One of the main goals for genealogists is finding birth, marriage, and death (BMD) information about their ancestors.
Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians and archivists (as well as the largest of them all - FamilySearch), a great number of indexes to birth, marriage, and death collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific BMD information, and sometimes scanned images of the actual birth, marriage, and death certificates themselves. These free online collections have hundreds of millions of records in them in total.
There are a great number of online and offline collections that may include birth, marriage, and death information that are not included in the lists below. For example, newspapers, draft registration files, naturalization records, etc. have BMD info. To find out which types of other records may include BMD information, please see:
- 27 Ways to Find Ancestor Birth Information
- 22 Ways to Find Ancestors Marriage Information
- 21 Ways to Find Ancestors Death Information
The lists below are specific birth, marriage, and death indexes and record collections that are available for free online for the state of Arkansas.
Note 1: Many of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. In many cases there is a link to the digital collection in the middle of the page, but also near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. Please also note that I have listed below only BMD databases that are accessible digitally from your computer (or tablet/phone)
Note 2: I have included links to Free Ancestry records and indexes. You do not need a subscription, but do need an Ancestry account. Without a subscription you can view indexes. If there is an image associated with a record, in most cases you will need a subscription, but the index does include very usable information.
(Updated May, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD)
General U.S.
- United States Births and Christenings, 1867-1931
- United States Deaths and Burials, 1867-1961
- United States Korean War Battle Deaths, 1950-1957
- United States Marriages, 1733-1990
- United States Social Security Death Index
- United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Arkansas
- Arkansas Births and Christenings, 1812-1965
- Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976
- Arkansas County Marriages, 1837-1957
- Arkansas County Miscellaneous Marriages
- Arkansas County Marriages, 1839-1952; Indexes, 1839-1996
- Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950
- Arkansas Deaths and Burials, 1882-1929; 1945-1963
- Arkansas Divorce Index 1934-1939
- Arkansas Federal and State Mortality Schedules 1850-1880
- Arkansas Marriage Index, 1933-1939
- Arkansas Marriages, 1837-1944
- Arkansas Online Deaths 2010-2018
- Arkansas State Archives, Deaths Search
- Ashley County Marriage Index
- Ashley County Marriage Records, 1848-1951; Index, 1848-1995
- Baxter County Marriage Records, 1873-1921
- Benton County Marriages
- Benton County Marriage Records, 1861-1952
- Boone County Marriage Indexes
- Boone County Marriage Records, 1869-1951; Indexes, 1869-1977
- Bradley County Marriage Records before 1940
- Bradley County Marriage Records, 1853-1950; Index 1856-1992
- Calhoun County Marriage Records, 1851-1956; Indexes, 1851-1993
- Calhoun County Marriages 1851-1879
- Camden Burial Permits, 1894-1923
- Carroll County Marriage Indexes
- Carroll County Marriage Records 1883-1951
- Carroll County Registration of Marriages, 1870-1951
- Chicot County Marriage Records, 1840-1951
- Chicot County Marriage Indexes
- Chicot County Territorial Record 14, 1819-1828
- Chicot County Ministers Credentials, book C (Marriages), 1867-1915
- Church of Christ Sebastian, Church Register and Records
- Clark County Marriage Indexes
- Clark County Marriage Records 1833-1835
- Clark County Vital Records
- Clark County Marriage Records, 1818-1970; Indexes, 1818-1987
- Clay County Delayed Birth and Death Certificates, 1947-1958
- Clay County Marriages 1881-1898
- Clay County Marriages 1898-1907
- Clay County Marriage Records, 1881-1957
- Clay County Marriage Records, 1893-1950
- Cleburne County Marriage Records, 1883-1950
- Cleburne Marriage Indexes
- Cleveland County Marriage Indexes
- Cleveland County Marriage Records, 1873-1956 and Index, 1873-1962
- Columbia County Marriages
- Columbia County Marriage Records, 1853-1951; Indexes, 1853-1988
- Conway County Marriage Indexes
- Conway County Marriage Records, 1851-1952; Index to Marriages, 1851-1875
- Craighead County Death Index 1970-1979
- Craighead County Marriages
- Craighead County Marriage Licenses, 1883-1923
- Craighead County Marriage Records 1878-1954; Index, 1878-1978
- Crawford County Marriage Indexes
- Crawford County Marriage Records 1877-1951
- Crittenden County Marriage Records, 1837-1952
- Cross County Marriage Records 1863-1952; Indexes to Marriages, 1863-2000
- Dallas County Marriage Index
- Dallas County Marriage Certificates, 1845-1902, 1907
- Dallas County Marriage Records, 1845-1954, Index, 1846-1976, 1980-1985, 1845-1985
- Dallas County Marriage Records, ca. 1848-1911
- Desha County Marriage Records, 1856-1952; Indexes, ca. 1851-[1966?]
