Prairie County Marriage License
Prairie County is one of a few Arkansas counties that runs two district courthouses, with offices in both Des Arc and DeValls Bluff. That split shapes how couples apply for a Prairie County marriage license and how records are pulled for past marriages. This page walks through the Des Arc and DeValls Bluff clerk offices, the $60 state fee, the ID rules, and the search tools. If you need to apply for a new license or track down an old one, start with the district office that serves your side of the county.
Prairie County Marriage License Overview
Prairie County Clerk Marriage License Offices
Prairie County has two district seats and two clerk offices. The Northern District office is at 100 Courthouse Square, Des Arc, AR 72040. Phone 870-256-4434. Mailing address P.O. Box 278, Des Arc, AR 72040-0278. The Southern District office is at 183 Prairie Street, DeValls Bluff, AR 72041. Mailing P.O. Box 283, DeValls Bluff, AR 72041. Either office can issue a Prairie County marriage license.
Residents usually apply at the office closer to home. Both offices follow the same state law, charge the same $60 fee, and use the same application form. The signed license must come back to the office that issued it, not the other district seat. Couples should note which office issued the paper so the return trip ends at the right window.
Prairie County was created on November 25, 1846, from parts of Pulaski and Monroe counties. The county kept a northern seat at Des Arc and a southern seat at DeValls Bluff to make courthouse trips easier across the low-lying Delta and river country. The FamilySearch Prairie County wiki lays out the history of the records at each seat and shows that marriage, divorce, probate, court, and land records run from 1885 at the clerk.
The page linked above lists both district office addresses side by side, which is the fastest way to figure out which clerk to call before a trip.
How To Apply for a Prairie County Marriage License
Both parties must appear at one of the clerk offices together. No appointment is needed. Bring a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID. A driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID all work. Under Arkansas Code § 9-11-201, the license must be pulled from the clerk of the county court.
The fee is $60. Cash is the safest bet. Card payment may add a small surcharge depending on the office. A quick call to 870-256-4434 for Des Arc will confirm the card rules for that office. Adults 18 and older sign the papers and the clerk issues the license on the spot. No blood test is needed. No waiting period applies for adults. Arkansas has no residency rule, so a couple from outside the state can pull a Prairie County marriage license and use it anywhere in Arkansas.
Applicants who are 17 need both parents present plus a notarized affidavit of consent under § 9-11-102. The clerk then imposes the state's 5 business day wait. No one under 17 may be issued a license in most cases. A narrow pregnancy exception at § 9-11-103 sends the case to a circuit judge. If either party has been married before, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or the prior spouse's death certificate. A prior name change must show on the paperwork.
What to bring:
- Photo ID for each party
- Social Security number for each party
- Cash or card for the $60 fee
- Divorce decree or prior spouse's death certificate
- Notarized parental affidavit if one party is 17
Prairie County Marriage License Rules
Prairie County follows the statewide rules at Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. The license is good anywhere in Arkansas, so a couple can pull a Prairie County marriage license in Des Arc and have the wedding in Little Rock, Stuttgart, or any other part of the state. The signed license must come back to the same Prairie County district clerk that issued it, used or not, inside 60 days of the issue date.
Under § 9-11-213, the list of officials who can perform a wedding covers the Governor, judges of a court of record, former Supreme Court justices, justices of the peace, ordained ministers or priests, mayors, and a few more. Ministers must record credentials with a county clerk before they can sign a Prairie County marriage license. The Des Arc and DeValls Bluff clerks each keep minister records.
Arkansas also offers covenant marriage under Arkansas Code § 9-11-803. A covenant marriage adds premarital counseling, a declaration of intent, and narrower grounds for divorce. The couple picks the option on the application. Most couples in Prairie County go with a standard license, but either form is on hand at both district clerks.
Note: Because Prairie County has two district seats, always confirm which clerk issued the license before you return the signed paper.
Certified Copies of Prairie County Marriage Licenses
A certified copy from either Prairie County Clerk office runs about $5. Certified copies carry the raised seal and are what you'll need for a Social Security name change, a passport update, a pension claim, or immigration paperwork. The clerk can make a copy at the window during normal hours.
Mail copies work when a trip is not practical. Send a written note to the district office that issued the license. Include the full legal names of both parties, the marriage date if known, a daytime phone number, the copy fee by check or money order, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return. Call ahead to confirm the fee. For the Des Arc office, the phone line is 870-256-4434. For DeValls Bluff, the clerk lists the same central switchboard.
For a state-level copy, the Arkansas Department of Health Division of Vital Records holds a marriage coupon from 1917 forward at $10 per copy. You can also order online through VitalChek, the state's official online vendor. The state coupon covers most name change and pension claim uses. The county clerk holds the full license with all signatures.
Prairie County Marriage License Search Options
Prairie County is not on the CIS Arkansas marriage license search portal at this time, so there isn't a free online name index for Prairie County marriage license records. A name search has to go through one of the clerk offices. Call Des Arc or DeValls Bluff with the full legal names and a year range. Staff can check the index and confirm whether a record is on file before you pay for a copy.
Keep in mind that a record from a marriage in the northern part of the county is likely at Des Arc, while a record from the southern part is likely at DeValls Bluff. When in doubt, call both offices. For court cases tied to a Prairie County marriage, like a divorce filing, use Arkansas CourtConnect. Prairie County is part of the 17th Judicial Circuit along with White County.
For genealogy work, the Arkansas vital records reference for counties starting with P is a good stop. Naturalization records at the Des Arc clerk cover 1907 to 1912, and military discharge records run from 1917 forward. Older records may also be at the Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock.
Tip: If you only know the couple was from Hazen, Biscoe, or Ulm, start with the DeValls Bluff clerk, since those towns sit in the Southern District.
Cities in Prairie County
Des Arc is the seat for the Northern District. DeValls Bluff is the seat for the Southern District. Other communities in the county include Hazen, Biscoe, Ulm, and Des Lac. None of those towns has a separate marriage license office. Couples apply at the district clerk whose side of the county they live on. The license is good anywhere in Arkansas, so the ceremony can happen in another town or county as needed.
Prairie County covers about 675 square miles of Delta farmland and rice country. The two courthouses are a short drive apart, but each keeps its own file of records for the area it serves. For the clerk's official contact listing and a state directory of every Arkansas county, the Association of Arkansas Counties is the spot to bookmark.
Nearby Counties
If the Prairie County clerk doesn't have the record, try a county next door. A nearby clerk can often pull the license in one call.