Centerton Criminal Records Search

Criminal records for Centerton are maintained by the Centerton Police Department and processed through Benton County, which handles court filings, booking records, and warrant searches for all cities in northwest Arkansas's fastest-growing county. Arrest records, inmate rosters, active warrants, felony and misdemeanor case filings, and statewide background checks are available through official county offices and public systems. This page covers the Centerton Police Department, the Benton County Sheriff, the Benton County Circuit Clerk, online warrant search tools, and the statewide databases that draw records from across Arkansas. FOIA procedures are also included.

Centerton Police Department

The Centerton Police Department provides municipal law enforcement within Centerton city limits. Officers handle patrol, investigations, arrests, and incident reporting for city offenses. Centerton has grown rapidly over the past two decades, and the police department has expanded to serve the city's growing population in southern Benton County.

When Centerton Police arrest someone, that person is booked into the Benton County Jail in Bentonville. Arrest records from those bookings are maintained by the Benton County Sheriff, while incident reports and investigative files remain with Centerton Police. These are two separate record sets held by two separate agencies. Both are public under § 25-19-101 et seq.

To request records from Centerton Police, submit a FOIA request directly to the department. Include the type of document you want, the name of the person involved, the date of the incident, and your contact information. The department has three business days to provide records. Fees for copies are $0.25 per page. Active investigation files, juvenile records protected under § 9-27-309, and court-sealed materials may be withheld. Any denial must be in writing with the specific exemption cited.

For warrant checks on Centerton residents, the Benton County Sheriff is the right agency. See below for details on the online warrant search at bentoncountyar.gov. VINE at 1-800-510-0415 provides custody alerts for anyone held in the Benton County Jail, including Centerton residents arrested by city police.

Benton County Sheriff and Arrest Records

The Benton County Sheriff's Office is at 1300 SW 14th Street, Bentonville, AR 72712. Phone: (479) 271-1008. The sheriff operates the county jail and maintains booking records for all arrests processed through the Benton County detention system, including those made by Centerton Police within the city limits.

Arrest records at the county level are public records under § 25-19-101 et seq. To get booking records for a Centerton arrest, submit a FOIA request to the Benton County Sheriff through the sheriff's section at bentoncountyar.gov. Include the name of the person and the approximate date of arrest or booking. The sheriff's office has three business days to respond. Standard copy fees apply.

The Benton County Sheriff website includes an online warrant search. Go to bentoncountyar.gov, click the Sheriff section, then navigate to "How Do I" and select "Warrants." The search works by name or age. Each result shows the person's name, age, the offense that prompted the warrant, the date the warrant was issued, and the warrant number. This tool is free and public-facing. You do not need to call or visit the sheriff's office to run a basic name check. Active warrants are public records in Arkansas under § 25-19-101 et seq.

For current jail roster information, contact the Benton County Sheriff's Office directly at (479) 271-1008. The jail holds people arrested anywhere in Benton County, including Centerton. Booking records show the arresting agency, charges, bond information, and basic identifying details.

Benton County Circuit Clerk and Court Records

All criminal cases from Centerton, whether felony or misdemeanor, are filed in Benton County Circuit Court or Benton County District Court. The Benton County Circuit Clerk, located at the Benton County Courthouse in Bentonville, is the custodian of all criminal case records for the county. These include charge sheets, hearing schedules, plea agreements, verdicts, sentencing documents, and docket histories.

CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov gives free online access to Benton County court records. Search by name, case number, description, or date range. Results include party names, case type, case status, docket entries, attorney of record, and upcoming hearing dates. No account or registration is needed. CourtConnect is updated as new filings and hearing entries are added to the system. Phone support is available at 501-410-1900 or 866-823-5778.

In-person access to Benton County case files is available at the circuit clerk's office during business hours. For older records not available in the digital system, the clerk can search paper files. Certified copies cost $5 per document plus $0.25 per page. Uncertified copies are $0.25 per page.

Restricted records include juvenile court files under § 9-27-309, sealed and expunged records under § 16-90-901, and any case under a specific court order restricting public access. These will not appear in CourtConnect and cannot be viewed at the clerk's public terminals.

