Landlord guide, Arkansas (AR)
Arkansas eviction process: the landlord’s steps from notice to removal
The eviction process in Arkansas starts with the 3-day notice to vacate: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent (Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-60-304, 18-17-701(b), 18-17-901(b)). Then the landlord files in the circuit court or district court, where the case is called unlawful detainer; the court hears it, and after judgment a court officer carries out the removal.
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- Notice for unpaid rent
- 3 calendar days
- Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-60-304, 18-17-701(b), 18-17-901(b)
- Court
- circuit court or district court
- Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-307 (as amended by Act 1052 of 2021 and Act 414 of 2023)
- Time to appeal
- Not confirmed
- Checked against the statutes
- 1 November 2026
Step by step
The eviction process Arkansas landlords follow, step by step
Notice and court names are given as they read on Arkansas’s own forms, and timing details are quoted from the statute.
- 1
Step 1
Serve the notice
Unpaid rent: the 3-day notice to vacate, 3 calendar days (Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-60-304, 18-17-701(b), 18-17-901(b)).
The statute gives the tenant no right to stop the eviction by paying inside the period.
Another breach of the lease: the 14-day notice to cure or quit, 14 calendar days (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(a)).
No reason, month to month: 30 days’ notice (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704(b)).
What the statute adds, in English
The Attorney General states an unlawful detainer requires three days' written notice to vacate; no statute gives a right to stop it by paying. Under the Landlord-Tenant Act, rent unpaid five days after the due date lets the landlord terminate.
- 2
Step 2
File the eviction in court
File in the circuit court or district court, where the case is called unlawful detainer (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-307 (as amended by Act 1052 of 2021 and Act 414 of 2023)).
- 3
Step 3
Go to the hearing
The tenant has 5 days to answer the complaint.
The statute sets no timetable for the hearing that we could confirm; the court schedules it.
- 4
Step 4
Judgment and appeal
No appeal deadline could be confirmed from the statute, so ask the clerk which one applies.
- 5
Step 5
Removal by a court officer
An officer of the court carries out the removal, on the court’s order.
In the statute, in English
writ of possession issues on court order once 5 days (excluding Sundays and legal holidays) pass after service with no written objection
Arkansas eviction process timeline
- Notice before filing
- 3 calendar days
- Time to answer
- 5 days
- Hearing
- Not confirmed
- Time to appeal
- Not confirmed
- Removal
- Quoted in step 5
Only some steps have a number in the statute, so no honest total exists: after filing, the court sets the pace.
Can you change the locks yourself?
No. Arkansas bans self-help eviction (statute not confirmed), so only the court process can remove a tenant.
No statute found that bans lockouts or utility shutoffs; the bar on forcible self-help eviction comes from case law (Gorman v. Ratliff, 1986), so this should be checked by counsel.
The court process is the safe course in every state.
Write the Arkansas eviction notice
Fill in the notice for Arkansas in the generator, then read the rest of the state’s landlord law before you serve it.
Where Dardaris comes in
Most evictions start as one late payment. Dardaris sees it on day one.
It notices the missed rent the day it is due, sends the tenant a reminder, and if nothing comes, drafts the Arkansas notice with its 3 calendar days. You read it and sign; nothing goes out without you.
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Dardaris
The statutes
Arkansas eviction laws, with the statute behind each step
| Step | What the law says | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Notice for unpaid rent | 3-day notice to vacate3 calendar daysNo statutory right to pay and stayThe Attorney General states an unlawful detainer requires three days' written notice to vacate; no statute gives a right to stop it by paying. Under the Landlord-Tenant Act, rent unpaid five days after the due date lets the landlord terminate. | Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-60-304, 18-17-701(b), 18-17-901(b) |
| Notice for a lease breach | 14-day notice to cure or quit14 calendar daysThe tenant can fix the breach within the periodThe lease ends on a date at least 14 days after receipt unless a breach that can be remedied is fixed in that time. This is the text as enacted in 2007; the current codified text could not be read on an official site. | Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(a) |
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy | 30 days | Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704(b) |
| How a notice is served | delivery in hand to the tenantregistered or certified mail to the place the tenant designated or the last known residence, with proof of mailing counting as notice | Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-303(b)(2)(C) |
| Court and action | circuit court or district courtunlawful detainer | Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-307 (as amended by Act 1052 of 2021 and Act 414 of 2023) |
| Time to answer | 5 days | Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-307 (as amended by Act 1052 of 2021 and Act 414 of 2023) |
| Hearing | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Time to appeal | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Removal | writ of possession issues on court order once 5 days (excluding Sundays and legal holidays) pass after service with no written objection | Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-307 (as amended by Act 1052 of 2021 and Act 414 of 2023) |
| Self-help (lockouts, utilities) | BannedNo statute found that bans lockouts or utility shutoffs; the bar on forcible self-help eviction comes from case law (Gorman v. Ratliff, 1986), so this should be checked by counsel. | Not confirmed from the statute |
Read against the official texts below on 1 November 2026. The month-to-month period was checked on 29 September 2026.
- https://arkansasag.gov/divisions/public-protection/homes/landlord-and-tenant-rights/
- https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2007%2FPublic%2F&file=1004.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2007%2FR
- https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2021R%2FPublic%2FACT1052.pdf
- https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2FACT414.pdf
- https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FACT459.pdf
- https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=SB501&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R
Questions landlords ask about eviction in Arkansas
How long does an eviction take in Arkansas?
The notice for unpaid rent runs 3 calendar days before you can file. After that the court sets the pace, so there is no honest total: the hearing, the judgment and the removal follow the court’s calendar and the timing rules quoted on this page.
What notice does a Arkansas landlord serve for unpaid rent?
The 3-day notice to vacate, which gives the tenant 3 calendar days (Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-60-304, 18-17-701(b), 18-17-901(b)). The statute gives the tenant no right to stop the eviction by paying inside the period.
Can a landlord change the locks in Arkansas?
No. Arkansas bans self-help eviction (statute not confirmed), so only the court process can remove a tenant. The exact limits are quoted on this page.
Where is an eviction filed in Arkansas?
In the circuit court or district court, where the case is called unlawful detainer (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-307 (as amended by Act 1052 of 2021 and Act 414 of 2023)).
How does a landlord end a month-to-month tenancy in Arkansas?
With 30 days’ notice (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704(b)). If the tenant stays on after that, the eviction process on this page applies.
Can the tenant appeal an eviction in Arkansas?
No appeal deadline could be confirmed from the statute, so ask the clerk which one applies.
The eviction process in other states
- Wyoming: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Alabama: 7 business days for unpaid rent
- Alaska: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Arizona: 5 calendar days for unpaid rent
- California: 3 court days for unpaid rent
- Colorado: 10 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Connecticut: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Delaware: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
General information, not legal adviceEviction law changes, and a court can read a statute differently from this summary. Check the current text and your local court’s rules, or ask a lawyer licensed in the state, before you serve a notice or file.
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