- Dew County Marriage Record Book B
- Drew County Marriage Indexes
- Drew County Marriage Record, Book B, 1847-1861
- Drew County Marriages, 1847-1952
- Drew County Miscellaneous Civil and Vital Records, ca. 1868-1898
- Faulkner County Marriage Certificates, 1873-1875
- Faulkner County Index to Births and Deaths for Conway and Cadron townships, 1914-1922
- Faulkner County Marriage Records, 1875-1952
- Faulkner Marriage Index
- Fayetteville Death Records
- Fort Smith Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Fort Smith Death Records Index, November 1881 - June 1909, Book I and II
- Franklin County Death Index Search 1914-1948
- Franklin County Delayed Birth Certificates, 1947-1965
- Franklin County Marriage Records, 1850-1951
- Fulton County Marriage Index
- Fulton County Marriage Records 1887-1952
- Garland County Marriage Indexes 1879-1970
- Garland County Marriage Records, 1874-1951; Index, 1874-1962
- Grant County Marriage Records, 1877-1953
- Greene County Delayed Births
- Greene County Marriages
- Greene County Delayed Birth Certificates 1874-1947; Delayed Death Certificates, 1865-1910
- Greene County Marriage Records, 1876-1955; Index, 1845-1999
- Healing Springs Township Marriages 1867-1896
- Hempstead County Freedmen's Marriages
- Hempstead County Marriage Index
- Hempstead County Marriage Records, 1845-1951; Marriage Certificates, ca. 1819-1901
- Hempstead County Wills, Marriages, etc., Vol. AA-BB, 1819-1845
- Hot Spring County Marriage Indexes
- Hot Spring County Justice of the Peace docket & Marriage Records, 1852-1886; Index, 1852-1869, 1852-1886
- Hot Spring County Marriage Records, 1825-1951; Indexes, 1825-1998; ministers credentials, 1875-1947, 1825-1998
- Howard County Birth Indexes
- Howard County Card File Marriage Index, 1941-1994
- Howard County Marriage Records, 1873-2018
- Independence County Marriages
- Independence County Delayed Birth and Death Certificates, 1947-1970
- Independence County Marriage Records, 1826-1951
- Izard County Births
- Izard County Marriages
- Izard County Marriage Records, 1889-1956; Indexes, 1889-1967, 1889-1967
- Jackson County Marriages
- Jackson County Marriage Records, 1846-1951
- Jackson County Marriage and Divorce Records 1831-1875
- Jefferson County Marriage Records
- Jefferson County Marriage Records; Index, 1830-1927, 1830-1950
- Jefferson County Ministers' Credentials, 1871-1936 and Marriage Records, 1871-1872
- Johnson County Marriages
- Johnson County Marriage Records, 1855-1957
- Lafayette County Marriage Records 1828-1952
- Lawrence County Marriage Records 1821-1851
- Lawrence County Marriages
- Lawrence County Marriages, 1821-1967; Index, 1814-1999; Ministers Credentials, 1877-1959
- Lee County Marriage Records, 1873-1954
- Lincoln County Marriages
- Lincoln County Marriage Records, 1871-1953; Indexes, 1871-1995
- Little River County Marriage Records, 1880-1952; Index, 1880-1993
- Little Rock Death Certificates 1910-1925
- Logan County Marriages, 1877-1958
- Lonoke County Marriage Indexes
- Lonoke County Marriages, 1873-1951
- Lonoke County Marriages, 1880-1951
- Madison County Marriage Records, 1901-1951; Index, 1901-1940
- Marion County Marriages
- Marion County Marriage Records 1888-1957
- Miller County Marriages, 1875-1951; Index, 1875-1993
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Mississippi County Marriages
- Mississippi County Marriage Records 1861-1950
- Mississippi County Marriage Records 1901-1951; Index to Marriages, 1900-1942
- Monroe County Marriage Indexes
- Monroe County Marriage Records
- Monroe County Marriage Records 1850-1951
- Montgomery County Death Records Index 1914-1948
- Montgomery County Marriage Records Book A & B, Vol. 1 & 2
- Montgomery County Marriage Records, 1851-1958 Index, ca. 1846-1972
- Nevada County Marriage Indexes
- Nevada County Marriage Records : 1871-1953
- Newton County Marriage Indexes
- Newton County Marriage Records 1866-1952
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
- Ouachita County Marriage Records, 1875-1952
- Perry County Death Indexes 1860-2009
