Probate and Recording Deeds in Pulaski County (Little Rock), Arkansas
Where to file a will or open probate, and where to record a deed, in Pulaski County (Little Rock) — with the state rules that apply.
Probate court
Address: 401 West Markham Street, Room 120, Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-340-8412 (Central Receiving)
Recording deeds
Pulaski County Circuit/County Clerk - Real Estate Department
E-recording: yes - approved vendors listed include Simplifile, CSC eRecording Solutions, ePN eRecording Partners Network (https://pulaskiclerkar.gov/departments/real-estate/#efile)
Recording fee: $15 for the first page and $5 for each additional page Fee schedule
Arkansas rules that apply
| Small estate affidavit | If the value of everything the decedent owned at death, less debts secured against it and excluding the homestead and the statutory allowances for a surviving spouse or minor children, is $100,000 or less, one or more distributees can file an Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate with the probate clerk of the circuit court once 45 days have passed since the death and no petition to appoint a personal representative is pending or granted. The affidavit must state there are no unpaid claims (or that any Department of Human Services benefits were repaid), list and value the property, and list the distributees. Holders of property release it on a clerk-certified copy, without a court order. Real estate can be included; if it is, the distributee must publish notice of the death and the filing within 30 days, and creditors then have three months from first publication to present claims. Clerk fee: $25 to file and $5 per certified copy. Official code not freely readable online; text verified on a public code mirror (code year 2024). |
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| Probate steps | File a petition for probate of the will and appointment of a personal representative (or for appointment of an administrator) in the probate division of circuit court. After letters are issued, publish notice of the appointment and notice to creditors, and within one month after first publication mail a copy to each known heir and devisee and each known unpaid creditor, including the Department of Human Services if it provided services. File an inventory with appraised values within two months after qualifying (unless waived). Pay allowed claims, file accountings, and distribute the estate under court order. Official code not freely readable online; text verified on a public code mirror (code year 2024). |
| Signing and recording a deed | A deed may be signed before two disinterested witnesses, or the grantor may acknowledge it before two such witnesses, who then sign (dating their signatures if they sign later). Deeds are recorded in the county where the property is located. Arkansas real property transfer tax totals $3.30 per $1,000 of consideration (a $1.10 base tax plus a $2.20 additional tax paid by the buyer) when consideration exceeds $100. Official code not freely readable online; text verified on a public code mirror (code year 2024). |
| Transfer-on-death deed | Yes, Arkansas allows a beneficiary deed. The owner signs a deed naming one or more grantees to receive the property at death; it must be recorded with the county recorder where the property is located before the owner dies (for co-owners, it takes effect at the last owner's death). No consideration is needed and the beneficiary gets no interest until death. The owner can revoke it by a recorded revocation before death, but not by a will. The beneficiary takes subject to existing mortgages, liens and leases. The statute includes a model form. Official code not freely readable online; text verified on a public code mirror (code year 2024). Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 18-12-608 |
All Arkansas wills, probate and estate rules · Eviction court and tenant help in Pulaski County (Little Rock)
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.