Arkansas Moves to Bolster Gun Rights with New Constitutional Amendment—Here’s What It Means for You

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LITTLE ROCK, AR — Arkansas has taken a major step toward expanding protections for gun owners, with lawmakers approving a constitutional amendment that strengthens the right to keep and bear arms across the state. Senate Joint Resolution 11 (SJR11), led by Sen. Justin Payton and Rep. Wade Duffield, has passed both legislative chambers and was officially approved by the Governor on April 22, 2025.

The next step? Voters will decide its fate in the upcoming November 2026 general election.

What SJR11 Actually Does

SJR11 is a proposed amendment to the Arkansas Constitution that aims to make the state’s gun rights language more clear, specific, and robust. While Arkansas already recognizes the right to bear arms, this amendment expands that protection by:

• Clarifying lawful uses of firearms beyond “common defense” to also include lawful hunting, recreational use, and any other lawful purpose.
• Specifically protecting ammunition, firearm accessories, and firearm components, ensuring they are part of the right to keep and bear arms.
• Declaring gun rights as a “natural, fundamental, and individual right” that “shall not be infringed.”

If adopted by the public, this language would be written directly into Article 2, Section 5 of the Arkansas Constitution, becoming law effective January 1, 2027.

Why This Matters for Gun Owners

This amendment doesn’t create a new right—it reinforces and strengthens existing Second Amendment protections by making them harder to regulate or reinterpret at the state level. By clearly defining what’s protected—including ammo and accessories—it helps prevent future legislation from attempting to ban or restrict common tools used by law-abiding gun owners.

Additionally, by defining these rights as “fundamental” and “individual,” the amendment could potentially elevate the level of judicial scrutiny applied to any gun control measures challenged in court.

What’s Next?

The amendment now heads to the Arkansas ballot in November 2026, where voters will have the final say. If a majority of voters approve it, the amendment becomes part of the state constitution. Public education efforts and campaigning—both in support and opposition—are expected to ramp up as the election nears.

For now, Arkansas gun owners can view this as a significant win, with overwhelming legislative support (including dozens of co-sponsors across both chambers) and a clear path forward to enshrining more explicit Second Amendment protections in the state’s highest legal document.

This move highlights a growing trend in states seeking to proactively reinforce firearm rights at the state level, ensuring that courts and future lawmakers cannot easily dilute what many view as a core individual liberty.