AR · Find someone in custody

How do I find someone in jail or prison in Arkansas?

Take a breath. You can find where your person is being held in Arkansas using official sources — here is exactly where to look and what to have ready.

State locator: Arkansas Division of Correction Inmate Population Search
VINELink: Covers Arkansas
Last verified: 2026-07-23
Jurisdiction: Arkansas

Which system is holding them in Arkansas?

There is no single search that covers everyone. Match the situation to the right official locator — most families start with the first one.

If the arrest was recent

Start with the county jail

Someone just arrested is in a COUNTY JAIL (or city detention) run by the local sheriff, not in state prison, so the Division of Correction locator will not show them.

Arkansas's 75 counties run their jails independently and there is no single statewide jail roster.

Some county sheriffs post an online jail/detainee roster, but many do not.

For a recent arrest, check the arresting county sheriff's roster if it exists, use VINE, or call the jail's booking desk.

Online jail rosters exist for some Arkansas county sheriffs but many counties have none; for those, calling the jail booking/records line is the reliable path.

Search VINELink (choose Arkansas)

If they were sentenced to prison

Use the state prison locator

The Arkansas Division of Correction's official Inmate Population Information Search lets anyone look up a person in Arkansas state prison custody.

Search by name or ADC number to see location and status.

It is one of the Division's online services (doc.arkansas.gov).

It covers people held by the state prison system, not county jails or people just arrested.

Open the Arkansas inmate locator

If the charge is federal

Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons

A federal charge means the person is in the federal system, not a Arkansas state or county facility. Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator by name or register number — it is separate from every state and county tool.

Search the Federal BOP locator

Finding your person in Arkansas, step by step

Work through these in order. Each step points to an official source — you do the searching there, on the government site.

Step 1

Figure out which system is likely holding them

A person arrested in the last hours or days is almost always in the county or city jail where the arrest happened. A person already sentenced and transferred is in a state prison. A person facing federal charges is in federal custody. Match the situation to the right official locator below.
Step 2

For a recent arrest, check the county jail roster or VINE

Find the sheriff's office for the county where the arrest happened and check its online jail roster if it has one. Or use VINE at vinelink.com, which pulls near-real-time custody status from participating Arkansas jails and prisons and lets you register free for custody-change alerts.
Official source
Step 3

For a sentenced person, search the state prison locator

Use the Arkansas Division of Correction Inmate Population Search and enter the name or ADC number. It covers only people in Arkansas state prison custody, not county jails or brand-new arrests.
Official source
Step 4

If the charge is federal, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator

The federal BOP inmate locator at bop.gov covers people held in federal custody and is separate from Arkansas state and county systems.
Official source
Step 5

If no online roster shows them, call the jail's booking or records line

A person booked in the last few hours may not appear online yet, and many small Arkansas jails post nothing. Call the county sheriff's booking/records desk to confirm the booking, booking number, any bond amount, and next court date. Court information is on the Arkansas Judiciary site.
Official source

What you’ll need to search

You can start with just a name, but these make a match faster and surer.

The person's full legal name, plus any middle name, alias, or spelling variations.
Their date of birth, which official locators use to distinguish similar names.
If you have it, the ADC or booking number for the most exact match, though a name search is enough to start.

Use official, free sources — and a few things to watch for

Use only official government sources: the Division of Correction inmate search, the county sheriff's own jail roster, VINE at vinelink.com, or the Federal Bureau of Prisons. All are free.
Be wary of paid 'inmate search' and mugshot websites that outrank the official ones. They often charge fees for information the official sites give free and may show stale, incomplete, or already-expunged records.
Custody information changes constantly; a very recent booking may not appear online right away, so call the facility booking or records line if you cannot find the person.

If you need to bail them out in Arkansas

Finding the person comes first. Once you know where they are, this is how getting them out works in Arkansas.

Commercial bail available

In Arkansas, commercial bail exists. If a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash directly with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee. A judge may also release the person on their own recognizance or on set conditions, so ask the court or the jail what applies before paying anyone.

Arkansas uses a money-bail system.

After an arrest, a judicial officer sets bail under the Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure.

Release can be on your own recognizance, by depositing cash with the court, or through a professional surety (bail) bond posted for a fee by a licensed bail bondsman.

Commercial bail bondsmen legally operate in Arkansas and are licensed and regulated by the Arkansas Insurance Department's Professional Bail Bond Company and Professional Bail Bondsman Licensing Board.

A surety bail bond carries a non-refundable premium (fee) charged by the bondsman. Arkansas regulates bail bond premiums, and state law sets a minimum premium (commonly around 10% of the bond amount). Cash posted directly with the court is returned, less any costs, once the case's bail conditions are met.

The person’s rights. The person in custody has the right to talk to a lawyer about their case, and if they cannot afford one, the court can appoint a public defender.

Other official Arkansas contacts

County jails are run by the sheriff where the arrest happened — call that jail’s booking or records line for a very recent booking or the bail amount. These statewide sources can also help.

If there is also a warrant to deal with

Two companion guides pick up where this one leaves off — checking for a warrant, and resolving it on your own terms.

Check for a warrant in Arkansas Worried the person has an open warrant too? Check first, state by state. Resolve a warrant in Arkansas If they need to resolve a warrant, this walks through turning yourself in calmly.

Common questions about finding someone in Arkansas

How do I find someone who was just arrested in Arkansas?

Someone just arrested is in a COUNTY JAIL (or city detention) run by the local sheriff, not in state prison, so the Division of Correction locator will not show them. Arkansas's 75 counties run their jails independently and there is no single statewide jail roster. Some county sheriffs post an online jail/detainee roster, but many do not. For a recent arrest, check the arresting county sheriff's roster if it exists, use VINE, or call the jail's booking desk.

How do I find someone in state prison in Arkansas?

The Arkansas Division of Correction's official Inmate Population Information Search lets anyone look up a person in Arkansas state prison custody. Search by name or ADC number to see location and status. It is one of the Division's online services (doc.arkansas.gov). It covers people held by the state prison system, not county jails or people just arrested.

Is there a free way to check if someone is in custody in Arkansas?

Yes. VINELink (the free national custody service) covers Arkansas. Search by name for custody status and register for free alerts. County jail rosters and the state locator are also free and official.

What do I need to look someone up in Arkansas?

The person's full legal name, plus any middle name, alias, or spelling variations. Their date of birth, which official locators use to distinguish similar names. If you have it, the ADC or booking number for the most exact match, though a name search is enough to start.

Does Arkansas have commercial bail bondsmen?

Yes. Commercial bail exists in Arkansas: if a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee, and a judge may also grant own-recognizance or conditional release.

Sources & last verified

Everything here links out to official government or public-safety sources. We don’t store, search, or republish records.

Last verified 2026-07-23 · 9 sources