Report a theft in Arkansas to the local police department or sheriff first and keep the case number. Under Arkansas Code § 5-36-103, theft becomes a felony at $1,000. Then follow the checklist for what was taken, below.
Arkansas at a glance
| Felony theft threshold | $1,000. Theft of property worth more than $1,000 is a Class D felony in Arkansas; some property, such as any firearm, a credit or debit card, or a package taken from a home, is a felony at any value. |
|---|---|
| Theft statute | Arkansas Code § 5-36-103 |
| Grading | $1,000 or less: Class A misdemeanor. More than $1,000 up to $5,000: Class D felony. More than $5,000 to under $25,000: Class C felony. $25,000 or more: Class B felony. Special rules: a firearm under $2,500 or a credit or debit card is a Class D felony; a firearm worth $2,500 or more, or a postal package taken from a residence's curtilage or a delivery vehicle or route, is a Class C felony; a prior theft conviction within ten years makes theft of $1,000 or less a Class D felony. |
| Vehicle theft | Arkansas has no separate value-free vehicle theft offense; stealing a vehicle is charged as theft of property under § 5-36-103, graded by value. Taking or operating a vehicle without the owner's consent is unauthorized use of a vehicle under § 5-36-108, a Class A misdemeanor. |
| State police | Arkansas State Police (Arkansas Department of Public Safety) |
| Motor vehicles | Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor Vehicle |
| Consumer protection | Arkansas Attorney General, Consumer Protection |
| Online police reports | The Little Rock Police Department offers an online report form for new non-emergency reports and a telephone reporting unit that takes theft reports; other departments vary. |
| Lost or stolen gun reporting | Arkansas has no statewide requirement for owners to report lost or stolen firearms, according to the Giffords Law Center (an advocacy group's summary), which does not list Arkansas among the states that require it. |
| Pawn and secondhand dealers | No statewide holding period was found; rules are set by cities or counties. |
| Official stolen property lookups | No public state-run lookup was found for Arkansas. Use the national tools in the lookup directory. |
Statute text checked on law.justia.com. Laws change; confirm the current version before relying on it.
Arkansas by the numbers
| Measure | Arkansas | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity theft reports to the FTC, 2024 | 6,340 reports, 209 per 100,000 residents; ranked 25 of 50 | FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024 |
| Fraud and other reports to the FTC, 2024 | 29,453 reports, 971 per 100,000 residents; median reported fraud loss $375; total reported fraud losses $52.1M | FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024 |
| Firearms reported stolen from private citizens | 3,700 a year on average, 122.9 per 100,000 residents (2019 to 2023) | ATF National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment |
These figures count reports made to federal agencies, so they measure what was reported, not every theft. National context is on the theft statistics page.
Reporting a theft in Arkansas
Most thefts in Arkansas are reported to the city police department or county sheriff where they happened. The Arkansas State Police, part of the Arkansas Department of Public Safety, patrols highways and assists local agencies, but it is not usually the first stop for a household or vehicle theft.
Reporting options differ by city. The Little Rock Police Department has an online form for new non-emergency reports and a telephone reporting unit that lists theft reports among the cases it takes. Little Rock asks callers to use 911 when a crime is still in progress or evidence needs to be collected. Elsewhere, check the department's site or call its non-emergency line.
- Gather serial numbers, VINs, photographs and receipts before you report.
- Ask for the report number; insurers and banks will want it.
- Note the location and time window precisely.
Arkansas theft law and the felony threshold
Arkansas Code § 5-36-103 grades theft of property mainly by value, with the felony line at more than $1,000:
- $1,000 or less: Class A misdemeanor.
- More than $1,000 up to $5,000: Class D felony.
- More than $5,000 to under $25,000: Class C felony.
- $25,000 or more: Class B felony.
What makes the Arkansas statute distinctive is its long list of items graded by type rather than price. Any firearm is at least a Class D felony, and a firearm worth $2,500 or more is a Class C felony. A credit or debit card or card number is a Class D felony. Taking a postal package from the curtilage of a home (the yard and area around it) or from a delivery vehicle or route is a Class C felony, a direct response to porch theft; see our package theft guide. A prior theft conviction within ten years lifts a theft of $1,000 or less to a Class D felony. This is general information; prosecutors decide the actual charge.
Stolen vehicles and license plates in Arkansas
Arkansas does not have a separate felony for vehicle theft that ignores value. A stolen car is charged as theft of property under § 5-36-103, so its value sets the grade, which for most vehicles means a felony. Taking or operating someone else's vehicle without consent, without proof of intent to keep it, is unauthorized use of a vehicle under § 5-36-108, a Class A misdemeanor. The same chapter also covers chop shops (§ 5-36-109) and catalytic converter theft (§ 5-36-126).
Report a stolen vehicle to the local police with its VIN and plate so it is entered into the national stolen vehicle file, then call your insurer. Registration, titles and plates are handled by the DFA Office of Motor Vehicle; ask it about replacing stolen plates and title records. We did not find a public state stolen vehicle search, so use the national tools on our check if stolen page and the stolen vehicle guide.
Pawn shops and secondhand sales
Arkansas makes it a crime to transfer stolen property to a pawn shop or pawnbroker (§ 5-36-125). We did not verify a statewide holding period, so holding and reporting rules may vary by city or county. If you find your property listed in a pawn shop or online, give police the serial number and your report number and let them make contact. Our stolen property guide explains how.
Identity theft and fraud help in Arkansas
Arkansas offers a tool few states have: the Identity Theft Passport. Under Act 744 of 2005, the Attorney General's office issues a card, similar to a driver's license, to Arkansas residents who know or reasonably suspect they are victims of financial identity fraud and have filed a police report. It is meant to help victims restore their names and may help prevent an arrest for crimes an impostor committed in their name.
The office's steps also include a fraud alert, a police report, closing fraudulent accounts in writing, an FTC report at IdentityTheft.gov, and a credit freeze. Consumer complaints go to the Attorney General's Consumer Protection division. See our identity theft guide.
Checklists for what was stolen
Each guide opens with a checklist in the order to act, with a free printable PDF.
- Domain names
- Identity theft
- Vehicles
- Social media and email
- SIM swap and phone numbers
- Stolen phones
- Bicycles and e-bikes
- Packages and mail
- Wallets, cards and checks
- Passports
- Firearms
- Art and collectibles
- Cryptocurrency
This page is general information about Arkansas, not legal advice. For your situation, consult an attorney licensed in Arkansas.
Sources
- Arkansas Code § 5-36-103, Theft of property (Justia)
- Arkansas Code § 5-36-108, Unauthorized use of a vehicle (Justia)
- Arkansas Code Title 5, Chapter 36, Subchapter 1 (Justia)
- Arkansas Attorney General, What Should Victims Do
- Arkansas Attorney General, Consumer Complaint
- Arkansas State Police
- Arkansas DFA, Office of Motor Vehicle
- Little Rock Police Department, Reports
- Giffords Law Center, Reporting Lost and Stolen Firearms (advocacy group)