Are firearms legal in Arkansas?

Q: Are firearms legal in Arkansas?

Firearms in Arkansas are permitted. No license is needed to carry a handgun in Arkansas, concealed or openly, if you are 18 or older and may lawfully possess one. Carrying is a crime only if you intend to use the handgun unlawfully against a person. Concealed carry is still banned in places such as bars, courthouses and places posted against handguns, and firearms are banned on K-12 school grounds. An optional license, for age 21 or older (18 for military), is mainly for other states' reciprocity.

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ARKANSAS · FIREARMS

Firearms

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Permitted: No license is needed to carry a handgun in Arkansas, concealed or openly, if you are 18 or older and may lawfully possess one.

Permitted

Summary

No license is needed to carry a handgun in Arkansas, concealed or openly, if you are 18 or older and may lawfully possess one. Carrying is a crime only if you intend to use the handgun unlawfully against a person. Concealed carry is still banned in places such as bars, courthouses and places posted against handguns, and firearms are banned on K-12 school grounds. An optional license, for age 21 or older (18 for military), is mainly for other states' reciprocity.

Source: dps.arkansas.gov → · Updated October 12, 2026

Arkansas Firearms topics

Concealed Carry in Arkansas →Permitted
No license is needed to carry a handgun in Arkansas, concealed or openly, if you are 18 or older and may lawfully possess one.
Open Carry in Arkansas →Permitted
Open carry of a handgun is legal without a permit for anyone 18 or older who may lawfully possess one.
Magazine Capacity in Arkansas →Permitted
Arkansas does not restrict magazine capacity — there is no state limit on how many rounds a magazine can hold.
Gun Possession in Arkansas →Permitted
Arkansas has no red-flag law (also called an Extreme Risk Protection Order, or ERPO), no assault-weapon ban, and no restrictions on magazines.
Transporting Firearms in Arkansas →Permitted
No license is needed to carry a loaded handgun in a vehicle in Arkansas if you are 18 or older and may lawfully possess one.
Duty to Inform Police in Arkansas →Conditional
No duty to tell an officer unprompted. If you carry on an Arkansas concealed handgun license and an officer asks for your ID, you must show the license and tell the officer you hold it and have a handgun.
Suppressors & Silencers in Arkansas →Conditional
Suppressors are legal in Arkansas, which has no statute banning civilian possession, and Game and Fish regulations impose no suppressor restriction, so hunting with one is allowed.
Reciprocity — where is my Arkansas permit honored? →
State-by-state map of which states honor a Arkansas concealed-carry permit.

Other Arkansas laws

Firearms in nearby states

Browse all state laws →

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