Arkansas carry status overview
Arkansas is a permitless carry state. Act 746 of 2013, as clarified by 2023 legislation, allows any person 21 years of age or older who is legally eligible to possess a firearm to carry concealed without a permit. Open carry is broadly permitted. A permit remains available for residents who travel to other states that require reciprocity.
| Permitless carry | Yes — since 2013 |
| Governing law | Arkansas Code Annotated § 5-73-120 |
| Minimum age | 21 years old |
| Open carry | Yes — broadly permitted |
| Vehicle carry | Allowed without permit |
| Permit available | Yes — Arkansas Concealed Handgun Carry License (CHCL) |
Arkansas’s permitless carry date depends on who you ask, and the state’s own lawyers disagreed
Almost every reference dates Arkansas permitless carry to 2013. That is where the argument started, not where it ended. Act 746, effective 16 August 2013, rewrote § 5-73-120 so that carrying a handgun is an offence only when done “with a purpose to attempt to unlawfully employ” it. The Act did not say a licence was no longer needed. It changed the test from possession to intent, and left everyone to work out what followed.
What followed was a decade of contradiction at the top of the state:
- July 2013 — Attorney General McDaniel: Act 746 authorised neither open carry nor unlicensed concealed carry, and applied only to someone on a journey through Arkansas.
- August 2015 — Attorney General Rutledge, in Opinion 2015-064, reversed her predecessor on open carry — but wrote in the same opinion that the laws requiring a licence for concealed carry “still have full force and effect.”
- 2018 — an Arkansas Court of Appeals decision narrowed the dispute.
- 2023 — the legislature finally passed an act stating expressly that a licence is not required to carry a concealed handgun.
Read that middle bullet again. Anyone who started carrying concealed without a licence in 2013 because a headline said Arkansas had gone permitless was doing so against the published opinion of the sitting attorney general for roughly ten years. Attorney general opinions are not binding law — but they are what prosecutors and sheriffs read.
One lasting consequence of writing the statute around intent rather than possession: an officer may lawfully inquire into your purpose for carrying. That is unusual, and it comes straight from the structure of § 5-73-120.
Permit for reciprocity
The Arkansas Concealed Handgun Carry License (CHCL) is available to Arkansas residents who wish to carry legally in other states. Even though no permit is needed in Arkansas, obtaining one greatly expands where you can legally carry when traveling. Apply at: https://www.asp.arkansas.gov/programs-and-services/detail/concealed-handgun-licensing ↗
Key prohibited locations
- K–12 school buildings and grounds
- Courthouses and court facilities
- Law enforcement and correctional facilities
- Secure areas of airports
- Any location prohibited by federal law
- Private property with posted prohibition
Always verify the complete prohibited locations list in Arkansas's official statutes at the official statute source.
Frequently asked questions — Arkansas
Does Arkansas require a permit to carry concealed?
No. Since 2013, any person 21+ who is legally eligible to possess a firearm may carry concealed in Arkansas without a permit. The Arkansas Concealed Handgun Carry License (CHCL) remains available for out-of-state reciprocity.
Is a permit worth getting in Arkansas?
Yes, especially for travelers. A Arkansas permit provides reciprocity in other states. Permits can be obtained through the state's issuing agency. Without a permit, your carry rights are limited to Arkansas and other permitless carry states.
Does Arkansas honor out-of-state carry permits?
Yes. Arkansas recognizes valid carry licenses from other states. Additionally, as a permitless carry state, any eligible person 21+ may carry without any permit in Arkansas.