The Arkansas Fire Prevention Code is available online, free, through three reliable sources: the state’s Administrative Rules Portal at portal.arkansas.gov, the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law, and ICC Digital Codes at codes.iccsafe.org. The 2021 Edition took effect on January 1, 2023, and remains the current statewide standard.
Where To Read the Code
Each source has a slightly different use case.
- Arkansas Administrative Rules Portal. Search under Agency 130 (Arkansas State Police), which houses the State Fire Marshal’s rules. This is the legally adopted version, so if you need to confirm exactly what Arkansas requires, start here.
- Cornell Law (Legal Information Institute). Hosts the full rule text on its Arkansas regulations page, formatted for easy reading and searchable by section number.1Legal Information Institute. 015.01.22 Ark. Code R. 005 – 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code
- ICC Digital Codes. Publishes the AFPC organized by volume, with Arkansas amendments shown alongside the base International Fire Code text. Useful if you already know the IFC layout.2International Code Council. Arkansas Fire Prevention Code, Volume I
The State Fire Marshal’s Office also posts proposed rule changes on the Arkansas Department of Public Safety website, so you can track amendments before they take effect.3Arkansas Department of Public Safety. State Fire Marshal’s Office
What’s in the Code
The AFPC is built on three model codes published by the International Code Council, each forming its own volume:
- Volume I: International Fire Code (IFC), 2021 Edition, covering fire safety operations, maintenance, and hazardous materials.
- Volume II: International Building Code (IBC), 2021 Edition, covering fire-related construction requirements for commercial and public buildings.
- Volume III: International Residential Code (IRC), 2021 Edition, covering fire safety provisions for one- and two-family dwellings.
Together, these three volumes plus Arkansas-specific amendments make up the complete 2021 Edition.1Legal Information Institute. 015.01.22 Ark. Code R. 005 – 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code
Why the Arkansas Amendments Matter
The State Fire Marshal develops Arkansas-specific modifications with input from local subject matter experts before formally adopting them. In the official rules document, these changes are clearly marked so you can tell Arkansas requirements from the base model provisions.
A contractor or building owner working from a generic 2021 IFC copy could miss requirements that apply only in Arkansas, or apply provisions the state has modified or removed. The version on the administrative rules portal or Cornell Law is the one that governs.
Local governments face a similar constraint. A city or county that adopts a fire code has one option: the AFPC, 2021 Edition. They cannot pick a different model code or an older edition. They can adopt stricter provisions, but the statewide code sets the floor. If you operate in a municipality with local amendments, check both the statewide code and the local ordinance.
What the Code Regulates
The State Fire Marshal enforces laws covering fire prevention, the storage and sale of combustible and explosive materials, fire alarm and extinguisher installation and maintenance, fire escape construction, exit adequacy in buildings where people work or gather, and arson investigation.4Justia. Arkansas Code 20-22-1010 – Duties of State Fire Marshal
Within the code itself, the provisions property owners and business operators run into most often deal with:
- Fire protection systems, including maintenance of alarms, sprinklers, and portable extinguishers.
- Means of egress, ensuring clear and accessible exits from every structure.
- Hazardous materials storage and handling, covering flammable liquids and combustible waste.
- Fire department access, including minimum road widths and weight capacity for fire apparatus.
- Operational permits for activities such as open burning, public firework displays, and certain industrial operations.
Inspections and Penalties
The State Fire Marshal or a designee can inspect any building or premises within their jurisdiction, either on a complaint or on the office’s own initiative. The law specifically requires inspection of places of public assembly and factories or industrial plants that normally employ ten or more people where safety hazards may exist.5FindLaw. Arkansas Code Title 20 Section 20-22-1012
When an inspection turns up an unsafe condition, the Fire Marshal sends written notice to the owner or operator, who must correct the problem. Failing or refusing to comply with the order is a Class A misdemeanor. The Fire Marshal can also file suit in circuit court for an injunction to abate the condition as a nuisance, filed on behalf of the State of Arkansas with no bond required.
Inspection frequency isn’t fixed statewide. Local fire marshals set their own schedules based on occupancy risk. As a rough benchmark, high-risk occupancies such as nightclubs and industrial plants tend to see annual inspections, moderate-risk buildings every two years, and lower-risk properties every three years.
Modifications and Appeals
Strict compliance with every provision isn’t always feasible, and the code accounts for that. The local fire code official can grant modifications case by case when the strict letter of the code is impractical due to special circumstances, as long as the modification doesn’t reduce the level of fire and life safety protection the code intends.
The code also allows alternative materials, designs, and construction methods not specifically listed, provided the fire code official finds them equivalent in quality, strength, fire resistance, and safety. If a request is denied, the official must give reasons in writing.
For disputes, the AFPC allows counties and municipalities to set up a local board of appeals. Not every jurisdiction has one. If you need to appeal a local decision and no board exists where you are, the next step is typically the State Fire Marshal’s Office or circuit court.