Arkansas - AR Gun Laws

No state permit or license is required to buy a rifle, shotgun, or handgun in Arkansas. Dealer purchases run through the standard federal NICS background check (Form 4473), with federal age minimums of 18 for a long gun and 21 for a handgun. There's no state waiting period and no state-added purchase restrictions beyond what federal law already requires.

Arkansas does not require a background check for private, face-to-face firearm sales between people who can legally possess firearms. Federal law still applies — a private seller may not knowingly transfer to someone they believe is a prohibited possessor.

Arkansas follows the standard federal prohibited-persons categories: felony conviction, certain domestic violence convictions or active protective orders, unlawful drug users, individuals adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, fugitives from justice, dishonorable military discharge, undocumented immigration status, and renunciation of U.S. citizenship. Arkansas has no red-flag/extreme risk protective order law.

Legal without a permit for anyone 18 or older who can otherwise legally possess a firearm.

Permitless for anyone 18 or older who can legally possess a firearm — no permit, background check at the point of carry, or training requirement. Arkansas law requires a permitless carrier to immediately inform a law enforcement officer of the presence of a firearm if contacted by police, a requirement that does not apply to Enhanced Concealed Carry License holders in the same way. Arkansas still issues a standard License to Carry and an Enhanced Concealed Carry License — the enhanced version specifically extends legal carry into locations otherwise off-limits, including bars, churches, and the state Capitol, and remains useful for reciprocity when traveling.

No permit or license is required to carry a firearm, loaded or unloaded, concealed or openly, in a vehicle in Arkansas — the state's permitless carry framework covers vehicle transport the same as carrying on foot. The same duty-to-inform rule and sensitive-location restrictions apply as elsewhere.

Arkansas restricts firearms at K-12 schools, courthouses, and certain other government buildings for standard permitless and licensed carriers alike. An Enhanced Concealed Carry License extends legal carry into several otherwise-restricted locations, including bars, churches, and the state Capitol — a genuinely unusual expansion compared to most other states. Federal restrictions still apply regardless of state law — federal buildings and other federal property remain off-limits under federal statute.

In May 2026, a Pulaski County judge ruled that the city of Little Rock's blanket ban on concealed handguns in city owned buildings violated a 2021 Arkansas law letting Enhanced Concealed Carry License holders carry in publicly owned buildings and facilities, including city and state property, with exceptions for police stations, jails, and courthouses. The city has said it plans to appeal, but as of this recheck, Enhanced Concealed Carry License holders can lawfully carry in Little Rock city buildings covered by that ruling.

Arkansas does not set a comprehensive statewide minimum age for possessing a firearm beyond the federal purchase-age framework (18 for long guns, 21 for handguns through a dealer). Supervised possession and use by minors below these ages — for hunting, target shooting, or firearms safety instruction under adult supervision — is common practice and not separately restricted by a dedicated state age-floor statute.

None. Arkansas has no magazine capacity limit and no assault weapons ban, and state preemption law blocks any city or county from creating one locally.

Arkansas law (Ark. Code §§ 5-2-607 and 5-2-620) allows the use of deadly force in self-defense, including within the home, without a duty to retreat when a person is in a place they have a legal right to be.

Arkansas has state preemption — local municipalities cannot enact their own firearm ordinances, keeping carry, purchase, and possession rules uniform statewide.

Arkansas State Police, concealed carry license resources: asp.arkansas.gov
Arkansas Code, Title 5, Subtitle 1, Chapter 2 (full text): law.justia.com/codes/arkansas
Your local Arkansas State Police field office: for standard or Enhanced Concealed Carry License applications
ATF: for federal NFA questions — Arkansas does not add state-level restrictions on suppressors beyond federal requirements