Arkansas Bans Livestock Running at Large Statewide (ACA 2-38-301)

Since Act 594 took effect in 2023, Section 2-38-301(a) states flatly that "it shall be unlawful for any livestock to run at large," ending Arkansas's old county-by-county stock-law patchwork. "Livestock" under Section 2-38-101 means cattle, bison, horses, sheep, goats, asses, mules, and swine; poultry is not included. An owner who receives verbal or written notice that an animal is loose and trespassing has 24 hours to retrieve and confine it. Section 2-38-302 makes a violation punishable by a fine of $10 to $50, and the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission may add a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation. Each day the animal continues to run at large is a separate violation.

A loose-livestock conviction carries a $10 to $50 fine, but the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission can add a civil penalty up to $5,000 per violation, and each day the animal runs at large counts as a separate violation.