To get an Arkansas court reporter transcript from a circuit court case, contact the official court reporter assigned to that proceeding (or the court clerk’s office if you don’t know who covered it) with the case name, case number, hearing date, and the portions you need. State law fixes the price at $4.10 per page for the original and two copies, with additional copies at $0.50 per page.1Justia. Arkansas Code 16-13-506 – Court Reporters Transcript Fees Federal cases in Arkansas follow a different rate schedule and a 90-day restriction period, covered below.
How to Order a Transcript from an Arkansas Circuit Court
Reach out to the official court reporter who covered the proceeding. If you don’t know who that was, the clerk’s office for the circuit court where the case was heard can tell you. Have these details ready:
- Case name and case number
- Date of the hearing, trial day, or deposition
- What you need transcribed — the entire trial, a single hearing, a specific witness, or a particular ruling
Being specific matters. A full multi-day trial transcript costs considerably more than a single afternoon of testimony, so narrow the request to what you actually need for an appeal, a motion, or your own records.
State Court Transcript Fees
Arkansas fixes transcript rates by statute, so there’s no shopping around on price for state court work. The reporter receives:
- $4.10 per page for the original and two copies
- $0.50 per page for each additional copy
- $1.50 per page for the original and two copies of photocopied evidence included in a transcript, plus $0.50 per page for additional copies1Justia. Arkansas Code 16-13-506 – Court Reporters Transcript Fees
Two cost exceptions exist. If you have been granted in forma pauperis status, the State of Arkansas covers the original transcript and two copies. The presiding circuit judge certifies the payment, and the Administrative Office of the Courts pays the reporter from the Court Reporter’s Fund.1Justia. Arkansas Code 16-13-506 – Court Reporters Transcript Fees The circuit judge who presided is also exempt from transcript fees.
Prepayment and Turnaround
Court reporters in Arkansas can require you to prepay up to 50 percent of the estimated cost before they begin preparing the transcript. Budget for that upfront payment when you place the order, especially for longer proceedings where even half the estimate can run into real money.
Turnaround depends on length and complexity. A short motion hearing might come back in a week or two; a multi-day trial takes considerably longer. Arkansas state law does not set expedited delivery surcharges the way federal rules do, so if you need a transcript faster than the reporter’s normal pace, that timeline is a matter of negotiation between you and the reporter rather than a published fee.
Federal Court Transcripts in Arkansas
If your case is in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern or Western District of Arkansas, the Judicial Conference of the United States sets the rates rather than Arkansas statute. Federal reporters are appointed under 28 U.S.C. § 753, which requires verbatim recording of all criminal proceedings held in open court and all civil proceedings unless the parties and judge agree otherwise.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 753 Reporters
Federal rates scale with how fast you need the transcript:
- Ordinary (30-day delivery): $4.40 per page for the original
- 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 cost $1.10 per page for ordinary through expedited turnaround, and $1.45 per page for daily delivery.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 753 Reporters
The 90-Day Restriction in Federal Court
Federal transcripts in Arkansas carry a restriction that catches many requesters off guard. For 90 days after the reporter files the transcript, no one can copy or distribute it. You can inspect it at the Clerk’s Office, but if you want a copy during that window, you have to buy it directly from the court 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.3U.S. District Court, Western District of Arkansas. Policy and Procedure for Electronically Filing Transcripts
After the 90 days end, the transcript opens up: it becomes available for download through PACER, for copying at the Clerk’s Office, and for purchase from the reporter. Attorneys who paid the reporter during the restriction period get remote electronic access through CM/ECF right away.3U.S. District Court, Western District of Arkansas. Policy and Procedure for Electronically Filing Transcripts
Federal reporters also file their original shorthand notes or recordings with the court clerk, who keeps them for at least ten years. Only transcripts produced from those certified records count as official. The original notes and the clerk’s copy of the transcript are open for public inspection during office hours at no charge.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 753 Reporters
What You Actually Own When You Buy a Transcript
Paying for a transcript buys you a copy or the right to use the official record. It does not transfer ownership of the underlying stenographic notes or the original certified transcript, which stay with the certified court reporter or the court. If you later need another copy, you go back to the same reporter (or, for federal cases after the 90-day window, through the clerk or PACER).
Arkansas official court reporters follow a records retention schedule set by the Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners, which specifies minimum retention periods for notes and transcripts.4Arkansas Courts. Regulations of the Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners For a very old case, check with the reporter or the court before assuming the record still exists.
If the Reporter Won’t Deliver
Unreasonable delay in producing a paid-for transcript is a recognized ground for a grievance against a certified court reporter in Arkansas. The Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners publishes a grievance form on its website and maintains a public list of disciplined reporters.5Arkansas Courts. Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners Grievance Form Other common complaint grounds include failure to maintain certification and ethical violations such as conflicts of interest.
The Board’s disciplinary authority reaches reporters who are not certified in Arkansas but perform work within the state, so an out-of-state reporter who covered an Arkansas deposition is still answerable.6Arkansas Courts. Rules Providing for Certification of Court Reporters Written grievances go to the Board through the Arkansas Courts website.