How to Find Birth Records in Arkansas

In order to determine age, there must be a beginning. We count age, beginning with our birthdays. The moment a baby is born, we start counting. The time of a person’s lifespan always begins at the date of his or her birth. Let’s take a look at how to find birth records in Arkansas. There are methods to find birth records online.

Found in the South Central part of America, Arkansas is landlocked and has a population of more than 3 million. There are 75 counties in the state of Arkansas and the birth records search methods we are going to look at on this article apply to all of them.

Rules Governing Birth Records in Arkansas

Rules that govern the issuance of birth records vary from state to state. Every state has its own method on how to go about finding such records and birth records are a very sensitive issue.

Birth records form a part of what are referred to as vital records. Vital records are the records that mark significant stages in a person’s life. This can be their birth, marriage, divorce and death. All these events in a person’s life are recorded somewhere.

Vital records dating back to more than 100 years are accessible to the public as they now qualify as public records in Arkansas. Records that are less than a hundred years cannot be accessed without authorization.

State wide birth records registration started in Arkansas around 1914 but compliance to it was archived around the 1930s.

Who is Eligible for Birth Records in Arkansas?

As mentioned before, not everyone is eligible to access records that are less than 100 years. The following people are eligible according to Arkansas laws governing birth records:

• The person who is on the birth certificate.
• Parents of the person whose records are being sought after.
• Guardian of the person whose birth records are sought after.
• Legal representative to the parents or guardian of the person whose records are sought after.
• Attorney who has been authorized to access said birth records.
• A genealogist or an agent.

People who are looking to find birth records in Arkansas will need to give their full name, date of birth, residential address, a driver’s license, proof of relationship to owner of the birth record or valid reason for ordering the birth records. However, the ID verification fee is nonrefundable. This applies whether your birth records request was successful or not.

What do You Need to Lookup Birth Records in Arkansas?

Considering that you meet any of the above listed requirements, you should be able to give the following details to access records that are less than 100 years:

• The full name of the record owner.
• The reason for requesting the birth records.
• The date the birth occurred.
• The place where the birth happened.
• Proof (ID) that links you to the owner of the birth records.

How to Get Hold of Birth Records in Arkansas

The Arkansas Department of Health is the one responsible for maintaining birth records in Arkansas since 1914 to now. It does not matter which county you want to search from. Birth certificates can be ordered online, via mail or in person by eligible candidates.

You can use four methods to acquire birth records from Arkansas from the Health Department:

• Online – you can request birth records from Vital Records. The process only takes a few minutes and results returning after 7 to 14 days from the day of the request.
• Mail – to be able to receive birth records by mail, you will need to first fill up the birth certificate form. You will then be required to send the form with a cheque or money order with a copy of your valid ID.
• Phone – you can phone in and order the birth certificate. You will need to make payment through credit or debit card.
• Walk in – you can also pay a visit to the Arkansas Department of Health’s vital records office. The office opens from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The office is not operational on state holidays. Same day service is not a guarantee on walk ins as it rest on what type request you have.

You must also keep it in mind that all these methods come at a cost. To find out more about what is involved in obtaining birth records in Arkansas, you can visit Arkansas Online.

If the birth records of the person whom you seek prove to be hard to come by, you can try other types of records if you know they are available. These can be marriage, divorce and cemetery, church and census records. These too have birth records information.

These are some of the tips you can follow on how to find birth records in Arkansas. The article has covered on more than just the way to find the birth records but also everything you will need as you go about such a process.