§ 5-73-306 — Prohibited places

Except as permitted under § 5-73-322(g) , a license to carry a concealed handgun issued under this subchapter does not authorize a person to carry a concealed handgun into: (1) Any police station, sheriff's station, or Division of Arkansas State Police station; (2) An Arkansas Highway Police Division of the Arkansas Department of Transportation facility; (3) [Repealed.] (4) Any part of a detention facility, prison, jail, or residential treatment facility owned or operated by the Division of Youth Services, including without limitation a parking lot owned, maintained, or otherwise controlled by: (A) The Division of Correction; (B) The Division of Community Correction; or (C) A residential treatment facility owned or operated by the Division of Youth Services; (5) Any courthouse, courthouse annex, or other building owned, leased, or regularly used by a county for conducting court proceedings or housing a county office unless: (A) The licensee is: (i) Employed by the county; (ii) A countywide elected official; (iii) A justice of the peace; or (iv) (a) Employed by a governmental entity other than the county with an office or place of employment inside the courthouse, the courthouse annex, or other building owned, leased, or regularly used by the county for conducting court proceedings or housing a county office. (b) A licensee is limited to carrying a concealed handgun under subdivision (5)(A)(iv) (a) of this section into the courthouse, courthouse annex, or other building owned, leased, or regularly used by the county for conducting court proceedings or housing a county office where the office or place of employment of the governmental entity that employs him or her is located; (B) The licensee's principal place of employment is within the courthouse, the courthouse annex, or other building owned, leased, or regularly used by the county for conducting court proceedings or housing a county office; and (C) The quorum court by ordinance approves a plan that allows licensees permitted under this subdivision (5) to carry a concealed handgun into the courthouse, courthouse annex, or other building owned, leased, or regularly used by a county for conducting court proceedings as set out by the local security and emergency preparedness plan; (6) (A) Any courtroom. (B) However, nothing in this subchapter precludes a judge from carrying a concealed weapon or determining who will carry a concealed weapon into his or her courtroom; (7) Any meeting place of the governing body of any governmental entity; (8) Any meeting of the General Assembly or a committee of the General Assembly; (9) Any state office; (10) Any athletic event not related to firearms; (11) (A) A portion of an establishment, except a restaurant as defined in § 3-5-1202 , licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises. (B) A person with a concealed carry endorsement under § 5-73-322(g) and who is carrying a concealed handgun may not enter an establishment under this section if the establishment either places a written notice as permitted under subdivision (18) of this section or provides notice under subdivision (19) of this section prohibiting a person with a license to possess a concealed handgun at the physical location; (12) (A) A portion of an establishment, except a restaurant as defined in § 3-5-1202 , where beer or light wine is consumed on the premises. (B) A person with a concealed carry endorsement under § 5-73-322(g) and who is carrying a concealed handgun may not enter an establishment under this section if the establishment either places a written notice as permitted under subdivision (18) of this section or provides notice under subdivision (19) of this section prohibiting a person with a license to possess a concealed handgun at the physical location; (13) (A) A school, college, community college, or university campus building or event. (B) However, subdivision (13)(A) of this section does not apply to: (i) A kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) private school operated by a church or other place of worship that: (a) Is located on the developed property of the kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) private school; (b) Allows the licensee to carry a concealed handgun into the church or other place of worship under this section; and (c) Allows the licensee to possess a concealed handgun on the developed property of the kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) private school under § 5-73-119(e) ; (ii) A kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) private school or a prekindergarten private school that through its governing board or director has set forth the rules and circumstances under which the licensee may carry a concealed handgun into a building or event of the kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) private school or the prekindergarten private school; (iii) Participation in an authorized firearms-related activity; (iv) Carrying a concealed handgun as authorized under § 5-73-322 ; or (v) A publicly owned and maintained parking lot of a college, community college, or university if the licensee is carrying a concealed handgun in his or her motor vehicle or has left the concealed handgun in his or her locked and unattended motor vehicle; (14) Inside the passenger terminal of any airport, except that no person is prohibited from carrying any legal firearm into the passenger terminal if the firearm is encased for shipment for purposes of checking the firearm as baggage to be lawfully transported on any aircraft; (15) (A) Any church or other place of worship. (B) However, this subchapter does not preclude a church or other place of worship from determining who may carry a concealed handgun into the church or other place of worship. (C) A person with a concealed carry endorsement under § 5-73-322(g) and who is carrying a concealed handgun may not enter a church or other place of worship under this section if the church or other place of worship either places a written notice as permitted under subdivision (18) of this section or provides notice under subdivision (19) of this section prohibiting a person with a license to possess a concealed handgun at the physical location; (16) Any place where the carrying of a firearm is prohibited by federal law; (17) Any place where a parade or demonstration requiring a permit is being held, and the licensee is a participant in the parade or demonstration; (18) (A) (i) Any place at the discretion of the person or entity exercising control over the physical location of the place by placing at each entrance to the place a written notice clearly readable at a distance of not less than ten feet (10') that "carrying a handgun is prohibited". (ii) (a) If the place does not have a roadway entrance, there shall be a written notice placed anywhere upon the premises of the place. (b) In addition to the requirement of subdivision (18)(A)(ii) (a) of this section, there shall be at least one (1) written notice posted within every three (3) acres of a place with no roadway entrance. (iii) A written notice as described in subdivision (18)(A)(i) of this section is not required for a private home. (iv) Any licensee entering a private home shall notify the occupant that the licensee is carrying a concealed handgun. (B) Subdivision (18)(A) of this section does not apply if the place is: (i) A public university, public college, or community college, as defined in § 5-73-322 , and the licensee is carrying a concealed handgun as provided under § 5-73-322 ; (ii) A publicly owned and maintained parking lot if the licensee is carrying a concealed handgun in his or her motor vehicle or has left the concealed handgun in his or her locked and unattended motor vehicle; (iii) A parking lot of a private employer and the person is carrying a handgun as provided under § 11-5-117 ; or (iv) A place owned, controlled, or operated by a local unit of government as defined in § 14-16-504 if the licensee is carrying a concealed handgun as provided under § 5-73-322(g) and (h) , unless the place is listed in § 5-73-122(a)(3)(D)(i) -(iv) or the place is a part of a building licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises. (C) The person or entity exercising control over the physical location of a place that does not use his, her, or its authority under this subdivision (18) to prohibit a person from possessing a concealed handgun is immune from a claim for monetary damages arising from or related to the decision not to place at each entrance to the place a written notice under this subdivision (18); (19) (A) (i) A place owned or operated by a private entity that prohibits the carrying of a concealed handgun that posts a written notice as described under subdivision (18)(A) of this section. (ii) (a) A place owned or operated by a private entity that chooses not to post a written notice as described under subdivision (18)(A) of this section may provide written or verbal notification to a licensee who is carrying a concealed handgun at the place owned or operated by a private entity that carrying of a concealed handgun is prohibited. (b) A licensee who receives written or verbal notification under subdivision (19)(A)(ii) (a) of this section is deemed to have violated this subdivision (19) if the licensee while carrying a concealed handgun either remains at or returns to the place owned or operated by the private entity. (B) A place owned or operated by a private entity under this subdivision (19) includes without limitation: (i) A private university or private college; (ii) A church or other place of worship; (iii) An establishment, except a restaurant as defined in § 3-5-1202 , licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises; and (iv) An establishment, except a restaurant as defined in § 3-5-1202 , where beer or light wine is consumed on the premises; or (20) A posted firearm-sensitive area, as approved by the Division of Arkansas State Police under § 5-73-325 , located at: (A) The Arkansas State Hospital; (B) The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; or (C) A collegiate athletic event.

