrument and $5 for each additional page. Two-sided documents count as two pages. Multiple instruments in a single document each carry a $15 base fee, with the total capped at $300 per submission. The Real Property Transfer Tax is $3.30 per $1,000 of stated consideration on transactions over $100.
All documents must comply with formatting requirements under Arkansas Code ยง 14-15-403. Standard 8.5 by 11 inch paper is required. The top right of the first page must have a 2.5-inch clear margin for the recorder's stamp. Side and bottom margins on all pages must be at least half an inch, and the last page needs a 2.5-inch bottom margin. The document must include the title, the grantor's and grantee's names, and the preparer's name and address. The grantee's mailing address must be shown for tax statement delivery.
Deeds must be signed before two disinterested witnesses or acknowledged by a notary public. Homestead property requires both spouses to sign. Under Act 752 effective August 5, 2025, individuals filing deeds must present a valid photo ID. Licensed attorneys, real estate brokers, bank representatives, and government employees in official capacities are exempt.
Electronic recording options may be available through vendors such as Simplifile. Contact the Crittenden County Circuit Clerk at (870) 739-3248 to confirm which e-recording vendors are currently accepted at the Marion courthouse.
Historical Crittenden County Land Records
Crittenden County has one of the oldest land record histories in Arkansas. The county was formed on October 22, 1825, making it the 12th county established in Arkansas Territory. It was named for Robert Crittenden, the first territorial secretary of Arkansas. The Mississippi River forms the eastern boundary, placing the county directly across the river from Memphis, Tennessee. This proximity made Crittenden County a hub for land transactions tied to the cotton trade and river commerce during the 19th century.
FamilySearch has digitized historical deed records for Crittenden County covering 1826 to 1900, along with deed and mortgage indexes from 1826 to 1938. A note in those records states that the original deed records A and B are "hardly legible," and that many early deeds were written in Spanish. This reflects the county's complicated early history under both Spanish and United States territorial governance. Tax books for 1878 are missing from the county records.
These early records require patience and familiarity with 19th century legal conventions. For researchers tracing land grants from the Spanish colonial period or very early territorial transfers, the Arkansas State Archives Digital Collection and the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives (NEARA) may hold supplemental documents not available at the county courthouse.
Note: The early Spanish-language deed records in Crittenden County are among the most unusual in Arkansas. If you are researching land with roots in the pre-territorial period, a specialist in historical land records or a title attorney familiar with this area's history will be most helpful.
State Resources for Crittenden County Research
The Arkansas Judiciary Case Search covers circuit court cases for Crittenden County. Given the county's size and its proximity to the Memphis metropolitan area, there is a significant volume of civil cases, foreclosure actions, and judgment liens filed in Crittenden County circuit court each year. Any of these can affect property title and must be checked as part of a thorough title search. The case search tool is free and searchable by party name.
The Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands handles tax-delinquent property statewide, including properties in Crittenden County. The COSL auction site lists current tax sale properties across Arkansas. Crittenden County parcels that have gone delinquent may be available through state auction, and past auction results for the county are also searchable on the COSL site.
The full Arkansas recording statutes at Arkansas Title 14, Chapter 15 set out the race-notice rule, document formatting requirements, and the clerk's recording duties that apply in Crittenden County. These statutes also govern how recorded instruments give constructive notice to future buyers and lenders once a deed is filed with the Circuit Clerk in Marion.