Arkansas landlord guide — county ordinances, courthouse info & local rules for Searcy, Beebe & Bald Knob
📍 County Seat: Searcy 👥 Pop. 76,822 (2020) • 9th Largest in AR ⚖️ 17th Judicial Circuit 🚫 DRY COUNTY 🎓 Harding University / Oldest Courthouse in AR / First Walmart DC Outside Bentonville / First Security Bank
White County was formed on October 23, 1835, from portions of Independence, Jackson, and Pulaski counties, and named in honor of Hugh Lawson White of Tennessee — a Whig candidate for President of the United States. Its county seat, Searcy, was originally called White Sulphur Springs and renamed in 1837 for Richard Searcy, a judge of the Superior Court of the Arkansas Territory. The first American settlers believed to have arrived in White County were John and Nancy Magness, who came from Tennessee around 1815 and established a farm in the area now known as Letona. With a population of 76,822 (2020 census), White County ranks as the 9th most populous county in Arkansas and part of the Searcy Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Little Rock–North Little Rock Combined Statistical Area.
The county’s rental market is shaped primarily by Harding University — Arkansas’s largest private university — along with First Security Bank (headquartered in Searcy with $8B+ in assets), ASU Beebe and ASU Searcy campuses, Walmart’s distribution infrastructure, and a strong religious and educational culture. White County is a dry county, though a few private clubs (including the Searcy Country Club and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Searcy and Beebe) are permitted to serve alcohol. All evictions are filed in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court.
🚫 Dry County: White County is a dry county — retail alcohol sales are prohibited. A few private clubs (Searcy Country Club, VFW posts in Searcy and Beebe) may serve alcohol to members. If you manage properties near club facilities, note that guests visiting those clubs may drive from surrounding wet counties. Review your lease for any alcohol-related nuisance provisions. Do not include alcohol-related clauses that could be applied in a discriminatory manner; apply all lease provisions consistently and in accordance with Fair Housing law.
🎓 Harding University (1924) — Arkansas’s largest private university; associated with Churches of Christ; ~4,800–5,300 students; moved to Searcy’s Galloway Female College campus 1934; 2023 NCAA Division II football national champions; Spring Sing draws ~12,000 attendees annually |
🏛️ Oldest Courthouse in AR (1871) — The White County Courthouse is said to be the oldest functional courthouse in Arkansas; features an elaborate clock tower containing a replica of the Liberty Bell cast in 1855 |
🚛 First Walmart DC Outside Bentonville (1978) — Walmart opened its first distribution center outside its Bentonville headquarters in eastern Searcy in 1978; still in operation as a Sam’s Club distribution center; a larger Walmart DC has since opened in southern Searcy |
💣 Titan II Silo Explosion (August 9, 1965) — An explosion at a Titan II ICBM missile silo north of Searcy killed 53 civilian workers — one of the largest industrial accidents in Arkansas history
📊 Quick Stats
County Seat
Searcy (~22,937 in 2020)
Other Cities
Beebe, Bald Knob, Kensett, Judsonia, Bradford, Romance, Pangburn, McRae
Population
76,822 (2020); est. 79,091 (July 2024) — 9th most populous in AR
MSA
Searcy Micropolitan Statistical Area; Little Rock–NLR Combined Statistical Area
Major Employers
Harding University, First Security Bank, Walmart distribution, White County Medical Center, ASU Beebe/Searcy, agriculture, manufacturing
Court
17th Judicial Circuit (White & Prairie counties)
Rent Control
None
Alcohol
Dry county (private clubs excepted)
⚡ Eviction At-a-Glance
Nonpayment Notice
3-Day Notice to Vacate
Lease Violation
14-Day Notice to Cure or Quit
Month-to-Month Term.
30-Day Written Notice
Week-to-Week Term.
