Garland County Obituary Records
Garland County obituary records span from 1874 when the county was formed, and the Garland County Historical Society in Hot Springs maintains one of the most extensive local obituary archives in the state, with over 70,000 indexed entries from the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record alone. Whether you need a death notice from the early 1900s or a recent passing in Hot Springs, Fountain Lake, or Hot Springs Village, this page covers every major source for Garland County obituary records, including the county clerk, the Historical Society archives, the county library, and several online databases.
Garland County Clerk Records
The Garland County Clerk's office is located at 501 Ouachita Avenue in Hot Springs. The phone number is (501) 622-3510. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The official website is at garlandcounty.org. The clerk maintains marriage records from 1874 when the county was created, probate records from 1877, court records from 1874, and land records from 1874.
Marriage records from 1874 provide a starting point for tracing families in Garland County. Probate records from 1877 are the core secondary source for obituary research. When someone died with property, an estate case was opened and filed with the circuit clerk. Those probate filings name the deceased, give a date of death, identify surviving heirs, and sometimes include affidavits with burial details. For deaths before 1914 when state death certificates began, probate records may be the only formal documentation of a death.
Marriage license fees are $60.00 payable in cash only. Certified copies of records cost $5.00 per document. Uncertified page copies are $0.25 per page. For written requests by mail, photo ID is required for certified copies. Fees are payable by cash, check, or money order. DBA filing costs $25.00.
Garland County Circuit Clerk and CourtConnect
The Circuit Clerk for Garland County maintains civil court cases, criminal court cases, domestic relations matters including divorce and custody, juvenile court records, probate court records, and land records and deeds. The CourtConnect portal at caseinfo.arcourts.gov allows online case searches by name, case number, or date range. Records are scanned back to the year 2000. For older filings, the circuit clerk's office in Hot Springs holds the paper records.
Recording fees for deeds are $15.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page. Mortgage recording costs the same: $15.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page. UCC filing costs $12.00. Certified copies are $5.00 plus $0.50 per page.
The screenshot below shows the Garland County resource page, providing an overview of county record access options including the CourtConnect portal and the county website.
From the county website, researchers can find information on the clerk's office, recording fees, and how to request copies of probate and court records that support obituary research in Garland County.
Garland County Historical Society Archives
The Garland County Historical Society maintains one of the most valuable obituary archives in Arkansas. The archives are at 328 Quapaw Avenue in Hot Springs, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 142, Hot Springs, AR 71902. The phone number is (501) 321-2159. Archives are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and the first Saturday of each month from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Annual membership is $15.00 plus $3 if mailed.
The centerpiece of the Historical Society's obituary collection is the HOT SPRINGS SENTINEL-RECORD OBITUARIES index. This database contains over 70,000 obituaries indexed from 1996 to the present. That is a remarkable depth for a county-level historical society archive. If you are looking for a Garland County obituary from the past 30 years, this index is likely the fastest way to find it. Research services are available with donations accepted for subject file lookups. Photocopies cost $0.25 per page, and photographs are priced by size and format.
Death Records Books cover 1898-1923 with original records. These handwritten death record books predate the state's official vital records program and document Garland County deaths from the late 1800s and early 1900s in the county's own format. Cemetery transcriptions are available for all Garland County cemeteries. Funeral home records are also available for research at the society archives.
Special holdings at the Historical Society include the Arkansas State Fair Collection from Hot Springs, city directories from 1887 to present, jail registers from the 1890s, city and township maps, local newspapers on microfilm from 1909-1949, over 12,000 photographs, police dockets from early years, subject files on local history, telephone directories from 1903 to present, and tombstone inscriptions as of 1969.
Note: Society meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month. Calling ahead before visiting the archives is recommended to confirm hours and research availability.
Garland County Library Genealogy Department
The Garland County Library is located at 1427 Malvern Avenue in Hot Springs. The phone number is (501) 623-4161. The genealogy department includes an Arkansas Room with local history collection, a microfilm reader and printer, census records on microfilm, local newspaper microfilm, and family history books and resources.
Online databases available at the library include Ancestry Library Edition for in-library use only and HeritageQuest Online with remote access available using a library card. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette archives and local newspaper digital archives are also accessible. The library's Arkansas Room is a good starting point for Hot Springs-area obituary research, especially for the mid-20th century when microfilm coverage is strongest.
HeritageQuest provides remote access to historical census records, family histories, and some local records collections. This is a significant benefit for Garland County researchers who live outside the area, as they can access part of the library's database collection without traveling to Hot Springs.
FamilySearch and Death Index Collections
FamilySearch holds Arkansas probate and will records that cover Garland County from the late 1800s forward. These are available free at FamilySearch.org. The Arkansas Death Index 1914-1950 covers all counties statewide including Garland County. Searching this index returns name, date of death, county, age, gender, race, and certificate number. That number can then be used to request the full death certificate from the Arkansas Department of Health.
Arkansas Probate Records 1817-1979 and Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 are available on Ancestry and can be accessed at libraries with Ancestry subscriptions or through the CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies in Little Rock. The Butler Center also holds county records on microfilm for all Arkansas counties including Garland.
The Arkansas State Archives "In Remembrance" database covers deaths from 1819 to 1920. This free online tool draws from newspaper obituaries, church records, cemetery listings, and county documents and is the best starting point for Garland County deaths before 1914.
Arkansas Vital Records for Garland County
Official death certificates for Garland County are held by the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records office. The state also maintained city death records for Hot Springs from 1881, which means deaths in Hot Springs from before 1914 may be documented at the state level. This makes Garland County one of a small number of counties where pre-1914 death records may exist through the state office.
Under Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 18, death certificates are restricted for 50 years. After that period they become public records. The fee is $10.00 for the first certified copy and $8.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. Walk-in service at the state office in Little Rock provides same-day results Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Mail requests take 4-6 weeks.
Cities in Garland County
Hot Springs is the county seat and the main city in Garland County. It is one of the qualifying cities on this site. Other communities include Hot Springs Village, Fountain Lake, and Lonsdale. For Hot Springs-specific obituary and records resources, visit the Hot Springs city page on this site.
Nearby Counties
Research in Garland County sometimes extends to neighboring counties. These border counties each maintain their own records collections:
Families in the Hot Springs area often had ties across county lines. Checking neighboring counties can fill gaps when Garland County records are incomplete or when an ancestor moved between communities in the region.