Arkansas allows adults who can legally possess a firearm to carry a handgun openly or concealed without a permit through a layered statutory framework: Act 746 of 2013 amended Ark. Code § 5-73-120(a) so that carrying a weapon is an offense only when done with 'a purpose to attempt to unlawfully employ' it, the Arkansas Court of Appeals in Taff v. State (2018) held that mere possession does not violate the statute, and Act 777 of 2023 added § 5-73-328 expressly stating that no license is required to carry a concealed handgun in Arkansas. The state still issues a Concealed Handgun Carry License (CHCL) through the Arkansas State Police, with an Enhanced endorsement required for public-college campus carry. Arkansas is a strong-preemption state with stand-your-ground (Act 250 of 2021), a broad employer-parking-lot protection that does not require a permit (§ 11-5-117), no firearm registry, no magazine-capacity limit, no state assault-weapon ban, and no red-flag law.
Sourced from official state legislature, AG, and ATF documents. Last verified October 16, 2026.
Yes. Arkansas Code § 5-73-120 presumes a lawful purpose when a person is in his or her own personal vehicle, and after Act 746 (2013) and the Arkansas Court of Appeals' 2018 Taff decision, merely possessing a handgun in the vehicle is not an offense. A loaded handgun may be carried in the glove box, center console, or trunk of a personal vehicle without a permit.
No. Act 746 of 2013 amended Ark. Code § 5-73-120 to require unlawful purpose for the carrying-a-weapon offense; the Arkansas Court of Appeals in Taff v. State (2018) confirmed that mere possession is not an offense; and Act 777 of 2023 added § 5-73-328, expressly stating that the licensing subchapter does not require a license to carry a concealed handgun in Arkansas. The Concealed Handgun Carry License is still useful for out-of-state reciprocity and the federal NICS-exemption alternative-document provision.
Yes. Open carry is governed by the same § 5-73-120 statute and is permitted for an adult who can legally possess a firearm. Posted-private-property and statutory prohibited places under § 5-73-306 and § 5-73-119 still apply.
The CHCL is still issued by the Arkansas State Police (valid for five years) and remains useful for three main reasons: out-of-state reciprocity, exemption from a federal NICS background check on FFL handgun purchases under 18 U.S.C. § 922(t)(3), and access to the Enhanced campus-carry endorsement under § 5-73-322 for public colleges and universities. The standard CHCL training course is approximately 8 hours including live fire.
No, with narrow exceptions. Ark. Code § 5-73-119 prohibits any person from possessing a firearm on K-12 school property, on a school bus, or at a designated bus stop. A CHCL holder may store a concealed handgun in a locked, unattended vehicle in a publicly owned parking lot. College and university campus carry requires the Enhanced endorsement under § 5-73-322; a Code § 5-73-119(e) and § 5-73-322 review of the specific facility is required before carry.
Yes, since 2021. Act 250 of 2021 (SB 24, effective July 28, 2021) added no-duty-to-retreat language to both Ark. Code § 5-2-606 (physical force) and § 5-2-607 (deadly physical force). A person who is lawfully present, not engaged in criminal activity giving rise to the need to use force, and not engaged in furtherance of a criminal gang or enterprise has no duty to retreat.
Generally no, even if you don't have a CHCL. Act 809 of 2021 created Ark. Code § 11-5-117, which protects any employee from a private employer's ban on transporting or storing a legally owned firearm in the employee's private motor vehicle in the employer's parking lot, provided the firearm is lawfully possessed and stored out of sight inside a locked vehicle. Limited employer exclusions still apply (e.g., residential single-family parking, illegal possession, employer-owned vehicle in the course of duty). Employers may still ban firearms inside the workplace.
If you hold a CHCL and are in possession of a handgun, yes. Arkansas State Police administrative rule 5 CAR § 1-201 requires a CHCL holder to notify a law enforcement officer who asks for identification that the licensee holds a CHCL and has a handgun in his or her possession, and to present the license. The rule does not apply when the licensee is not carrying at the time of contact.
Yes, with federal NFA registration. Act 495 of 2019 removed suppressors from Arkansas's prohibited-weapons statute. Short-barreled rifles and shotguns are still on that list (Ark. Code § 5-73-104), with an exception only for items in compliance with the National Firearms Act as it existed on January 1, 2019. Machine guns fall under Arkansas's Uniform Machine Gun Act (§ 5-73-202 et seq.), which has no NFA-compliance provision: possession or use of a machine gun for an offensive or aggressive purpose is a crime punishable by at least ten years (§ 5-73-204), that purpose is presumed in listed situations such as possession away from one's own residence or business premises (§ 5-73-205), and possession or use in the course of a criminal offense is a Class A felony (§ 5-73-211). Federal law separately requires every machine gun to be NFA-registered, and possessing an unregistered machine gun is a federal felony.
No. Arkansas does not require firearm registration, and the state preemption statutes at Ark. Code §§ 14-16-504 and 14-54-1411 bar local units of government from creating any registry. The Arkansas Sovereignty Act of 2021 (Act 1012) reinforces this by declaring that federal firearm restrictions enforced exclusively within Arkansas are void within the state.
