Arkansas sorts felonies into five classes. Class Y is the most serious non-capital tier, punishable by 10 to 40 years or life. Class A carries 6 to 30 years, Class B carries 5 to 20, Class C carries 3 to 10, and Class D carries up to 6 years with no statutory minimum. The Arkansas felony classes also control fine limits, whether probation is available, and how much of a sentence must be served before parole.
Prison Ranges by Class
The sentencing ranges in Ark. Code Ann. § 5-4-401 are fixed. A judge cannot go below the minimum or above the maximum for the class of conviction.1Justia. Arkansas Code 5-4-401 – Sentence
- Class Y: 10 to 40 years, or life.
- Class A: 6 to 30 years.
- Class B: 5 to 20 years.
- Class C: 3 to 10 years.
- Class D: Up to 6 years. No statutory minimum.
Class D is the only classified felony with no floor, which gives judges room for shorter prison terms or alternative sentences in appropriate cases. Arkansas also recognizes unclassified felonies, which carry whatever penalty the specific statute spells out rather than one of the ranges above.
What Class Y Covers
Class Y sits above Class A and just below capital murder. Its 10-year minimum is longer than the starting point for any other classified felony, and no circumstance lets a judge drop below it. The Arkansas Sentencing Commission’s ranking table lists dozens of Class Y offenses, including rape, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, manufacturing two grams or more of methamphetamine (or any amount with a prior conviction), and trafficking controlled substances.2Arkansas Sentencing Commission. Offense Seriousness Ranking Table
Fines by Class
Fines are imposed on top of any prison sentence under Ark. Code Ann. § 5-4-201.3Justia. Arkansas Code 5-4-201 – Fines – Limitations on Amount
- Class A or B: Up to $15,000.
- Class C or D: Up to $10,000.
The general fine statute sets no separate cap for Class Y felonies. Those fines come from the specific statute defining the offense. Fines are separate from restitution ordered to compensate victims, and separate from court costs and supervision fees.
When Probation and Suspended Sentences Are Off the Table
Arkansas law prohibits a court from suspending a sentence or placing a defendant on probation for a Class Y felony.4Justia. Arkansas Code 5-4-301 – Crimes for Which Suspension or Probation Prohibited The same bar applies to capital murder, treason, and second-degree murder. For every other felony class, a suspended sentence or probation is at least possible depending on the circumstances. For Class Y, the only question is how long the prison term will be.
Parole Eligibility
The class controls prison time, but a second set of rules controls release. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 16-93-611, certain Class Y offenders must serve at least 70 percent of the imposed sentence before parole eligibility. That rule covers first-degree murder, kidnapping charged as Class Y, aggravated robbery, rape, causing a catastrophe, and methamphetamine manufacturing offenses.5Justia. Arkansas Code 16-93-611 – Class Y Felonies
For the most serious violent crimes, parole is gone entirely. Recent legislation requires 100 percent of the sentence to be served for offenses including capital murder, first-degree murder, rape, aggravated robbery, Class Y kidnapping, and human trafficking. A 30-year rape sentence means 30 years served, with no early release. Lower-class felonies follow standard parole timelines.
Habitual Offender Enhancements
Prior felony convictions push the ceilings higher under Ark. Code Ann. § 5-4-501. Minimums do not move; maximums do.6Justia. Arkansas Code 5-4-501 – Habitual Offenders – Sentencing for Felony
One or More Prior Felonies
- Class Y: 10 to 60 years, or life.
- Class A: 6 to 50 years.
- Class B: 5 to 30 years.
- Class C: 3 to 20 years.
- Class D: Up to 12 years.
Two or More Prior Felonies
- Class Y: 10 years to life.
- Class A: 6 to 60 years.
- Class B: 5 to 40 years.
- Class C: 3 to 30 years.
- Class D: Up to 15 years.
Repeat Serious Violent Offenders
The harshest tier applies to a defendant convicted of a serious violent felony who has at least one prior serious violent felony conviction. The range is a mandatory 40 to 80 years or life. Most Class Y crimes appear on the statute’s list of qualifying violent offenses.
Consequences That Outlast the Sentence
A felony conviction in any Arkansas class triggers consequences well beyond prison and fines.
Federal law permanently bars anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison from possessing firearms or ammunition. Every Arkansas felony class clears that threshold, and violating the ban is itself a federal felony.7Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons
Voting rights are suspended during the full felony sentence, including any probation, parole, or supervised release. They are restored automatically once the sentence is discharged; no separate application is required, though re-registration is.8U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas. If I Am Convicted of a Felony in Federal Court, Can I Vote?
Professional licensing boards routinely deny or revoke licenses after a felony conviction, especially in nursing, teaching, law enforcement, and healthcare. A Class Y conviction involving violence or sexual conduct is a near-automatic disqualifier in most licensed fields. Federal student aid is one area that has loosened: a drug conviction no longer disqualifies a borrower from federal loans and grants.9Federal Student Aid. Eligibility for Students With Criminal Convictions
Which Felonies Can Be Sealed
Under the Comprehensive Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2013, some felony convictions can be sealed from public view. Sealing does not erase the record; it keeps employers, landlords, and the public from seeing it without a court order.
Non-violent Class C and D felonies, along with Class A and B drug felonies, can be sealed once the full sentence is complete, including all fines and court costs. Violent Class C and D felonies carry an additional five-year waiting period after completion. The person generally cannot have more than one prior felony conviction, though multiple charges from the same criminal episode count as one.
Class Y felonies cannot be sealed. Neither can Class A or Class B felonies outside the drug context, sexual offenses, or any felony carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years or more. For most serious convictions, the record is permanent.