Arkansas Gun Laws and How They Differ From Neighboring States

All six states bordering Arkansas have more lenient gun laws regarding the use of deadly force.

Those states — Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Missouri — appeared on a list published last year by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence identifying the 26 states with “shoot first” statutes that generally permit the use of deadly force in self-defense in public places with no duty to retreat.

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But Arkansas wasn’t on that list. Guns and Ammo, which promotes itself as the most widely read firearms magazine, reported Arkansas is a “duty to retreat” state unless the person using deadly force is in his or her home.

Its rules regarding use of deadly force in self-defense may have been among reasons Guns and Ammo placed Arkansas 33rd on its list of the Best States for Gun Owners 2014. The magazine gave higher ratings to all six of the “shoot first” states Arkansas borders. It put Louisiana at 27th, Mississippi at 18th, Tennessee at 16th, Texas at 14th, Missouri at 11th, and Oklahoma at sixth. Guns and Ammo also said Arkansas law includes a “fairly expansive use of prohibited places” for firearms.

But the magazine noted that Arkansas does not require permits to buy firearms, does not require registration, issues concealed carry permits to all qualified applicants, and allows for permit reciprocity with numerous other right-to-carry states.

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Arkansas firearms laws were lenient enough to bring it a place among 26 states that received in “F” in a gun laws scorecard put out by the Brady Campaign, the nation’s largest citizens’ lobby to prevent gun violence, working in partnership with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

The Brady Campaign, which also gave an “F” to each of the six states Arkansas borders, concluded Arkansas finished in a tie for having the nation’s 34th strongest gun laws by state.

Among the six states that border Arkansas, the campaign concluded:

• Oklahoma finished in a tie with Arkansas and South Carolina for 34th.
• Tennessee and Texas have stronger gun laws than Arkansas, finishing 28th and 31st, respectively.
• Missouri, Louisiana, and Mississippi have more lenient gun laws than Arkansas, finishing 39th, 40th, and 44th, respectively.

This article does not constitute legal advice. Check the current gun laws before purchasing or traveling with a firearm.

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