Four big changes since 2021: Act 250 (2021) added stand-your-ground; Act 809 (2021) replaced the CHCL-only employer parking-lot protection with a broader § 11-5-117 that covers any employee; Act 1012 (2021) enacted the Arkansas Sovereignty Act declaring federal firearm restrictions enforced exclusively within Arkansas void; and Act 777 (2023) added § 5-73-328, expressly codifying that no license is required to carry a concealed handgun in Arkansas.
Federal law requires you to be 21 to buy a handgun from a federally licensed dealer (FFL) and 18 for long guns. Arkansas imposes no additional state-level purchase-age beyond federal law. Private in-state transfers between non-prohibited adults are not bound by these FFL minimums.
Ark. Code § 5-73-321 recognizes any concealed-handgun license validly issued by another state. The Arkansas State Police CHCL Unit does not publish an outbound reciprocity matrix and advises travelers to verify each destination state's recognition before traveling. Roughly three dozen states currently honor the Arkansas CHCL; Arkansas residents and Resident-only states each have separate rules.
No. Arkansas does not require a state background check for private, in-state firearm transfers between non-prohibited adults. Federally licensed dealers must run the federal NICS check at the point of sale, and a current CHCL satisfies the federal alternative-document provision under 18 U.S.C. § 922(t)(3).
Restaurants yes; bars no. Under § 5-73-306(11)–(12), a CHCL holder cannot carry a concealed handgun in portions of an establishment licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption — except in a 'restaurant' as defined in § 3-5-1202 (a kitchen-and-meal-service establishment with at least 50-person seating). Even where carry is allowed, posted-private-property signage under § 5-73-306(18) and (19) is enforceable.
No. Arkansas has not enacted an extreme-risk protection order statute. The Arkansas Sovereignty Act (Act 1012 of 2021) further declares federal firearm restrictions enforced exclusively within Arkansas to be void within the state.
Since October 9, 2026, ATF does not require federal registration or a tax stamp for suppressors or short-barreled rifles (what changed and what didn't). Arkansas's own law still applies, and it is set out below.
Act 495 of 2019 struck suppressors out of the prohibited-weapons statute at Arkansas Code § 5-73-104, so state law no longer regulates them at all. There is no permit, no registry and no federal hook on the suppressor side.
No Game and Fish Commission rule restricting suppressors was located, and suppressed hunting is reported as open for game and nongame. The Commission's code of regulations could not be opened, so this rests on secondary sources rather than a rule citation.
Arkansas Code § 5-73-104(a) still lists a sawed-off shotgun or rifle, a Class D felony, and the exception added by Act 495 of 2019 at subsection (b) applies only to items in compliance with the National Firearms Act 'as they existed on January 1, 2019.' That frozen date is unusual, because the 2019 version of the NFA required registration and ATF's 2026 policy does not change what the statute said then.
Suppressors were removed from the prohibited-weapons list in 2019. Sawed-off rifles and shotguns remain listed, and the only exception is compliance with the NFA as it stood on January 1, 2019.
"in compliance with the National Firearms Act, 26 U.S.C. §§ 5801 - § 5861, or other applicable federal law, as they existed on January 1, 2019"
Ark. Code § 5-73-104(a), (b) (criminal use of prohibited weapons)
Act 495 removed 'firearm specially made or specially adapted for silent discharge' from §§ 5-73-104, 5-73-109 and 5-73-129 and added the frozen-date federal exception.
ATF stopped requiring NFA approval and registration for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and AOWs on October 9, 2026, but says the policy does not affect state or local law and that it cannot say whether an unregistered item counts as lawfully held under federal law for state-law purposes.
"ATF cannot opine on whether holding an unregistered firearm or silencer pursuant to ATF's enforcement discretion will qualify for state-law purposes as lawfully held (or registered) under federal law."
Checked against the statutes on October 11, 2026. Compare suppressor prices.
Act 746 of 2013 (HB 1700, approved April 4, 2013, effective August 16, 2013) amended Ark. Code § 5-73-120(a) to require, as an element of the offense of 'carrying a weapon,' that the person possess the handgun 'with a purpose to attempt to unlawfully employ' it as a weapon against another person. The Arkansas Court of Appeals later held in Taff v. State, No. CR-18-353 (Oct. 17, 2018), that mere possession of a handgun without unlawful purpose does not violate § 5-73-120(a). Act 777 of 2023 codified the practical result by adding § 5-73-328.
"A person commits the offense of carrying a weapon if he or she possesses a handgun, knife, or club on or about his or her person, in a vehicle occupied by him or her, or otherwise readily available for use with a purpose to attempt to unlawfully employ the handgun, knife, or club as a weapon against a person."
Act 746 of 2013 (HB 1700), amending Ark. Code § 5-73-120(a) statute
Act 777 of 2023 (SB 480, approved April 12, 2023) added Ark. Code § 5-73-328, which expressly states that the concealed-handgun-licensing subchapter exists solely to facilitate out-of-state reciprocity and does not require a person to obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun in Arkansas. This act codified the result that had developed through Act 746 (2013) and Taff v. State (2018).
