Arkansas small claims
How to fill out an Arkansas Small Claims Complaint (district court)
Official form: Complaint (obtained from the district court clerk) · Walkthrough written against Undated — the Pulaski County District Court form carries no printed revision
In Arkansas, this form is issued per county or court
There is no single statewide version — each county's (or court's) clerk issues its own, and courts generally expect their own version. The walkthrough below uses the Pulaski County District Court's Small Claims Complaint because the forms ask for largely the same information, but your court's layout and requirements can differ. Look up your courthouse to find the operative version — the clerk's office has it.
Download the official form — free, from the court
The only authoritative copy of this form is the court's own. Courts re-issue forms, so downloading a fresh copy right before filing beats reusing a saved one. We link the official source and never host court forms ourselves.
Get the official form from the court's site →Link verified 2026-07-04. If it has moved, the court's forms index and clerk's office will have the current version — verify with the court before filing.
What this form is
Arkansas hears small claims in the small claims division of its district courts, and there is no statewide initiating form — each district court clerk supplies a local complaint form, a reality the Arkansas Attorney General's consumer guide to small claims confirms. What you file in Little Rock is not the same sheet you would file in Fayetteville, though the clerks ask for the same core information.
Whatever the county, the complaint identifies the plaintiff and each defendant (with home and work addresses, since either can matter for service), states the amount of relief claimed — Arkansas small claims covers up to $5,000 — gives the date the claim arose, and sets out the facts explaining the claim. The complaint travels to the defendant with instructions and an answer form, and the packet warns the defendant that a written answer is due within 30 days.
The walkthrough below uses the Pulaski County District Court's Small Claims Complaint as a representative example — a three-page set: the complaint itself, a page of defendant's instructions, and a proof-of-service page. Your county's version may differ; the district court clerk where you file supplies the operative form.
The form, field by field
What each part of the form asks for, in the form's own order. These are descriptions of the questions — what to answer depends on facts only you know, and the court clerk or the form's own instructions are the authoritative sources.
The caption and plaintiff block
Court header and CASE #
The Pulaski form is pre-printed with the court's name and address (Pulaski County District Court, Little Rock) — on a local form, the court block is the court's, and the case number is filled in by the clerk when the complaint is filed.
Plaintiff — name, address (HM), phone (WK), city, state, zip
Your identifying and contact information, with separate labels for home address and a work phone.
The defendant blocks
Defendant-1 / Defendant-2 — home address and employment address blocks
Each defendant block asks for the name plus two parallel address sets: home (address, city, state, zip, phone) and employment (address, city, state, zip, phone). The form has room for two defendants.
Agent of service for corporation (defendant's) — name, address, city, state, zip
A dedicated line for the registered agent when the defendant is a corporation — the person authorized to accept service of process for the entity.
The claim
"AMOUNT OF RELIEF CLAIMED $___" and "DATE CLAIM AROSE"
The dollar amount you are claiming and the date the claim arose. Arkansas small claims covers money claims up to $5,000.
"FACTS EXPLAINING THIS CLAIM"
Ruled lines for a plain-language statement of what happened and why the defendant owes the amount claimed.
Signature of plaintiff
You sign the complaint. Beside the signature area, the form carries a fee tally (claim amount, filing fees, service fees and server, total) that is completed at filing.
What the rest of the packet does (court and defendant pages)
Pre-printed defendant notice
The complaint carries a boxed notice to the defendant: "IF YOU FAIL TO FILE A WRITTEN ANSWER WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM THE DATE YOU RECEIVE THIS COMPLAINT, JUDGMENT WILL BE ENTERED AGAINST YOU FOR THE AMOUNT OF THE CLAIM FILED PLUS THE COURT COSTS." That is notice text, not something you complete.
Defendant's instructions page
Page two is addressed to the defendant: it explains the answer/counterclaim form, witness subpoenas through the clerk, bringing papers and receipts to court, rescheduling, and the right to appeal to circuit court within 30 days of disposition.
Proof of service page
Page three has two service blocks — service by sheriff (with checkboxes for who received the papers: the named defendant, a family member at least 18 at the defendant's usual place of abode, the designated agent for service, or other) and service by process server, with a notarization line for non-sheriff service. These are completed by the server, not by you.
Common reasons clerks reject this form
Clerks bounce filings for mechanical, fixable reasons. These are the patterns that come up with this particular form:
- ⚠Filing another county's complaint form — Arkansas has no statewide small claims form, and each district court clerk supplies (and expects) its own local version.
- ⚠Suing a corporation without the agent-for-service line completed — the form asks for the corporate defendant's registered agent because that is where service goes.
- ⚠Leaving the employment-address block empty when the home address is uncertain — the form collects both because either can be the workable service address.
- ⚠Claiming more than $5,000 — that exceeds the small claims division's limit, and larger claims belong on the district court's regular civil docket or in circuit court.
- ⚠Leaving the date-the-claim-arose line blank — it sits next to the amount on the form and clerks look for both.
- ⚠Facts that do not explain the claim — the form's facts section is the defendant's and the judge's first account of the dispute, and the packet the defendant receives is built around it.
What filing costs, and where it happens
Arkansas district court filing and service fees vary by county and by how the defendant is served — the Pulaski form itself has a fee tally (filing fees, service fees, server) completed at filing. The district court clerk quotes the exact total for your case — verify before filing.
You file with the district court clerk in the proper county — generally where the defendant resides or where the events happened. The clerk's office supplies the local complaint form, and after filing, the packet is served on the defendant, who has 30 days to file a written answer. The Arkansas judiciary's district courts page and the Attorney General's small claims guide both describe the process.
Published fees and court locations for your county are in our Arkansas small claims guide and the court directory. Fees change — verify the current amount with the clerk before filing.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the form for my county?
The walkthrough above uses Pulaski County's complaint as a representative example. Arkansas has no statewide small claims form — each district court clerk supplies its own. The clerk where you file has the operative version, and the courts lookup on this site can point you to your county's district court.
How much can I sue for in Arkansas small claims?
Up to $5,000 in the small claims division of district court. Larger claims go on the district court's regular civil docket or to circuit court.
Where do I get the complaint form?
From the district court clerk's office in the county where you are filing — clerks supply the local form, typically at the counter or on the court's or county's website. The form itself is free.
What happens after I file?
The clerk assigns a case number, the complaint packet is served on the defendant (by sheriff or process server, per the proof-of-service page), and the defendant has 30 days to file a written answer. If no answer is filed, the packet's own notice says judgment can be entered for the amount claimed plus court costs; if the claim is contested, the court hears both sides.
Do I need a lawyer to file?
No — the packet's own instructions note that in small claims it is not necessary to hire an attorney, and the process is built for people representing themselves. Consulting a lawyer about your situation beforehand is an option.
Related guides
Form link verified: 2026-07-04. Reviewed against our Editorial Standards.
This is general information to help you understand the form — not legal advice, and not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. Courts revise forms, fees, and procedures; the court's own instructions and your court clerk are the authoritative sources. Always verify with the court before filing.