Howard County Birth Certificate Search

Howard County birth records can be obtained through the county health unit in Nashville or through the Arkansas Department of Health's Division of Vital Records in Little Rock. This page explains where to go, how to apply, what documents you need, the applicable fees, and how the 100-year access rule works for older records.

Where to Get Howard County Birth Records

The Howard County Health Unit handles birth certificate requests for people born in this county. Find them at 920 S. Main Street, Nashville, AR 71852. Phone: (870) 845-5371. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. If you arrive before 3:00 PM, you can usually get a certified copy the same day. The health unit staff can print certified copies on site for most requests.

Since 2018, all 75 county health units in Arkansas have been able to issue certified birth certificates for any Arkansas birth, not just births that took place in that specific county. This means if you live near Nashville, you can get a certificate there even if you were born somewhere else in the state. The Malvern or Fort Smith health units, for example, can issue the same certificate if you happen to be closer to those offices.

The state office is always an option as well. The Arkansas Department of Health Division of Vital Records is at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. Phone: (501) 661-2174. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, same-day walk-in service until 3:00 PM.

How to Request a Howard County Birth Certificate

Walk-in service at the Howard County Health Unit is the fastest method. Go to 920 S. Main Street in Nashville, present your ID, fill out the request form, pay, and you will have the certificate in hand before you leave. Get there before 3:00 PM for same-day service.

Mail requests are an alternative for those who can't visit in person. Send to: Division of Vital Records, 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. You will need to include a completed request form, a legible photocopy of your government-issued photo ID, and payment by check or money order made payable to the Arkansas Department of Health. Do not mail cash. Mail processing usually takes two to four weeks.

Online requests are handled through VitalChek, the state's authorized online ordering partner. Fill out the form on the site, submit ID documentation, and pay by card. VitalChek charges a service fee on top of the standard state fee, and mailed certificates typically arrive within one to two weeks. For urgent needs, the walk-in option at the Nashville health unit is still the most efficient route.

What You Need to Apply

Having everything ready when you walk in or fill out a mail request avoids delays. Most applications are straightforward if you have these items prepared.

• Valid photo ID issued by a government agency
• Full legal name of the person on the birth record
• Date of birth (month, day, and year)
• County or city of birth in Arkansas
• Both parents' names as listed on the birth certificate
• Your relationship to the subject of the record
• Payment: $12 for the first copy, $10 for each additional copy at the same time

If you are requesting a record for someone else, explain your relationship clearly on the form. Parents, legal guardians, adult children, and attorneys representing qualified parties are all entitled to request copies. Staff may ask for proof of the relationship if the connection is not obvious from the ID you provide.

Birth Certificate Fees in Howard County

State law sets the fee for certified birth certificates. The first copy costs $12. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $10. These fees apply at the Howard County Health Unit, the state ADH office, and online through VitalChek. There are no county-level surcharges.

The $12 fee includes a non-refundable search charge. You pay it up front, and if the record cannot be found, it is not returned. Order all the copies you need at once to save money on subsequent requests. VitalChek adds its own service and shipping fees on top of the state rate, so the total for an online order will be higher than a walk-in visit.

Who Can Access Howard County Birth Records

Not everyone can request a certified copy of a birth certificate in Arkansas. Arkansas Code 20-18-305 restricts access to birth records that are less than 100 years old. The restriction exists to protect privacy for living individuals and for people who have recently died.

Those who qualify to request a restricted Howard County birth record include the person named on the certificate (if age 18 or older), a parent listed on the record, a legal guardian with court documentation, the subject's spouse or adult child, an attorney acting for a qualified party, and government agencies with a lawful need. Anyone outside these categories is not entitled to a certified copy of a birth record within the 100-year window.

Once a record reaches 100 years old, it becomes available to the general public. No relationship to the subject is needed. As of 2026, birth records from 1914 through 1926 are fully open. The public access window grows by one year each January as additional records cross the threshold. Researchers and genealogists working on family trees can request copies of those older records without restriction.

Note: Only certified copies are valid for official purposes such as passport applications, Social Security enrollment, or court proceedings. An informational copy will not be accepted for those uses.

Historical Howard County Birth Records

Statewide birth registration in Arkansas started on February 1, 1914. No state vital records exist for births before that date. For Howard County births prior to 1914, you will need to search alternate sources. Church registers, census records, family bibles, and probate filings are the most common places to find birth-related information from that period.

The CDC's Where to Write for Vital Records guide for Arkansas confirms the 1914 start date and recommends alternate resources for earlier records. The guide also lists the Division of Vital Records as the official source for certified copies of birth certificates from 1914 onward.

The CDC guide provides key context on what Arkansas vital records hold and where to turn when a record is not available through the state system.

The FamilySearch Howard County, Arkansas Genealogy page lists digitized collections available for this county. Many are free to access. Census records, early church registers, and other documents can help trace births from before 1914. The Howard County Clerk also holds marriage records going back to 1874, which can help anchor family timelines when birth records are absent.

Howard County Clerk and Related Records

The Howard County Clerk's office does not issue birth certificates. That function belongs to the health unit and the state ADH. The Clerk handles a different set of records that can still be useful when researching family history or legal matters in Howard County.

Marriage records in Howard County go back to 1874. These span a period before statewide birth registration began and can help fill gaps in family documentation. The Clerk also keeps probate court records, quorum court proceedings, and voter registration files. Probate documents sometimes include birth-related details such as ages, parent-child relationships, and family compositions, particularly in estate and guardianship cases.

Howard County was created on April 17, 1873, from Pike, Polk, Hempstead, and Sevier counties. Because the county is relatively young, records from before 1873 would be found in the parent counties. For county-level information, the Association of Arkansas Counties page for Howard County has basic details. The Clerk's office is at the Howard County Courthouse in Nashville.

Nearby Counties

Howard County is located in southwestern Arkansas and shares borders with several counties that also have local health units for birth certificate requests.