Arkansas

Arkansas Licensing Overview

Arkansas licenses 72 out of 102 lower-income occupations (more than half of the occupations included in the study) . The state’s licensing laws are about average when compared to other states. The state's licensing laws rank 29th in the nation. Arkansas licensed occupations includes occupations that are rarely licensed elsewhere. Few other states license Title Examiner (7 other), Psychiatric Technician (4 other), Nursery Worker (2 other).

On average, Arkansas requires $267 in licensing fees, 282 days of education and about 1 exam. Fees for a license exceed $1000 for Midwife, Direct Entry, Fire Alarm Installer, Security Alarm Installer, Mobile Home Installer.

Which occupation in an Arkansas is the most regulated?

Out of the 72 occupations that require an occupational license in Arkansas, a license for Coach, Head (High School Sports) has the highest burden. A Coach, Head (High School Sports) license requires $363 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and 4 years & 22.5 clock hours of education.

Which occupation in an Arkansas is the least regulated?

Out of the 72 occupations that require an occupational license in Arkansas, licenses for Nursery Worker, Shampooer have the lowest burden.

Which occupational license in Arkansas is the most expensive?

An occupational license in Arkansas costs the most for Mobile Home Installer. A Mobile Home Installer license requires $2790 in fees, 1 exams, 3 jobs, mobile home installers experience, and 1 day of education.

Which occupational license in Arkansas is the least expensive?

An occupational license for in Arkansas costs the least for Milk Sampler, Nursery Worker, Shampooer where the license costs $10.

Which occupational license in Arkansas takes the most time to obtain?

In Arkansas, an occupational license takes the most time (due to required education/experience) for Coach, Head (High School Sports). It takes 1464 days (4 years and 4 days) total. A Coach, Head (High School Sports) license requires $363 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and 4 years & 22.5 clock hours of education.

Which occupational license in Arkansas takes the least time to obtain?

In Arkansas, an occupational license takes the least time due to required education/experience (0 days) for Vegetation Pesticide Applicator, Bus Driver, City/Transit, Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer, Truck Driver, Other, Pharmacy Technician, Auctioneer, Bill Collection Agency, Gaming Cage Worker, Gaming Supervisor, Slot Supervisor, Milk Sampler, Landscape Contractor (Residential), Carpenter/Cabinet Maker Contractor (Residential), Cement Finishing Contractor (Residential), Door Repair Contractor (Residential), Drywall Installation Contractor (Residential), Floor Sander Contractor (Residential), Glazier Contractor (Residential), Insulation Contractor (Residential), Iron/Steel Contractor (Residential), Mason Contractor (Residential), Painting Contractor (Residential), Paving Contractor (Residential), Sheet Metal Contractor, Other (Residential), Terrazzo Contractor (Residential), Fisher, Commercial, Travel Guide, Nursery Worker, Shampooer.

In Arkansas, which occupational licenses require exams?

In Arkansas, to obtain an occupational license there is at least one exam required for: Coach, Head (High School Sports), Preschool Teacher, Public School, Athletic Trainer, Optician, Midwife, Direct Entry, Fire Alarm Installer, Security Alarm Installer, Earth Driller, Water Well, HVAC Contractor (Commercial), Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Commercial), HVAC Contractor (Residential), Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Residential), Veterinary Technician, Interpreter, Sign Language, Barber, Cosmetologist, Pest Control Applicator, Title Examiner, Landscape Contractor (Commercial), Carpenter/Cabinet Maker Contractor (Commercial), Cement Finishing Contractor (Commercial), Door Repair Contractor (Commercial), Drywall Installation Contractor (Commercial), Floor Sander Contractor (Commercial), Glazier Contractor (Commercial), Insulation Contractor (Commercial), Iron/Steel Contractor (Commercial), Mason Contractor (Commercial), Painting Contractor (Commercial), Paving Contractor (Commercial), Pipelayer Contractor, Sheet Metal Contractor, Other (Commercial), Terrazzo Contractor (Commercial), Psychiatric Technician, Massage Therapist, Manicurist, Makeup Artist, Skin Care Specialist, Mobile Home Installer, Emergency Medical Technician, School Bus Driver, Vegetation Pesticide Applicator, Bus Driver, City/Transit, Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer, Truck Driver, Other, Auctioneer, Security Guard, Unarmed, Milk Sampler. School Bus Driver requires 6 exams.

Arkansas is one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to licensing lower-income occupations. It licenses 72 of the 102 occupations studied here, and its licensing laws rank as the sixth most burdensome, due to high average education and experience burdens. On average, Arkansas requires $246 in fees, 642 days of education and experience, and about one exam. Because it licenses so many occupations so onerously, the state ranks as the third most broadly and onerously licensed.

Arkansas licenses several occupations that are rarely licensed elsewhere. For example, nursery workers are licensed by just one other state, psychiatric technicians by four and title examiners by six. Among these, title examiners face particularly steep burdens. They need at least one year of experience to become licensed in Arkansas, which is more than three times the average required in other licensed states (about 104 days).

The most onerously licensed occupation in Arkansas is fire alarm installer. Licensees must have 1,825 days—five years—of experience, pay $1,443 in fees and pass four exams before they can open for business. By comparison, the average across licensed states is about half that: $557 in fees, 915 days lost to education and experience, and two exams. To open up more employment opportunities in the state, Arkansas should reduce, if not repeal, these and other particularly onerous licensing burdens, or—if government regulation is necessary—replace them with less restrictive regulatory alternatives.

