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Arkansas · Ouachita Mountains · #467
Garland County, Arkansas
In the Ouachita Mountains where thermal springs have drawn visitors for two centuries, Hot Springs built a resort and spa identity that attracted presidents, gangsters, and the whole range of American humanity - and produced in the process one of the most historically layered small cities in the American South.
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Office: Garland County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 501 Ouachita Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901
Phone: (501) 622-3600
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio; Hot Springs city alerts
Shelter Info: Multiple shelter locations; Hot Springs community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: West-central Arkansas; Hot Springs is county seat and Arkansas’s sixth-largest city; Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine (Ouachita River reservoirs); tornado corridor; flash flooding; Hot Springs National Park (the only national park located within a US city – Hot Springs); Garland County is Arkansas’s leading tourism county; Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort (major economic anchor); significant retirement community
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Garland County Road Department – (501) 622-3600
Public Transit: Hot Springs Transit – (501) 321-2020; fixed-route and demand-response within Hot Springs area
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: US-70 (historic highway), US-270, and AR-7 are main corridors; Hot Springs is 55 miles southwest of Little Rock; Lake Hamilton creates unique lakefront road network; tourism and casino traffic is significant; I-30 at Benton (Saline County) is the main Little Rock connection
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Garland County – (501) 622-3600 | garlandcounty.org
Services: Building permits; Hot Springs (very active), Hot Springs Village (massive planned retirement community – separate), Lake Hamilton area, Lonsdale, Royal have separate permits
Notes: Hot Springs Village is one of the largest planned retirement communities in the US (approximately 13,000 residents); very active permit environment for a non-metro area; Lake Hamilton waterfront development; tourism facilities; Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort expansion permits
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Garland County Veterans Service Office – (501) 622-3600
VA Medical: Central Arkansas VA (Little Rock) – 55 miles northeast; Hot Springs VA Clinic – (501) 624-0007 (local outpatient clinic)
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment; Hot Springs has a significant veteran retirement community
Notes: Hot Springs VA clinic provides local outpatient access; large retirement community includes significant veteran population; Central Arkansas VA 55 miles away for hospital services
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Garland County Library – (501) 623-4161 | garlandcountylibrary.org
Main: 1427 Malvern Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901; branches throughout county
Notes: Very well-developed library system reflecting the educated retiree population; genealogy resources are outstanding; Hot Springs’ rich history (Bathhouse Row, gangster era, horse racing) creates rich local history collections
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Hot Springs National Park (Bathhouse Row – one of the most architecturally significant streetscapes in America; thermal springs at 143°F; Fordyce Bathhouse museum; historic bathhouses some still operating; NPS; the “American Spa”); Lake Hamilton (7,200 acres – water sports, fishing; “Riviera of the Ozarks” nickname); Lake Catherine State Park; Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort (Thoroughbred horse racing – one of the oldest and most beloved horse tracks in America; racing since 1904; Arkansas Derby – major stakes race); Garvan Woodland Gardens (University of Arkansas botanical garden – spectacular especially in spring and Christmas); Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (nationally recognized festival); Magic Springs Theme Park; Quapaw Baths (traditional bathhouse spa)
Notes: Hot Springs is one of the most distinctive small cities in America – a National Park embedded within a city, historic bathhouses, horse racing, gambling, and natural thermal springs; Bathhouse Row is a National Historic Landmark District with magnificent Beaux Arts architecture; Oaklawn’s horse racing season (January-April) brings enormous tourism; the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival is nationally recognized; the thermal springs (the “valley of the vapors”) were used by Native Americans for millennia before European contact; Al Capone and other famous gangsters famously “vacationed” in Hot Springs during Prohibition
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Garland County GIS – garlandcounty.org/gis | (501) 622-3600
Parcel Search: Available through county GIS; lake development tracking active
Notes: Active GIS reflecting tourism and development; Lake Hamilton waterfront mapping important; Hot Springs National Park NPS GIS; thermal spring geology mapping through USGS
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Garland County Animal Control – (501) 622-3600; Hot Springs Animal Services – (501) 321-6789
Services: Stray intake, adoptions, owner surrenders, spay/neuter, microchipping, animal control
Notes: Garland Humane Society active; Hot Springs area attracts animals abandoned by tourists; retirement community has strong humane support base
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Garland County – (501) 622-3600; Hot Springs city solid waste – (501) 321-6880
Recycling: Hot Springs recycling program; county drop-off; Hot Springs Village recycling
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; Army Corps (Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine); NPS (Hot Springs NP – thermal spring water quality and bathhouse operations); Ouachita River watershed; thermal spring aquifer protection
Notes: Hot Springs National Park’s thermal spring water quality and the aquifer recharge area north of Hot Springs require protection from surface contamination; NPS and ADEQ jointly manage spring water monitoring; Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine water quality monitoring (Army Corps) is important for the tourism economy; thermal spring chemistry monitoring ensures the springs remain safe for bathers; the recharge zone for the thermal springs (north of Hot Springs in the Ouachita Mountains) is an important environmental protection area – development in the recharge zone could affect spring temperature and chemistry; Garland County’s tourism economy creates strong incentives for environmental quality maintenance
About Garland County
Garland County’s Hot Springs is genuinely one of the most interesting small cities in America, and its complexity has been consistent across 200 years. The thermal springs – 47 springs producing 700,000 gallons of naturally heated water daily – attracted Native peoples long before European settlement and have drawn visitors seeking therapeutic bathing since the 1800s. President Andrew Jackson established the Hot Springs Reservation in 1832, making it the oldest federal reservation in the United States and the predecessor of the national park system by 40 years. Bathhouse Row – the magnificent collection of Gilded Age and Beaux-Arts bathhouses along Central Avenue – is a National Historic Landmark and the heart of Hot Springs National Park.