"The purpose of this subchapter is solely to establish concealed carry licensing for the purpose of providing licensees reciprocity in other states that require a license to carry a concealed handgun in order to carry a concealed handgun. This subchapter does not require a person to obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun in order to carry a concealed handgun in this state."
Act 777 of 2023 (SB 480), creating Ark. Code § 5-73-328 statute
§ 5-73-120(a) makes carrying a handgun, knife, or club an offense only when done 'with a purpose to attempt to unlawfully employ' it as a weapon against a person (the unlawful-purpose element added by Act 746 of 2013), and § 5-73-120(c) lists presumptions of lawful purpose, including carrying in one's own dwelling, personal vehicle, place of business, or property, carrying upon a journey, and carrying a concealed handgun under a valid Arkansas or recognized license outside a § 5-73-306 prohibited place. Read from the official code text published by the Arkansas Legislative Council; the only later amendment (Act 508 of 2025) changed 'armed forces' to 'United States Armed Forces' in (c)(2)-(3).
"A person commits the offense of carrying a weapon if he or she possesses a handgun, knife, or club on or about his or her person, in a vehicle occupied by him or her, or otherwise readily available for use with a purpose to attempt to unlawfully employ the handgun, knife, or club as a weapon against a person."
The Director of the Arkansas State Police shall issue a Concealed Handgun Carry License to an applicant who, among other criteria, is a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident, has been a state resident for at least 90 days (with active-duty military exceptions), is at least 21 years of age (or 18 if currently serving or honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard, or Reserves), is not a federally prohibited person, has satisfactorily completed an approved training course, and signs an oath of allegiance.
"Is at least: (A) Twenty-one (21) years of age; or (B) Eighteen (18) years of age and is: (i) Currently … on active duty in the United States Armed Forces; (ii) In the National Guard or a reserve component … or (iii) A former member of the United States Armed Forces who has been honorably discharged"
The Arkansas State Police Concealed Handgun Carry Licensing Unit administers the standard CHCL and the Enhanced (campus-carry) endorsement. The standard CHCL training course is approximately 8 hours including a live-fire qualification, and the Enhanced endorsement requires an additional course of up to 8 hours under § 5-73-322(g). Online application and renewal are the agency's preferred method. The CHCL is valid for five (5) years.
"Effective August 16, 2013, the State of Arkansas acknowledges all concealed handgun carry licenses lawfully issued by another state."
Arkansas State Police — Concealed Handgun Carry Licensing ag
Ark. Code § 5-73-301 is the definitions section of the Concealed Handguns subchapter (§§ 5-73-301 through 5-73-329). It defines, among other terms, 'concealed' (to cover from observation so as to prevent public view), 'handgun' (any firearm other than a fully automatic firearm with a barrel under 12 inches designed to be fired with one hand), and 'licensee' (a person granted a valid license under the subchapter). The subchapter sets up the CHCL issued by the Director of the Division of Arkansas State Police (§ 5-73-309), and § 5-73-120(c)(8) cross-references it for the presumption of lawful purpose for license holders.
"“Concealed” means to cover from observation so as to prevent public view; … “Handgun” means any firearm, other than a fully automatic firearm, with a barrel length of less than twelve inches (12″) that is designed, made, or adapted to be fired with one (1) hand; … “Licensee” means a person granted a valid license"
Open carry of a handgun in Arkansas is governed by the same carrying-a-weapon statute as concealed carry. Because § 5-73-120(a) requires unlawful purpose, an adult who can legally possess a firearm may openly carry without a permit, subject to § 5-73-306 and § 5-73-119 prohibited-place rules.
"A person commits the offense of carrying a weapon if he or she possesses a handgun, knife, or club on or about his or her person, in a vehicle occupied by him or her, or otherwise readily available for use with a purpose to attempt to unlawfully employ the handgun, knife, or club as a weapon against a person."
A person is presumed to be carrying a weapon with a lawful purpose under § 5-73-120 when the person is in his or her own dwelling, personal vehicle, place of business, or on property in which he or she has a possessory or proprietary interest, or is carrying a weapon upon a journey (other than through a commercial-airport checkpoint or undeclared in checked baggage). Combined with the § 5-73-120(a) unlawful-purpose element, this allows a loaded handgun in a personal vehicle without a permit. Corrected 2026-10-16: the current statute does not define 'journey' (the earlier 'travel beyond the county' definition is no longer in the text). The presumption framework dates from Act 746 (2013) and was amended by 2021 Acts 766 and 956.
"A person is presumed to be carrying a weapon with a lawful purpose under this section if at the time of the act of carrying the weapon: (1) The person is … in his or her personal vehicle … ; (4) The person is carrying a weapon when upon a journey"
Act 809 of 2021 (SB 555) repealed the prior licensee-only parking-lot statute (§ 5-73-326) and replaced it with a broader Ark. Code § 11-5-117 that protects ANY employee — regardless of CHCL status — from a private employer's ban on transporting or storing a legally owned firearm in the employee's private motor vehicle in the employer's parking lot, provided the firearm is lawfully possessed and stored out of sight inside a locked vehicle. Employers retain limited exclusions (e.g., the lot is on the grounds of a single-family residence in residential use, the employee is in illegal possession, the employee is in an employer-owned vehicle in the course of duty, or the employee is the subject of an active disciplinary proceeding). Department of Corrections parking lots are expressly excluded from coverage.
