Arkansas Dog Bite Law decides who pays when a dog injures someone — and the answer changes a great deal from one state to the next. This guide explains whether Arkansas uses strict liability or the one-bite rule, how long you have to file, how leash and dangerous dog rules work, and exactly how a homeowners policy responds. Whether you own a dog in Arkansas or you were bitten by one, Arkansas Dog Bite Law is what determines the outcome.
Arkansas Dog Bite Law is summarized here in plain English. Everything in this guide was verified against Arkansas statutes, the state courts, and Insurance Information Institute claim data as of August 2026.
In This Arkansas Dog Bite Law Guide:
Arkansas Dog Bite Law: Strict Liability or One-Bite Rule?
Arkansas follows the one-bite rule. An owner is liable when they knew, or should have known, that their dog was dangerous. In practice this usually means the dog had already bitten someone or shown clear aggression. A victim can also sue on ordinary negligence — for example, an owner who let the dog run loose.
Arkansas has no statute making a dog owner automatically liable for a bite — liability is judge-made and rests on the common-law doctrine of scienter, often called the “one-bite rule,” plus ordinary negligence.
A victim generally must prove the owner knew or should have known the dog had dangerous or vicious propensities (a prior bite or aggressive behavior), or that the owner was negligent in restraining or controlling the dog.
Separately, Ark. Code Ann. § 5-62-125 makes it a Class A misdemeanor (“unlawful dog attack”) for an owner who knows the dog has a tendency to attack to negligently allow it to attack and cause serious physical injury or death.
The Arkansas rule is broad — it covers not just bites but other injuries a dog causes, such as knocking a person down.
Filing Deadline Under Arkansas Dog Bite Law
A dog bite lawsuit in Arkansas must be filed within 3 years of the date of the injury (Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105). Miss that deadline and the claim is normally barred no matter how strong it is.
The deadline for notifying an insurance company is much shorter than the deadline for filing suit. Most homeowners policies require prompt notice, so report the incident to the insurer right away even if you have not decided whether to sue.
How Arkansas Dog Bite Law Treats Leash Laws and Dangerous Dogs
There is no single statewide leash law; restraint and running-at-large rules are set by cities and counties. Ark. Code Ann. § 14-54-1102 expressly authorizes municipalities to prevent and impound dogs running at large, so the applicable rule depends on the local ordinance where the bite occurred.
Arkansas has no civil statewide dangerous or vicious dog declaration and registration scheme; the closest state provision is the criminal unlawful dog attack offense at Ark. Code Ann. § 5-62-125. Dangerous-dog designations, permits, muzzling, secure enclosure, and registration requirements exist only under municipal ordinances (for example Little Rock’s dangerous breed permit and Cabot’s potentially-dangerous-dog permit).
Leash rules matter far beyond the ticket. In a one-bite rule state, breaking a leash ordinance is powerful evidence of negligence, and it can defeat an owner’s defense outright.
Arkansas Dog Bite Law and Homeowners Insurance
Dog bites are normally paid under the personal liability section of a standard homeowners policy — Coverage E — not under the part that repairs your house. Renters policies carry the same liability coverage.
Two other pieces of the policy come into play. Medical payments coverage (Coverage F) pays a modest amount of the injured person’s medical bills with no finding of fault, which often settles a minor bite quietly. And an umbrella policy sits above your liability limit — the single most useful thing a dog owner in Arkansas can buy.
Coverage is not automatic. Most policies exclude injuries to people who live in your household, deliberate acts, and business-related animals. Some exclude a dog with a prior bite on record. Read the exclusions before you need them, not after.
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Unique to Arkansas: Arkansas is one of only a small handful of states (with Kansas, Mississippi, and North Dakota) that has no dog bite liability statute at all — liability is purely common law. There is no state dog bite fund, no state dangerous dog registry, and no statewide breed registry; several cities (Sherwood, Maumelle, Batesville, Beebe, Blevins) ban pit bulls outright, and at least one county ordinance imposes strict liability locally.
Dog Bite Claim Costs in Arkansas
Arkansas Dog Bite Law decides who is liable. The claim figures below show what that liability actually costs when it lands.
State-level claim counts for Arkansas were not available from the Insurance Information Institute at the time of writing. Nationally, dog bite and dog-related injury claims are among the costliest homeowners liability claims, and the average payout has risen every year for over a decade.
| Typical liability limit | $300,000 |
Arkansas Dog Bite Law, Breed Restrictions and Insurance Exclusions
Arkansas permits local breed-specific ordinances. Some cities and counties restrict or ban particular breeds, and violating a local ban can also be used against you in a civil claim.
Insurers in Arkansas are generally free to refuse or surcharge coverage based on breed. This is a real risk — a policy can be non-renewed after an insurer learns which dog lives at the address.
Breeds most often excluded or surcharged by insurers:
- pit bull
- Rottweiler
- German Shepherd
- Doberman Pinscher
- Chow Chow
- Akita
- Presa Canario
- wolf hybrid
Landlord and Property Owner Liability
Arkansas courts have declined to hold landlords liable to third parties injured by a tenant’s dog, even where the landlord knew of the dog’s dangerous tendencies — see Bryant v. Putnam, 322 Ark. 284 (1995), followed in Mills v. Finch, 2010 Ark. App. 199. Landlord liability in Arkansas is therefore very difficult to establish compared with most states.
Under Arkansas Dog Bite Law the tenant who owns the dog is the first target of a claim, but a landlord with knowledge of a dangerous animal can be pulled in alongside them.
If you rent out property in Arkansas, this is worth taking seriously — see our guide to liability coverage and what happens when someone is hurt on your property.
Defenses Available Under Arkansas Dog Bite Law
Defenses recognized in Arkansas:
- Trespassing
- Provocation
- Comparative fault
- Assumption of risk
These defenses rarely erase a claim by themselves. They more often reduce what an owner pays, which under comparative fault rules can still be a substantial difference.
How to Lower Your Liability Risk
Arkansas Dog Bite Law sets the standard you will be judged against. These are the steps that reduce both the chance of a bite and the size of the bill if one happens:
- Raise your liability limit. Going from $100,000 to $300,000 usually costs very little per year.
- Add an umbrella policy. $1 million of extra liability typically runs $150-$300 a year.
- Tell your insurer about the dog. A non-disclosed dog is a reason to deny the claim later.
- Check your local leash ordinance. A violation is evidence against you in a civil case.
- Secure the yard and post a sign. Fencing and gate latches prevent the bite in the first place.
- Document training and vet visits. A record of responsible ownership supports the defense that you had no notice the dog was dangerous.
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Official Sources & Resources
- Insurance Information Institute — dog bite liability: iii.org
- CDC — dog bite prevention: cdc.gov
- American Veterinary Medical Association: avma.org
- Arkansas Insurance Department: https://insurance.arkansas.gov
- NAIC: naic.org
This is a plain-English summary of Arkansas Dog Bite Law, not legal advice. Statutes change and every bite turns on its own facts — talk to a licensed Arkansas attorney about a specific claim. Last verified August 2026. If something here looks out of date, please contact us.