Burden Rank	Occupation	Number of States that License	Fees	Education/Experience (Days)	Education	Experience	Exams	Minimum Grade	Minimum Age
1	Coach, Head (High School Sports)	47	363	1464	4 years & 22.5 clock hours	None	2	0	0
2	Preschool Teacher, Public School	50	429	1460	4 years	None	2	0	0
3	Athletic Trainer	49	515	1460	4 years	None	1	0	0
4	Optician	22	310	1095	None	3 years	2	12	21
5	Midwife, Direct Entry	37	1100	800	None	40 births	2	12	21
6	Fire Alarm Installer	39	1724	737	43 clock hours	2 years	4	0	18
7	Security Alarm Installer	37	1165	730	None	2 years	2	0	18
8	Earth Driller, Water Well	51	750	730	None	2 years	2	0	18
9	HVAC Contractor (Commercial)	37	535	730	None	2 years	2	0	18
9	Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Commercial)	37	535	730	None	2 years	2	0	18
11	HVAC Contractor (Residential)	35	305	730	None	2 years	1	0	18
11	Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Residential)	36	305	730	None	2 years	1	0	18
13	Veterinary Technician	36	365	730	2 years	None	1	0	0
14	Interpreter, Sign Language	22	365	420	60 credit hours	None	2	12	18
15	Barber	51	125	350	1500 clock hours	None	3	8	17
16	Cosmetologist	51	125	350	1500 clock hours	None	2	10	16
17	Pest Control Applicator	51	380	365	None	1 year	3	0	18
18	Title Examiner	7	50	365	None	1 year	1	0	18
19	Landscape Contractor (Commercial)	47	330	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Carpenter/Cabinet Maker Contractor (Commercial)	25	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Cement Finishing Contractor (Commercial)	24	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Door Repair Contractor (Commercial)	24	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Drywall Installation Contractor (Commercial)	25	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Floor Sander Contractor (Commercial)	22	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Glazier Contractor (Commercial)	26	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Insulation Contractor (Commercial)	24	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Iron/Steel Contractor (Commercial)	26	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Mason Contractor (Commercial)	26	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Painting Contractor (Commercial)	22	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Paving Contractor (Commercial)	24	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Pipelayer Contractor	27	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Sheet Metal Contractor, Other (Commercial)	26	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
20	Terrazzo Contractor (Commercial)	23	180	365	None	1 year	1	0	0
34	Psychiatric Technician	4	51	210	900 clock hours	None	1	12	0
35	Massage Therapist	45	375	117	500 clock hours	None	2	12	18
36	Manicurist	51	175	140	600 clock hours	None	2	10	16
37	Makeup Artist	37	110	140	600 clock hours	None	2	10	16
37	Skin Care Specialist	51	110	140	600 clock hours	None	2	10	16
39	Mobile Home Installer	37	2790	92	1 day	3 jobs, mobile home installers	1	0	0
40	Emergency Medical Technician	51	118	35	150 clock hours	None	2	12	18
41	School Bus Driver	51	92	4	24 clock hours	None	6	0	19
42	Child Care Home, Family	44	176	3	16 clock hours	None	0	12	18
43	Vegetation Pesticide Applicator	51	700	0	None	None	4	0	18
44	Bus Driver, City/Transit	51	92	0	None	None	5	0	18
44	Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer	51	92	0	None	None	5	0	18
46	Truck Driver, Other	51	92	0	None	None	4	0	18
47	Pharmacy Technician	44	106	0	None	None	0	12	0
48	Auctioneer	28	334	0	None	None	2	0	18
49	Security Guard, Unarmed	34	76	1	6 clock hours	None	1	0	18
50	Bill Collection Agency	29	145	0	None	None	0	0	21
51	Gaming Cage Worker	30	125	0	None	None	0	0	21
51	Gaming Supervisor	31	125	0	None	None	0	0	21
51	Slot Supervisor	29	125	0	None	None	0	0	21
54	Milk Sampler	43	10	0	None	None	1	0	0
55	Landscape Contractor (Residential)	48	200	0	None	None	0	0	0
56	Carpenter/Cabinet Maker Contractor (Residential)	30	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
56	Cement Finishing Contractor (Residential)	30	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
56	Door Repair Contractor (Residential)	29	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
56	Drywall Installation Contractor (Residential)	30	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
56	Floor Sander Contractor (Residential)	27	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
56	Glazier Contractor (Residential)	30	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
56	Insulation Contractor (Residential)	30	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
56	Iron/Steel Contractor (Residential)	30	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
56	Mason Contractor (Residential)	31	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
56	Painting Contractor (Residential)	27	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
56	Paving Contractor (Residential)	28	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
56	Sheet Metal Contractor, Other (Residential)	31	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
56	Terrazzo Contractor (Residential)	28	50	0	None	None	0	0	0
69	Fisher, Commercial	43	36	0	None	None	0	0	0
70	Travel Guide	37	25	0	None	None	0	0	0
71	Nursery Worker	2	10	0	None	None	0	0	0
71	Shampooer	33	10	0	None	None	0	0	0

Arkansas Occupational Licensing

72 out of 102 moderate-income occupations licensed

29th most burdensome licensing laws for moderate-income occupations

Average Fees for Licenses:$267