Official Arkansas court forms are available for free download from the Arkansas Judiciary website at arcourts.gov, organized by case type and designed for people filing without an attorney. The right form depends on which court hears your case and what you are asking for, so start by identifying your case type, pull the current packet from the Judiciary site, and follow the instructions that come with it.
Where to Download Official Forms
The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) maintains a forms-and-publications page on the Judiciary website with downloadable packets for domestic relations, civil actions, landlord-tenant disputes, and other common matters. Each packet is built for self-represented (pro se) litigants and includes step-by-step instructions.
Arkansas has two trial-level courts, and your forms have to match the one that hears your case. Circuit Courts handle civil lawsuits, divorces, custody, and felony criminal cases. District Courts handle small claims and misdemeanors. A small-claims complaint filed in Circuit Court, or a divorce complaint filed in District Court, will be rejected.
Pull every form directly from arcourts.gov. Outdated versions circulate on third-party sites, and clerks will refuse paperwork that doesn’t match the current approved format.
Forms for the Most Common Case Types
Divorce
An uncontested divorce without children uses the lightest packet: 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, you add a Parenting Plan covering custody, visitation, and decision-making, plus a Child Support Worksheet. Support is calculated on an income-shares basis using both parents’ earnings. A Financial Affidavit listing income, expenses, and assets is part of the packet in contested cases and whenever the court has to divide property.
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 plain explanation of why that money is owed. Attorneys are not required; the division is built for people to represent themselves.
Evidence belongs at the hearing, not the filing. Bring contracts, receipts, photographs, text messages, and any witnesses in person. Live testimony carries more weight than a written statement.
Eviction (Unlawful Detainer)
A landlord removing a tenant files an Unlawful Detainer action in Circuit Court. The initial packet is a Complaint, an Affidavit, a Summons, and a Notice of Intent to Issue Writ of Possession. Once served, the tenant has five days — excluding Sundays and legal holidays — to file a written objection to the claim for possession. If no objection is filed in time, the court can issue a writ of possession by default and the sheriff will enforce it.1Justia. Arkansas Code Title 18 – Section 18-60-307
If the tenant does object on time, the landlord sets a hearing and notifies the tenant of the date, time, and place by certified mail. A tenant with a claim of their own — unreturned security deposit, uninhabitable conditions — can file a combined Answer and Counterclaim on the standard form.1Justia. Arkansas Code Title 18 – Section 18-60-307
Filling Out the Forms
Parties and Court
Every form needs the full legal names and current addresses of the plaintiff (the person filing) and every defendant. A misspelled defendant name can make the whole filing unenforceable, so verify spellings against official records whenever you can. You also have to pick the right court. Arkansas has 28 judicial circuits across its 75 counties, and your case generally belongs in the county where the defendant lives or where the dispute arose.
Notarization
Many initial filings include sworn statements — affidavits, verifications, or financial disclosures — that have to be signed in front of a notary public. Bring a valid government-issued ID. Arkansas does not cap notary fees at a set dollar amount; the fee just has to be reasonable and disclosed to you before the notarization.2Arkansas Secretary of State. Notary Public and eNotary Handbook
Redacting Personal Information
Arkansas Rule of Civil Procedure 5.1 requires you to redact sensitive information from every court filing, whether on paper or filed electronically. The clerk will not do this for you, and once your document hits the record it is public. The rule is specific:
- Social Security and taxpayer ID numbers: last four digits only.
- Birth dates: year only.
- Names of minors: initials only.
- Financial account numbers: last four digits only.
- Addresses in domestic protection-order petitions, if the petitioner is requesting anonymity.
Mark each redacted spot clearly, either with a solid black bar over the hidden text or a bracketed “[Redacted]” note. Filing an unredacted document that exposes a full Social Security number can force a refile and creates identity-theft exposure that a correction cannot fully undo.3Justia. In re Proposed Rules for Sealing and Redacting Court Records
Filing Fees and Waivers
A filing fee is due when you submit a new case. The amount depends on the court and whether you file on paper or online:
- 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 nonrefundable once paid.4Justia. Arkansas Code 21-6-403 – Circuit Court Clerks – Uniform Filing Fees – Definition
If you cannot afford the fee, file an In Forma Pauperis (IFP) petition before submitting your case. The court reviews your income, assets, expenses, and overall ability to pay, generally using the federal poverty guidelines as a reference. If the petition is granted, you pay no filing fees and the sheriff serves your summons and complaint at no charge.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 File
Paper Filing
Take your signed originals to the appropriate clerk’s office. The Circuit Clerk handles civil, domestic, and criminal matters; the District Clerk handles small claims and misdemeanors. Make copies first: 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 the reference you will use for every later document.
Electronic Filing
Arkansas has been expanding mandatory electronic filing (eFlex) across its judicial circuits. If your circuit requires e-filing, you have to register before you can submit anything. For self-represented litigants, registration involves 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 carries a one-time $100 fee, payable online or by mail to the Administrative Office of the Courts.5Arkansas Judiciary. Electronic Filing Registration Process
Paper filing is still allowed if you are disabled or have other special needs that make e-filing impractical. When you do file electronically, documents must be in PDF format. If you drafted them in a word processor, export directly to PDF instead of scanning a printout; scanned pages are not text-searchable and some courts reject them.6Arkansas Judiciary. Arkansas Electronic Filing Resources
Serving the Other Party
Filing with the clerk does not notify the defendant. You are responsible for seeing that every defendant receives a copy of the summons and complaint through a legally recognized method. Without proper service, the court has no authority over the defendant and the case cannot move forward. Arkansas Rule of Civil Procedure 4 allows several methods:
- Personal delivery by someone other than you. If the defendant refuses to take the papers, the server can leave them nearby after making the purpose clear.
- Household service, by 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 a notice-and-acknowledgment form and a prepaid return envelope. Service is complete only when the defendant signs and returns the acknowledgment.
You cannot serve the papers yourself. The sheriff’s office will serve them for a fee, waived if you have IFP status, or you can hire a private process server. After service, file a proof of service (sometimes called a return of service) stating who was served, when, where, and how. The case does not progress until that proof is on file.
Special rules apply for certain defendants. A minor is served through a parent or guardian. Someone in jail or prison is served through the facility administrator, who then delivers the papers to the inmate. A business is served through its registered agent, an officer, or a manager, depending on the entity type.
Confirm Your Deadline Before You File
Before investing time in paperwork, check that your claim is still within Arkansas’s statute of limitations. A case filed after the deadline will be dismissed, and the dismissal is permanent. Common Arkansas deadlines include one year for assault, battery, false imprisonment, and slander; two years for medical malpractice; three years for personal injury, property damage, trespass, legal malpractice, libel, wrongful death, collection of rents, and oral contracts; five years for written contracts and civil actions without a more specific deadline; and ten years to enforce a court judgment.
The clock usually starts when the harm occurred or when you reasonably should have discovered it. In limited circumstances, the countdown pauses — for example, if the injured person was a minor or incapacitated at the time. If you are close to a deadline, get the complaint filed first and clean up the rest afterward. Once the clock runs out, no court can revive the claim.