Crittenden County Birth Records

Crittenden County birth records are issued by the Arkansas Department of Health, which maintains all certified birth certificates for births recorded in Arkansas since February 1914. If you need a birth record tied to Crittenden County, you can request one at the local health unit in West Memphis, order through the state office in Little Rock, or use the VitalChek online service to have a copy mailed to you.

Where to Get Crittenden County Birth Records

The Crittenden County Health Unit serves residents in the West Memphis area and is the most convenient in-person option for getting a birth certificate. The unit is located at 1012 W. Broadway, West Memphis, AR 72301. You can call at (870) 732-1700 during business hours. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. If you arrive before 3:00 PM, same-day service is available, so there is no waiting for mail delivery.

The Crittenden County Health Unit page on the ADH website has updated contact information and any changes to hours or services. The county seat is Marion, but the health unit that handles birth records is in West Memphis, which is the largest city in Crittenden County. If the local unit is not accessible, you can also go to the Division of Vital Records at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205, phone (501) 661-2174.

Since 2018, all 75 Arkansas county health units have been authorized to issue certified birth certificates. You are not required to contact Little Rock.

How to Request a Crittenden County Birth Certificate

In-person requests at the West Memphis health unit are the fastest option. Walk in with a valid government-issued ID, complete a short application form, pay the fee, and you should have your certificate that day if you arrive before 3:00 PM. This is also the cheapest option since there are no service fees beyond the state's standard charge.

Online orders go through VitalChek, which is the state-authorized vendor for Arkansas vital records. The VitalChek site walks you through a form, lets you upload identification, and accepts credit card payment. A service fee is added to the state's base fee. Shipping options range from standard to expedited, and delivery takes a few business days after the ADH processes your order.

Mail-in requests are accepted at the Division of Vital Records in Little Rock. Send a completed application form, a photocopy of your photo ID, and a check or money order payable to the Arkansas Department of Health. Mail requests take longer than in-person or online orders. Phone orders are available through VitalChek and carry the same service fees as online orders. Note: regardless of the method you use, double-check that the name and date information on your request match the original record as closely as you know them.

What You Need to Apply

Preparing the right information before you apply avoids back-and-forth with the ADH and speeds up the process. For most requests, you need the following.

• Full name as it appears on the birth record
• Date of birth
• City or county of birth in Arkansas
• Both parents' full names as listed on the original certificate
• Your relationship to the person on the record
• Government-issued photo ID
• Payment in the correct amount

If you are requesting a record on behalf of a minor, an estate, or someone else who qualifies, you may need to provide additional documentation. Legal guardians, attorneys with authorization, and certain government officials can make requests for restricted records under specific circumstances. The ADH will contact you if they need more information to complete your request.

Birth Certificate Fees in Crittenden County

The state-set fee for a certified birth certificate in Crittenden County is $12 for the first copy. If you need more than one copy and request them together, additional copies of the same record cost $10 each. These fees apply at both the local health unit and the state office in Little Rock.

The ADH charges a $12 non-refundable search fee even when no record is found. This fee covers the cost of searching the system. If you request a record and the ADH cannot locate it, you will not be refunded the search fee. For older records or situations where you are uncertain a certificate was ever filed, keep this in mind.

VitalChek orders include a service fee and your choice of shipping on top of the state fee. In-person requests at the West Memphis health unit are the only way to avoid extra charges. If you need multiple copies, ordering them all at once is more economical than placing separate requests over time.

Who Can Access Crittenden County Birth Records

Arkansas restricts access to birth certificates for 100 years from the date of birth. This restriction is part of Arkansas Code 20-18-305. During those 100 years, only certain people can get a certified copy. The authorized list includes the person named on the record (if at least 18 years old), parents, legal guardians, spouses, adult children, and attorneys or legal representatives with proper authorization.

Records that are more than 100 years old are open to the public. Anyone can request a copy of a public birth record without needing to show a relationship to the subject. For genealogists working on early Crittenden County family history, this means records from 1914 through the mid-1920s are now or soon will be publicly accessible.

Researchers who do not qualify for certified copies of restricted records can sometimes access index data or informational records. These records confirm basic details but cannot be used as legal identification. Government agencies with lawful purposes can request restricted records through an administrative process separate from the standard public application.

Historical Birth Records in Crittenden County

Crittenden County was formed in 1825, but Arkansas did not require statewide birth registration until February 1914. For the first 89 years of the county's existence, births were not systematically recorded at the state level. Anyone researching Crittenden County family history before 1914 needs to rely on alternative sources. The Crittenden County Genealogy page on FamilySearch is a good place to start. FamilySearch has digitized census records, church registers, and some county records that can help fill gaps from the pre-registration era.

Crittenden County sits on the western bank of the Mississippi River, across from Memphis, Tennessee. Because of this location, some Crittenden County families may have connections to records held in Shelby County, Tennessee, or in federal archives related to this border region. For researchers who hit dead ends in Arkansas records, checking neighboring state collections sometimes yields results.

After 1914, some rural Crittenden County births were still not registered promptly. Delayed certificates were filed later in life when documentation was needed. If you cannot find a birth record from the 1914-1935 period, a delayed certificate search or alternative documents such as school records, church records, or family bible entries may help confirm the birth.

Crittenden County Clerk Records

The Crittenden County Clerk maintains records that are separate from birth certificates but useful for genealogical research. The clerk holds marriage records going back to 1826. That is nearly 90 years before the statewide birth registration system started, so marriage records from the early-to-mid 1800s can help establish family relationships and timelines for births that were never formally recorded.

The clerk also handles probate court records, which cover estate filings, wills, guardianship cases, and adoption records. Probate records often include birth information for family members and can provide a clearer picture of a household's history. For Crittenden County records, the clerk's office is at the county courthouse in Marion. More information on Crittenden County government records is available through the Association of Arkansas Counties page for Crittenden County.

VitalChek Arkansas Birth Certificate Ordering

The VitalChek portal is the state-authorized online and phone ordering service for Arkansas vital records including Crittenden County birth certificates. The image below is from the VitalChek Arkansas page.

Place your order at VitalChek's Arkansas vital records ordering page.

After submitting your order through VitalChek, the request is forwarded to the ADH, which processes and mails the certificate to you.

Nearby Counties

Crittenden County is in far eastern Arkansas and borders several counties with their own health units for birth records.