08/18/2026
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ARPA played a major role in supporting and having this act passed put in law.
๐ August 16, 2013: Arkansas Becomes a Constitutional Carry State
On August 16, 2013, Arkansas took a major step in the ongoing national debate over gun rights. That day, Act 746 of 2013 went into effect, quietly reshaping the way fi****ms are carried in the state and sparking conversations that continue more than a decade later.
The change came through a small but significant amendment to Arkansas Code ยง 5-73-120. Before the amendment, the law made it a crime simply to carry a handgun without a concealed carry license. But Act 746 altered the language from prohibiting the carrying of a weapon to prohibiting the โunlawful employment of a weapon.โ
That wording shift turned Arkansas into what is now widely considered a constitutional carry state. Since August 16, 2013, any law-abiding Arkansan may carry a handgun -- whether openly or concealed -- without needing a state-issued permit. The only restrictions apply to individuals who are already prohibited under state or federal law, such as convicted felons, individuals under the legal age to possess a firearm, or those otherwise restricted by court order.
Arkansasโs gun laws have long reflected the stateโs deeply rooted gun culture. For much of the 20th century, carrying a concealed firearm was broadly prohibited except for law enforcement officers. That began to change in 1995, when the Arkansas General Assembly passed the Concealed Handgun Carry Licensing Act. For the first time, civilians could apply for a state-issued permit through the Arkansas State Police, provided they met certain eligibility requirements and completed fi****ms training.
The 1995 law created a pathway for lawful concealed carry but still required Arkansans to obtain official approval before exercising the right. For nearly two decades, the permit system defined who could carry a concealed firearm in Arkansas.
Then came Act 746 of 2013. Instead of focusing on the act of carrying, lawmakers reframed the statute around whether a weapon was being used unlawfully. This subtle adjustment effectively decriminalized the simple act of carrying a weapon, so long as it was not employed in the commission of a crime.
The passage of Act 746 did not come without controversy. Critics argued that removing the permit requirement could make it harder for law enforcement to identify who was legally carrying a firearm and who was prohibited from doing so. Some law enforcement agencies expressed concerns about safety and training, fearing that constitutional carry might increase the risk of accidental shootings or confrontations.
Supporters, however, emphasized individual rights and the Second Amendment, arguing that law-abiding citizens should not need government permission to carry a handgun. Proponents also pointed out that the law still prohibited illegal use, so anyone who committed a crime with a firearm would still face prosecution.
In the years following the lawโs enactment, debates continued over how it should be interpreted. Some local police departments initially issued citations to individuals carrying without permits, citing confusion over the lawโs language. Legal challenges and clarifications eventually affirmed that constitutional carry was indeed legal, but the early period after August 16, 2013, saw a patchwork of enforcement and ongoing discussions statewide.
For many Arkansans, Act 746 represented a return to a more traditional view of the Second Amendment, where the right to bear arms does not depend on state-issued permission slips. The law does not mean that concealed carry licenses disappeared altogether. Permits remain available through the Arkansas State Police, primarily for those who want reciprocity when traveling to states that still require licenses.
The shift also placed Arkansas in the vanguard of a national movement. In 2013, only a handful of states had adopted constitutional carry. Today, more than half of the country has followed suit, reflecting a broader trend toward loosening permit requirements for lawful gun owners.
August 16, 2013, may not be marked on the calendar as a holiday, but for many Arkansans, it represents a milestone. On that day, the state reaffirmed its place in the national conversation on gun rights, ensuring that responsible citizens can carry their fi****ms -- openly or concealed -- without the burden of extra government approval.
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