"A private employer shall not prohibit an employee from transporting or storing a legally owned firearm in the employee's private motor vehicle in the private employer's parking lot when the firearm is: (1) Lawfully possessed; and (2) Stored out of sight inside a locked private motor vehicle."
Ark. Code § 5-73-326 was the prior parking-lot protection limited to CHCL holders. Act 809 of 2021 (SB 555) repealed § 5-73-326 and re-enacted the protection in broader form at Ark. Code § 11-5-117, which extends the protection to any employee regardless of CHCL status so long as the firearm is lawfully possessed and stored out of sight inside a locked private motor vehicle. The repeal of § 5-73-326 is the operative reason the modern parking-lot protection no longer turns on whether the employee holds a license.
Ark. Code § 5-73-326 (Repealed by Act 809 of 2021 — prior CHCL-only parking-lot statute) statute
Arkansas Code § 5-73-321 provides that a person in possession of a valid license to carry a concealed handgun issued by another state is entitled to the privileges and subject to the restrictions of the Arkansas CHCL subchapter. The Arkansas State Police confirms on its CHCL Unit page that, effective August 16, 2013, Arkansas recognizes all concealed handgun carry licenses lawfully issued by another state. AR-permit reciprocity in the other direction is determined by each receiving state's law; the Arkansas State Police does not publish its own outbound reciprocity matrix and directs travelers to verify each destination state.
"A person in possession of a valid license to carry a concealed handgun issued to the person by another state is entitled to the privileges and subject to the restrictions prescribed by this subchapter."
Arkansas's castle doctrine, embedded in the use-of-deadly-physical-force statute as amended by Act 250 of 2021, provides that a person is not required to retreat before using deadly force if the person is lawfully present, has a reasonable belief that the other person is imminently threatening death or serious physical injury, is not the initial aggressor, is not committing a felony possession-of-firearm offense (with a home/curtilage exception), and is not engaged in criminal activity or in furtherance of a criminal gang or enterprise.
"A person is not required to retreat before using deadly physical force if the person: (1) Is lawfully present at the location where deadly physical force is used; (2) Has a reasonable belief that the person against whom the deadly physical force is used is imminently threatening to cause death or serious physical injury to the person or another person."
Ark. Code § 5-2-607(b) statute
Act 250 of 2021 (SB 24, approved March 3, 2021, effective July 28, 2021) added stand-your-ground language to both the use-of-physical-force statute (§ 5-2-606(c)) and the use-of-deadly-physical-force statute (§ 5-2-607(b)). A person who is lawfully present, not engaged in criminal activity giving rise to the need to use force, and not engaged in any activity in furtherance of a criminal gang, organization, or enterprise has no duty to retreat before using or threatening force, including deadly force.
"A person who uses or threatens to use physical force as otherwise permitted under this subchapter does not have a duty to retreat before using or threatening to use the physical force if the person is: (1) Lawfully present in the location; (2) Not engaged in criminal activity that gives rise to the need to use physical force; and (3) Not engaged in any activity in furtherance of a criminal gang, organization, or enterprise as defined under § 5-74-103."
Ark. Code § 5-2-606(c) and § 5-2-607(b) (as amended by Act 250 of 2021, SB 24) statute
Ark. Code § 5-2-615 justifies a pregnant woman's use of physical or deadly physical force to protect her unborn child where she would be justified under § 5-2-606 or § 5-2-607 in protecting herself. Act 250 of 2021 (the stand-your-ground act), § 3, rewrote § 5-2-615(c) alongside its amendments to §§ 5-2-606 and 5-2-607, removing the former limitation that tied the defense to the § 5-2-607(b) retreat rule, so the defense now fails only when the force is used by someone other than the pregnant woman. Read from the Act 250 text on arkleg.state.ar.us and the current text on Justia.
"A pregnant woman is justified in using physical force or deadly physical force against another person to protect her unborn child if, under the circumstances as the pregnant woman reasonably believes them to be, she would be justified under § 5-2-606 or § 5-2-607 in using physical force or deadly physical force to protect herself"
Ark. Code § 5-74-103 is the definitions section of the Arkansas Criminal Gang, Organization, or Enterprise Act; subdivision (3) defines a 'criminal gang, organization, or enterprise' as any group of three or more individuals who commit a continuing series of two or more predicate criminal offenses in concert. Act 250 of 2021 incorporated that definition into the no-duty-to-retreat provisions of § 5-2-606(c)(3) and § 5-2-607(b)(6), so a person engaged in any activity in furtherance of such a gang, organization, or enterprise does not get the stand-your-ground protection. Incorporation read from the Act 250 text on arkleg.state.ar.us; definition text read from Justia's 2025 code (Act 662 of 2025 amended only subdivision (2)).
"A person is not required to retreat before using deadly physical force if the person: … (6) Is not engaged in any activity in furtherance of a criminal gang, organization, or enterprise as defined in § 5-74-103."