7-Day Written Notice
Eviction Filing
Unlawful Detainer / Complaint
Tenant Response Window
5 days after summons
Eviction Timeline
3–6 weeks typical
Security Deposit Cap
2 months rent (6+ unit landlords)
Deposit Return
60 days after termination
Statute
A.C.A. §§ 18-16-101; 18-17-101 et seq.
White County Ordinances & Local Rules
Topic
Rule / Notes
Circuit Clerk & Filing
All evictions in White County are filed in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court (White and Prairie counties). Circuit Clerk: Sara Brown Carlton — 300 N. Spruce, Searcy, AR 72143; Phone: (501) 279-6203. The White County Courthouse (1871), located at 300 N. Spruce in downtown Searcy, is widely regarded as the oldest functional courthouse in Arkansas. It features a distinctive clock tower containing a replica of the Liberty Bell cast in 1855. File the Unlawful Detainer complaint at the courthouse after the required notice period expires without tenant compliance.
Rent Control
None. Arkansas preempts local rent control statewide. Landlords may raise rents freely at renewal or with 30 days’ written notice on month-to-month tenancies.
Security Deposit
Capped at 2 months’ rent (A.C.A. § 18-16-304). Applies to landlords renting six or more dwellings. Return with written itemized deductions within 60 days of termination (A.C.A. § 18-16-305).
Notice to Vacate — Nonpayment
Written 3-day notice to vacate required before filing for unlawful detainer for nonpayment. Best practice: wait until rent is at least 5 days past due before serving (A.C.A. § 18-17-901). Retain dated proof of service.
Lease Violation Notice
For non-rent violations, serve a written 14-day notice to cure or quit identifying the specific breach (A.C.A. § 18-17-701). If the tenant remedies the violation within 14 days, the tenancy continues.
Month-to-Month Termination
30-day written notice required to terminate a month-to-month tenancy (A.C.A. § 18-17-704). Week-to-week tenancies require 7-day written notice.
Harding University Student Market
Harding University’s ~4,800–5,300 students represent the dominant driver of demand in Searcy’s rental market. Key considerations for landlords: (1) Harding enforces a strict Christian code of conduct — students may request lease terms compatible with campus regulations; do not make screening decisions based on religion (religion is a protected class under the Fair Housing Act). (2) Verify all income sources for student applicants: scholarships, parental support, and student loans are periodic, not recurring monthly income — require a co-signer or guarantor if the student cannot demonstrate sufficient independent income. (3) For joint leases, screen all co-applicants as separate applicants. (4) Harding’s Spring Sing event (~12,000 attendees) creates a brief spike in short-term accommodation demand each Easter weekend. (5) Harding’s fall semester start typically triggers the highest lease-up demand period of the year.
Large Homeschooling Population
White County has one of the largest homeschooling populations in Arkansas. Homeschooling families are often larger, with multiple children, and may have a single-income household. Apply income and occupancy standards consistently and in accordance with Fair Housing guidelines on familial status. Do not impose per-person or per-child occupancy restrictions that are more restrictive than the HUD two-persons-per-bedroom guideline without documented business justification.
First Security Bank / Financial Institutions
First Security Bank was founded in Searcy in 1932 and has grown to more than $8 billion in assets and 78 locations across Arkansas. Searcy is also home to ASU Searcy and ASU Beebe campus employees, Walmart distribution workers, and White County Medical Center staff. This professional workforce creates stable demand for mid-market rental housing. Verify income, employment, and prior rental history as part of any consistent screening process.
No Warranty of Habitability (Default)
Arkansas does not impose a general implied warranty of habitability by default. Leases executed after October 2021 carry some statutory habitability protections unless waived in writing. Tenants have no repair-and-deduct remedy under Arkansas law.
Abandoned Property
Personal property remaining after lease termination is deemed abandoned and may be disposed of by the landlord (A.C.A. § 18-16-108). Document with timestamped photos and video before disposal.
Self-Help Eviction
Prohibited. Do not attempt lockouts, utility shutoffs, or removal of belongings without a court order. Use the lawful judicial process through the 17th Judicial Circuit Court in Searcy.
