State SBR law

Are short-barreled rifles legal in Arkansas? (2026)

By Cole Harlan, EditorUpdated Oct 28, 2026How we verifyEditorial standards

Arkansas has no state SBR offense in the provisions we read. Act 1051 of 2019 took "Sawed-off shotgun or rifle" off the state prohibited-weapons list in A.C.A. 5-73-104. Federal rules still apply, and this page covers both. Confirm with an attorney if your situation is unusual.

Not legal advice. This page summarizes Arkansas statutes and federal guidance as of the date above. Local rules and your own circumstances can matter. Check with your dealer or an Arkansas attorney if you're unsure.

The short answer

No state SBR offense found. Act 1051 of 2019 struck "Sawed-off shotgun or rifle" from A.C.A. 5-73-104. The current section lists only a bomb, metal knuckles and implements that serve "no lawful purpose."
No state SBR penalty. The same act also removed sawed-off and short-barreled guns from other firearm-furnishing sections, so we found no Arkansas SBR penalty.
No state registration tie that we found. The federal-law exception in 5-73-104(b) covers items still listed in that section, and SBRs are not.
Federal law still applies. See "Federal process in 2026" below.

The statute

Arkansas Code § 5-73-104 was amended by Act 1051 of 2019 (House Bill 1820, approved April 16, 2019). Before the act, the list in subsection (a) included "Sawed-off shotgun or rifle" along with a machine gun and a firearm specially made or adapted for silent discharge. The act struck those items. The section now reads:

"(a) A person commits the offense of criminal use of prohibited weapons if, except as authorized by law, he or she knowingly uses, possesses, makes, repairs, sells, or otherwise deals in any: (1) Bomb; (2) Metal knuckles; or (3) Other implement for the infliction of serious physical injury or death that serves no lawful purpose."

How we verified this. The quoted text comes from a Bureau of Legislative Research exhibit (March 2024) that reprints 5-73-104 as amended through the 2023 sessions. The Legislature's Code Sections Amended lists for the 2025 Regular Session, the 2026 Fiscal Session and the 2026 First Extraordinary Session show no amendment to 5-73-104 or 5-1-102. We haven't checked the 2024 Fiscal Session list.

We found no SBR provision in the sections we read. The offense list above is what Arkansas does cover. Act 1051 also removed sawed-off and short-barreled guns from A.C.A. 5-73-109, 5-73-129 and 5-73-132.

How Arkansas defines an SBR

The Arkansas statutes we read have no SBR definition. Older text in 5-73-109 and 5-73-132 pointed to definitions in § 5-1-102, but Act 1051 struck those references, and we haven't verified what § 5-1-102 says today. Federal law (26 U.S.C. 5845) draws the lines at a rifle barrel under 16 inches, or a weapon made from a rifle with an overall length under 26 inches.

Penalty

None that we found for an SBR under Arkansas law. The penalty subsection of 5-73-104 now covers a bomb, metal knuckles, and everything else on the list, and no SBR remains on it. Penalties for other conduct, such as a prohibited person possessing a firearm, are Not yet verified here.

Is legality tied to federal registration?

Not for SBRs, as far as we found. Subsection (b) of 5-73-104 says the section:

"does not apply if the person uses, possesses, makes, repairs, sells, or otherwise deals in an item described in this section that is in compliance with the National Firearms Act, 26 U.S.C. §§ 5801 — 5861, or other applicable federal law, as either existed on January 1, 2019."

That exception only reaches an item described in the section, and short-barreled rifles no longer are. It also fixes the federal law it refers to as of January 1, 2019. That is our reading of the text. No court or Arkansas official has addressed it, so how it applies is untested.

ATF's October 9, 2026 open letter says it stopped enforcing Form 1 and Form 4 approval and registration for SBRs, SBSs, suppressors and AOWs. Voluntary forms are still processed. Per our suppressor guide, Attorney General Tim Griffin co-led a September 4, 2026 letter to Congress, which said: "Today, we urge Congress to repeal those provisions so they cannot be enforced against anyone." We haven't found an Arkansas Attorney General statement issued after October 9 about SBRs. Our Arkansas suppressor guide has the full context.

Hunting

SBR-specific hunting rules: Not yet verified. Per our suppressor guide, the Game and Fish Commission rules we checked on October 26, 2026 don't address suppressors either way, so check with the Commission before you hunt with one.

Other laws that interact

Furnishing to minors and felons. Act 1051 removed sawed-off and short-barreled guns from 5-73-109 (minors), 5-73-129 (felons) and 5-73-132 (sale to a prohibited person). The general rule in 5-73-132 still bars selling, renting or transferring a firearm to anyone you know is prohibited by state or federal law from having it.
Machine guns. They were also removed from 5-73-104, but that is a separate question from SBRs. Federal law is covered in our suppressor guide.
Assault weapon definitions, concealed carry, CLEO certification, manufacturing: Not yet verified.

Braced pistols

The state statutes cited here don't mention pistol braces. For the federal side, see our pistol brace guide.

Federal process in 2026

The making and transfer tax on SBRs has been $0 since January 1, 2026.
ATF stopped Form 1 and Form 4 enforcement on October 9. Voluntary forms are still processed. See NFA wait times.
Dealers use a Form 4473 and NICS check. ATF won't enforce 18 U.S.C. 922(b)(4) "Until final rules are issued."
"For now," interstate transport still needs an approved Form 20 (18 U.S.C. 922(a)(4)).
A dealer can't sell where state law forbids it (18 U.S.C. 922(b)(2)).

ATF says there is no automatic grandfathering if enforcement resumes. Full detail is on our SBR rules 2026 page, and you can compare states with the state NFA checker.

Checked against the official statute text on October 28, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Are short-barreled rifles legal in Arkansas?

We found no Arkansas SBR offense. Act 1051 of 2019 struck sawed-off shotguns and rifles from A.C.A. 5-73-104, and the current section lists only a bomb, metal knuckles and other implements with no lawful purpose. Federal rules still apply. Confirm with an attorney.

Does Arkansas require NFA registration for an SBR?

We found no Arkansas requirement. The federal-law exception in 5-73-104(b) covers items described in that section, and SBRs are no longer listed. That is our reading of the text, not a court ruling or an official opinion.

What is the penalty for an SBR in Arkansas?

We found no SBR-specific penalty. Act 1051 of 2019 removed sawed-off shotguns and rifles from the prohibited-weapons offense in 5-73-104.

Can you hunt with an SBR in Arkansas?

SBR-specific hunting rules are not yet verified. Our suppressor guide notes that the Game and Fish Commission rules we checked did not address suppressors either way, so check with the Commission before you hunt.

Do I need a Form 20 to take an SBR out of Arkansas?

According to ATF's fact sheet, "For now," transporting an SBR across state lines still requires an approved Form 20. State law at your destination also applies.

Are short-barreled rifles legal in Arkansas? (2026)

The short answer

The statute

How Arkansas defines an SBR

Penalty

Is legality tied to federal registration?

Hunting

Other laws that interact

Braced pistols

Federal process in 2026

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Keep exploring

Are short-barreled rifles legal in Arkansas? (2026)

The short answer

The statute

How Arkansas defines an SBR

Penalty

Is legality tied to federal registration?

Hunting

Other laws that interact

Braced pistols

Federal process in 2026

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Keep exploring

The Gun Release Report