Arkansas State Police administrative rule 5 CAR § 1-201 requires a CHCL holder who is in possession of a handgun and who is asked by a law enforcement officer for identification to present the license and to notify the officer that the licensee holds a concealed handgun carry license and has a handgun in his or her possession. The rule does not apply when the licensee is not in possession of a handgun at the time of contact. This is an administrative-rule duty to disclose imposed on permit holders and tied to the obligation to carry the license while armed.
"While in possession of a handgun, if a licensee is asked for identification (driver's license or personal information, such as name and date of birth) by any law enforcement officer, the licensee shall present the original license, or an electronic copy in an acceptable electronic format, for inspection, along with an official form of photo identification. The licensee shall also notify the officer that he or she holds a concealed handgun carry license and that he or she has a handgun in his or her possession."
Ark. Code § 5-73-306 lists the places where a CHCL holder may not carry a concealed handgun, including police/sheriff stations, Arkansas Highway Police facilities, detention facilities and prisons, courthouses and courtrooms (with narrow exceptions for designated personnel and judges), meeting places of any governmental entity, state offices, athletic events not related to firearms, portions of alcoholic-beverage establishments other than restaurants as defined in § 3-5-1202, K-12 and college/university campuses (subject to the Enhanced endorsement under § 5-73-322), passenger terminals of airports (parking lots excluded), churches that have not opted in, places where firearms are prohibited by federal law, and posted private property meeting the statute's signage requirements. Act 809 of 2021 amended subdivision (18) governing posted-private-property rules.
"Except as permitted under § 5-73-322(g), a license to carry a concealed handgun issued under this subchapter does not authorize person to carry a concealed handgun into: (1) Any police station, sheriff's station, or Division of Arkansas State Police station... (5) Any courthouse, courthouse annex, or other building owned, leased, or regularly used by a county for conducting court proceedings or housing a county office."
Ark. Code § 5-73-306 (Prohibited places for CHCL holders) statute
Ark. Code § 5-73-119(b) makes it unlawful for any person to possess a firearm on the developed property of a public or private K-12 school, on a school bus, or at a designated bus stop, subject to enumerated exceptions in § 5-73-119(e). Limited exceptions apply for CHCL holders who store a concealed handgun in a locked, unattended vehicle in a publicly owned parking lot, and for certain personnel acting in their official capacity.
"No person in this state shall possess a firearm: (A) Upon the developed property of a public or private school, kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12); (B) In or upon any school bus; or (C) At a designated bus stop as identified on the route list published by a school district each year."
Ark. Code § 5-73-119 (Handguns — Possession on School Property) statute
Ark. Code § 5-73-322 allows a CHCL holder who has completed an additional training course of up to 8 hours approved by the Director of the Arkansas State Police (the 'Enhanced' concealed carry endorsement under subsection (g)) to carry a concealed handgun in the buildings and on the grounds of a public university, public college, or community college. Storage of a handgun in a university- or college-operated dormitory or residence hall is still prohibited (§ 5-73-322(d), § 5-73-119(c)). Private universities and colleges may disallow carry by policy and posting under § 5-73-306(18). Under § 5-73-322(h)(1), endorsement holders are also exempt from the § 5-73-122 publicly-owned-building restriction for a concealed handgun.
"A licensee who has completed the training required under subsection (g) of this section may possess a concealed handgun in the buildings and on the grounds of a public university, public college, or community college, whether owned or leased by the public university, public college, or community college, unless otherwise prohibited by this section or § 5-73-306."
Ark. Code § 3-5-1202(12) defines 'restaurant' as a public or private place held out as one where complete meals are actually and regularly served, with adequate and sanitary kitchen and dining equipment, a seating capacity of at least fifty (50) people, enough staff to prepare and serve food, at least one meal served per day, and open at least five days a week. § 5-73-306(11)-(12) and (19) exclude such a restaurant from the CHCL prohibition on establishments licensed to dispense alcohol or serve beer/light wine for on-premises consumption, so bars that do not meet the definition remain off-limits to licensed carry. Verified against the FindLaw text of § 3-5-1202 and the official § 5-73-306 text (Arkansas Legislative Council exhibit); the official Lexis-hosted code could not be retrieved and Justia returned 403.
"“Restaurant” means any public or private place which is kept, used, maintained, advertised, and held out to the public or to a private or restricted membership as a place where complete meals are actually and regularly served, such place being provided with adequate and sanitary kitchen and dining equipment and a seating capacity of at least fifty (50) people"
Ark. Code § 5-73-122 makes it a Class C misdemeanor to knowingly carry a loaded firearm or other deadly weapon in any publicly owned building or facility or on the State Capitol grounds (and any firearm in the State Capitol Building or Arkansas Justice Building), except for law-enforcement officers, state or local government security guards, authorized bomb-squad members, and military personnel. Exceptions in (a)(3) cover shooting matches and trade shows, a CHCL holder's handgun in a vehicle in a publicly owned parking lot, Enhanced-endorsement holders under § 5-73-322(g) except in courtrooms, K-12 public schools and daycares, Division of Correction facilities, and posted § 5-73-325 firearm-sensitive areas, licensed Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges in the Justice Building, and CHCL holders in municipal parks outside sports fields in use, buildings, and leased event areas. Corrected 2026-10-16: the statute has no general carve-out for 'CHCL holders entering posted areas' or for judicial officers other than those listed.
