We offer the Arkansas Basic Concealed Handgun Carry License training class about once a month and the stand-alone upgrade to the Enhanced Concealed Handgun Carry License class once every other month. (The ECHCL allows you to legally carry in to more places.)
Our office is conveniently located at the corner of Cantrell and Mississippi in Little Rock in the Tangelwood Shopping Center behind Edward’s Food Giant. There is a 2 story office-storefront building on the south side of the building that houses the Edward’s Grocery Store, Little Caesars, Anytime Fitness. We are next door to Rosen Music Company.
People ask me all the time (and tell me many times) about Arkansas being a constitutional carry state. This essentially means that a person who is legally able to possess a firearm needs no license to carry that firearm. My father states it like this: “It’ll be a cold day in hell when I have to have a license to carry a gun in this country that I fought for and defended.” I agree.
HOWEVER, the Arkansas state legislature, in their wisdom, has allowed to remain on the books law 5-73-120.
https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2010/title-5/subtitle-6/chapter-73/subchapter-1/5-73-120/
The argument then becomes the language in the law “…readily available for use with a purpose to employ…” and that a prosecutor would have to prove I had the intent to use the handgun as a weapon against a person.
With the 2023 legislative session, our Arkansas lawmakers came out with a new law that states that you only need the CHCL for travel outside the state. But they did not do away with the concealed carry laws or amend the laws regarding weapons.
My question then becomes something like this: “Wouldn’t it be less expensive to have the license to carry and eliminate the ability for a cranky law enforcement officer to issue a citation to you to go to court to have the case dismissed?”
Brian R. Foster
Arkansas State Police CHCL Instructor#12-788
Brian@ActiveDefenseAR.com
501.570.6250
“To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical.” — Thomas Jefferson
Links:
CantrellLiveScan.comCantrellLiveScan.com for FINGERPRINTING
Arkansas State Police Concealed Carry: https://www.dps.arkansas.gov/law-enforcement/arkansas-state-police/services-programs/concealed-handgun-carry-licensing/