Find Background Check Records in Jefferson County
Jefferson County background check records come from several different sources depending on what type of record you need and where the incident took place. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office handles arrest and incident records for unincorporated areas of the county. The Circuit Clerk's office maintains court case files covering felony criminal proceedings, civil matters, domestic relations, and probate. For a complete criminal history search that spans all of Arkansas including Jefferson County, the Arkansas State Police portal at cbc.ark.org is the most thorough tool available to the public.
Jefferson County Quick Facts
Jefferson County Sheriff Records Division
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office main line is (870) 541-5351. The Criminal Investigation Division can be reached at (870) 541-5496. The Records Division, which handles background check requests, accident reports, and criminal and traffic history, is at (870) 371-4654. Records Division hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The county website with full department contacts is at jeffersoncountyar.gov/government/sheriff-s-office.
Accident reports are available through the Records Division starting eight hours after the officer takes the report. Cost runs between $5 and $10 depending on the length of the document. Criminal and traffic history records for incidents in unincorporated Jefferson County are also available through this division. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID when requesting records in person. Mail requests should include the subject's full name, date of birth, the type of records needed, a copy of your ID, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment by check or money order.
One important warning posted by the Jefferson County Sheriff: the sheriff's office will never call residents to demand payment for warrants or fines. Any such phone call is a scam. If you receive a call claiming to be from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office demanding money for an outstanding warrant, hang up and report it. This is posted directly on the county's official website to protect residents from this type of fraud.
For incidents that happened inside Pine Bluff city limits, contact the Pine Bluff Police Department directly for records. The sheriff's Records Division only has files for incidents that occurred in unincorporated Jefferson County. White Hall and Altheimer have their own police departments as well, and records for incidents in those cities stay with those agencies.
Jefferson County Circuit Clerk Court Records
The Jefferson County Circuit Clerk is Shawndra Taggart. The office is at 101 W. Barraque Street, Suite 101, Pine Bluff, AR 71601. Phone is (870) 541-5322, fax (870) 541-5324. Email is JeffersonClerk@arkansasclerks.com. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Information about obtaining court records is on the county website at jeffersoncountyar.gov/government/circuit-clerk/obtain-court-records.
The circuit clerk maintains records for all cases that went through Jefferson County Circuit Court. This covers felony criminal cases, civil cases, domestic relations matters including divorce filings and custody orders, and probate proceedings. These records are part of any thorough background check for someone with ties to Jefferson County. Court records from the circuit clerk include the names of all parties involved, the charges or claims filed, the hearing and disposition timeline, and the final outcome. Each case file is a public record unless sealed by court order.
Beyond court records, the circuit clerk's office also handles marriage licenses, DBA (doing business as) filings, and voter registration for Jefferson County. These are separate from the court records side of the office but are all maintained at the same location. Copy fees for court documents are $0.25 per page for standard copies. Certified copies cost $5.00 per document. Payment can be made in person by cash, check, or money order. Mail requests require check or money order.
Arkansas CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov provides online access to Jefferson County circuit court records as part of the statewide court records system.
CourtConnect lets you search by party name or case number and view case status, docket entries, and party information for Jefferson County court cases at no charge for basic lookups.
Arkansas State Police Background Check for Jefferson County
The Arkansas State Police background check portal at cbc.ark.org is the single most complete source for criminal history in Jefferson County. An online check costs $22 and searches the Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) database. This database holds records from all 75 Arkansas counties, which means a single search covers Pine Bluff, White Hall, Altheimer, and every other city and unincorporated area within Jefferson County. Ark. Code Ann. § 12-12-1502 gives the Arkansas State Police authority to maintain and provide these records to the public.
The ACIC system links records to fingerprints, not just names. That matters for a background check because it can find criminal history even if the person used a different name at the time of arrest. The state system captures arrests and convictions regardless of which local agency made the arrest. If someone was booked by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and later convicted in circuit court, both the arrest record and the conviction will show up on an ASP background check.
Mail-in background checks through ASP cost $25. The required ASP-122 form is available at the Arkansas State Police website. Ark. Code Ann. § 12-12-207 created ACIC as the central state repository for this data, and every county in Arkansas is required to report into it. For the FAQ page covering what the check includes and how to interpret results, see cbc.ark.org/static/faqs.html.
The Arkansas State Police background check portal at cbc.ark.org is the official state resource for criminal history records covering Jefferson County and all of Arkansas.
The portal handles both online and mail-in requests and searches ACIC, the state's central criminal history database, which includes records from every county including Jefferson.
Sex Offender Registry and Inmate Search for Jefferson County
The Arkansas sex offender registry at ark.org/offender-search/index.php is free to use and searchable by city, zip code, or address radius. Jefferson County residents, including those in Pine Bluff, are included in the registry. Ark. Code Ann. § 12-12-901 establishes the statewide Sex Offender Registration Act, and Ark. Code Ann. § 5-14-128 sets restrictions for Level 3 and Level 4 offenders, including a 2,000-foot buffer from schools and daycares. The registry shows current address, photo, offense history, and risk level for each registrant.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections inmate search at apps.ark.org/inmate_info shows people currently in state prison with ties to Jefferson County. This is separate from the county jail. County jail inmates held at the Jefferson County Detention Center are tracked locally by the sheriff's office. For federal inmates, the Bureau of Prisons locator at bop.gov/inmateloc covers federal facilities nationwide. The Arkansas Department of Corrections website at doc.arkansas.gov has additional information about the state prison system and offender lookup tools.
Note: The sex offender registry and inmate search are both free public tools. Neither requires a login or registration to use for basic searches.
Jefferson County Public Records and FOIA Access
Arkansas FOIA under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101 gives every person the right to inspect and copy public records held by government agencies in Jefferson County. This covers records at the sheriff's office, the circuit clerk, and other county offices. Requests must be responded to within three business days. The agency can charge reasonable copying fees but cannot charge for time spent searching for or reviewing records.
When making a FOIA request in Jefferson County, be as specific as possible. Include the subject's full legal name and date of birth, the type of record you need (incident report, court file, arrest record), and the approximate date or time frame. Vague requests take longer to process and may result in a broader fee estimate. For court records specifically, the circuit clerk at (870) 541-5322 or JeffersonClerk@arkansasclerks.com is the right contact. For sheriff office records, call the Records Division at (870) 371-4654 during their hours of 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
If a FOIA request is denied or not responded to within the required window, the Arkansas Attorney General's office at arkansasag.gov handles complaints. The AG publishes public guidance on FOIA rights and has the authority to take action against agencies that improperly deny access to public records in Jefferson County and across the state.
The Arkansas Attorney General at arkansasag.gov provides guidance on public records rights and FOIA access for residents requesting background check records in Jefferson County.
The AG office handles complaints about denied or delayed FOIA requests from any Arkansas county agency, including those in Jefferson County.
Cities in Jefferson County
Pine Bluff is the county seat and the qualifying city in Jefferson County. Background check records for incidents inside Pine Bluff city limits go to the Pine Bluff Police Department, not the county sheriff. White Hall and Altheimer also have local police but do not have separate pages on this site.