Legislative History

Amended by Act 2023, No. 215,§ 1, eff. 8/1/2023. Amended by Act 2021, No. 1024,§ 1, eff. 7/28/2021. Amended by Act 2021, No. 809,§ 1, eff. 7/28/2021. Amended by Act 2019, No. 431,§ 2, eff. 7/24/2019. Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 683, eff. 7/1/2019. Amended by Act 2017, No. 859,§ 6, eff. 9/1/2017. Amended by Act 2017, No. 859,§ 5, eff. 9/1/2017. Amended by Act 2017, No. 859,§ 4, eff. 9/1/2017. Amended by Act 2017, No. 562,§ 5, eff. 9/1/2017. Amended by Act 2017, No. 562,§ 4, eff. 9/1/2017. Amended by Act 2017, No. 562,§ 3, eff. 9/1/2017. Amended by Act 2017, No. 562,§ 2, eff. 9/1/2017. Amended by Act 2017, No. 1071,§ 2, eff. 8/1/2017. Amended by Act 2017, No. 1071,§ 2, eff. 8/1/2017. Amended by Act 2017, No. 707,§ 5, eff. 8/1/2017. Amended by Act 2015, No. 1259,§ 2, eff. 7/22/2015. Amended by Act 2015, No. 1175,§ 1, eff. 7/22/2015. Amended by Act 2015, No. 1078,§ 7, eff. 7/22/2015. Amended by Act 2015, No. 1078,§ 6, eff. 7/22/2015. Amended by Act 2015, No. 1078,§ 5, eff. 7/22/2015. Amended by Act 2015, No. 1078,§ 4, eff. 7/22/2015. Amended by Act 2015, No. 933,§ 2, eff. 7/22/2015. Amended by Act 2013, No. 1390,§ 2, eff. 8/16/2013. Amended by Act 2013, No. 226,§ 4, eff. 8/16/2013. Amended by Act 2013, No. 226,§ 3, eff. 8/16/2013. Amended by Act 2013, No. 67,§ 1, eff. 2/11/2013. Acts 1995, No. 411, § 2; 1995, No. 419, § 2; 1997, No. 1239, § 2; 2003, No. 1110, § 1; 2007, No. 664, § 2; 2009, No. 294, § 28; 2011, No. 758, § 1.