Guide
Arkansas Judgments & Liens Search at a Glance
In Arkansas, money judgments come from the circuit and district courts. A judgment becomes a lien on real estate in a county once it is filed and indexed with that county's circuit clerk. UCC financing statements are filed with the Arkansas Secretary of State.
Always confirm the official record by ordering a certified copy from the originating office when accuracy matters for closing, refinancing, or litigation.
Guide
Where to search court judgments in Arkansas
Search ARCourts, the Arkansas Judiciary's free online case search, covers circuit and district court cases, civil judgments included.
Guide
Where liens are recorded in Arkansas
A judgment of a circuit court or a federal court in Arkansas is a lien on the debtor's real estate in the county where it was rendered once it is filed with the circuit clerk; a district court judgment must first be filed and indexed in the circuit clerk's judgment records. In any other county, the creditor files a certified copy with that county's circuit clerk (Ark. Code 16-65-117). Mechanics and materialmen's liens are also filed with the circuit clerk of the county where the property is, within 120 days after the last work or material (Ark. Code 18-44-117).
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Arkansas UCC filings
UCC financing statements are filed with the Arkansas Secretary of State, which is moving UCC filing and searching to a new online system. Fixture filings go in the county real estate records where the land is.
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How long a judgment lien lasts in Arkansas
An Arkansas judgment lien lasts 10 years from the date of the judgment and can be revived only by scire facias (Ark. Code 16-65-117). A creditor who revives the judgment before the lien ends keeps the lien for another 10 years, and can do so again as often as needed (Ark. Code 16-65-501).
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Finding the debtor's assets after judgment in Arkansas
Arkansas gives a judgment creditor two tools. Arkansas Code 16-66-221 requires every judgment debtor to prepare a schedule, verified by affidavit, of all real and personal property, including money and bank accounts, and to file it with the clerk of the court that entered the judgment within 45 days of the final judgment, and every final judgment must carry a provision ordering the debtor to comply. Rule 69 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure, the execution rule, adds discovery after judgment, so written interrogatories, requests for documents and depositions about the debtor's employer, accounts, real estate and vehicles run after judgment, and the circuit court enforces them as it enforces any discovery.
Two court files may already hold the answers. An Arkansas divorce case has the notarized Affidavit of Financial Means, with cash on hand and in bank accounts, retirement accounts, income and debts, exchanged between the parties and supplied to the court but not filed in the court file, and the file holds the decree with its property division, subject to Administrative Order 19. A bankruptcy file in the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas lists deposit accounts by institution and the employer by name. The Arkansas asset search page covers both.
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Court forms and self-help in Arkansas
The Arkansas Supreme Court Library keeps a self-help page with court forms and links for people going to court without a lawyer.
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Federal & National Authoritative Sources
By state
Judgments and liens in other states
Straight answers
Arkansas Judgments & Liens Search, questions
How long is a judgment lien enforceable in Arkansas?
In Arkansas, a money judgment is enforceable as a lien for 10 years from the date it is entered or properly docketed. Creditors who want to extend collection beyond that period must file a renewal motion with the issuing court before the lien lapses. Read the Arkansas statute.
What is the deadline for filing a mechanics lien in Arkansas?
In Arkansas, a mechanics lien (also called a construction or materialman's lien) must generally be filed within 120 days after the claimant last furnished labor or materials to the project. Different deadlines may apply to general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers, so check the exact statute before relying on this window. Source: Arkansas statute.
What property is protected from judgment creditors in Arkansas?
Arkansas has one of the strongest homestead protections in the U.S., it is governed primarily by acreage, not a dollar cap. Under Arkansas Constitution Article 9, §§ 4 to 5 and Ark. Code Ann. § 16-66-210, a head-of-family or married debtor may protect a rural homestead of up to 160 acres or an urban homestead of up to 1 acre from forced sale by most judgment creditors; the constitutional $2,500 minimum-value floor applies only when acreage is reduced below the minimum (¼ acre urban / 80 acres rural). Personal-property exemptions (motor vehicle, household goods, tools of trade, retirement accounts) are listed separately in Title 16 of the Arkansas Code. Federal bankruptcy filers may instead claim the federal homestead exemption (currently $31,575 / single).
Where do I file or search a UCC-1 in Arkansas?
UCC-1 financing statements for personal-property collateral in Arkansas are filed with the Secretary of State (or equivalent state filing office). Open the official Arkansas UCC filing portal. Real-property liens (mortgages, judgment-lien dockets, mechanics liens) are recorded at the county recorder/clerk where the property is located, not at the state level.