Late Fees & NSF Checks
No statutory cap on late fees in Arkansas. Specify amount and grace period in writing in the lease. For returned checks: $30 per check plus bank fees (A.C.A. § 5-37-307(c)(2)(B)).
Notice Type3-Day Notice to Quit (Civil unlawful detainer) / 10-Day Notice (Criminal failure to vacate)
Notice Period3 days
Tenant Can Cure?No - 3-day civil notice is unconditional quit; tenant must vacate (landlord not required to accept late rent)
Days to Hearing5-15 days
Days to Writ1-5 days
Total Estimated Timeline15-30 days
Total Estimated Cost$100-$350
⚠️ Watch Out
Arkansas historically had a criminal eviction statute allowing landlords to charge tenants with a misdemeanor for failure to vacate. This was struck down in 2023 but some counties still reference it. Civil unlawful detainer is now the primary path.
Serve the required notice based on the eviction reason (nonpayment or lease violation).
Wait for the notice period to expire. If tenant cures the issue (where allowed), the process stops.
File an eviction case with the Circuit Court (or District Court with concurrent jurisdiction). Pay the filing fee (~$65-165).
Tenant is served with a summons and has the opportunity to respond.
Attend the court hearing and present your case.
If you prevail, obtain a writ of possession from the court.
Law enforcement executes the writ and removes the tenant if necessary.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Arkansas eviction laws and does not constitute legal advice.
Eviction procedures can vary by county and may change over time. Local jurisdictions may have additional requirements or tenant protections.
For specific legal guidance, consult a qualified Arkansas attorney or local legal aid organization.
🔍 Reduce Your Risk Before Signing a Lease:
Arkansas landlords who screen tenants carefully before signing a lease significantly
reduce their risk of ending up in eviction court. Understanding
tenant screening in Arkansas —
including background checks, credit history, income verification, and rental references — is one of the most
cost-effective steps you can take to protect your rental property. Before you ever need Arkansas's
eviction process, proper tenant screening can help
you identify red flags early and avoid problem tenancies altogether.
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AI-generated, state-specific eviction notices, pay-or-quit letters, lease termination documents, and more — pre-filled with your tenant's information and built to Arkansas requirements.
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⚠️ Disclaimer: These calculations are estimates based on state statutes and typical court timelines. Actual results vary by county, court backlog, and case specifics. Always verify current requirements with your local courthouse. This is not legal advice.
White County market: 17th Judicial Circuit; Circuit Clerk Sara Brown Carlton, 300 N. Spruce, Searcy, (501) 279-6203. Dry county (private clubs excepted). Harding University students: verify all income + require guarantor for student-only applicants; do not screen on religion. Homeschooling families: apply Fair Housing familial status protections; use HUD two-per-bedroom guideline for occupancy. Professional workforce (bank, medical, distribution, university staff): standard income verification applies. No rent control anywhere in AR.
Arkansas key rules: 3-day notice (nonpayment), 14-day cure (violations), 30-day M-to-M termination, no rent control, 60-day deposit return, 2-month cap (6+ unit landlords), no habitability warranty by default, no repair-and-deduct.
Background checks, eviction history, credit reports — get the full picture before handing over the keys.
White County Arkansas Landlord-Tenant Law: Harding University, Arkansas’s Oldest Courthouse, and the County Where Walmart First Expanded Beyond Bentonville
White County was established by the Arkansas territorial legislature on October 23, 1835, and named in honor of Hugh Lawson White of Tennessee — a Whig presidential candidate who came close to denying Martin Van Buren the 1836 election. Its county seat, originally called White Sulphur Springs for natural mineral springs that had attracted a health spa as early as 1815, was renamed Searcy in 1837 after Richard Searcy, a judge of the Superior Court of the Arkansas Territory. Israel Moore, arriving from Philadelphia, laid out Searcy’s first streets and named them after Philadelphia streets near Independence Hall — Race, Arch, Market, Vine, Spring, Cherry, Spruce, Locust, and Pine — many of which still bear those names today.