- Perry County Marriage Indexes 1881-1938
- Perry County Marriage Records, 1882-1960
- Phillips County Marriage Records,1831-1951; Indexes, 1831-1946
- Pike County Marriage Indexes
- Pike County Marriage Records 1895-1910
- Pike County Marriages 1895-1900
- Pike County Freedmen's Marriage Certificates
- Pike County Marriages, 1895-1941
- Poinsett County Births
- Poinsett County Death Index 1914-1916
- Poinsett County Marriages
- Poinsett County Marriage Records 1873-1952
- Polk County Marriage Index
- Polk County Marriage Indexes 1945-1948
- Polk County Marriage Records, 1881-1952 ; Index, 1883-1996, 1881-1996
- Pope County Marriage Indexes
- Pope County Marriage Records, 1830-1952 ; Indexes to Marriages, 1830-1978
- Pope County Marriage Book A, April 1830-November 1849
- Pope County Marriage Books B & C, December 1849 thru December 1859
- Pope County Marriage Records, 1911-1915
- Prairie County Death Index
- Prairie County Marriage Records of the Southern District, 1885-1962
- Prairie County Marriage Records on the Northern District, 1854-1954
- Pulaski County Marriage Licenses
- Pulaski County Marriages
- Pulaski County Marriage Records, 1838-1851; Index to Marriages, 1820-1971
- Pulaski County Marriage Records, 1838-1901
- Pulaski County Marriage Records, 1901-1921
- Randolph County Marriage Indexes
- Randolph County Marriage Records, 1837-1951; Indexes, ca. 1835-1999
- Randolph County Marriages, 1866-1869
- Rector Death Index
- Saline County Death Index
- Saline County Death Record Index, 1914-1923
- Saline County Deaths and Marriages
- Saline County Marriage Indexes 1836-1936
- Saline County Marriage Records
- Saline County Marriage Records Book "E" : 21 Dec 1879 to Feb. 22, 1881
- Saline County Marriage Records, 1836-1951
- Scott County Marriage Index 1882-1974
- Scott County Marriages pre-1882
- Scott County Marriage Records 1882-1958; Index to Marriages, 1882-1973
- Searcy County Birth and Death Records, 1918-1921
- Searcy County Marriages, 1881-1951
- Sebastian County Birth Indexes
- Sebastian County Births and Deaths, 1877-1963
- Sebastian County Marriage Indexes
- Sebastian County Greenwood & Fort Smith Districts Marriage Records, 1865-1955; Indexes to Marriage Records, 1865-1967
- Sebastian County Record of Births and Deaths 1877-1929
- Sevier County Births
- Sevier County Marriage Indexes
- Sevier County Birth Records, 1914-1923
- Sevier County Circuit Court Records, 1835-1954
- Sevier County Marriage Records, 1839-1951
- Sevier County Marriage Records, 1951-2015
- Sevier County Marriages, 1829-1865
- Sevier County, Death Records, 1914-1923
- Sharp County Brides Index
- Sharp County Marriage Records, 1880-1968, 1880-1968
- St. Francis County Deaths
- St. Francis County Marriage Records, 1875-1951; Marriage Indexes, 1875-2003
- Stone County Marriage Records, 1873-1953
- Union County Marriage Indexes
- Union County Marriage Records, 1847-1951; Indexes, 1829-1994
- Union County Marriages 1829-1870
- Union County Marriage Bonds and Ministers' Returns 1829- 1870
- Union County Marriage Books
- Van Buren County Deaths
- Van Buren County Marriage Indexes
- Van Buren County Marriages, 1865-1951; Index 1865-1977
- Washington County Marriage Index
- Washington County Marriage Records, 1845-1955; Minister's Credentials, 1887-1926
- Washington County Marriages
- Washington County Marriages 1870-1879
- Washington County Marriage Index, July 1922-August 193
- Washington County Marriage Records 1845-1890
- Washington County Marriage Records 1890-1910
- White County Marriages
- White County Marriage Records 1859-1997; Indexes to Marriage Records, ca. 1836-2000
- Woodruff County Woodruff County Marriage Records, 1864-1952; Index, 1864-1969
- Yell County Death index
- Yell County Marriages
- Yell County Marriage Records, 1887-1961
- Yell County Marriages, 1841-1849, 1865-1959; Index to Marriages, 1841-1849, 1863- 1942
Check out the links for other states on the BMD Records page.
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Arkansas Links, click on the category of interest: