Arkansas court forms are available for free download from the Arkansas Judiciary website at arcourts.gov, organized into packets by case type and written for people filing without a lawyer. Getting the right packet, filling it out correctly, and submitting it to the right clerk’s office is what turns a dispute into an actual court case. This guide walks through where to find the forms, how to complete them, what it costs to file, and how to make sure the other side is properly notified.
Where to Download Official Forms
The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) maintains a forms-and-publications page on the Arkansas Judiciary website. Packets are grouped by case type: domestic relations, civil actions, landlord-tenant disputes, and more. Each packet is built for self-represented (pro se) litigants and includes step-by-step instructions.
Pull forms only from the Judiciary site. Outdated versions circulate on third-party pages, and clerks will reject anything that does not match the current approved format.
Pick the Right Court
Arkansas runs a unified court system with two trial-level courts, and filing in the wrong one will get your paperwork kicked back.
- Circuit Court handles civil lawsuits, divorces, custody, evictions, and felony criminal matters.
- District Court handles small claims and misdemeanors.
Arkansas has 28 judicial circuits covering 75 counties. Your case generally has to be filed in the county where the defendant lives or where the dispute happened. Confirm the venue before you download anything, because the correct county clerk is the one who will accept your filing.
Confirm Your Filing Deadline Before You Start
Before spending time on paperwork, check that your claim is still inside Arkansas’s statute of limitations. Judges dismiss late-filed cases permanently. The most common civil deadlines in Arkansas are:
- One year: assault, battery, false imprisonment, and slander.
- Two years: medical malpractice.
- Three years: personal injury, property damage, trespass, legal malpractice, libel, wrongful death, collection of rents, and oral contracts or unwritten debts.
- Five years: written contracts and any civil action without a more specific deadline.
- Ten years: enforcement of a court judgment.
The clock generally starts on the date the harm occurred or the date you reasonably should have discovered it. It can pause in limited situations, such as when the injured person is a minor or incapacitated. If you are close to the cutoff, get the complaint filed and clean up the details afterward. Once the deadline passes, no court can help.
Forms for the Most Common Case Types
Divorce
An uncontested divorce with no children is the lightest filing. The standard packet includes a Complaint for Divorce, a Domestic Relations Cover Sheet, and confidential-information forms. Testimony forms are also required, handled either in person or by written deposition depending on local court practice.
When minor children are involved, add a Parenting Plan covering custody, visitation, and decision-making, plus a Child Support Worksheet. Arkansas calculates support under Administrative Order No. 10 using both parents’ incomes. Contested cases and property divisions also call for a Financial Affidavit detailing income, expenses, and assets.
Small Claims
Small claims is a division of District Court for disputes over money or property worth $5,000 or less. The Complaint Form asks for three things: the defendant’s full name and address, the exact dollar amount claimed, and a clear explanation of why the money is owed. Attorneys are not required. The court is set up for individuals to argue their own cases.
Save your evidence for the hearing. Contracts, receipts, photographs, text messages, and similar records should be organized and ready to hand to the judge. Live witness testimony carries more weight than a written statement, so ask supporting witnesses to appear.
Eviction (Unlawful Detainer)
A landlord seeking to remove a tenant files an Unlawful Detainer in Circuit Court. The opening packet contains a Complaint, an Affidavit, a Summons, and a Notice of Intent to Issue Writ of Possession. After service, the tenant has five days, excluding Sundays and legal holidays, to file a written objection to the claim for possession. If the tenant does not object in that window, the court can issue a writ of possession by default and the sheriff enforces it.1Justia. Arkansas Code Title 18 – Section 18-60-307
If the tenant does object on time, the landlord schedules a hearing and notifies the tenant of the date, time, and place by certified mail. Tenants with their own claim, such as an unreturned security deposit or uninhabitable conditions, can file a combined Answer and Counterclaim using the standard form.1Justia. Arkansas Code Title 18 – Section 18-60-307
Filling the Forms Out Correctly
Names, Addresses, and Venue
Every form asks for the full legal names and current addresses of the plaintiff (the person filing) and the defendant (the person being sued). A wrong or misspelled defendant name can make the whole filing unenforceable, so verify spellings against official records where you can.