FOIA Requests for Centerton Criminal Records

Public records requests for Centerton criminal records go to different agencies depending on what you need. For incident reports and investigative files, contact Centerton Police directly. For booking records and warrant information, contact the Benton County Sheriff at (479) 271-1008 or through bentoncountyar.gov. For court case records, contact the Benton County Circuit Clerk in Bentonville.

Under § 25-19-101 et seq., each agency must confirm receipt within 24 hours and provide responsive records within three business days. The $0.25 per page copy fee is standard. Staff search time cannot be charged. Large or vague requests may come back with a question asking you to narrow the scope before the agency begins processing.

Common exemptions include active investigation files, juvenile records under § 9-27-309, records under § 16-90-901 (sealed and expunged matters), materials with a specific court-ordered restriction, and documents that would identify a confidential source. When only part of a record is exempt, the agency must produce the rest with the protected portions redacted rather than denying the whole request.

If a denial seems improper, the Arkansas Attorney General's Office at 800-482-8982 can review the situation and advise on next steps. Most FOIA disputes are resolved without formal legal proceedings, especially when the requester provides a specific enough request and the agency gets a clear legal question to answer.

Arkansas State Police Background Checks

A statewide criminal background check that includes Benton County records is available through the Arkansas State Police Online Criminal Background Check System. Online requests cost $22. Mail-in requests using form ASP-122 cost $25, sent to the Identification Bureau at 1 State Police Plaza Drive, Little Rock, AR 72209. Phone: 501-618-8500. Qualifying volunteer organizations pay $11.

The check draws from the statewide criminal history database under A.C.A. § 12-12-1501. Under § 12-12-1506(d), conviction records and felony arrest records are available to the public. Results can include felony and misdemeanor convictions, felony arrests, pending felony charges from the last five years, and sex offender registry status. Sealed and expunged records will not appear.

The Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) maintains the statewide database and the sex offender registry. Phone: 501-682-7441. Centerton residents who find errors in their ACIC record can file a written dispute. ACIC has 30 days to respond.

The free ADC Inmate Search covers people currently held or previously held in Arkansas Department of Corrections state prisons. It includes Centerton residents who were convicted of felonies in Benton County Circuit Court and sentenced to serve time in a state facility.

The Arkansas State Police background check system covers all 75 Arkansas counties including Benton, giving a statewide view that goes beyond Centerton and county-level searches.

Statewide Court and Inmate Search Tools

CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov is the free statewide court records system. It covers Benton County circuit and district court cases. A name search returns all cases in the system for that person, including criminal cases filed in Benton County involving Centerton residents. Case status, docket entries, charge descriptions, and hearing dates are all shown for free.

The free ADC Inmate Search covers people in or previously in Arkansas state prison. Search by name or ADC number. It is separate from the Benton County Jail booking records. If someone was convicted and sent to a state facility after a Benton County trial, their ADC record will appear here.

CourtConnect provides free online access to Benton County court records, covering all criminal case filings for Centerton at both the circuit and district court levels.

Expungement and Sealed Records in Centerton

Centerton residents may petition to seal eligible criminal records under the Arkansas Uniform Expungement Act at A.C.A. § 16-90-901. When the Benton County Circuit Court enters an expungement order, ACIC has 30 days to process the sealing. After that, the record will not appear in Arkansas State Police background checks or in CourtConnect public searches.

Some offenses require a waiting period before they are eligible. Class A Misdemeanor Negligent Homicide, Battery in the Third Degree, Indecent Exposure, Public Sexual Indecency, Sexual Assault in the Fourth Degree, Domestic Battering in the Third Degree, and misdemeanor DWI each carry a five-year wait after completion of the sentence. Some convictions cannot be sealed at all. ACIC does not advise on eligibility. Legal Aid of Arkansas at 1-800-952-9243 and the Center for Arkansas Legal Services, which covers northwest Arkansas at 479-521-3332, can help Centerton residents understand whether their record qualifies.

Juvenile records in Centerton are sealed under § 9-27-309 unless the court specifically ordered the juvenile tried as an adult.

Nearby Qualifying Cities

These nearby cities in Benton County and northwest Arkansas have their own criminal records pages. All are served by the same Benton County court and law enforcement system.

Benton County Criminal Records

Centerton is in Benton County. The county page has full details on the circuit court, sheriff's office, county jail, warrant search tools, and FOIA procedures for all of Benton County.