Arkansas has no statewide pit bull ban, but roughly fifteen to twenty cities prohibit the breed outright and several others allow ownership only under strict conditions. The Arkansas cities that ban pit bulls include North Little Rock, Sherwood, Batesville, Arkadelphia, and a cluster of smaller municipalities, while Pine Bluff and Paragould permit the breed with registration, insurance, and confinement requirements. Larger cities including Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Jonesboro, Springdale, and Conway have no breed-specific ordinance at all. Because the rules change at the city line, confirming the ordinance in your specific municipality is the only reliable way to know whether your dog is legal there.
Arkansas Cities With Outright Pit Bull Bans
About fifteen to twenty Arkansas cities enforce bans, and most of them grandfather dogs that were registered before the ordinance took effect. The ordinances with publicly available text follow a similar template: a list of covered breeds, a narrow exception for show dogs or previously registered dogs, and strict containment rules for any grandfathered animal.
North Little Rock
North Little Rock prohibits the American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bulldog, and any mix of those breeds.1City of North Little Rock. Banned Breeds in NLR AKC-registered American Staffordshire Terriers or Staffordshire Bull Terriers used as show or performance dogs can qualify for an exemption with documentation. Dogs registered within 30 days of the ordinance’s passage were grandfathered. Their owners must be at least 21, carry proof of rabies vaccination and sterilization, keep the dog in a locked enclosure or on a leash no longer than six feet, and post a “Beware of Dog” sign.
Sherwood
Sherwood bans keeping, harboring, owning, selling, or transporting pit bulls within city limits. Dogs living in newly annexed areas get a 90-day grace period to leave the city or be registered, and aggressive pit bulls do not qualify for registration at all. The city has upheld the ban in subsequent council votes.
Batesville
Batesville uses the same breed definition as North Little Rock. Dogs licensed before the ordinance took effect may stay if the owner provides proof of rabies vaccination, sterilization, and liability insurance of at least $100,000 naming the City of Batesville as an interested party. The dog must be kept in a securely locked enclosure, and a “Beware of Dog” sign is required.2City of Batesville. Batesville Code of Ordinances – Title 6 Animals and Fowl
Arkadelphia
Arkadelphia bans pit bulls under Section 6.16 of its municipal code, with exceptions for AKC- or UKC-registered show dogs and dogs registered under the city’s grandfathering provisions.
Other Cities With Bans
Several additional Arkansas cities ban pit bulls, though full ordinance text is not always posted online. Available municipal records show bans in the following cities:
- Beebe classifies pit bulls as vicious animals and prohibits keeping them in city limits.
- Camden includes pit bulls in its vicious dog definition and prohibits them.
- Caraway classifies pit bulls as vicious animals under its animal control code.
- Carlisle bans pit bull breeds entirely, including dogs that substantially conform to the breed standard.
- Dardanelle bans American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, American Bulldogs, and any dog a licensed veterinarian can identify as a pit bull.
- De Queen prohibits any breed identified as “pit bull.”
- Dover has a permanent ban with registration and compliance requirements for existing dogs.
- Gassville prohibits owning or keeping a pit bull terrier within municipal limits.
- Hazen bans pit bulls and classifies them alongside vicious dogs.3City of Hazen. City of Hazen – Pit Bulls and Vicious Dogs
- Mayflower bans pit bulls with a grandfathering provision. Violations lead to seizure, a $100 reclaim fee, and a sworn affidavit to remove the dog from city limits; a second offense can result in the dog being destroyed.4City of Mayflower. Chapter 6.16 – Banning of Pitbulls
Lake City and Lockesburg are also commonly listed as having bans, though their ordinance text is not readily available online. Call the city clerk or animal control office before relying on any secondhand list.
Arkansas Cities That Restrict but Allow Pit Bulls
A smaller group of cities takes a middle path, allowing ownership under conditions that often resemble what banned cities require of their grandfathered dogs.
Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff requires owners to register the dog, provide proof of rabies vaccination and sterilization, be at least 21 years old, and carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance. Dogs must be confined when on the owner’s property and leashed and muzzled when off it. Pit bulls owned by law enforcement agencies or used as service animals are exempt.
Paragould
Paragould classifies pit bulls as dangerous animals. Owners must keep the dog in secure indoor confinement or a locked pen, muzzle it whenever it is outside the enclosure, and carry at least $100,000 in public liability insurance for bodily injury or property damage. Proof of insurance has to be available on demand.5Paragould, Arkansas. Paragould Code of Ordinances Chapter 6 – Animals
Garland County
Garland County designates pit bulls a “high risk breed” and prohibits owners from allowing them to go unconfined on other people’s property or on public rights-of-way. The rule regulates where the dog can be rather than whether you can own one.
