Arkansas-Employment-Licensing

Arkansas has no fair employment law that would generally restrict how employers consider a conviction record, but relief mechanisms such as pardon and sealing are routinely available.  Occupational licensing entities are subject to robust regulation, and may not consider non-conviction records, misdemeanor convictions (except misdemeanor sex offenses and misdemeanors involving violence), and convictions that have been pardoned or expunged.  Per a 2019 law, a long list of offenses are subject to mandatory disqualification, but for all but the most serious violent offenses the disqualification lasts only for five years after completion of sentence with no intervening conviction.  A waiver is available even for the most serious crimes. (Those licensed prior to passage of the 2019 law are grandfathered.) If a license is denied because of the applicant’s criminal record, the licensing entity must provide written reasons.