Benton County Clerk of Court

About the Benton County Clerk Offices

Arkansas does not use a "District Clerk" model. Benton County uses Circuit Clerk and County Clerk side by side, with each office handling a distinct set of records. Both are elected officials.

The county office directory is at bentoncountyar.gov/office-directory.

The directory routes every county office handling clerk-side records, including Probate, Recorder, and the Quorum Court secretariat.

What the Circuit Clerk Does in Benton County

Brenda DeShields, the Circuit Clerk, is the official custodian of record for Circuit Court and serves as ex-officio County Recorder. The office handles civil, domestic relations, criminal, juvenile, child support, adult fines and restitution, jury service, court dockets, judicial sales and foreclosures, passport services, land and recorded documents, recorder fees, e-recording information, property fraud alert sign-up, civil coversheets, dispositions, and public records.

• Court records - Circuit Court case files, certified copies, and document search.
• Recorder of Deeds - land instruments at 215 E Central Ave.; recording ends at 4:15 p.m. each day.
• Court fees - filing, certification, copies, writs, subpoenas under the published fee schedule.
• Passport services - applications by appointment only; processing window 8:00 a.m. - 3:40 p.m.
• Foreclosures - commissioner sale information and bidder requirements.
• Forms - civil and domestic coversheets, standing orders, visitation schedule, administrative plan.

What the County Clerk Does in Benton County

Betsy Harrell, the County Clerk, serves as voter registrar, issues marriage licenses, records DBA certificates and ministers' credentials, and handles corporation filings from the Arkansas Secretary of State. The County Clerk acts as secretariat to the Quorum Court and has authority over the Probate Division of Circuit Court.

• Voter registration - registration, updates, and elections support.
• Marriage licenses - $60 cash exact or $62.80 card; both parties must appear with ID.
• DBA / fictitious name - filing assumed name certificates.
• Ministers' credentials - filing of authority to perform marriages.
• Probate - wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships at 102 NE A St., Room 206.
• Quorum Court - meeting scheduling and proceedings records.
• Branch offices - 2111 W Walnut St., Rogers, and 707 Lincoln St., Siloam Springs.

How to Request a Certified Copy

Certified copies prove a document is a true copy of the file on record. Banks, embassies, courts in other states, and some employers ask for them. The certifying clerk depends on the document type. Circuit Court files certify at the Circuit Clerk; marriage licenses certify at the County Clerk; recorded land documents certify at the Recorder's Office (Circuit Clerk side).

1. Identify the case number, the parties, or the recording reference for the document needed.
2. Pick the right office: Circuit Clerk for court files and recorded documents, County Clerk for marriage and probate.
3. Submit the request in person, by phone, or by mail with the certification fee.
4. Pay $5.00 certification per court document plus $0.25 per copy page at the Circuit Clerk; recorder certified copies are $5.00 plus $0.25 per subsequent page.
5. Pick up in person or receive by mail once processed.

Records Request Form Fields

Benton County does not publish a single online court-records request form. Phone, in-person, and mail requests work for most situations. Key information to include:

Benton County Clerk Fees

Fees come from the Circuit Clerk court fee page, the Recorder fee page, and the marriage license page. The Circuit Clerk accepts cash exact, checks payable to Benton County Circuit Clerk or BCCC, money orders, cashier's checks, debit, and credit. American Express is not accepted. Checks need the requester's driver's license number and phone number written on the check.

Common Clerk Forms

The Circuit Clerk's forms page links many of the documents pro se filers and attorneys use most.

• Civil Coversheet - opens new civil cases.
• Civil Coversheet Additional Parties - extends a coversheet beyond the standard party limit.
• Civil Disposition - closes a civil case file.
• Domestic Relations Coversheet - opens divorce, custody, and support cases.
• Domestic Relations Disposition - closes a domestic relations file.
• Standing Order of the Court - rules during a divorce case.
• Standing Order of the Court - Spanish - Spanish translation of standing order.
• Visitation Schedule - default visitation guide for domestic cases.
• Administrative Plan (Effective 2026) - current court administration plan.

Mail, Phone, and Online Filings

Arkansas Circuit Courts use the statewide Contexte and Search ARCourts systems. E-filing for attorneys runs through state-level systems coordinated by the Arkansas Judiciary. The Circuit Clerk's office takes phone calls, mail filings, and in-person filings during posted hours. The County Clerk handles marriage licenses on-site, while voter registration is available by mail and online through the state. Recorder filings can be submitted in person; e-recording exists for participating submitters under the Recorder's documented procedures.

The Recorder's Office in Detail

The Recorder's Office sits inside the County Clerk Administration Building at 215 E Central Ave. The Circuit Clerk runs it as ex-officio County Recorder. Recording ends at 4:15 p.m. each day even though the office is open through 4:30 p.m. The Recorder accepts deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, releases, powers of attorney, plats, liens, foreign judgments, and lis pendens filings. A standard recording is $15.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page; a two-sided instrument counts as two pages. Certified copies of recorded documents run $5.00 plus $0.25 per subsequent page. UCC fixture filings, mortgage notices of default, state tax liens, and bond-in-contest filings each carry separate fee lines.

Notary commissions and powers of attorney are filed at the Recorder's Office. Property owners can sign up for the property fraud alert service through the Circuit Clerk's site, which sends alerts when a document is recorded against a named owner.

Passport Services at the Circuit Clerk

The Circuit Clerk accepts passport applications. Applications are by appointment only and run from 8:00 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. Walk-ins are not accepted for passport intake. The federal passport fee plus the clerk's acceptance fee both apply; current federal fees are set by the U.S. Department of State and posted on the Circuit Clerk's page. Required documents include proof of citizenship, a government-issued ID, a passport photo meeting State Department specs, and the completed application form. The Circuit Clerk does not handle expedited processing on site; applicants needing fast turnaround should use a State Department regional agency.

Foreclosure Commissioner Sales

Foreclosure sales involving Benton County Circuit Court route through the Circuit Clerk's office. The Circuit Clerk's FAQ covers commissioner-sale payment rules. A bidder paying in full on the sale day needs a check in the full bid amount. A bidder paying ten percent down needs a letter of credit from a lending institution for the remaining ninety percent, or a bond to the court for the remaining ninety percent payable within a court-designated time. Sales not paid in full day-of-sale bear interest at the court-set rate; the FAQ uses ten percent per annum as a worked example. The Commissioner reserves the right to require a cashier's check; bidders should plan accordingly.

Accepted Payment Methods at the Circuit Clerk

The Circuit Clerk's office, including the Juvenile Division, accepts cash and cash equivalents. Cash must be exact change. Checks are accepted and should be payable to Benton County Circuit Clerk or BCCC, with the requester's driver's license number and phone number written on the check. Money orders, cashier's checks, credit cards, and debit cards are also accepted. American Express is not accepted at this time. The County Clerk accepts the same general payment range plus card payments for marriage licenses at $62.80. Cash exact remains the cleanest path for marriage licenses at $60.00.

Related Benton County Resources

For court files, see court records and court dockets. For probate, see probate records. For broader public records, see public records. For marriage and divorce, see marriage and divorce records. For district court contact, see district court.