Find DUI Records in St. Francis County

St. Francis County DUI records are available through the county sheriff, the circuit court clerk in Forrest City, and the statewide Arkansas CourtConnect portal. This page covers how to request arrest records, locate DWI court cases, and use the 48-hour release list and FOIA process for public records in St. Francis County.

St. Francis County Sheriff's Office

The St. Francis County Sheriff's Office is located at 2124 South Washington in Forrest City. The main line is (870) 633-2611, and fax is (870) 261-1773. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The attached facility is the St. Francis County Detention Center.

The sheriff's office publishes a 48-hour release list, which shows people recently released from the detention center. This list is a public record and can help you confirm whether someone was held on DUI or DWI charges and when they were released. It is one of the more useful tools for tracking recent arrests in the county.

Formal records requests go through the FOIA Records Request Form. You can get this form by contacting the office directly. Under Arkansas Code Annotated § 25-19-101, the agency has three business days to respond. The request can be submitted in person, by mail, or by phone at (870) 633-2611. There is no residency requirement to request records in Arkansas.

The sheriff maintains booking logs, inmate rosters, active warrant lists, and incident reports. Arrest records for DUI cases list the charges, booking date, arresting officer, and bond amount. These are public records once a person has been processed through the jail.

The Arkansas CourtConnect system is the starting point for most court case searches. It covers many Arkansas counties including St. Francis County and provides free public access to case details including DUI and DWI criminal cases.

St. Francis County Circuit Clerk

The St. Francis County Circuit Clerk keeps all court records once a case is filed in circuit court. This includes DUI and DWI criminal cases, traffic court records, and related civil proceedings. The clerk's office is in Forrest City at the county courthouse.

Court records typically include the original criminal complaint or information, bail and bond details, arraignment notes, hearing dates, plea agreements, trial records if the case went to trial, sentencing orders, and any probation or supervision conditions. These records stay on file and are accessible to the public unless the court has sealed them. Cases involving juveniles are not open to public access.

To request copies, visit the clerk's office in person or call ahead. If you know the case number, that speeds things up. A name search with an approximate arrest date will also work. Copies are available for a fee set by the court. The clerk can give you the current copy rate over the phone.

Cases that started in district court, like some traffic DUI matters, may transfer to circuit court if the defendant appeals or if the charge is elevated. If you are not sure which court has the records, the circuit clerk can help point you in the right direction.

State and Online Resources

CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov is the main free tool for searching court cases online. St. Francis County cases appear in this system. You can search by name or case number. The portal is up 24 hours a day except for a short maintenance window on weekends.

Records from before January 1, 2009, have confidential details removed from online view per Administrative Order 19. If you need complete older records, request them directly from the clerk's office in Forrest City.

The Arkansas Department of Correction inmate search covers people serving time in state prison. This is different from the county jail. If someone received a state prison sentence after a felony DUI conviction in St. Francis County, you can look them up on the ADC system by name or ADC number.

Crash reports can be ordered through the Arkansas crash report portal for $10 per report. If a DUI arrest followed a crash in St. Francis County, the crash report will document the circumstances. These reports are often used in civil and insurance matters connected to DUI cases.

Criminal background checks through the Arkansas State Police system cost $22 for a name-based check. These require the subject's written consent for most uses. The ACIC at (501) 618-8000 handles the central repository of criminal history information in the state, including DUI records.

DWI Penalties in Arkansas

Arkansas law calls impaired driving DWI for adults 21 and over. The threshold is a BAC of 0.08% or higher. Drivers under 21 face DUI charges for a BAC as low as 0.02%. Both result in arrest records and, once court proceedings begin, court case records accessible to the public.

First offense DWI in Arkansas brings up to one year in jail, a fine between $150 and $1,000, and a six-month license suspension. A second offense within ten years carries a minimum of seven days in jail, up to a year, a fine up to $3,000, and a 24-month suspension. Third offense penalties include 90 days to a year in jail, fines up to $5,000, and a 30-month suspension. A fourth offense is a felony with a prison term of one to six years.

Arkansas extended its DWI lookback period to 10 years in 2021. That means a prior DWI from up to a decade ago can be used to enhance the current charge. Arkansas also does not allow plea bargaining down from a DWI charge to a lesser offense, which makes the record more likely to reflect the actual DUI or DWI charge.

The implied consent law means any driver in Arkansas has consented to a chemical test. Refusing a breath or blood test results in an automatic 180-day suspension for a first refusal, and longer for repeat refusals. Information about license suspensions and reinstatement is at the Arkansas DFA DUI/DWI page.

Victim and Public Notification

The VINE notification service is available for anyone who wants to track custody status for a person arrested in St. Francis County. You can register online or by phone to get automatic alerts when an inmate is released, transferred, or has a status change. This service is free and available statewide.

For cases involving DUI and serious injury or death, the prosecuting attorney's office in the First Judicial District may be involved. Victims have the right to be notified of court proceedings and sentencing hearings. The Arkansas Crime Victims Reparations Board also provides services for those affected by DUI crashes that cause physical harm.

The Arkansas court payment portal lets you look up fines and fees connected to court cases and pay them online. If you have a citation or fine from a DUI case in St. Francis County, this portal handles the payment side.

Nearby Counties

St. Francis County is in eastern Arkansas along the Mississippi Delta region. Cross County lies to the north, Lee County to the south, and Crittenden County is further north toward Memphis.