Pulaski County Property Records
What Is Pulaski County Property Records
Property records in Pulaski County are official documents that establish, transfer, and encumber interests in real property — including land, buildings, and improvements — located within the county's jurisdiction. These records are created and maintained by the Pulaski County Circuit Clerk and the County Assessor's Office, serving as the authoritative repository for all instruments affecting real estate ownership. Under Arkansas Code § 14-15-404, instruments conveying or affecting title to real property must be recorded with the county clerk to provide constructive notice to subsequent purchasers and creditors.
Property records serve several essential legal and administrative functions:
- Establishing chain of title — documenting the successive ownership history of a parcel from original grant to present day
- Providing constructive notice — informing the public of existing ownership interests, liens, easements, and encumbrances
- Protecting property rights — ensuring that recorded interests are legally enforceable against third parties
- Facilitating real estate transactions — enabling buyers, lenders, and title companies to verify ownership and identify encumbrances before closing
- Supporting tax administration — providing the Assessor's Office with data necessary to value property and generate tax bills
The Pulaski County Circuit Clerk's Office maintains the official land records index, while the Pulaski County Assessor's Office maintains assessment and parcel data used for ad valorem taxation purposes.
Pulaski County Circuit Clerk's Office 401 W. Markham St., Suite 100, Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 340-8500 Pulaski County Circuit Clerk
Pulaski County Assessor's Office 201 S. Broadway, Suite 310, Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 340-6170 Pulaski County Assessor
Are Property Records Public Information In Pulaski County?
Property records in Pulaski County are public information under both state statute and constitutional principle. The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Arkansas Code § 25-19-105, guarantees public access to government records, including all instruments recorded in the county land records system. Additionally, Arkansas recording statutes establish that any document properly recorded in the Circuit Clerk's land records becomes a matter of public record upon filing.
Members of the public may inspect property records without demonstrating a specific legal interest or providing a reason for the request. The legal basis for this open-access framework rests on several principles:
- Transparency in land ownership serves the public interest by preventing fraudulent conveyances and secret transfers of title
- Recording statutes require that instruments be made publicly available as a condition of providing constructive notice
- No standing requirement exists — any individual, business, or organization may access property records regardless of whether they have a direct interest in the property
- No fee is required to inspect records in person at the Circuit Clerk's office, though fees apply for certified copies and document reproduction
The Arkansas FOIA requires that public records be made available for inspection and copying during regular business hours. Custodians of records must respond to requests promptly and may not unreasonably delay access to recorded instruments.
How To Search Property Records in Pulaski County in 2026
Members of the public may search Pulaski County property records through several official channels. The following steps outline the standard process for locating recorded instruments:
- Identify the property — Gather the parcel identification number (PIN), legal description, or street address before beginning a search. The Assessor's parcel number is the most reliable identifier for cross-referencing records across county offices.
- Choose a search method — Searches may be conducted online through the county's official portals, in person at the Circuit Clerk's Office, or by submitting a written request.
- Access the Circuit Clerk's land records index — The index is organized by grantor/grantee name and by parcel number. Searchers may look up deeds, mortgages, releases, and other instruments by party name or document type.
- Request copies — Certified copies of recorded instruments may be requested at the Circuit Clerk's counter. Standard copy fees apply per page, and certified copies carry an additional certification fee.
- Verify assessment data — Cross-reference ownership and parcel information with the Assessor's Office to confirm current ownership, acreage, and assessed value.
Public counter hours at the Circuit Clerk's Office are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding state and county holidays.
Pulaski County Circuit Clerk's Office 401 W. Markham St., Suite 100, Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 340-8500 Pulaski County Circuit Clerk
How To Find Property Records in Pulaski County Online?
The Pulaski County government provides online access to property records through multiple official platforms. Members of the public may conduct remote searches at no cost for basic record lookups.
- Pulaski County Assessor's Online Search — The Assessor's Office maintains a publicly accessible parcel search tool at the Pulaski County Assessor's property search portal, where users may search by owner name, address, or parcel number to retrieve assessment data, ownership information, and property characteristics.
- Arkansas Circuit Clerk Land Records — The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts provides access to certain recorded instruments through the Arkansas Judiciary case and records search, which includes land records filed with circuit clerks statewide.
- Pulaski County Tax Collector — The Tax Collector's online portal allows users to verify tax payment status and access tax records linked to specific parcels.
Online searches typically return ownership history, legal descriptions, deed book and page references, and recorded document images where digitization has been completed. Users should note that not all historical records may be available in digital format; instruments recorded prior to the county's digitization program may require an in-person search.
Pulaski County Tax Collector's Office 201 S. Broadway, Suite 150, Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 340-6040 Pulaski County Tax Collector
How To Look Up Pulaski County Property Records for Free?
Several no-cost options are available for members of the public seeking to access Pulaski County property records without incurring fees.
- In-person inspection — Members of the public may inspect original recorded instruments at the Circuit Clerk's Office during regular business hours at no charge. Viewing records does not require payment; fees apply only when copies are requested.
