How to Get a Death Certificate in Arkansas

Arkansas keeps a short list of people who can order a death certificate. According to the Department of Health's Eligible Individuals list, these people can order:

• The spouse, child, or grandchild of the person who died
• The mother, or the father if he is named on the deceased's birth certificate
• The deceased's maternal grandparents
• The informant (the person who gave the information for the death certificate)
• The funeral home
• A beneficiary, with proper documentation

Siblings are not on the state's list. An eligible relative can name someone else to receive the certificate using the Vital Records Authorization Form. The designee brings their own ID too.

Executors, administrators, and estate attorneys are not named on the list either. The ADH rule mentions an "authorized representative," such as an attorney, acting for the family, but that does not by itself make someone eligible. Expect to show written authorization from an eligible relative or a court order, and call ADH Vital Records at (866) 209-9482 to confirm what they will accept before you order.

Once 50 years have passed since the death, anyone can order the record.

All Arkansas death certificates come from the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). You can order through an ADH local health unit near you or through the central Vital Records office in Little Rock. County clerks do not issue death certificates.

Local health units (in person)

ADH runs local health units in every county. These are state Health Department offices, not county government offices. ADH says it offers vital records services in its local health units, and ADH's own health unit map lists death certificates as a service at units in all 75 counties. By ADH rule, local registrars issue certified copies within 24 hours of a request.

Two ADH pages disagree here. The order page says vital records services are offered in all local health units, while the Vital Records Support page says ADH "plans to gradually roll out" those services. It is also not confirmed whether a health unit can issue a certificate for a death in a different county. Call the health unit before you go. Hours vary by unit. Find yours on the Health Units page at healthy.arkansas.gov.

State office in person (Little Rock)

• 4815 West Markham St., Little Rock, AR 72205, across the street from War Memorial Stadium
• Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, closed state holidays
• Most requests are filled the same day if you arrive by 4:00 PM with ID and the required information. Same-day service is not guaranteed for non-routine requests such as corrections or court orders. After 4:00 PM, you can pick up the next day or have it mailed
• Pay by cash, credit or debit card, or check or money order to Arkansas Department of Health (no temporary checks)

Online

Order through the Arkansas online vital records service, which the ADH order page links to. Orders typically take 7-14 business days from the date your order is approved, plus shipping. There is a $5.00 processing fee and a $1.85 identity verification fee, plus any expedited shipping you choose. Pay by Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express.

By phone

Call toll-free (866) 209-9482. A service fee is charged to your card along with the certificate fee, and expedited shipping is available for an extra charge. The state does not publish the phone service fee or processing time, so ask when you call.

By mail

Send the Death Certificate Application (VR-8), a copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order payable to Arkansas Department of Health (no cash or temporary checks) to:

Arkansas Department of Health, Vital Records, Slot 44, 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205

The ADH order page says to allow 10-14 days for processing plus mail time. The older application form says 7-14 days. Call (866) 209-9482 if timing matters.

The state office records only deaths that happened in Arkansas. It has only a limited number of records for deaths before February 1, 1914.

• Government-issued photo ID. Bring it in person or send a copy by mail. Accepted examples include a U.S. driver's license or state ID, a passport, a U.S. military ID with signature, a tribal ID with signature, or a Resident Alien Card. A Matricula Consular and foreign driver's licenses are not accepted. See the full ID requirements.
• No photo ID? Bring at least two other documents that together show your current address and signature, such as a signed Social Security card, voter registration card, vehicle registration, a filed federal tax form, or a bank statement or utility bill.
• The application. It asks for your relationship to the deceased and your reason for the request.
• Proof of relationship for online orders. The online service asks for documents linking you to the deceased, such as a birth certificate, marriage license, will, insurance papers, court order, or letter of authorization. It also checks your identity electronically using your name, address, date of birth, and driver's license number. If that check fails, manual review may slow the order.
• Payment for the certificates and any fees.

Making a false statement on an application is a crime in Arkansas, with a fine of up to $10,000, up to 5 years in prison, or both.

ADH issues certified copies. They are printed on security paper and carry the registrar's signature and the seal of the issuing office.

If you need a non-certified or informational copy, contact ADH Vital Records at (866) 209-9482 to confirm whether one is offered. Records become open to anyone once 50 years have passed since the death, at the same fee. Family history and genealogy requests should be made by mail or online, not walk-in.

The funeral home starts the process. By ADH rule, the funeral director must electronically file a "fact of death" within three days of the death. The doctor or other medical certifier completes the cause of death within three business days of receiving the certificate, unless a coroner or medical examiner needs to look into it. The complete certificate must be filed within ten days.

If the cause of death is not yet known, it can be filed as "pending," and the medical certifier sends the missing information within 90 days.

The funeral home is on the state's list of those who can order death certificates, so it can order copies for the family. The state does not publish a typical number of days before copies can be ordered, so check with the funeral home or ADH if you need them quickly.

Banks, insurers, and investment firms often want their own certified copy, and the probate court may need one too. In Arkansas, extra copies of the same record cost $8 each when ordered at the same time as the first, so ordering several at once saves money. See our guide on how many copies to estimate your number.

ADH staff review each amendment request individually. Start on the Change or Amend a Birth or Death Certificate page or call 501-682-1214.

• Who can apply: by ADH rule, the next of kin, the informant listed on the certificate, or the funeral director who filed it. Only the doctor, coroner, or medical examiner who certified the cause of death can change the cause of death.
• Cost: a $15.00 amendment fee, with or without a court order, plus $10 for the first new copy and $8 for each extra copy ordered at the same time.
• Returning bad copies: incorrect certificates returned to ADH within one year of being issued may be replaced without a certificate fee.
• Notarization: by ADH rule, the amendment report must be notarized unless it is submitted through an approved electronic process.
• Marital status: changing it requires a court order, unless the people who filled in that item made an error.

Within 10 days of filing, the funeral director can correct personal information without the record being marked "amended." After that, corrections are made by affidavit with supporting documents, and the certificate is marked "amended."

Arkansas death certificates are issued only through the Arkansas Department of Health:

• The ADH Vital Records office in Little Rock, in person, by mail, or by phone at (866) 209-9482 (order page)
• An ADH local health unit (call first)
• The online ordering service linked from the ADH order page

The ADH order page links only to its own online ordering service and does not mention VitalChek. Other websites may offer to order a certificate for you. Before you pay, check that you are on an ADH page or the ordering service linked from the ADH order page. The state fee is $10 for the first copy and $8 for each extra copy.