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Arkansas County
Chicot County County Government Offices
County SeatLake Village
Population10,208
Founded1823
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Office: Chicot County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 108 Main St, Lake Village, AR 71653
Phone: (870) 265-8027
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Contact county OEM; Lake Village community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: Southeast corner of Arkansas – borders Mississippi and Louisiana; Lake Village is county seat on Lake Chicot (largest natural lake in Arkansas – oxbow of the Mississippi River); Mississippi River borders the east; tornado corridor; significant flooding risk (Mississippi River and Lake Chicot flooding); one of Arkansas’s most economically distressed counties; majority African American county
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Chicot County Road Department – (870) 265-8027
Public Transit: Very limited; rural Delta county; transportation to medical care is a significant challenge
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: US-65 and US-82 are main corridors; Lake Village is a small county seat; Mississippi River bridges (Greenville Bridge in Mississippi) provide access east; Delta terrain; very rural
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Chicot County – (870) 265-8027
Services: Basic building permits; Lake Village and Dermott have separate permits
Notes: Very limited development activity; agricultural county; rice and soybean farming dominant; one of Arkansas’s poorest counties
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Chicot County Veterans Service Office – (870) 265-8027
VA Medical: Central Arkansas VA (Little Rock); very distant for this isolated county
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Transportation to VA is a major barrier in this rural isolated county; telehealth critical
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Chicot County Library
Lake Village: (870) 265-2723; Dermott Branch
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi; bilingual services limited
Notes: Small library system serving very poor county; internet access through the library is critical for residents with limited home connectivity
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Lake Chicot State Park – arkansasstateparks.com | (870) 265-5480 (Lake Chicot – Arkansas’s largest natural lake; excellent bass and bream fishing; camping; water recreation); Mississippi River access (fishing and scenic interest); Delta cultural heritage
Notes: Lake Chicot (an oxbow of the Mississippi River) is the county’s primary recreational asset; excellent fishing draws anglers; the park’s natural beauty – Spanish moss, cypress trees, and Delta landscape – is distinctive; Mississippi River heritage is deep in Chicot County’s history
Notes: Very poor rural county; minimal GIS resources; Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi River levee mapping important
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Chicot County Animal Control – (870) 265-8027
Services: Very basic animal control
Notes: Extremely limited resources; one of Arkansas’s most economically challenged counties
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Chicot County – (870) 265-8027
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; Army Corps of Engineers (Mississippi River levees and Lake Chicot management); Lake Chicot water quality; agricultural runoff from rice and soybean production
Notes: Lake Chicot water quality is important for both recreation and as a natural feature; the lake (oxbow) is connected to the Mississippi River system and water quality is affected by agricultural runoff; Army Corps of Engineers manages the Mississippi River levee system that protects Chicot County from flooding; very limited environmental management capacity in this economically distressed county; illegal dumping is a documented concern in very poor rural Delta counties
About Chicot County County
Chicot County is Arkansas’s southernmost Delta county – Lake Chicot’s oxbow bass fishery and the flat Mississippi Delta cotton and soybean landscape define a county where Lake Village serves the surrounding agricultural communities near the Louisiana border.
Lake Village (the county seat, population ~2,500) is Chicot County’s governmental hub on US 65 on the banks of Lake Chicot, a southeast Arkansas Delta community whose oxbow lake, Delta farming, and courthouse anchor its identity near Louisiana.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Local DHS offices: Lake Village and/or Dermott (confirm via dhs.arkansas.gov)
Recommended
Search Chicot County public records for Lake Village and Chicot County residents.
Courts & Legal
Chicot County Circuit Court at 108 Main Street, Lake Village, AR 71653, phone 870-265-8010, handles probate.
Senior Services
Area Agency on Aging: Southeast Arkansas Area Agency on Aging (SEAAAA) — serves Chicot County
Meals on Wheels, transportation, senior centers
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
108 Main St., Lake Village, AR 71653
(870) 265-8000
CIRCUIT CLERK (Deeds, Court Records)
108 Main St., Lake Village, AR 71653
(870) 265-8000
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Chicot County Circuit Clerk (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
No dedicated Chicot County genealogical or historical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Chicot County Circuit Clerk – Probate Division 401 North Court Street, Lake Village, AR 71653 (870) 235-8311 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Arkansas has one of the more generous small-estate thresholds in the country, so check this first.
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where total property value (after debts, excluding the homestead and statutory spousal/minor-child allowances) is $100,000 or less. Available 45 days after the death. Filed using Form 23 (Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate by Distributee) under Ark. Code § 28-41-101 – no personal representative is appointed, and no full administration is needed.
Independent Administration – available when the will authorizes it, or when all heirs agree to it. The personal representative acts with minimal court oversight at each step.
Supervised Administration – the traditional, more heavily court-involved track; used for contested estates or when independent administration isn’t available or agreed to.
Administration with Will Annexed – used when a valid will doesn’t name an executor, or the named executor can’t or won’t serve.
If using the small estate affidavit
Wait at least 45 days after the death.
Confirm the estate’s total value (after debts, excluding homestead and statutory allowances) is $100,000 or less and there are no unresolved claims against the estate.
Complete Form 23, the Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate by Distributee, listing the property and heirs.
File it with the Probate Clerk, or present it with a certified death certificate directly to banks or other institutions holding the property.
If filing for independent or supervised administration
Gather the original will (if any), a certified death certificate, a list of assets/debts, and names of heirs.
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Personal Representative (Form 3, if there’s a will) or a Petition for Appointment of Administrator/Administratrix (Form 2, if there isn’t) with the Probate Division. Filing fee is $165.
If there’s a will, the court formally admits it to probate; the court then issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative must file an inventory of estate assets within 2 months of appointment.
Creditor notice must be published in a local newspaper, plus direct notice to known creditors; creditors then have 6 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
If independent administration applies, the personal representative can act on most matters without seeking court approval at each step.
After debts are resolved, the personal representative files a final settlement with the court; once approved, the estate closes.
What it costs
Small estate affidavit: no separate court filing fee (a nominal recording fee may apply depending on what’s being transferred).
Formal probate filing fee: $165 (may vary somewhat by county).
Personal representative and attorney compensation: no fixed statutory rate – courts typically look to roughly 2–5% of the estate’s value as a reasonable baseline, subject to court approval as “just and reasonable.”
No state estate tax or inheritance tax in Arkansas.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
Lake Village, AR 71653
(870) 265-2284
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(870) 265-2201
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Chicot County Health Unit – (870) 265-3621
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Hospital: Chicot Memorial Medical Center (Lake Village) – (870) 265-5351; critical access hospital
Notes: Chicot Memorial is a critical access hospital; severe health disparities in this majority-minority Delta county; STI rates among the highest in Arkansas; diabetes, hypertension, and obesity rates high; WIC is a critical service; transportation to healthcare is a major barrier
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Lake Village
Population: 10,208
Area: 644 sq mi
Established: 1823
Public Records
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