Arkansas One-Party

Licensing & Regulation

Arkansas licenses private investigators through the Arkansas State Police, Regulatory Services Division, under the authority of the Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies Act (A.C.A. §17-40-101 et seq.). Applicants must be at least 21, complete required experience or training, pass a background check and exam, and post a $10,000 surety bond for agency licensure. Renewal is annual. Attorneys and certified public accountants are statutorily exempt when investigating within the scope of their primary practice.

Physical Surveillance

Surveillance in public is permitted; trespass on private property is not. Arkansas drone-surveillance law (A.C.A. §5-60-103) criminalizes the use of unmanned aircraft to surveil critical infrastructure and to invade the privacy of an individual. GPS tracking is regulated under Arkansas's stalking statute; placement on a vehicle without the owner's consent risks felony charges.

Audio & Video Recording Consent

Arkansas is a one-party-consent state under A.C.A. §5-60-120. The PI must be a party to the conversation. Recording where the PI is not a participant is criminal interception. Hidden cameras in places of reasonable privacy (bathrooms, locker rooms) are prohibited under the state's video-voyeurism statute.

Domestic, Marital & Infidelity Investigations

Arkansas allows fault-based divorce; adultery is a recognized ground and PIs are often retained to document it. Arkansas is not a community-property state — equitable distribution applies. Investigators must avoid accessing a spouse's standalone email/social accounts; shared accounts present complex consent questions and counsel should be involved.

Cybersecurity, Hacking & Digital Investigations

The Arkansas Computer Crime Act (A.C.A. §5-41-101 et seq.) and the federal CFAA jointly prohibit unauthorized access. Social-media OSINT is permitted insofar as the information is publicly accessible without circumventing privacy settings. Friending or messaging a subject under false pretenses to obtain information is generally treated as pretexting and may be unlawful.

Missing Persons, Skip Tracing & Harassment

The Arkansas State Police clearinghouse for missing persons cooperates with licensed PIs. DPPA restrictions on DMV records apply. Arkansas's stalking and harassment statutes (A.C.A. §5-71-208 and §5-41-108) are broad; persistent contact even in the course of an authorized investigation can trigger criminal exposure.