Search Arkansas 24 Hour Booking Records
Arkansas 24 hour booking records list the people booked into county jails in the last day. Each county sheriff runs its own jail and keeps its own roster. You can look up a name, a charge, or a booking date. Many sheriff sites post a live roster online. Others release booking info by phone or in writing. The state FOIA law gives Arkansas citizens the right to ask for booking sheets from any agency. This page shows how to find 24 hour booking records in Arkansas and where to start your search.
Arkansas 24 Hour Booking Overview
Where Arkansas 24 Hour Booking Records Live
County sheriffs hold most 24 hour booking records in Arkansas. The sheriff runs the jail in each of the 75 counties. When a person is booked, the jail staff types in the name, date of birth, charge, and bond. That entry shows up on the roster. A few small counties still keep paper logs. Most now use a digital jail management system that posts names to a web page each hour. If the booking was made by a city police force, the record still ends up at the county jail. The city department keeps its own arrest report, but the booking sheet is held by the sheriff.
The Arkansas Counties Association has a list of every sheriff in the state. You can find each sheriff by county name at arcounties.org. That site also points to contact pages and phone numbers for every county office in Arkansas.
State agencies do not hold 24 hour booking records. The Arkansas Department of Corrections only takes custody of people after they are sent to prison. The ADC inmate search does not include county jail rosters. A note on their site reads: "The department is not responsible for detainees incarcerated at city or county jails. If you have questions or concerns about anyone being detained in a local jail, you should contact that facility." So for 24 hour booking, you must go to the sheriff.
Arkansas has one statewide source for current custody alerts. VINELink lets you track a person across most county jails and state prisons. It sends free alerts when the person is released or moved. Not every small county feeds data to VINE, but most mid to large counties do.
The lead-in photo below shows the VINELink search page. It is run for victim and family notice across the state and other states as well.
VINELink does not post mugshots or charge details. It only shows custody status. For the full 24 hour booking sheet, you still need to call the sheriff or file a FOIA.
Arkansas CourtConnect and Online Search Tools
The state court system runs a free public search tool called CourtConnect. It does not post booking sheets. But it does list the cases that flow out of a booking. Once a charge is filed, the case shows up on CourtConnect the next business day. You can search by name or by case number. The site covers most of the busy counties and a few of the smaller ones.
Here is the main search page at Arkansas CourtConnect. You can run a name search and pull up every criminal or civil case tied to that name in the counties that take part.
CourtConnect shows the case style, the filing date, the charge code, the judge, and the next court date. It does not show bond amounts in most cases. It does not show the mugshot. To get those, go back to the sheriff.
Courts that take part in CourtConnect include Pulaski, Benton, Washington, Faulkner, Crawford, Craighead, Crittenden, Garland, Hot Spring, Independence, Polk, Van Buren, Poinsett (Tyronza), and White (Searcy). More counties join the site each year. When a county is not on CourtConnect, you can still get case data from the Circuit Clerk in that county. Each Circuit Clerk has a full file for every charge that comes out of a 24 hour booking.
The Arkansas Counties Association page links to every county sheriff site in the state. Use it as a jump off point. The image below is the directory view.
From that page you can pick your county and go right to its sheriff site. Most sheriff sites now host a daily roster or an inmate inquiry tool.
How to Request 24 Hour Booking Records in Arkansas
Arkansas law gives you the right to ask for booking records. The rule is set out in the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101 et seq. The Arkansas FOIA Handbook sets out how to ask for these files. It is issued by the state Attorney General.
The FOIA Handbook puts it plainly: "A citizen need only make a verbal or written request for access to public records." You do not have to say the word "FOIA." You do not have to give a reason. You just ask. But you do need to be an Arkansas citizen to make the request. The custodian of the record has three business days to get back to you. That rule is spelled out in Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105.
Most sheriffs take requests by email, by fax, or in person. Some use an online form. The Attorney General FOIA page has sample letters and a hotline at (501) 682-2007.
For the request, give the custodian what they need to find the file:
- Full name of the person booked
- Date of birth if you know it
- Date and approximate time of the booking
- Booking number if you have it
- Specific records you want (booking sheet, mugshot, charge list, bond sheet)
The custodian can charge up to 25 cents per page under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105(d). They cannot charge for staff time to pull or review the file. If the cost goes over $25, the sheriff may ask for the money up front.
Note: Arkansas FOIA rights belong to Arkansas citizens. Out of state requests may be denied under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105(a)(1)(A).
Arkansas FOIA Law and 24 Hour Booking Records
The Arkansas FOIA is one of the strongest sunshine laws in the country. It was passed in 1967. It says the public has a right to know what its government does. Booking records fit right in that rule. When a person is booked, the jail logs the basic facts: name, charge, date, bond. Those facts are public the moment they are logged.
Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-103 sets out the key terms. A "public record" is any writing, photo, sound file, or data kept by a public agency. A booking sheet is a public record. A mugshot is a public record too. The FOIA Handbook is clear on this: "Mug shots are public records" and are open under the FOIA. A few agencies charge a small fee for the mug print or want the request in writing.
Some parts of a booking file can be held back. Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105(b) lists the main limits:
- Open investigation files can be withheld while the case is live
- Juvenile records are closed under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309
- Medical and mental health notes are closed
- Social security numbers get redacted
The basic booking facts stay open even during an open case. The FOIA Handbook states: "once a booking occurs, the basic booking information (name, charges, booking date, bond amount) becomes public record even if the underlying investigation continues."
If a sheriff says no, you have options. Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-107 lets you sue in circuit court to get the record. The judge can rule in a few days. If you win, the court can make the agency pay your fees. This has been a real tool for news outlets and regular folks for years. A few cases have set the tone. The courts tend to side with access when the agency has not pointed to a clear rule that lets it close the file.
What Appears in a 24 Hour Booking Record
A 24 hour booking record in Arkansas tends to hold the same core facts at every jail. The exact fields may differ by county. But most hold these details:
- Full name and date of birth of the person booked
- Booking number and booking date and time
- Sex, race, height, and weight
- Address of record
- Name of the arresting agency
- Charges with Arkansas Code cites
- Bond type and amount
- Court date if set
- Mugshot (in most cases)
The list above is what a sheriff posts on a public roster. The full paper file at the jail may also hold property logs, a medical screen, and other in-take forms. Some of those are closed under the FOIA rules. The basic booking sheet is open.
You may see a charge marked as a "hold." That means the person is waiting for a court date or for another agency to take custody. A federal hold, a state parole hold, or a warrant from another state all count.
Bond types in Arkansas include cash, surety, property, and own recognizance. The bond is set by a judge or by a bond schedule in the rules of the local court. Most people post bond within a day or two of the booking. Those who cannot make bond stay in the jail until the case is resolved.
Statewide Arkansas Databases for Booking Info
A few statewide tools can help. None of them replace a direct call to the sheriff.
The Arkansas Crime Information Center keeps the central criminal history file for the state. ACIC is run by the Department of Public Safety. It runs an online background check tool for $22 per name search. The tool is name based. It shows arrests, charges, and final outcomes. ACIC does not post mugshots or jail rosters.
The Arkansas State Police Identification Bureau holds fingerprint based records. It serves agencies and licensed employers and is not a public roster.
The Arkansas Division of Community Correction has a search for people on parole or probation in the state. If a person was booked and then sent out on probation, the case may be tracked there.
The Arkansas Sex Offender Registry is a public search too. It is for people who have to register under state law. The registry does not post daily booking data. But it does show photos, addresses, and prior offenses.
Note: Third party aggregator sites like arkansas.arrests.org pull from public rosters but may be out of date. Always confirm with the sheriff.
Fees for Arkansas 24 Hour Booking Records
Fees for 24 hour booking records in Arkansas are low. The FOIA caps copy fees at 25 cents per page for paper. Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105(d) is the rule that sets the cap. Most sheriffs charge the full 25 cents. Some waive the fee if you only want a single page.
There is no fee to view a public roster online. There is no fee to view a file at the jail in person. Mail in requests may add a cost for postage. Certified copies cost more than plain copies in some counties. A certified page with the seal of the sheriff may run $1 to $5 depending on the county.
Agencies cannot charge for the time spent looking for the file. The FOIA Handbook is plain on this point. Staff time is part of the agency job. Only the cost of the copy itself can be passed on to the requester.
If you want a full criminal history, the ACIC online check is $22 per name. The ARCH system that lets you see your own record is $24 per search. Fingerprint based checks through the Identification Bureau run higher and are mostly used by licensed employers.
Juvenile Records and Privacy Limits
Records of people under 18 are closed. Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309 sets that rule. A juvenile booking sheet will not appear on a public roster. The jail will not confirm or deny that a juvenile is in custody to a stranger. A parent or legal guardian can get this info, but not a member of the public.
When a juvenile is charged as an adult, the booking record may become public. This happens most often in cases tied to violent felonies. The sheriff and the court make that call.
Mugshots of adults are public under Arkansas FOIA rules. The Handbook is clear: "Mug shots are public records." Some county sheriffs still ask for a written request before they release a mug. Others post every mug on the public roster page each day.
Arkansas 24 Hour Booking by County
Every one of the 75 Arkansas counties has its own sheriff and its own jail. Pick a county below to find the local roster, the phone number, and the FOIA contact.
Arkansas 24 Hour Booking in Major Cities
City police departments make many of the arrests in Arkansas. The booking itself is done at the county jail. Pick a city below to find the local agency and the county it feeds into.