"If the person has completed the required training and received a concealed carry endorsement under § 5-73-322(g) and the place is not: (i) A courtroom … (ii) A public school kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) … (iii) A facility operated by the Division of Correction … or (iv) A posted firearm-sensitive area"
Ark. Code § 5-73-325 lets three kinds of entity submit a security plan to the Division of Arkansas State Police designating firearm-sensitive areas where possession of a concealed handgun by any licensee is prohibited: the Arkansas State Hospital, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and an institution of higher education hosting a collegiate athletic event (limited to the area where the event is held). The plan must list attendance, entrances, security personnel and similar items and include measures such as security personnel or metal detectors; ASP must approve it (within 72 hours for an athletic event, otherwise 10 business days), and the entity must then post notice at each area. Approved areas are off-limits to all CHCL holders, including Enhanced-endorsement holders (§§ 5-73-122(a)(3)(D)(iv), 5-73-306(20), 5-73-322(h)(2)).
"The following entities may submit a security plan to the Division of Arkansas State Police for approval that designates certain areas as a firearm-sensitive area where possession of a concealed handgun by a licensee under this subchapter is prohibited: (A) The Arkansas State Hospital; (B) The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; and (C)(i) An institution of higher education"
Arkansas relies on the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for firearm sales through federally licensed dealers. Arkansas state law does not impose a universal background check requirement; private, in-state firearm transfers between non-prohibited adults are not subject to a state-mandated background check. A CHCL issued under Ark. Code § 5-73-301 et seq. satisfies the alternative-document provision for NICS exemption at the point of sale under 18 U.S.C. § 922(t)(3).
"The NICS provides full-time service to Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) so that they may instantly determine via telephone or other electronic means whether the transfer of a firearm would be in violation of state or federal law."
18 U.S.C. § 922(t) (Federal NICS) / Arkansas State Police atf
Federal law requires that handguns be purchased from a federally licensed dealer only by buyers 21 or older, while long guns may be purchased from an FFL at 18. Private, in-state transfers between unlicensed individuals are not governed by these federal FFL minimums. Arkansas imposes no additional state purchase-age beyond federal law, although possession by minors is regulated separately (e.g., § 5-73-119 for school property and § 5-73-120 for under-18 'journey' carve-outs).
"A licensee may not sell a handgun to anyone under the age of 21. A licensee may not sell a long gun to anyone under the age of 18."
Arkansas has no state firearm-registration requirement. The state's strong preemption framework — Ark. Code §§ 14-16-504 and 14-54-1411 — bars cities, counties, and other local units of government from regulating the ownership, possession, or transfer of firearms, ammunition, or components, which includes any local registry. The Arkansas Sovereignty Act (Act 1012 of 2021) further declares that federal restrictions on the manufacture, ownership, and use of firearms exclusively within Arkansas are 'unauthoritative, void, and of no force.'
"The General Assembly denies any claim that the taxing and spending powers of the United States Congress can be used to diminish in any way the people's right to keep and bear arms."
Arkansas has not enacted an extreme-risk protection order (ERPO/red-flag) law. The Arkansas Sovereignty Act (Act 1012 of 2021, codified as Ark. Code § 1-6-101 et seq.) declares federal firearm bans, orders, and regulations exclusively within Arkansas to be void within the state, and the General Assembly's preemption framework reserves firearm regulation to the state.
"Such statutes, orders, rules, regulations, and other actions exceed the powers granted to the United States Government except to the extent that they are necessary and proper for the United States Government and regulation of the land and naval forces of the United States Armed Forces."
Arkansas Code Title 5, Chapter 73 — no extreme-risk protection-order statute statute
Arkansas has no state assault-weapon ban. The preemption statutes at Ark. Code §§ 14-16-504 and 14-54-1411 reserve to the General Assembly the regulation of firearms, ammunition, and components, preventing local governments from enacting an assault-weapon ban.
"The people of Arkansas have vested the General Assembly with the authority to regulate the manufacture, possession, exchange, and use of firearms within this state's borders, subject only to the limits imposed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and Arkansas Constitution."
Arkansas imposes no magazine-capacity limit, and the preemption statutes at Ark. Code §§ 14-16-504 and 14-54-1411 prevent local governments from imposing one. The Arkansas Sovereignty Act (Act 1012 of 2021) further declares federal firearm restrictions enforced exclusively within Arkansas to be void within the state.
"A local unit of government shall not enact an ordinance or regulation pertaining to, or regulate in any other manner, the ownership, transfer, transportation, carrying, or possession of: (i) Firearms; (ii) Ammunition for firearms; (iii) Components of firearms."
