Logan County Arkansas Landlord-Tenant Law: Two County Seats, Two National Forests, the Highest Peak in Arkansas, and What Every Landlord Needs to Know
There is exactly one county in Arkansas where you can stand at the highest point in the state and look out across two different national forests — and that county is Logan. Mount Magazine, at 2,753 feet above sea level, rises from the Ozark National Forest in the northern part of the county, while the Ouachita National Forest spreads across the southern reaches of the same county. Logan is one of only two Arkansas counties that encompasses portions of both national forests, a geographic distinction that gives it one of the most varied and scenic landscapes in the state: rolling farmland in the river valleys, forested ridgelines in the middle elevations, isolated mesa summits above the treeline, and the Arkansas River tracing the county’s northern edge.
The county was created in 1871 as Sarber County — named for John Newton Sarber, a Reconstruction-era Republican legislator — and was renamed Logan County in 1875 for James Logan, an early settler who served in both the territorial and first state legislatures. It has two county seats, Paris in the north and Booneville in the south, a dual-seat structure that was formalized in 1901 after county leaders acknowledged what residents already knew: the terrain between the two ends of the county was so rugged that traveling from Booneville to Paris by horse and buggy over poor mountain roads took several days. Dividing the county into two judicial districts, each with its own courthouse and records, was a practical solution to a geographic reality that modern roads have since overcome, but the dual-seat structure remains embedded in the county’s legal and administrative framework.
The Critical Filing Rule for Logan County Landlords
For landlords in Logan County, the dual courthouse structure requires one decision before filing any eviction: which courthouse is correct for your property? Evictions for properties in the Northern Judicial District are filed at the Paris Courthouse, 25 W. Walnut St., Paris, AR 72855, (479) 963-2164. Evictions for properties in the Southern Judicial District are filed at the Booneville Courthouse, 366 N. Broadway Ave., Booneville, AR 72927, (479) 675-2894. Circuit Clerk April Hice serves both courthouses. Circuit Court sits on Tuesdays in Paris and Thursdays in Booneville. If you file in the wrong courthouse, your case may need to be re-filed in the correct district, delaying the process. When in doubt, call either courthouse before filing to confirm which district your rental property falls in.
Mount Magazine: Highest in Arkansas, Richest in Butterflies
On a clear day from the summit of Mount Magazine, you can see 40 miles in every direction. The English botanist Thomas Nuttall, who first recorded seeing the mountain in 1819, described it as a “magnificent empurpled mountain” resembling a “long ridge or table.” That description still holds: Magazine is a mesa, its top a 2,200-acre plateau with rich soil and a distinctive microclimate that supports plant and animal communities found nowhere else in Arkansas. Ninety-four of Arkansas’s 134 species of butterflies live on Mount Magazine, including the rare Diana fritillary. The mountain is the centerpiece of Mount Magazine State Park, which offers an 18-room lodge, cabins, a conference center, tent and RV camping, miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, and hang gliding opportunities from the high bluffs. The park draws visitors year-round — hikers and climbers in spring and summer, leaf-peepers in fall, and a steady stream of nature-focused visitors during winter when the mountain’s elevation creates snow conditions rare in Arkansas.
For landlords with properties near the mountain — particularly in the Magazine, Waveland, and Corley communities — the state park creates a genuine short-term rental opportunity for hikers, climbers, hang gliders, birders, and nature photographers who want to stay near the summit rather than commute from Fort Smith or Little Rock. Blue Mountain Lake, formed by a dam on the Petit Jean River north of the Ozark National Forest, adds fishing and water recreation demand. Properties with proximity to either destination should verify STR permit requirements with the relevant municipality before listing.
Subiaco Abbey: A Benedictine Community Since 1878
Among the most distinctive institutions in Logan County — or anywhere in rural Arkansas — is Subiaco Abbey, a Benedictine monastery established in 1878 by monks from St. Meinrad’s Abbey in Indiana. The abbey’s origins trace to the 1870s, when the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railroad was building westward through Arkansas and granted land to St. Meinrad’s Abbey to establish a Catholic mission along the rail line. German Catholic settlers had already begun moving into the Logan County area, drawn by affordable farmland, and the abbey grew as a spiritual and educational center for the region’s German-heritage community. Today Subiaco Abbey operates both a working Benedictine monastery and Subiaco Academy, a Catholic college preparatory school for young men that draws students from across Arkansas and beyond. The abbey’s campus, with its distinctive Gothic stone buildings overlooking the surrounding farmland, is open to visitors and hosts retreats. Abbey faculty, staff, and support personnel represent a modest but stable employment pool for landlords in the Subiaco and Ratcliff areas.
Dizzy Dean, Miss America, and a Last Hanging
Logan County has produced an unlikely roster of nationally known figures. Jay Hanna “Dizzy” Dean and his brother Paul “Daffy” Dean were born in Lucas, a community west of Booneville. As the pitching tandem for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1930s, the Dean brothers became two of the most colorful and beloved figures in baseball history; Dizzy Dean was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953 and went on to a career as a broadcaster known for his unorthodox commentary. Elizabeth Ward Gracen, who grew up in Booneville, was crowned Miss America 1982. General John Paul McConnell, also of Booneville, served as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from 1965 to 1969; his memorabilia is displayed at the Booneville Public Library.
A darker piece of Arkansas legal history is anchored in Paris: on July 14, 1914, Arthur Tillman was hanged on the grounds of the Paris jail after being convicted of murder. That execution is notable not as one of many, but as the last — the final execution by hanging ever carried out in Arkansas. Every execution in the state since that day has taken place at the state prison system. The gallows at Paris were the end of a chapter in Arkansas criminal history.
Arkansas Landlord-Tenant Law in Logan County
All residential rental relationships in Logan County are governed entirely by statewide Arkansas law — A.C.A. §§ 18-16-101 through 18-16-108 and the Arkansas Residential Landlord-Tenant Act of 2007, A.C.A. §§ 18-17-101 et seq. There is no local rent control, no just-cause eviction requirement, and no landlord licensing requirement in Paris, Booneville, or Logan County.
For nonpayment of rent, serve a written 3-day notice to vacate after rent is at least 5 days past due. For lease violations other than nonpayment, serve a 14-day notice to cure or quit. Month-to-month tenancies require 30 days’ written notice to terminate; week-to-week require 7 days. Security deposits are capped at two months’ rent for landlords with six or more rental units and must be returned with written itemized deductions within 60 days of lease termination. Arkansas does not impose a default implied warranty of habitability; tenants have no repair-and-deduct remedy. Abandoned property may be disposed of after lease termination. Self-help evictions are prohibited.
All evictions in Logan County are filed with Circuit Clerk April Hice at the courthouse for the appropriate district: Paris, (479) 963-2164, or Booneville, (479) 675-2894. Logan County is a wet county.
This guide is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Arkansas landlord-tenant law is governed by the Arkansas Code Annotated and applies statewide, with no local rent control or just-cause eviction requirements in Logan County. Consult a licensed Arkansas attorney or contact the 5th Judicial Circuit Court Clerk at (479) 963-2164 (Paris) or (479) 675-2894 (Booneville) for guidance specific to your situation. Last updated: March 2026.
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