- Assessor's online portal — The Pulaski County Assessor's parcel search is freely accessible and provides ownership data, assessed values, and property characteristics without registration or payment.
- Arkansas GIS Office — The Arkansas GIS Office provides statewide parcel data layers that include Pulaski County parcels, accessible at no cost for general geographic and ownership information.
- County website resources — The Pulaski County official website provides links to multiple free search tools, including tax records and assessment data.
Free access does not include certified copies, which carry statutory fees. Individuals requiring certified copies for legal proceedings must pay the applicable per-page and certification fees established by the Circuit Clerk.
What's Included in a Pulaski County Property Record?
A complete Pulaski County property record encompasses documents and data maintained across multiple county offices. The following categories of information are typically included:
Recorded Instruments (Circuit Clerk)
- Warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, and special warranty deeds
- Mortgages, deeds of trust, and mortgage releases
- Easements, rights-of-way, and restrictive covenants
- Plats, subdivision maps, and surveys
- Mechanic's liens, judgment liens, and tax liens
- Assignments, subordination agreements, and satisfaction of mortgage documents
Assessment Records (Assessor's Office)
- Owner name and mailing address
- Parcel identification number and legal description
- Land area, building square footage, and improvement details
- Assessed value (real property is assessed at 20% of market value under Arkansas Code § 26-26-1202)
- Property classification (residential, commercial, agricultural, or exempt)
Tax Records (Tax Collector's Office)
- Annual tax bills and payment history
- Delinquent tax status and redemption information
- Tax sale records
Property records in Pulaski County pertain exclusively to real property — land and structures permanently affixed to land. Personal property, such as vehicles and business equipment, is assessed separately and does not appear in the land records system.
How Long Does Pulaski County Keep Property Records?
Pulaski County retains property records in accordance with the Arkansas General Records Retention Schedule issued by the Arkansas Secretary of State and applicable state statutes. Retention periods vary by document type:
- Deeds and conveyance instruments — Permanent retention; these records are never destroyed and constitute the permanent chain of title
- Mortgages and deeds of trust — Permanent retention for the recorded instrument; release documents are also retained permanently
- Plats and subdivision maps — Permanent retention as part of the official land records
- Assessment records — Retained for a minimum of ten years under the Arkansas General Records Retention Schedule
- Tax payment records — Retained for a minimum of seven years
- Correspondence and administrative records — Retained for three to five years depending on document type
The permanent retention of recorded instruments reflects the legal principle that title documents must remain accessible indefinitely to support future title searches and resolve ownership disputes. The Arkansas Secretary of State's Records Management Division oversees compliance with retention schedules across all county offices.
How To Find Liens on Property In Pulaski County?
Liens recorded against real property in Pulaski County are indexed and maintained by the Circuit Clerk's Office as part of the official land records. Members of the public may search for liens using the following methods:
- In-person search at the Circuit Clerk's Office — The grantor/grantee index includes all recorded liens, including judgment liens, mechanic's liens, federal tax liens, and state tax liens. Searchers may request a lien search by property owner name or parcel number.
- Online land records search — Where digitized records are available, lien documents may be retrieved through the Circuit Clerk's online portal or the Arkansas Judiciary records system.
- Federal tax liens — Federal tax liens filed by the Internal Revenue Service are recorded with the Circuit Clerk and appear in the standard land records index.
- UCC filings — Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) fixture filings affecting real property are filed with the Arkansas Secretary of State and may also be recorded locally with the Circuit Clerk.
- Judgment liens — Judgments entered by Pulaski County Circuit Court automatically become liens on real property owned by the judgment debtor within the county upon recording of the judgment.
Pulaski County Circuit Clerk's Office 401 W. Markham St., Suite 100, Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 340-8500 Pulaski County Circuit Clerk
What Is Property Owner Rule In Pulaski County?
The property owner rule in Pulaski County refers to the body of Arkansas law and local regulations governing who may own real property, how ownership interests are held, and what rights and obligations attach to property ownership within the county. Under Arkansas law, real property may be owned by individuals, married couples, corporations, limited liability companies, trusts, and governmental entities.
Key ownership principles applicable in Pulaski County include:
- Tenancy in common — Two or more persons may hold undivided interests in the same parcel; each co-owner's interest is freely transferable and descendible
- Joint tenancy with right of survivorship — Co-owners hold equal shares with the right of survivorship, meaning a deceased co-owner's interest passes automatically to the surviving co-owner(s) without probate
- Homestead rights — Arkansas Constitution, Article 9, § 3, protects a homestead of up to one-quarter acre in an urban area or 160 acres in a rural area from forced sale for most debts
- Spousal interest — Under Arkansas law, a married person generally may not convey homestead property without the joinder of the non-owning spouse
- Adverse possession — Under Arkansas Code § 18-11-106, a person who openly, continuously, and exclusively possesses property under a claim of right for seven years may acquire title by adverse possession
Property owners in Pulaski County are subject to ad valorem property taxes assessed annually by the Assessor's Office and collected by the Tax Collector's Office. Failure to pay property taxes may result in the property being certified to the State Land Commissioner for tax sale proceedings under Arkansas law.