On November 14, 2025, the Arkansas Lawyer Common (AG), Tim Griffin, clarified Arkansas legislation concerning the authorized carry of firearms. The three inquiries to be answered included: publicly owned buildings or amenities, the authorized definition of an “athletic occasion” in Arkansas legislation, and what kind of carry is prohibited in statutorily prohibited areas. The questions had been requested by the Honorable Sonia Eubanks Barker, a Republican state consultant with a pro-Second Modification repute.
AG opinions usually are not binding on judges. They’re statements of what the Lawyer Common believes the legislation to be. They’re typically taken into consideration by prosecutors when figuring out whether or not to prosecute in a given circumstance.
AG Griffin’s response was detailed and encyclopedic. It’s well-crafted and a very good learn. The response explains Arkansas’s statutory legislation concerning the carry of firearms in appreciable element. The response additionally explains among the intricacies of legislation and statutory interpretation. Along with the prolonged response, the AG offers temporary summaries of his findings. AG Griffin discovered:
Arkansas statutes don’t prohibit the open carry of firearms in municipal parks or athletic occasions. The statutes prohibit hid carry at athletic occasions, and each open and hid carry in municipal buildings and amenities until the individual has a endorsement to the Arkansas Hid Carry allow exhibiting they accomplished required coaching.
Athletic occasion is outlined. “athletic occasion” refers to organized sports activities actions—corresponding to video games, contests, or practices affiliated with college, leagues, or different entities—and doesn’t embrace unorganized play.”
The prohibited locations record for hid carry in A.C.A. § 5-73-306 solely applies to individuals carrying hid weapons. There are quite a few different statutes which include extra basic prohibitions on the carry of weapons usually, whether or not brazenly or hid. Individuals with the endorsed Arkansas Hid Carry allow are exempted from lots of the prohibitions on hid carry in A.C.A. § 5-73-306.
The legal guidelines governing the place loaded hid firearms could also be legally carried in Arkansas have an extended historical past because the legislature struggled to reform previous legal guidelines to be extra compliant with the Second Modification. Arkansas immediately is a Constitutional Carry state. People who’re legally permitted to personal firearms could carry handguns in most public locations, brazenly or hid, with no allow. The intricacies of the legislation are within the areas the place the legislature has designated that loaded firearms usually are not legally permitted presently.
The Arkansas Legislature has accredited a poll measure to amend the Arkansas state Structure with a powerful safety of the best to maintain and bear arms.
The statutes referred to by Arkansas AG Griffin had been enacted, largely, as incremental modifications to scale back the variety of “gun free” zones within the state of Arkansas. An individual who intends to hold firearms for protection of self and others in Arkansas is suggested to learn the statutes and browse AG Griffin’s opinion on the statutes. Such studying will assist to teach them about areas the place carry of firearms are prohibited.
Acquiring a state endorsement on an Arkansas Hid Carry allow considerably reduces the variety of prohibited locations in Arkansas legislation. The endorsement is on the market by way of licensed Arkansas firearm security instructors and requires eight hours of coaching together with stay hearth. The programs price about $100 to $150 and require a minimum of 100 rounds of ammunition. Renewal of the license is required each 5 years. A renewal course is required, which is reported to take about half-hour for a payment of about $40. Arkansas permits/licenses are solely out there to Arkansas residents.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a army officer, was on the College of Wisconsin Pistol Crew for 4 years, and was first licensed to show firearms security in 1973. He taught the Arizona hid carry course for fifteen years till the objective of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has levels in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Division of Protection after a 30 yr profession in Military Analysis, Improvement, Testing, and Analysis.
