Find Deed Records in Hot Spring County
Hot Spring County deed records are kept by the Circuit Clerk in Malvern, the county seat. The Circuit Clerk serves as the ex-officio county recorder and maintains all instruments affecting real property title in the county, including deeds, mortgages, liens, and plats. Online search access through ActDataScout supplements in-person research at the Malvern courthouse.
Hot Spring County Deed Records Overview
Searching Hot Spring County Deed Records
The Hot Spring County Circuit Clerk is Teresa Pilcher. The office is located at 210 Locust Street, Malvern, AR 72104. The primary contact number is (501) 332-2261, with additional numbers listed as (501) 332-2227 and (501) 332-2281. The fax is (501) 332-5907. The Circuit Clerk's office serves as the clerk of the civil, domestic relations, criminal, and juvenile courts and also acts as the ex-officio recorder for the county. As recorder, the office handles recording of deeds, mortgages, liens, surety bonds, and other instruments affecting property within Hot Spring County.
Online deed and property access for Hot Spring County is available through ActDataScout. This platform provides searchable access to property assessment records and deed information for the county. ActDataScout is one of the county-linked portals used for Hot Spring County, making it a practical starting point for online research before visiting the Malvern courthouse. You can look up properties by owner name, parcel number, or address.
For in-person searches at the Malvern courthouse, bring a prior owner's name, parcel number, or a legal description to help locate records in the grantor-grantee index. The index covers all recorded instruments by name, and staff can help you navigate the system. Plain copies run $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $5.00. Mail requests are accepted with payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
The ActDataScout interface for Hot Spring County is shown below as the primary online tool for property record research in the Malvern area.
The ActDataScout portal for Hot Spring County gives access to property assessment records and deed-related information for Malvern and the surrounding Hot Spring County area.
Circuit Clerk Office and Services
The Circuit Clerk in Malvern maintains records for the courts of Hot Spring County and functions as the focal point for the orderly flow of paperwork through the county court system. On the recording side, the office keeps all deeds, mortgages, liens, and property instruments for Hot Spring County. Both functions, court recordkeeping and property recording, run through the same office at 210 Locust Street.
The office also uses eFlex for electronic court document filing. While eFlex is focused on court cases rather than deed instruments, it reflects that the Hot Spring County courts have invested in digital infrastructure. For deed-specific e-recording, contact the Circuit Clerk at (501) 332-2261 to confirm whether electronic submission through any of the statewide e-recording vendors is currently available for property instruments in Hot Spring County.
Standard services available at the Circuit Clerk include: recording new deeds and real property instruments, providing plain and certified copies of recorded documents, assisting with name index searches, swearing in notaries public, and maintaining court records for all circuit court divisions. For any recording inquiry, calling ahead at (501) 332-2261 is a good first step to confirm what you need and make sure staff have time to assist when you arrive.
Note: Hot Spring County and Garland County are neighbors, but they are entirely separate recording jurisdictions. Property in Hot Spring County is recorded in Malvern. Property in Garland County (which includes the City of Hot Springs) is recorded at the Garland County courthouse in Hot Springs. The county name similarity causes some confusion, but the two counties have distinct recording offices, clerks, and indexes.
Recording Fees and Submission Requirements
Hot Spring County follows the standard Arkansas fee schedule under Arkansas Code § 21-6-306. The recording fee is $15.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page. This applies to all deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, releases, powers of attorney, plats, and most other recorded instruments. Two-sided pages count as two pages for billing purposes.
The Real Property Transfer Tax is $3.30 per $1,000 of consideration on transactions above $100. The Circuit Clerk collects this tax when the deed is presented for recording. Standard exemptions apply: spousal transfers, family gifts, trust-related transfers, and divorce-related conveyances. Include a note on the deed if your transfer qualifies for exemption, or bring documentation to confirm the exemption basis at the recording counter.
All deeds submitted to Hot Spring County must comply with formatting requirements under Arkansas Code § 14-15-403. Required: 8.5 by 11 inch white paper, a 2.5-inch blank margin at the top right of the first page for the recorder's stamp, at least half-inch side and bottom margins on all pages, and a 2.5-inch clear area at the bottom of the last page. The first page must include the document title, grantor name, grantee name, and the preparer's name and address. Grantee mailing address for tax statements is required under Arkansas Code § 26-26-709.
Deeds must be signed before a notary public or two disinterested witnesses under Arkansas Code § 18-12-104. Both spouses must join in the deed when a homestead is being conveyed. Under Act 752, which took effect August 5, 2025, a valid government-issued photo ID is required from anyone filing a deed at the Hot Spring County courthouse. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, real estate brokers, bank representatives, and government employees acting in their official capacity.
Historical Deed Records in Hot Spring County
Hot Spring County was formed November 2, 1829, from territory taken from Clark County. The county's original territory was later reduced in 1873 when Garland County was created from a portion of it. Historical records in Hot Spring County are described as complete from the county's formation, with no known courthouse fires or major record losses. That continuity makes Hot Spring County one of the more straightforward Arkansas counties for deep title research going back to the early statehood period.
FamilySearch.org has digitized historical records for Hot Spring County including Deeds from 1831 to 1903 and Surveyor's Records from 1879 to 1916 (Volumes B-C, 2). The deed records going back to 1831 are particularly valuable for tracing early land patents and original federal land grants in this part of central Arkansas. The Arkansas Digital Archives also holds land commissioner records, swamp land patents, and forfeited deed records that may include Malvern area land from the early settlement period.
The Arkansas State Land Surveyor's Office holds General Land Office plats and corner certificates from the original government surveys of this region. When an older Hot Spring County deed references a township, range, and section from the original survey, the State Surveyor's plat retrieval tool can help you match that description to a specific parcel on a modern map. These records also help when a boundary dispute involves a corner marker that goes back to the original survey.
Note: Because Garland County was carved out of Hot Spring County in 1873, any deed research involving land that may have been located in what became Garland County before that year should include a check of both counties' historical records for the pre-1873 period.
Online Tools and State Resources
The Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands handles tax-delinquent property throughout Hot Spring County. Any parcel where taxes have gone unpaid can be certified to the COSL, and the Commissioner will conduct a public auction after providing required notice. Buyers at COSL auctions receive limited warranty deeds. The COSL auction platform shows past and current Hot Spring County tax sales with parcel maps. Checking COSL before purchasing any Malvern or Hot Spring County property is a standard part of title due diligence.
The Arkansas Judiciary Case Search is free and covers Hot Spring County circuit court cases including judgment liens, foreclosures, and domestic relations orders that affect real property. Cross-referencing court cases with deed records is important because judgment liens do not appear in the deed index but can cloud title just as much as a recorded instrument.
The Arkansas Secretary of State provides entity verification for companies that appear in Hot Spring County deed transactions. When a business entity is listed as grantor or grantee in a deed, checking the entity's standing at the Secretary of State is a basic step in confirming the transaction was legally authorized. The free corporation search at the Secretary of State's website gives you current standing and registered agent information quickly.
For broader property searches beyond ActDataScout, ARCountyData.com covers all 75 Arkansas counties including Hot Spring and may provide additional ownership and parcel data as a supplementary search tool.