What is a County Circuit Clerk?

by Kristin Higgins - May 3, 2022

Are you looking at your sample ballot for the Nov. 8 election? There are a lot of jobs on the ballot that people might not know what they do.

Today we highlight the job of a county circuit clerk.

Circuit Clerk in Arkansas

If you've ever bought or sold real estate in Arkansas, or have gone to court, you've likely interacted with a county's Circuit Clerk office.

Depending on your county, the circuit clerk role might be combined with the county clerk position. This administrative role is tied to record keeping, and is one of nine executives in county government.

Term in Office: A constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2016 changed the term of a county circuit clerk from two years to four years. The pay for the job varies depending on the population of the county, and is set by the Quorum Court.

The Association of Arkansas Counties reported salaries ranging from about $22,188 to $130,902 in their 2021 county government salary survey. Counties that reported a low salary were for part-time positions where the person is also paid for another role in county government.

Eligibility Requirements:

• United States citizen
• At least 18 years old
• Registered to vote in their county
• No fraud or felony convictions

Job Duties:

Over their four-year term, a circuit clerk is responsible for:

• Maintaining records for criminal, civil and juvenile courts, including what is pending in circuit court and the outcomes of past court cases and proceedings
• Preparing summons, warrants, orders, judgments, and injunctions
• Preparing lists of potential jurors and notifying people of jury duty in circuit court
• Recording property deeds and subdivision plats, mortgages, liens, surety bonds, and professional licenses
• Swearing in notaries

Look at Your November Ballot

Early voting starts Oct. 24 and Election Day is Nov. 8. Find out what is on your ballot at the Arkansas Secretary of State's VoterView website, https://www.voterview.ar-nova.org/VoterView. 

Use our 2022 Arkansas Ballot Issues Voter Guide to learn about the constitutional amendments on this year's ballot.

Additional Reading

Arkansas Circuit Clerks 2022 Procedures Manual - Association of Arkansas Counties