The Courthouse, Harding University, and Searcy’s Identity
The 1871 White County Courthouse, standing at 300 N. Spruce in downtown Searcy, is widely regarded as the oldest functional courthouse in Arkansas. Its elaborate clock tower contains a replica of the Liberty Bell cast in 1855, and the building remains in active use for county court business to this day. Circuit Clerk Sara Brown Carlton and the 17th Judicial Circuit Court both operate from this historic address. All unlawful detainer (eviction) complaints for White County must be filed here.
The most powerful force in White County’s rental market is Harding University. Founded in 1924 in Morrilton from the merger of two struggling Christian junior colleges, Harding College purchased the campus of Galloway Female College in Searcy after Galloway merged with Hendrix College in 1933, and relocated to Searcy in the fall of 1934. Associated with the Churches of Christ, Harding is today Arkansas’s largest private university, with approximately 4,800–5,300 students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, spread across a 350-acre campus. The university fields NCAA Division II athletics and won the Division II football national championship in 2023. Spring Sing, an annual theatrical production held each Easter weekend, draws roughly 12,000 attendees. The ASU Searcy technical campus (formerly Foothills Vocational-Technical School, est. 1966) and ASU Beebe campus further reinforce Searcy’s identity as an education-centered community.
First Security Bank, Walmart’s First DC, and the Titan II Disaster
Searcy has produced two of Arkansas’s most consequential business institutions. First Security Bank was founded in downtown Searcy in 1932 as Security Bank, weathered the Great Depression, and grew into one of Arkansas’s largest banks with more than $8 billion in assets and 78 locations statewide. In 1978, Walmart opened its first distribution center outside its Bentonville headquarters in eastern Searcy — a decision that reflected the proximity of White County to the I-67 corridor and its place in the Little Rock–North Little Rock Combined Statistical Area. That original facility continues to operate today as a Sam’s Club distribution center, and a second, larger Walmart DC has since opened in southern Searcy.
White County’s most somber historic moment came on August 9, 1965, when an explosion ripped through a Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile silo north of Searcy, killing 53 civilian construction workers. It was one of the largest industrial accidents in Arkansas history, and the site remains a sobering landmark in county memory. Earlier, in 1876, a religious cult called the Cobbites briefly organized south of Searcy under a leader who claimed to be God or Jesus Christ; the group unraveled after the murder of a local man and a subsequent mob attack. And on May 17, 1862, White County saw the Little Red Skirmish when Union forces under Major General Samuel J. Curtis engaged a small Confederate force near Searcy Landing — a minor but historically documented engagement.
Arkansas Landlord-Tenant Law in White County
All residential rental relationships in White County are governed by statewide Arkansas law. There is no local rent control anywhere in Arkansas. White County is a dry county. For nonpayment, serve a 3-day written notice to vacate after rent is at least 5 days past due, then file an Unlawful Detainer complaint with Circuit Clerk Sara Brown Carlton, 300 N. Spruce, Searcy, AR 72143, (501) 279-6203. For lease violations, serve a 14-day notice to cure. Month-to-month tenancies require 30 days’ written notice to terminate. Security deposits are capped at two months’ rent for landlords with six or more units, returned with written itemized deductions within 60 days. No implied warranty of habitability by default; no repair-and-deduct remedy; self-help evictions are prohibited. Religion is a protected class under the Fair Housing Act; do not screen applicants based on religious affiliation or Harding University enrollment status.
This guide is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Fair Housing laws apply to all screening practices. Consult a licensed Arkansas attorney for guidance specific to your situation. Last updated: March 2026.
⚠️ Legal Disclaimer: This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Religion is a protected class under the Fair Housing Act; do not screen applicants based on religious affiliation. Apply all Fair Housing protections including familial status. Consult a licensed Arkansas attorney for guidance specific to your situation. Last updated: March 2026.
