CarryReciprocity

This is not legal advice.Concealed-carry reciprocity changes frequently and carries serious legal consequences. Verify current law with the destination state's official source before you carry.

ArkansasConcealed Carry Permit & Reciprocity

Compiled and verified against primary sources by CarryReciprocity. How we source & verify →

Arkansas allows permitless carry: under Act 746 of 2013 (and later clarification) a person 18 or older who may lawfully possess a handgun may carry it, openly or concealed, without a license. Arkansas still issues a Concealed Handgun Carry License (CHCL) through the Arkansas State Police in two classes: the standard CHCL and the Enhanced CHCL (E-CHCL). The Enhanced license requires about 8 hours of additional classroom and live-fire training and allows carry in places the standard license does not — public colleges and universities, most public buildings, non-secure areas of airports, and churches (unless the church prohibits it). Licenses are issued to residents 21 or older (18 for military), require fingerprints, cost $50 ($25 for applicants 65+), and are valid for five years. Arkansas recognizes all concealed handgun carry licenses lawfully issued by any other state (§5-73-321). A license holder must present the license on an officer's demand; permitless carriers should verify Arkansas's inform-on-contact expectations.

Arkansas Arkansas Concealed Handgun Carry License (CHCL)

Issuing authority
Arkansas State Police
Carry regime
constitutional
Minimum age
21
Fee
$50
Training
Required
Validity
5 years

Full Arkansas permit requirements →

Permit classes

Concealed Handgun Carry License (CHCL)

For reciprocity travel
Minimum age
21

The standard Arkansas CHCL.

Enhanced Concealed Handgun Carry License (E-CHCL)

Minimum age
21

Requires ~8 hours of additional training + live-fire; permits carry in public colleges/universities, most public buildings, non-secure airport areas, and churches — places closed to the standard license. The enhancement is an in-state privilege, not a separate reciprocity class.

Carry practicalities

Permitless carry

Allowed — minimum age 18

Arkansas allows permitless carry: under Act 746 of 2013 (which removed the 'intent to unlawfully employ' element from the carry offense) and subsequent clarification, a person 18 or older who may lawfully possess a handgun may carry it openly or concealed without a license. A CHCL remains useful for reciprocity and (in its Enhanced form) for carry in additional locations.

official source · verified 2026-07-10

Open carry

Permitless

Open carry of a handgun is lawful in Arkansas without a license for a person who may lawfully possess a handgun (Act 746 of 2013). Open carry remains subject to the prohibited-place restrictions of §5-73-306 and to private-property rules.

official source · verified 2026-07-10

Duty to inform

Not required

A CHCL holder is not required to proactively announce that they are armed but must present the license on the demand of a law enforcement officer (Ark. Code §5-73-315). NOTE: several sources state that a person carrying WITHOUT a license (permitless carry) should immediately inform an officer that they are armed on contact — verify before relying on the no-proactive-duty rule if carrying without a license.

official source · verified 2026-07-10

Off-limits locations

  • courthouses and courtrooms
  • police, sheriff, and state police stations and detention facilities
  • K-12 public school property and school events
  • public colleges and universities (permitted for Enhanced-license holders)
  • most public buildings and government meetings (permitted for Enhanced-license holders)
  • bars and establishments serving alcohol for on-premises consumption
  • the secured (past-screening) areas of airports
  • places of worship that prohibit carry (Enhanced-license holders may carry unless the church prohibits it)
  • places where carrying a firearm is prohibited by federal law

Curated key categories, not exhaustive. Prohibited places are enumerated in Ark. Code §5-73-306; the Enhanced CHCL (E-CHCL) lifts many of these restrictions (public colleges, most public buildings, churches, non-secure airport areas). Private-property owners may prohibit carry.

official source · verified 2026-07-10

Arkansas formally recognizes 49 states' permits · an Arkansas permit is honored by 36 states.

Arkansas reciprocity

Where Arkansas's permit is honored

Honored — no extra conditions (33)

Honored — resident permits only (3)

Not honored (13)

You may also carry without a permit in 1 permitless-carry state, where no permit is required at all.

Full sortable table & per-state detail →

Whose permits Arkansas honors

Honored — no extra conditions (49)

Not honored (1)

Full detail on whose permits Arkansas honors →

Last verified 2026-07-10 against Arkansas State Police — Concealed Handgun Carry Licensing.

Verify Arkansas rules on the official page →

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Arkansas FAQ

Does Arkansas have constitutional carry?
Yes. Arkansas is a constitutional (permitless) carry state — eligible adults may carry a concealed handgun without a permit. The CHCL remains available and is still worth holding for reciprocity in states that don't recognize permitless carry.
How much does an Arkansas CHCL cost?
The CHCL application fee in Arkansas is $50. The nonrefundable license fee is $50 ($25 for applicants 65 or older); there is no age-based reduction for renewals. The Enhanced license involves additional training costs.
Does Arkansas honor out-of-state concealed-carry permits?
Arkansas honors concealed-carry permits from 49 other states, subject to the qualifiers (resident-only or permit-class restrictions) noted on each reciprocity pair. See the full inbound list on the "who Arkansas honors" page.
Where is an Arkansas CHCL honored?
A Arkansas CHCL is honored by 36 other states. See the full outbound reciprocity list for exactly which states and any resident-only or class restrictions.
How long is an Arkansas CHCL valid?
A Arkansas CHCL is valid for 5 years before renewal is required.

Sources