Notarization
Many initial filings include sworn statements, such as affidavits, verifications, and financial disclosures. Those must be signed in front of a notary public. Bring valid government-issued ID. Arkansas does not cap notary fees at a set dollar figure; the charge must be “reasonable” and disclosed to you before the notarization happens.2Arkansas Secretary of State. Notary Public and eNotary Handbook
Redacting Personal Information
Arkansas Rule of Civil Procedure 5.1 requires you to redact certain personal information from every filing, paper or electronic. This is on you, not the clerk. Anything you file becomes part of the public court record.
- Social Security or taxpayer ID numbers: last four digits only.
- Birth dates: year only.
- Names of minors: initials only.
- Financial account numbers: last four digits only.
- Petitioners in domestic protection orders: redact all addresses if you are requesting anonymity.
Mark each redaction clearly with a solid black bar or a bracketed note like “[Redacted].” An unredacted Social Security number in a public docket can force you to refile and creates identity-theft risk that a later fix will not fully undo.3Justia. In re Proposed Rules for Sealing and Redacting Court Records
Filing Fees and Waivers
Fees are due when you file, and the amount depends on the court and the filing method:
- Circuit Court, paper filing: $165 ($150 base fee under Arkansas Code 21-6-403 plus a technology surcharge).
- Circuit Court, electronic filing: $185.
- District Court, civil division: $80 ($65 base plus $15 technology fee).
- District Court, small claims division: $65 ($50 base plus $15 technology fee).
Filing fees are not refundable.4Justia. Arkansas Code 21-6-403 – Circuit Court Clerks – Uniform Filing Fees – Definition
If you cannot afford to pay, file an In Forma Pauperis (IFP) petition before submitting your case. The court reviews your income, assets, expenses, and overall ability to pay, generally against the federal poverty guidelines. An approved IFP waives the filing fee and gets the sheriff to serve your summons and complaint at no cost, which is a real benefit given how quickly process-server charges add up.4Justia. Arkansas Code 21-6-403 – Circuit Court Clerks – Uniform Filing Fees – Definition
Domestic-violence protection petitions filed under Arkansas Code 9-15-201 carry no initial filing fee at all.4Justia. Arkansas Code 21-6-403 – Circuit Court Clerks – Uniform Filing Fees – Definition
How to Submit the Forms
Paper Filing
Take your completed and signed originals to the correct clerk’s office. That is the Circuit Clerk for civil, domestic, and criminal cases, and the District Clerk for small claims and misdemeanors. Make copies before you go: one original for the court and one copy for every other party. The clerk stamps your copies with the filing date and assigns a case number. Keep those stamped copies. They are your proof of filing and your reference for everything that follows.
Electronic Filing Through eFlex
Arkansas has been rolling out mandatory electronic filing (eFlex) across the judicial circuits. If your circuit requires it, register before you try to submit anything. Self-represented litigants go through three steps:
- Attend a one-hour online training session through the eFlex system.
- Complete and submit an Affidavit in Support of Pro Se Request for Electronic Filing Account.
- Request an account online and accept the user agreement.
Registration costs a one-time $100, payable online or by mail to the AOC.5Arkansas Judiciary. Electronic Filing Registration Process
Documents must be uploaded in PDF format. Generate the PDF from your word processor rather than scanning a printout; scans are not text-searchable and some courts reject them. Paper filing remains available if you are disabled or have special needs that make e-filing impractical.6Arkansas Judiciary. Arkansas Electronic Filing Resources
Serving the Other Party
Filing with the clerk does not tell the defendant anything. You have to deliver the summons and complaint to every defendant through a legally recognized method, or the court has no authority over them and your case stalls. Arkansas Rule of Civil Procedure 4 permits:
- Personal delivery: someone other than you hands the papers to the defendant. If the defendant refuses, the server can leave them nearby after making their purpose clear.
- Household service: leaving the papers with any household member at least 18 years old at the defendant’s home.
- Certified mail: return receipt requested, restricted to the addressee or their agent.
- First-class mail with acknowledgment: the defendant gets the papers along with two copies of a notice-and-acknowledgment form and a prepaid return envelope. Service is only complete once the defendant signs and returns the acknowledgment.
You cannot serve the papers yourself. The sheriff will do it for a fee (waived under IFP), or you can hire a private process server. After service, file a proof of service, sometimes called a return of service, showing who was served, when, where, and how. Without it in the file, the court will not move the case forward.
Different rules apply when the defendant is a minor, an incarcerated person, or a business entity: service runs through a parent or guardian, the facility administrator, or the registered agent or officer, respectively. If your case involves one of those defendants, check Rule 4 for the specifics before you attempt service.