Ark. Code §§ 14-16-504 and 14-54-1411 (preemption); no capacity statute statute
Suppressors, short-barreled rifles (SBRs), short-barreled shotguns (SBSs), and machine guns are regulated under the federal National Firearms Act and require ATF registration. Arkansas adds no state registration for NFA items; its Uniform Machine Gun Act (Ark. Code § 5-73-202 et seq.) has no NFA-compliance provision and instead criminalizes possession or use of a machine gun for an offensive or aggressive purpose (§ 5-73-204, presumed in the situations listed in § 5-73-205) and possession while committing a crime (§ 5-73-211). Federal NFA registration is still required; an unregistered machine gun is a federal felony.
"The National Firearms Act (NFA) imposes a statutory excise tax on the manufacture and transfer of certain firearms and mandates the registration of those firearms."
Corrected 2026-10-16: Arkansas's Uniform Machine Gun Act does not condition possession on NFA compliance. § 5-73-202 defines 'machine gun' broadly (any weapon from which more than five shots may be rapidly, automatically, or semi-automatically discharged from a magazine by a single function of the firing device). § 5-73-204 makes possession or use of a machine gun for an offensive or aggressive purpose a crime punishable by at least ten years; § 5-73-205 presumes that purpose in listed circumstances (e.g. off one's residence or business premises, possession by a person convicted of a crime of violence, .30-caliber or larger pistol shells nearby); § 5-73-211 makes possession or use in the course of a criminal offense a Class A felony; and § 5-73-208 requires manufacturers to keep a register. There is no state possessor registration (§§ 5-73-209 and -210 are repealed). Federal law separately requires every machine gun to be NFA-registered, and possession of an unregistered machine gun remains a federal felony.
"Possession or use of a machine gun for offensive or aggressive purpose is declared to be a crime punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a term of not less than ten (10) years."
Ark. Code § 14-16-504 (counties) and § 14-54-1411 (municipalities) prohibit a local unit of government — defined as a city, town, or county — from enacting an ordinance or regulation pertaining to or otherwise regulating the ownership, transfer, transportation, carrying, or possession of firearms, ammunition, components of firearms, knives, or knife-making components, except an ordinance regulating the unsafe discharge of a firearm. The Arkansas Sovereignty Act (Act 1012 of 2021) added a parallel state-sovereignty layer against federal firearm restrictions enforced exclusively within Arkansas. Under emergency declared by the Governor, a local unit of government may not enact emergency firearm ordinances (added in 2025).
"Except as otherwise provided in state or federal law, a local unit of government shall not enact an ordinance or regulation pertaining to, or regulate in any other manner, the ownership, transfer, transportation, carrying, or possession of: (i) Firearms; (ii) Ammunition for firearms; (iii) Components of firearms; (iv) Knives; or (v) Knife-making components."
Ark. Code § 14-16-504 (Regulation by local unit of government) statute
Act 250 of 2021 (SB 24, approved March 3, 2021, effective July 28, 2021) added no-duty-to-retreat language to Ark. Code §§ 5-2-606 (use of physical force) and 5-2-607 (use of deadly physical force) and conformed the related § 5-2-615 (defense by a pregnant woman).
"A person who uses or threatens to use physical force as otherwise permitted under this subchapter does not have a duty to retreat before using or threatening to use the physical force."
Act 809 of 2021 (SB 555, effective July 28, 2021) repealed the prior CHCL-only parking-lot protection at Ark. Code § 5-73-326 and replaced it with Ark. Code § 11-5-117, which extends the protection to ANY employee (not only license holders) so long as the firearm is lawfully possessed and stored out of sight inside a locked private motor vehicle.
"A private employer shall not prohibit an employee from transporting or storing a legally owned firearm in the employee's private motor vehicle in the private employer's parking lot when the firearm is: (1) Lawfully possessed; and (2) Stored out of sight inside a locked private motor vehicle."
Act 809 of 2021 (Private Employer Parking Lot — Ark. Code § 11-5-117) statute
Act 1012 of 2021 (HB 1957, approved April 28, 2021) enacted the Arkansas Sovereignty Act of 2021 at Ark. Code § 1-6-101 et seq., declaring that federal firearm restrictions enforced exclusively within Arkansas are 'unauthoritative, void, and of no force' and prohibiting state and local agencies from enforcing certain federal firearm restrictions. Portions of the act mirror the federal Tenth Amendment analysis and have not been judicially tested for the broader implementation provisions.
"Whenever the United States Government assumes powers that the people did not grant it in the United States Constitution, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force."
Act 1012 of 2021 (Arkansas Sovereignty Act — Second Amendment Preservation) statute
Act 777 of 2023 (SB 480, approved April 12, 2023) added Ark. Code § 5-73-328, expressly declaring that the concealed-handgun-licensing subchapter exists solely to facilitate out-of-state reciprocity and does not require a person to obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun in Arkansas. This codified the result that had developed from Act 746 (2013) and the Arkansas Court of Appeals' 2018 Taff decision.
"This subchapter does not require a person to obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun in order to carry a concealed handgun in this state."
Act 777 of 2023 (Codification of permitless carry — Ark. Code § 5-73-328) statute
Act 777 (SB 480, approved April 12, 2023) added Ark. Code § 5-73-328, expressly declaring that the concealed-handgun-licensing subchapter exists solely to facilitate out-of-state reciprocity and does not require a person to obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun in Arkansas. This codified the result that had developed through Act 746 (2013) and the Taff (2018) decision.
