Find People in Franklin County

A Franklin County people search is a little different from most Arkansas counties because Franklin has two county seats. Charleston serves the south of the county. Ozark serves the north. Both have a courthouse and a clerk office. The county was set up in 1837 and named for Benjamin Franklin. The Arkansas River cuts the county in half, which is why the dual seat setup has stayed in place. Either office can help with a Franklin County people search, but some files only sit at one or the other.

Franklin County Clerk Records

The Franklin County Clerk has offices in both seats. The Charleston office is at 211 W. Commercial Street, Charleston, AR 72933. The Ozark office shares the same street name at 211 W. Commercial Street in Ozark, AR 72949. Either office can be reached at (479) 965-7332. The clerk holds marriage licenses, probate filings, voter rolls, county court orders, and assumed names. Marriage licenses cost $60 in cash. The license is good for 60 days from the date of issue.

Probate cases include estates, small estates, guardianships, and adoptions. Adoption files are sealed. Other probate files are open under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Anyone can ask for a will, an inventory, or a final order. Standard copy fees are $0.50 per page. A certified copy is $5 plus the page fee.

Because the seats split the county, voter registration is handled at the office that serves your township. The clerk also keeps the assumed name index for sole proprietors. The state Voter View tool shows your registration in either area, so use that for a quick check.

Circuit Court and Land Records

The Franklin County Circuit Clerk shares the courthouse at Charleston and uses the same (479) 965-7332 line. The clerk holds civil files, criminal files, domestic relations files, juvenile files (sealed), and probate files for the Twenty First Judicial Circuit, which also covers Crawford County. The clerk acts as the ex officio County Recorder, so deeds, mortgages, leases, and liens are filed at the clerk's desk.

Search court files online at CourtConnect. The site lists party names, attorneys, hearings, case numbers, and the docket of every step. Use the percent sign (%) as a wildcard for partial names. The Administrative Office of the Courts runs the system at no charge to the public.

Land records can date back to the 1830s in Franklin County. For an old chain of title, expect to spend some time at the clerk desk with the deed books. Title companies in Charleston and Ozark can also do a search for a fee. UCC-1 financing statements are filed at the same office and are useful when you want to find a debtor tied to a small business.

The CourtConnect screen above is the best free tool for any Franklin County people search of court files. Open it at caseinfo.arcourts.gov.

Sheriff and Jail Lookup

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is at 148 W. Main Street in Charleston. The phone is (479) 965-3333. The sheriff books arrests for both halves of the county and runs the county detention center. Cities such as Ozark, Charleston, Altus, Branch, Denning, and Wiederkehr Village book through this jail too. Arrest records, bookings, incident reports, and active warrants are open under FOIA, with the usual limits for active cases.

The sheriff posts a current jail roster online. The list shows booking date, charge, bond, and current housing for each person in custody. Full incident or arrest reports are available by written FOIA request to the records officer. Bring a photo ID for pickup.

State inmates moved into prison show up on the Arkansas Department of Correction inmate locator. The state list has the ADC number, current facility, parole eligibility, and the offense. Sign up for release notice through VINElink.

Franklin County Property Records

The Franklin County Assessor values each parcel and each business in the county. Real property is assessed at 20% of fair market value. Personal property such as a car, a boat, or a trailer must be listed by May 31 each year. After that date, a 10% late penalty applies under Arkansas Code Annotated § 26-26-201. The assessor also handles the $600 Homestead Property Tax Credit and the assessment freeze for owners 65 and older or fully disabled.

Most Franklin County parcels are searchable on the ARCountyData portal. The result shows owner name, mailing address, parcel ID, lot size, and assessed value. Tax payment is at the County Collector. Bills run from March 1 through October 15 each year. Two year delinquent property goes to the state Land Commissioner for tax sale.

Vital Records and Background Checks

The County Clerk holds marriage licenses for couples who applied here. State birth and death certificates come from the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records Office at 4815 W. Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. The phone is (501) 661-2336. Birth records cost $12 for the first copy. Death records cost $10. Birth records are not public and are limited to the named person, a parent, a guardian, or a legal rep.

For a state criminal background check, use the Arkansas State Police online tool at cbc.ark.org. Name based checks cost $22. Volunteer rate is $11. National FBI fingerprint checks cost $13. The subject must sign a release. Mail in requests cost $25 and take 7 to 10 business days.

The Arkansas State Police background check site above is the official source of state level criminal history. Open it at cbc.ark.org.

Sex Offender and Voter Lookup

Search the public sex offender registry at acic.org by name, address, city, or zip. The result shows photo, address, employer, vehicle, offense, and risk level. Levels run 1 (low) to 4 (sexually violent predator). Franklin County deputies verify each address per the schedule for that risk level.

Voter lookups are at voterview.ar-nova.org. Confirm your registration, polling place, and current districts with a name and date of birth. The Secretary of State's office runs the state voter info page at sos.arkansas.gov/elections.

Cities in Franklin County

Charleston and Ozark each act as a county seat, but neither is large enough to qualify for a stand alone city page on this site. Other towns include Altus, Branch, Denning, and Wiederkehr Village. For local arrest data, contact the Charleston Police, the Ozark Police, or the County Sheriff. For all other Franklin County people search needs, the County Clerk in either Charleston or Ozark is the right starting point.

Nearby Counties

If your subject crossed into a neighbor, run the same kind of search there. Franklin County borders Crawford County to the west, Logan County to the south, Johnson County to the east, Madison County to the north, and Sebastian County to the southwest. CourtConnect covers all of them.