According to the state legislature, the only acceptable pronunciation ends with a silent 's' and an 'saw' sound. This was formally adopted in 1881 to settle a bitter dispute between two state senators over how to say the state's name. Saying 'Ar-Kansas' might not land you in jail today, but it remains a grievous offense to state pride.
In the capital city, it is explicitly against municipal code to sound a vehicle horn at any establishment where cold drinks or sandwiches are served after 9 PM. This hyper-specific noise ordinance was likely passed in the mid-20th century to curb teenagers from loitering, honking for carhop service, and disturbing the peace in quiet neighborhoods. If you want a late-night BLT, you will just have to walk inside.
While keeping native wildlife is generally strictly regulated, urban legends and vague interpretations of state wildlife possession laws birthed the notion that bathtubs are specifically off-limits for alligators. Historically, early 1900s roadside attractions and eccentric citizens sometimes housed exotic pets in residential plumbing. Today, state game and fish regulations broadly prohibit keeping dangerous wildlife in residential enclosures.
An old vagrancy and public morals ordinance stipulates a potential 30-day jail sentence for men or women caught making unwanted flirtatious advances in public. Enacted during the Victorian era to prevent prostitution and maintain strict public decency, the law criminalized winking, catcalling, or overly enthusiastic staring. While not enforced today, it remains technically on the books as part of archaic disorderly conduct codes.
An old modesty law in the town of Blytheville required anyone parading down Main Street in a swimsuit to be accompanied by a minimum of two police officers. This quirky ordinance was designed to prevent public indecency and scandalous behavior during the hot summer months. It ensured that anyone baring that much skin had official oversight to maintain order.
Despite Arkansas being historically known as the 'Bear State', the commercial sale of bear meat, organs, or parts is strictly prohibited. This wildlife conservation law was enacted to stop the rapid depletion of the black bear population by commercial hunters in the 19th and early 20th centuries. While you can hunt a bear legally with a permit, putting bear steaks on a restaurant menu will result in hefty fines.
In an effort to curb underground gambling, state law restricts the number of consecutive free games a pinball machine can award a player to exactly 25. Authorities historically viewed pinball machines as games of chance rather than skill, frequently associating them with mob activity and illicit betting. By capping the free replays, lawmakers hoped to prevent arcades from acting as covert casinos.
While generally protected by the First Amendment today, historic disorderly conduct codes in Jonesboro made it specifically illegal to curse at an officer performing traffic duties. The law was designed to maintain order at busy intersections and ensure that frustrated drivers didn't distract law enforcement. Shouting an expletive over a traffic jam historically counted as breaching the peace.
This bizarre agriculture restriction allegedly stems from farmers trying to keep their livestock calm while transporting or walking them along busy early-20th-century roads. Blindfolding a massive animal made it unpredictable and a hazard to early automobiles and horse-drawn carriages. Today, it stands as a testament to the quirky intersection of farming and early traffic safety.
Passed during the height of the 1990s war on drugs, this law made it a crime for public school students to carry pagers, which were heavily associated with gang activity and drug dealing at the time. While modern students walk the halls with smartphones infinitely more powerful, the specific ban on obsolete beepers remained on the books for decades. It reflects the technological panic of a very specific era.
A hyper-strict local ordinance makes it technically unlawful to kill any living creature, which, if read literally, would include swatting a mosquito or stepping on a spider. The law was originally intended to stop citizens from shooting at wildlife or stray dogs within the densely populated city boundaries. However, the exceedingly broad wording makes everyday pest control a theoretical municipal offense.
In the mid-20th century, roller skating was such a popular craze that reckless youths apparently began taking their skates to main roads and highways. Pine Bluff officials felt compelled to draft an ordinance specifically outlawing roller skating on public highways to prevent tragic collisions with automobiles. If you want to skate, you are legally required to stick to the rinks and sidewalks.
In the early days of Little Rock's development, farmers regularly brought livestock through the center of town. However, to preserve the sanctity and cleanliness of the Sabbath, a city ordinance barred the herding of cattle down Main Street during prime Sunday church hours and afternoons. It was an effort to keep churchgoers from stepping in manure in their Sunday best.
In Arkansas, family law provides grounds for immediate annulment if a couple got married as a practical joke or on a dare. The state views marriage as a serious, legally binding contract that requires mutual, sober consent. If you wake up legally tethered to someone because of a drunken game of truth or dare, the state will graciously grant you a do-over.
Under various state and local noise ordinances read a bit too strictly, dogs are legally prohibited from barking loudly after 6 PM. In reality, authorities enforce nuisance animal laws where owners can be fined if their pets continuously disturb the peace during evening hours. The law exists to ensure neighborhood tranquility, placing the legal burden on the owner to quiet their vocal canines.
Arkansas is one of several states that enforce strict blue laws regarding automotive sales. Car dealerships are legally mandated to remain closed on Sundays. Originally rooted in religious traditions designed to keep Sunday as a day of rest, the law is now largely supported by auto dealers themselves to guarantee their staff at least one uniform day off a week without losing business to competitors.
In a state with deep agricultural roots, free-ranging cattle used to be a significant hazard for motorists. The state legislature passed a law explicitly prohibiting farmers from using the grassy shoulders of state highways as a cheap pasture or feeding ground. Grazing your sheep on the interstate is a surefire way to earn a citation from the highway patrol.
Like many cities fighting the spread of tuberculosis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Eureka Springs passed a strict anti-spitting ordinance. The town was famous as a health resort due to its natural springs, and preserving pristine public hygiene was vital to its tourism industry. Although tuberculosis is no longer a public crisis, expect dirty looks—and possibly a small fine—if you spit on the historic downtown streets.
Article 19, Section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution explicitly states that no person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of the state. It also bars atheists from being competent to testify as witnesses in any court. Though rendered totally unenforceable by the U.S. Supreme Court, this 1874 provision has never been formally amended out of the state's constitution.
Originally passed as an anti-Ku Klux Klan measure in the mid-20th century, this law prohibits adults from concealing their identities in public spaces using masks or hoods. While there are obvious exceptions for Halloween, theatrical productions, and recently, public health emergencies, the original intent was to prevent organized hate groups from terrorizing citizens anonymously.