Bentonville Public Records
Public records in Bentonville, Arkansas are kept by the city clerk, municipal court, police department, and Benton County offices. Requests can be filed in person or in writing under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Circuit court records for Bentonville are maintained at the Benton County courthouse, while city-level records such as council minutes, ordinances, and police reports are handled locally. This page covers each office, what records they hold, and how to get them.
Bentonville Records Overview
Bentonville City Clerk Records
The Bentonville City Clerk is located at 305 SW A Street, Bentonville, AR 72712. Phone: (479) 271-3112. Fax: (479) 271-3116. Email: cityclerk@bentonvillear.com. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Robin Hutcheson serves as City Clerk.
The City Clerk keeps all official city records including City Council meeting agendas and minutes, city ordinances and resolutions, the municipal code, board and commission records, election records, and contracts and agreements. Many of these documents are posted on the city's website at bentonvillear.com. Current and archived meeting materials are often accessible there at no cost.
The city's records page outlines how to submit public records requests. The screenshot below is from the Bentonville city records portal.
Written FOIA requests can be mailed or hand-delivered to the City Clerk. Under Arkansas Code 25-19-105, the city must respond within three business days. Copies are typically available at a small per-page fee.
Note: Bentonville also uses a dedicated FOIA portal for submitting public records requests online.
Bentonville FOIA Request Portal
Bentonville operates an online portal that makes it easy to submit public records requests from any device. The portal is hosted by JustFOIA, a platform used by many Arkansas cities.
The screenshot below was taken from the Bentonville FOIA portal, where residents can submit new public records requests directly.
Once a request is submitted through the portal, the city tracks the request and notifies the requester when records are ready. This is often faster than a mailed request. For records not covered by the portal, you can still contact the City Clerk directly at (479) 271-3112.
The portal covers requests to multiple city departments. You can request police reports, city council minutes, contracts, inspection reports, and other public documents. Not every record type is available online, but the portal is the most direct route for most requests.
Bentonville Police Records
The Bentonville Police Department is at 908 SE 14th Street, Bentonville, AR 72712. Non-emergency: (479) 271-3170. Records Division: (479) 271-3173. Emergency: 911.
The Police Department holds incident reports, accident reports, arrest records, and traffic citations for incidents that occurred within city limits. You can visit the Records Division during regular business hours to request copies. Some report requests may be submitted through the department's online portal at bentonvillear.com/government/police.
Arrest records made by Bentonville officers are public in Arkansas. The city keeps its own booking records, but the Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) maintains the statewide criminal history database. If you need a formal background check rather than a specific arrest record, ACIC handles those requests through authorized providers. Accident reports generally become available within a few days of the incident. Fees may apply for printed copies of reports.
Bentonville Municipal Court
The Bentonville Municipal Court is at 100 SW 14th Street, Bentonville, AR 72712. Mailing: P.O. Box 1369, Bentonville, AR 72712. Phone: (479) 271-3111. Fax: (479) 271-3125. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Municipal court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and city ordinance violations. It does not handle felony cases or civil disputes above a small threshold. Those matters go to the Benton County Circuit Court. Case lookup and payment are available online through the court's website, and you can also look up court dates and pay traffic tickets there.
If you need records from the municipal court, contact the clerk at the address above. Written requests are accepted. Some case information may also be available through Arkansas CourtConnect, the statewide court records portal. CourtConnect is free and searchable by name or case number.
Benton County Circuit Court Records
Bentonville is the county seat of Benton County. Circuit court records for civil cases, criminal felonies, domestic relations, and probate matters filed in Bentonville fall under the Benton County Circuit Clerk.
The Benton County Courthouse is in Bentonville at 215 E. Central Avenue. The Circuit Clerk's office maintains all civil, criminal, domestic relations, and juvenile case files for the county. These records are accessible in person at the courthouse. Many records are also searchable through Arkansas CourtConnect at no cost.
If you need a certified copy of a court order, judgment, or case filing, contact the Benton County Circuit Clerk directly. Copy fees and certification fees apply. Property records and land documents recorded in Benton County are also kept by the Circuit Clerk, who serves as ex-officio county recorder.
Note: For divorce records, property deeds, or probate filings, the Benton County offices are the correct point of contact, not the Bentonville city offices.
Statewide Records Tools
Several free state tools help you search Bentonville and Benton County records from home. Arkansas CourtConnect lets you search circuit court case records by name or case number. It covers civil, criminal, domestic, and probate cases statewide.
For criminal history checks, the Arkansas Crime Information Center processes authorized background check requests. Informal lookups are not available through ACIC, but authorized agencies can pull full criminal history reports. The Arkansas Department of Corrections inmate search is free and public. You can look up anyone currently in state prison by name.
Vital records such as birth and death certificates for events in Bentonville are held by the Arkansas Department of Health. Marriage licenses for Benton County are issued by the Benton County Clerk. Property data for Bentonville parcels is available through the Benton County Assessor's online portal at no cost.
Nearby Arkansas Cities
These qualifying Arkansas cities are near Bentonville. Each has its own city records page.