Arkansas Court Reporters: Transcript Rates, Ordering, and Federal Rules

Arkansas court reporter transcript fees are fixed by statute for circuit court proceedings: $4.10 per page for the original and two copies, $0.50 per page for each additional copy, and $1.50 per page when the transcript includes photocopied evidence.¹ Federal cases follow a separate, turnaround-based rate schedule. To order either kind, you contact the reporter who covered the proceeding, or the court clerk, with the case details.

Arkansas Circuit Court Transcript Rates

The state rate covers the original transcript plus two copies together at $4.10 per page. Every additional copy beyond those first three runs $0.50 per page. If any part of the transcript reproduces photocopied evidence rather than testimony, that portion is billed at $1.50 per page for the original and two copies, with the same $0.50 per page for further copies.¹

Two exceptions matter. If you have been granted in forma pauperis status or are otherwise indigent, the State of Arkansas pays for the original and two copies. The presiding circuit judge certifies the payment, and the Administrative Office of the Courts pays it out of the Court Reporter’s Fund.¹ Circuit judges who presided over the proceeding are exempt from transcript fees entirely.

Arkansas does not have a statutory surcharge for expedited state court transcripts. Turnaround is generally worked out directly with the reporter.

How to Order a State Court Transcript

Contact the official court reporter assigned to the case, or the court clerk’s office if you do not know who that is. Have these ready:

Case name and case number
Date of the proceeding
The portion you need — the entire trial, a specific hearing, or particular witness testimony

Being specific about the portion is the main lever you have on cost. If you only need one witness or one motion hearing, say so; ordering the full trial when you don’t need it multiplies your bill quickly at $4.10 per page.

The reporter can require prepayment of up to 50 percent of the estimated cost before starting work. Preparation time depends on the length and complexity of the proceeding, so multi-day trials take longer than a single hearing. Turnaround timelines are negotiated between you and the reporter.

Federal Court Transcripts in Arkansas

Cases in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern or Western District of Arkansas run on the Judicial Conference rate schedule, not the state statute. Federal reporters are appointed under 28 U.S.C. § 753, which requires verbatim recording of all criminal proceedings held in open court and of civil proceedings unless the parties and the judge agree otherwise.²

Federal rates for the original transcript scale with how fast you need it:

Ordinary, 30-day delivery: $4.40 per page
14-day delivery: $5.10 per page
Expedited, 7-day delivery: $5.85 per page
Daily, next-day delivery: $7.30 per page

First copies to each party are $1.10 per page for ordinary, 14-day, and expedited turnaround, and $1.45 per page for daily delivery.²

The 90-Day Restriction on Federal Transcripts

Federal transcripts are subject to a restriction that catches many people off guard. Once a reporter files a transcript with the court, it sits at the Clerk’s Office for 90 days during which it can be inspected but not copied or distributed. If you want a copy in that window, you buy it from the reporter at Judicial Conference rates. The Clerk’s Office will not provide copies to anyone during this period, including attorneys of record and government agencies.³

After 90 days, the transcript becomes available through PACER, for copying at the Clerk’s Office, and for direct purchase from the reporter. Attorneys who bought a copy during the restriction period get remote electronic access through CM/ECF as soon as they pay.³

The original shorthand notes or recordings are filed with the court clerk, who keeps them for at least ten years. Only transcripts produced from those certified records count as official. The clerk’s copy of the transcript, and the underlying notes, are open for public inspection during office hours at no charge.²

What You’re Actually Buying

When you pay for a transcript, you are buying a copy or the right to use the official record. You are not buying the reporter’s original stenographic notes or the underlying certified transcript itself; those remain with the reporter or the court. That matters if you later need another copy: you go back to the same reporter, at the per-copy rate, rather than treating your paid-for transcript as a master.

State-court reporters follow a records retention schedule set by the Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners, which fixes minimum retention periods for notes and transcripts.⁴ If you might want a transcript years down the line, order it sooner rather than later.

If the Reporter Won’t Deliver

Paying a deposit and then waiting indefinitely is a real problem, especially when an appeal deadline is running. The Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners handles complaints against reporters who violate certification rules or professional standards, and unreasonable delay in producing a transcript is a recognized ground for complaint. The Board publishes a grievance form and keeps a public list of disciplined reporters on its website.⁵

The Board’s authority reaches reporters who are not certified in Arkansas but perform work within the state.⁶ Written grievances go directly to the Board through the Arkansas Courts website.

1
Justia. Arkansas Code 16-13-506 – Court Reporters Transcript Fees
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 753 Reporters
3
U.S. District Court, Western District of Arkansas. Policy and Procedure for Electronically Filing Transcripts
4
Arkansas Courts. Regulations of the Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners
5
Arkansas Courts. Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners Grievance Form
6
Arkansas Courts. Rules Providing for Certification of Court Reporters