Hot Springs was also, from the 1920s through the 1960s, one of America’s most openly corrupt cities – a resort town where illegal gambling, prostitution, and Mob-affiliated entertainment operated with the tacit approval of local law enforcement. The gangster era drew Al Capone, Owney Madden (who ran the Southern Club), and other organized crime figures who found Hot Springs’s political culture amenable to their operations. The city’s current identity embraces this history with some affection: the Gangster Museum of America is one of Hot Springs’s most popular tourist attractions. Bill Clinton grew up in Hot Springs, which has been the subject of considerable historical attention. Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort continues the city’s gambling tradition legally, and the resort economy – golf, lakes, Bathhouse Row tourism – remains the county’s primary economic driver.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Arkansas assesses residential property at 20% of true market value. Property owners may appeal to the County Board of Equalization (third Monday in August). The homestead credit provides a $375 credit on owner-occupied primary residences. Arkansas has no estate or inheritance tax.
Public Records
Garland County Health Unit: Hot Springs — (501) 624-3394 (confirm address)
WIC, immunizations, vital records (birth/death certificates), STD/HIV, family planning, environmental health
Garland County Environmental Services: Listed as county department — also Landfill
CHI St. Vincent Hospital / National Park Medical Center: Major hospitals in Hot Springs
Local DHS offices: Hot Springs (confirm via dhs.arkansas.gov)
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Garland County Circuit Court (Probate Division): 501 Ouachita Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901 | (501) 622-3610. The Probate Division handles estate administration, guardianship, and trust matters. Garland County Circuit Clerk records all property instruments. For resort property owners – lake houses, spa district commercial properties – current appraisals reflecting the tourism economy are important for accurate estate planning. Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine properties have appreciated significantly and deserve specific attention in will and trust documents.
Senior Services
Area Agency on Aging of West Central Arkansas
P.O. Box 1695, Hot Springs, AR 71902
Phone: (501) 321-2811
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, and long-term care counseling for Garland County residents.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
501 Ouachita Ave., Hot Springs, AR 71901
(501) 622-3630
CIRCUIT CLERK (Deeds, Court Records)
501 Ouachita Ave., Hot Springs, AR 71901
(501) 622-3620
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Garland County Clerk, Probate Division (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Garland County Historical Society, P.O. Box 21335, Hot Springs, AR 71903-1335 (physical address 328 Quapaw Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901), (501) 321-2159, [email protected]
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
In Garland County, probate matters are handled by the County Clerk’s Office, while other Circuit Court matters go through the separate Circuit Clerk.
Garland County Clerk – Probate Division 501 Ouachita Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901 (501) 622-3610 (Probate/County Clerk); (501) 622-3630 (Circuit Clerk, other case types) 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
1401 Malvern Ave., Hot Springs, AR 71901
(501) 622-3660
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(501) 321-2800
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Garland County Health Unit – (501) 624-3394
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records, restaurant inspections; spa/bathhouse regulation (Hot Springs National Park)
Hospital: CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs – (501) 622-1000; National Park Medical Center – (501) 321-1000
Notes: Two hospitals serve Hot Springs; substantial retiree and tourism population creates diverse healthcare demand; bathhouse and spa industry health oversight unique to Hot Springs; Hot Springs National Park bathhouse water testing
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County Facts
County Seat: Hot Springs
Population: 100,180
Area: 735 sq mi
Established: 1873
Tier: 3
Inmate Services
Care Packages
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