Knowing the Limits of Arkansas’s New Concealed Handgun Carry Law

Arkansas law provides for issuing licenses to qualified individuals to carry concealed handguns. However, this license doesn’t give you unlimited rights to carry a concealed handgun wherever you like, and not understanding the limitations of those rights can land you in legal trouble.

The Arkansas concealed carry law contains a long list of places where concealed handguns are not allowed or where they may be prohibited at the discretion of the person owning, occupying or otherwise in control of the premises. For instance, the person in control may post one or more written notices clearly readable from a distance of at least 10 feet, warning that “carrying a handgun is prohibited.”

A private citizen or entity — including a church or other place of worship, private college or university or bar — may prohibit you from carrying a concealed handgun onto their property by notifying you verbally or in writing, without the need for a posted notice. A homeowner or residential tenant doesn’t even need to notify you. If you are carrying a concealed handgun into someone else’s home, you must notify its occupants that you are doing so.

The need to prohibit handguns by posting a written notice doesn’t apply to some places, such as:

• A public university, public college or community college
• Your motor vehicle, if parked in a publicly owned and maintained parking lot
• A private employer’s parking lot, with certain limitations
• A local government facility, such as a public elementary or secondary school, a prison, a collegiate athletic event or a government establishment selling alcoholic beverages

These and other places may be governed by their own specific rules on whether concealed handguns are permitted, which may be more or less restrictive than the law in general. Also, note that the local government facility exception is new, having been adopted only this past year and having taken effect on Jan. 13, 2022. Failure to observe these limitations can result in criminal weapons charges and also subject you to loss of your gun license.

James Law Firm is able to give you reliable advice on Arkansas restrictions on carrying concealed handguns before you make a serious mistake. We can also provide effective representation to you if you are accused of violating those restrictions. Call (501) 375-0900 or contact us online for a free consultation at our Little Rock office.