Arkansas

Ark. Code §5-73-120(a) only criminalizes carrying with an unlawful 'purpose to employ [the weapon] as a weapon against a person' — a 2013 AG opinion and subsequent practice read this as not reaching ordinary open carry. Confirmed via Justia mirror of the statute; the interpretive basis (rather than a clean permitless-carry act) is why this is slightly less clean-cut than most 'yes' states, but it is well settled in practice.

Ark. Code §5-73-306 allows carry on church property by default; the church/place of worship may exclude permit holders by posted written notice or other specified notice. Default yes, opt-out by the congregation.

Ark. Code § 5-73-306 lists alcohol-licensed establishments as a prohibited place but explicitly excepts "a restaurant as defined in § 3-5-1202." Owners may still post to prohibit.

Arkansas has statewide permitless carry (Act 777 of 2023; Ark. Code § 5-73-321 also recognizes out-of-state licenses broadly). No Arkansas boating statute or DNR/AGFC rule restricting firearm carry on watercraft was located; the general carry authority is not place-limited beyond a short prohibited-locations list that does not mention boats.

Ark. Code §5-73-306 bars a concealed handgun carry license from authorizing carry into 'any courthouse, courthouse annex, or other building owned, leased, or regularly used by a county for conducting court proceedings or housing a county office,' with narrow carve-outs for government employees who work in that building. Other state or municipal buildings not tied to county court functions (e.g., a state DMV office, city hall) are not covered by this section.

Arkansas Act 562/Act 859 of 2017 allow concealed carry on PUBLIC college campuses only for holders of a standard CHCL who also complete an additional enhanced/campus endorsement course through Arkansas State Police; storage in campus buildings/lockers is still barred (vehicle only). Standard-permit-only holders and private institutions are not covered.

Arkansas has no statewide 'gun sign' mandate; standard trespass model (Ark. Code § 5-73-306 covers government buildings specifically) — private businesses may exclude by posted notice or verbal request, and carry is presumptively lawful absent that notice.

No AR statute requires advance owner consent; general criminal trespass law requires notice before presence with a firearm becomes unlawful (opt-out default).

Arkansas Code Ann. § 5-73-306(14) (confirmed via a Findlaw mirror of the official code) prohibits carrying 'inside the passenger terminal of any airport,' with only a narrow exception for a firearm that is encased for shipment as checked baggage. Unlike Texas/Louisiana-style statutes that defer to the federal secure-area line, Arkansas's statute bans the whole passenger terminal — including ticketing, baggage claim, and other public, non-secure areas — not just the post-screening area. This is a real trap: Arkansas is otherwise a very permissive, permitless-carry, honors-all state, so travelers easily assume airports are fine there.

Arkansas allows permitless carry; Act 777 of 2023 clarified that no license is required to carry a concealed handgun in Arkansas, including in a vehicle. An optional concealed handgun carry license (CHCL) remains available mainly for reciprocity purposes.

No blanket hospital ban. Arkansas Code allows only two specifically named facilities — the Arkansas State Hospital and UAMS (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences) — to submit a security plan to State Police designating certain areas off-limits to firearms. All other hospitals, public or private, aren't specifically addressed and default to being unrestricted for a CCW holder.

Arkansas Code §5-73-306 lists prohibited places for concealed handgun carry license holders (police/court facilities, schools, bars, etc.); rest areas/highways are not listed, and the statute affirmatively addresses vehicle carry. Verified against the statute text directly.

5 CAR § 1-201(c) (AR State Police administrative rule, quoted verbatim from handgunlaw.us): while in possession of a handgun, IF a licensee is asked for identification by a law enforcement officer, the licensee "shall also notify the officer that he or she holds a concealed handgun carry license and... has a handgun in his or her possession." No duty if not asked for ID. Some secondary sites label Arkansas flatly "yes" because ID is requested in nearly every stop, but the rule text itself is asked-triggered, not unconditional. Eff. July 8, 2025.

Ark. Code § 5-73-309(2): residency (90 consecutive days) is required EXCEPT for an "active duty member of the United States Armed Forces" or the "spouse of an active duty member," who may apply without being an Arkansas resident.

Arkansas bans firearms on K-12 property/buses (Ark. Code §§5-73-119(b)(1), 5-73-122(a)(3)(D)(ii)); licensed concealed carry holders' only exception is to keep/store the firearm in their vehicle (§5-73-119(e)(12)) — no general building/campus carry. Church-operated and some private K-12 schools may separately authorize licensed carriers. Arkansas is permitless-carry generally, but that does not by itself satisfy the federal buffer-zone license exception.

No Arkansas-specific firearm-signage criminal statute was located. Arkansas's general trespass statute (Ark. Code § 5-39-203) would presumably govern but I could not fetch its text to confirm the notice requirements (posting vs. personal request) in this session.

Ark. Code Ann. §§ 14-16-504(b)(1), 14-54-1411(b)(1): local units may not adopt ordinances affecting carrying/possession of firearms except as state law allows. Narrow exceptions for unsafe discharge and gubernatorial emergency declarations.

Verified directly against Ark. Code § 5-73-306 ('Prohibited places' for CHL holders) — its list (police stations, courthouses, schools, bars, capitol, airports, churches, etc.) does not include polling places. Arkansas also has permitless carry (Act 777 of 2023).

No state-level magazine capacity restriction found.

No extreme risk protection order or red flag statute found in Arkansas.

Arkansas Act 495/SB400 (2023) repealed the state's old blanket silencer ban, and Ark. Code §5-73-104 now expressly exempts anything 'in compliance with the National Firearms Act ... or other applicable federal law' — suppressors and SBR/SBS are legal with just the standard federal process. Machine guns are treated separately under the standalone 'Uniform Machine Gun Act' (Ark. Code Title 5, Subtitle 6, Ch. 73, Subchapter 2, §§5-73-201–211); secondary sources state automatic weapons must additionally be registered with the Arkansas Secretary of State on top of federal NFA registration. Full current text of that subchapter could not be retrieved to confirm exact present-day mechanics.

Stand Your Ground by statute: Ark. Code Ann. § 5-2-607, as amended by 2021 Ark. Act 250 (SB24) — removed the prior duty to retreat outside the home.

No Arkansas statute requires background checks on private firearm transfers. Confirmed via absence from Giffords' UBC list; no 2024-2026 legislative changes found.