Arkansas Private Security and Private Investigation Licensing Guide

Arkansas regulates private investigation and private security at the state level through the Division of Arkansas State Police (under the Arkansas Department of Public Safety). The governing framework is the Private Security Agency, Private Investigator, and School Security Licensing and Credentialing Act (A.C.A. § 17-40-101 et seq.), implemented through ASP’s administrative rules.

Arkansas distinguishes between entity-level authorization to operate and individual-level authorization for personnel. In general, firms must be properly licensed for the line of business they provide, and individuals performing regulated functions must hold the applicable state-issued authorization (which may be issued as a license, credential, or commission depending on role). Armed roles commonly require a commission rather than a basic unarmed credential.

Because the Arkansas statutory and rules framework also covers adjacent regulated categories (for example, alarm-related roles), operators should confirm the precise class that applies to their service line and personnel roles, then ensure both entity licensing and individual authorizations remain active and current.

Arkansas is a statewide, state-police-administered regime that generally requires both entity-level licensing and role-specific individual authorizations. Multi-state operators should treat Arkansas as a “license + credential/commission” state and ensure armed roles are tracked distinctly from unarmed roles.