Act 250 (SB 24, approved March 3, 2021) amended Ark. Code §§ 5-2-606 and 5-2-607 to add no-duty-to-retreat language. A person who is lawfully present, not engaged in criminal activity giving rise to the need to use force, and not engaged in furtherance of a criminal gang or enterprise has no duty to retreat before using or threatening force, including deadly force.
Act 809 (SB 555) repealed the prior CHCL-only parking-lot statute (§ 5-73-326) and replaced it with the broader Ark. Code § 11-5-117, which protects any employee — regardless of license status — from a private employer's ban on transporting or storing a legally owned firearm in the employee's private motor vehicle in the employer's parking lot, when stored out of sight inside a locked vehicle.
Act 1012 (HB 1957, approved April 28, 2021) enacted the Arkansas Sovereignty Act of 2021 at Ark. Code § 1-6-101 et seq., declaring that federal firearm restrictions enforced exclusively within Arkansas are 'unauthoritative, void, and of no force' within the state and prohibiting state and local agencies from enforcing certain federal firearm restrictions. The act's broader implementation provisions have not been judicially tested in their entirety.
Act 746 (HB 1700, approved April 4, 2013) amended Ark. Code § 5-73-120(a) to require, as an element of the offense, that a person possess the handgun 'with a purpose to attempt to unlawfully employ' it as a weapon against another person. The Arkansas Court of Appeals later interpreted this in Taff v. State (Oct. 17, 2018) to mean that mere possession does not violate the statute.
Ark. Code § 5-73-119 prohibits any person from possessing a firearm on the developed property of a K-12 public or private school, in or upon any school bus, or at a designated bus stop, subject to enumerated exceptions in § 5-73-119(e). A CHCL holder may store a concealed handgun in a locked, unattended vehicle in a publicly owned parking lot.
Ark. Code § 5-73-306(13) lists schools, colleges, community colleges, and university campus buildings or events as prohibited places for ordinary CHCL holders. A licensee with the Enhanced endorsement under § 5-73-322(g) may carry on public-college and public-university grounds, with student dormitories and certain disciplinary-hearing rooms still off-limits. Private universities and colleges may opt out by posting under § 5-73-306(18).
Ark. Code § 5-73-306(5) and (6) make courthouses, courthouse annexes, and any building owned, leased, or regularly used by a county for conducting court proceedings or housing a county office off-limits to CHCL-authorized carry, subject to narrow exceptions for county employees, countywide elected officials, justices of the peace, judges, and others authorized by court order or quorum-court-approved security plan.
Ark. Code § 5-73-306(1) prohibits a CHCL holder from carrying a concealed handgun into any police station, sheriff's station, or Division of Arkansas State Police station. Subsection (2) prohibits carry into any Arkansas Highway Police facility.
Ark. Code § 5-73-306(4) prohibits a CHCL holder from carrying a concealed handgun into any part of a detention facility, prison, jail, or residential treatment facility owned or operated by the Division of Youth Services, the Department of Correction, the Department of Community Correction, or the Division of Youth Services — including the associated parking lots.
Ark. Code § 5-73-306(7)–(9) prohibits a CHCL holder from carrying a concealed handgun in any meeting place of the governing body of a governmental entity, any meeting of the General Assembly or one of its committees, or any state office.
Ark. Code § 5-73-306(10) prohibits a CHCL holder from carrying a concealed handgun at any athletic event not related to firearms. Posted firearm-sensitive areas approved by the Division of Arkansas State Police under § 5-73-325 — limited to the Arkansas State Hospital, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and collegiate athletic events — are also off-limits even with the Enhanced endorsement.
Ark. Code § 5-73-306(11) and (12) prohibit a CHCL holder from carrying a concealed handgun in the portion of any establishment licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption other than a 'restaurant' as defined in § 3-5-1202 (a kitchen-and-meal-service establishment with at least 50-person seating). Even in qualifying restaurants, posted notice under § 5-73-306(18) is enforceable.
Ark. Code § 5-73-306(14) prohibits a CHCL holder from carrying a concealed handgun inside the passenger terminal of any airport, except for a firearm encased for shipment and checked as baggage. The parking lot is not included in this prohibition.
Ark. Code § 5-73-306(18) gives any person or entity exercising control over a place authority to prohibit concealed-handgun possession by posting written notice 'carrying a handgun is prohibited' at each entrance, clearly readable from 10 feet, with parallel rules for places without a roadway entrance. Private homes are exempt from posting, but a CHCL holder entering a private home must notify the occupant. Section 5-73-306(19) adds that a private entity that chooses not to post may still give verbal or written notice, and continued carry after notice is an offense.
Every fact on this page is paired with a citation to the underlying statute, attorney general guidance, court opinion, or ATF document. We do not rely on summaries from advocacy organizations as primary sources. Last verified October 16, 2026 against the official sources.
This page is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. We are not attorneys and nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. Gun laws are complex, change frequently, and are interpreted differently across jurisdictions and individual fact patterns.
Before relying on any information on this page — to carry a firearm, purchase a firearm, travel across state lines, or respond to a self-defense situation — you should:
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