Search Lincoln County Deed Records
Lincoln County deed records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk's office in Star City, where the clerk acts as the ex-officio county recorder for all real property instruments filed within the county. The office holds deeds, liens, mortgages, and plats as public records, and access requires either a visit to the courthouse in Star City or a request submitted by email or fax.
Lincoln County Deed Records
Deed Recording in Lincoln County
The Circuit Clerk in Lincoln County serves as the ex-officio recorder for all real property transactions within the county. The office is responsible for keeping property records that include, but are not limited to, liens, deeds, mortgages, and plats. These documents form the public record of property ownership and encumbrances for land in Lincoln County. Under Arkansas Code § 14-15-404, a recorded deed gives constructive notice to all future buyers and lenders from the moment it is filed.
Arkansas is a race-notice state. The first party to record without knowledge of a prior unrecorded competing claim holds the stronger position in a title dispute. No deed made after December 21, 1846 is valid against a later purchaser who pays value and has no actual notice unless the earlier deed was duly recorded. This rule makes timely recording essential for buyers and lenders in Star City and across Lincoln County.
Property records in Lincoln County are not accessible online. Individuals can only retrieve physical documents by visiting the office at 300 S. Drew St., Star City, AR 71667. For a more convenient process, requests can also be submitted via email at cindy.glover@arkansas.gov or by fax at (870) 628-5546. This makes Lincoln County one of the Arkansas counties where remote access is limited to mail, email, or fax rather than a dedicated online portal.
Lincoln County deed records go back to 1834. FamilySearch holds digitized records including deeds and mortgages from 1834 to 1889, miscellaneous land records from 1871, and Lincoln County Township Plats. For researchers tracing older chains of title or doing genealogical research, these free records provide a solid starting point.
Lincoln County Circuit Clerk Contact
The Lincoln County Circuit Clerk is Cindy Glover. The office is at 300 South Drew Street, Star City, AR 71667-5141. The phone number is (870) 628-4147. The fax is (870) 628-5546. The email address for requests is cindy.glover@arkansas.gov. An alternate address listed is 300 S. Drew St., Star City, AR 71667-5104. Standard office hours are Monday through Friday during regular courthouse hours. Call to confirm times before visiting.
For in-person visits, bring the grantor or grantee names you need and a date range if you have one. Staff will point you to the right index books or records. Copies are available for a per-page fee. Certified copies carry an additional charge. Checks should be made out to the Lincoln County Circuit Clerk.
Email requests can be sent to cindy.glover@arkansas.gov. Include the document type, grantor and grantee names, approximate date range, and your mailing or email address for the return. For fax requests, send the same information to (870) 628-5546 with a return fax number or mailing address and estimated fee payment instructions. Mail requests should go to 300 South Drew Street, Star City, AR 71667 with a self-addressed stamped envelope.
The Arkansas recording statutes at Title 14, Chapter 15 cover all document requirements, fees, and filing rules that apply to Lincoln County deed recordings.
Online Research Tools for Lincoln County Property
Lincoln County deed records are not available through a public web portal. That means in-person access, email, or fax requests to the Circuit Clerk are the primary methods for obtaining copies of recorded instruments. For basic ownership and parcel information, the free ARCountyData platform draws from county assessor records and gives you owner name searches, parcel numbers, and property details without a courthouse visit.
For court-related encumbrances, the Arkansas Judiciary Case Search is a free statewide tool that covers Lincoln County circuit court records. Judgment liens, foreclosure filings, and probate proceedings tied to Lincoln County property show up here and are a critical check for any complete title search. These records don't appear in the deed index but can cloud title just as effectively as any recorded encumbrance.
The Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands tracks tax-delinquent property throughout Arkansas. Lincoln County parcels with unpaid taxes may appear in COSL records. The median property tax rate in Lincoln County is around 0.59 percent of assessed value, and the median home value runs roughly $116,600. For any parcel that may have a tax delinquency history, check the COSL site before proceeding with a purchase or title search.
The Arkansas State Land Surveyor site gives access to historical plats and corner certificates for Lincoln County parcels, useful for verifying legal descriptions and boundary information on older property.
Recording Fees and Requirements in Lincoln County
Lincoln County follows the standard Arkansas fee schedule under Arkansas Code § 21-6-306. The fee is $15.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page. A two-sided document counts as two pages. Multiple instruments in one document may each trigger an additional $15.00 per instrument beyond the first, up to a maximum of $300.00. The Real Property Transfer Tax is $3.30 per $1,000 of consideration on transactions over $100. The clerk collects this at the time of recording.
Common transfer tax exemptions include gifts between family members, transfers between spouses, living trust transfers, and divorce-related conveyances. If you think an exemption applies to your transaction, confirm with the clerk before submitting the document.
Documents must be on 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. Side and bottom margins must be at least half an inch. The last page must have a 2.5-inch margin at the bottom. The first page must show the document title, grantor name, grantee name, and the preparer's name and address. All signatures must be original. Deeds must be executed before two disinterested witnesses or acknowledged by a notary public. Homestead transfers require both spouses to sign. Beginning August 5, 2025, Act 752 requires in-person filers to show a valid photo ID. Licensed attorneys, real estate brokers, bank representatives, and government employees are exempt.
Historical Lincoln County Deed Records
Lincoln County has deed records going back to 1834. FamilySearch holds digitized records including deeds and mortgages from 1834 to 1889, miscellaneous land records from 1871, and Lincoln County Township Plats. These records are free to search online and are useful for genealogical research and historical title work on older parcels in the Star City area.
The Arkansas State Archives Digital Collections hold land donation applications, swamp land patents, and forfeited deed records that supplement early Lincoln County title research. Lincoln County sits in the Arkansas Delta and was part of the broader swamp land grant program that shaped property ownership across the region in the nineteenth century. Those historical records can be critical for tracing very old chains of title. The Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives may hold additional older materials relevant to this part of the state.
State Resources for Property Research
The Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands oversees tax-delinquent property statewide. The COSL auction platform posts upcoming tax sales and post-auction listings for Lincoln County parcels with parcel maps. Buyers at those sales receive a limited warranty deed from the state rather than a full warranty deed.
The Arkansas State Land Surveyor provides historical plats and corner certificates through the plat retrieval tool at plat.arkansas.gov. This is the right resource when a legal description in a Lincoln County deed uses old government survey terminology or when a boundary question arises. For entity verification when a company appears in a deed, use the Arkansas Secretary of State Business Services portal to confirm the entity's legal name and standing.