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Arkansas County
Drew County, Arkansas
University of Arkansas at Monticello and the Bayou Bartholomew - from the University of Arkansas at Monticello (a regional comprehensive university enrollment ~3,500 providing higher education in the southeast Arkansas timber and agricultural region) to Bayou Bartholomew (the world's longest bayou - flowing 375 miles from Arkansas City through southeast Arkansas and into Louisiana - Bayou Bartholomew's bottomland hardwood corridor is one of the most ecologically significant aquatic systems in the Southeast, supporting extraordinary diversity of fish, turtles, and waterfowl).
County SeatMonticello
Population17,350
Founded1846
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Office: Drew County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 210 S Main St, Monticello, AR 71655
Phone: (870) 460-6240
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Contact county OEM; Monticello community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: Southeast Arkansas; Monticello is county seat; Saline River and Boeuf River drainage (flooding); tornado corridor; University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) is a significant anchor institution; timber and agriculture dominant; moderate size for a rural Arkansas county
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Drew County Road Department – (870) 460-6240
Public Transit: Limited; UAM campus area; demand-response; otherwise auto-dependent
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: US-278, US-425, and US-63 are main corridors; Monticello is a regional center enhanced by UAM; Crossett (Ashley County) nearby for industrial services; timber logging trucks are heavy road users
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Drew County – (870) 460-6240
Services: Building permits; Monticello and Dermott have separate permits
Notes: UAM-related development; timber industry; moderate growth as college town
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Drew County Veterans Service Office – (870) 460-6240
VA Medical: Central Arkansas VA (Little Rock); Shreveport VA also accessible
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment; UAM veteran student services
Notes: Rural county; VA access requires travel; UAM has a veteran student support program
Notes: County library with UAM supplementing academic resources; college town library culture
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Cane Creek State Park – arkansasstateparks.com | (870) 628-4714 (beautiful lake in southeast Arkansas timber country; fishing; camping; nature trails); UAM Boll Weevil athletics (Division II – Great American Conference); Bayou Bartholomew access (southern Drew County); hunting and fishing on timberlands
Notes: Cane Creek State Park is a hidden gem of southeast Arkansas – a beautiful lake surrounded by pine and mixed hardwood forests; bass fishing is excellent; UAM adds college athletics culture; Bayou Bartholomew (one of the world’s longest bayous) flows through southern Drew County providing additional water recreation
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Drew County GIS; Arkansas GIS – gis.arkansas.gov
Notes: County GIS; Cane Creek State Park mapping; timber land GIS
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Drew County Animal Control – (870) 460-6240; Monticello Humane Society
Services: Stray intake, adoptions, animal control
Notes: Small humane society; college town creates some student pet dynamics
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Drew County – (870) 460-6240; Monticello city sanitation
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; timber industry environmental management; Saline River watershed; Bayou Bartholomew conservation
Notes: Timber industry dominant; Saline River water quality; Bayou Bartholomew conservation is a regional priority (the bayou is one of the most biologically diverse in North America); UAM Forestry program contributes to sustainable timber management education
About Drew County
Drew County is southeast Arkansas’s university and world’s longest bayou county – Bayou Bartholomew’s 375-mile corridor through southeast Arkansas supports one of the South’s most ecologically diverse aquatic ecosystems.
Bayou Bartholomew – the world’s longest bayou – begins near Drew County and flows through bottomland hardwood forests supporting over 100 fish species, 117 bird species, and extraordinary turtle diversity. The Bayou Bartholomew Alliance works to protect the ecosystem.
Monticello (the county seat, population ~9,000) is the UAM campus community and southeast Arkansas regional hub for timber, poultry, and agricultural services.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Drew County Assessor at 210 S. Main Street, Suite 3, Monticello, AR 71655, phone 870-460-6240. AR residential assessed at 20% of market value.
Public Records
Drew County Health Unit: 940 Scogin Drive, Monticello, AR 71655 — (870) 367-6234
WIC, immunizations, vital records (birth/death certificates), STD/HIV, family planning, environmental health
Arkansas DHS: 444 US-425, Monticello, AR 71655 — (870) 367-6835
SNAP, Medicaid, childcare, protective services
Recommended
Search Drew County public records for Monticello, Dermott, and Drew County residents.
Courts & Legal
Drew County Circuit Clerk at 210 S. Main Street, Monticello, AR 71655, phone 870-460-6260, handles probate.
Senior Services
Area Agency on Aging: Southeast Arkansas Area Agency on Aging (SEAAAA) — serves Drew 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
210 S. Main St., Monticello, AR 71655
(870) 460-6240
CIRCUIT CLERK (Deeds, Court Records)
210 S. Main St., Monticello, AR 71655
(870) 460-6260
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Drew County Circuit Clerk (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Drew County Historical Society and Museum, 404 S. Main Street, Monticello, AR 71655, (870) 367-7446 – founded 1959; also maintains the Drew County Archives (photographs, school records, family histories, maps) and publishes the Drew County Historical Journal.
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
Drew County Circuit Clerk – Probate Division 210 South Main Street, Monticello, AR 71655 (870) 460-6250 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
304 W. Gaines St., Monticello, AR 71655
(870) 367-4222
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(870) 367-5444
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Drew County Health Unit – (870) 367-2288
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Hospital: Drew Memorial Health System (Monticello) – (870) 367-2411
Notes: Drew Memorial serves Drew County and surrounding rural southeast Arkansas; UAM nursing and health programs supplement local health workforce; moderate healthcare for a rural county
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