Cities That Have Repealed Their Bans
Some older lists still show bans that no longer exist. Two Arkansas cities have repealed theirs.
Maumelle previously banned American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and American Bulldogs. The city council passed Ordinance 1022 repealing the ban on all four breeds, and a later vote declined to reinstate it. Pit bulls are now legal in Maumelle, though general dangerous-dog rules still apply to any breed that behaves aggressively.
Prescott repealed its 2009 pit bull ordinance and now regulates all dogs under a broader vicious animal ordinance. Legally registered service animals are exempt. The city also raised the violation fee from $250 to $500 and shortened the holding period for seized animals from ten days to three.
How Cities Define “Pit Bull”
“Pit bull” is not a single recognized breed, and each city writes its own definition. Most Arkansas ordinances cover at least three: the American Pit Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Staffordshire Terrier. North Little Rock and Dardanelle add the American Bulldog.1City of North Little Rock. Banned Breeds in NLR
Almost every ordinance also sweeps in mixed-breed dogs. Paragould covers any dog with “the appearance and characteristics of being predominately” one of the listed breeds.5Paragould, Arkansas. Paragould Code of Ordinances Chapter 6 – Animals Dardanelle covers any dog “commonly referred to as ‘pit bull’ and commonly recognizable and identifiable as such” by a licensed veterinarian. Hazen lets its animal control officer deem any dog vicious regardless of breed.3City of Hazen. City of Hazen – Pit Bulls and Vicious Dogs A mixed-breed dog with a blocky head and muscular build can be classified as a pit bull under these definitions even if a DNA test shows minimal pit bull ancestry. If your dog could plausibly be identified as a pit bull mix, treat any local ban as potentially applying.
Penalties for Violating a Ban
The dog itself is the first thing at risk. Animal control can seize it, and if the owner does not reclaim it within a short window, often three business days, the city can euthanize the animal. Mayflower requires a $100 reclaim fee and a sworn affidavit promising to move the dog out of city limits immediately; a second violation can result in a court order to destroy the dog.4City of Mayflower. Chapter 6.16 – Banning of Pitbulls
Owners also face criminal misdemeanor charges, with fines that vary by city. Sherwood has confirmed through council votes that lab testing can be used to determine breed, so a dog that does not obviously look like a pit bull can still be seized if DNA results come back positive.
Service Animals and Housing Protections
Federal law overrides local pit bull bans in two situations: service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act and assistance animals in housing under the Fair Housing Act.
A city that bans a breed must still allow a service animal of that breed unless the specific dog poses a direct threat based on its actual behavior or history. The determination has to be made case by case, not based on generalizations about the breed.6ADA.gov. Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA
In housing, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has stated that breed and size restrictions in pet policies do not apply to assistance animals, which include both trained service animals and support animals for people with disabilities. Landlords and public housing agencies cannot charge pet deposits or impose breed bans on these animals, though standard lease provisions covering health, safety, and sanitary conditions still apply.7HUD Exchange. Can a Public Housing Agency Restrict the Breed or Size of an Assistance Animal Prescott’s amended ordinance explicitly exempts legally registered service animals.
Insurance for Pit Bull Owners
Even in cities that allow pit bulls, finding homeowners or renters insurance can be a hurdle. Many insurance companies maintain internal breed exclusion lists and will deny coverage, exclude dog-bite liability, or charge higher premiums for pit bull owners. Some major insurers, including State Farm, do not discriminate by breed, but availability varies. If your city requires $100,000 in liability insurance as a condition of ownership, as Batesville, Pine Bluff, and Paragould do, you may need to shop around or purchase a separate animal liability policy. Ask your insurer directly whether your dog’s breed affects coverage before assuming an existing policy is enough.
Verifying Your City’s Current Rules
Ordinances change, and online databases sometimes lag by months or years. Maumelle’s ban still appears on some legal research sites despite having been repealed. The reliable way to confirm current rules is to call your city clerk’s office or animal control department. Many cities post their municipal code through platforms like Municode, but not every city keeps those pages current.
If you are moving with a pit bull or pit bull mix, verify the rules in the destination city before signing a lease or closing on a house. Ask animal control two specific questions: whether the city has any breed-specific ordinance, and how it defines “pit bull.” Get the answer in writing when you can. For complicated situations, including service animal disputes, housing conflicts, or a dog that has already been seized, a local attorney familiar with animal law can help you work through the overlap between municipal ordinances and federal protections.