Pre-configured for Arkansas's post-2021 rules — PawnSmarts captures every §12-12-103 record field, keeps your transactions ready for law enforcement, and exports electronically, so you stay compliant without the busywork.
Arkansas pawn shop software is a point-of-sale and recordkeeping system configured for Arkansas's post-2021 rules — after Act 491 of 2021 repealed the state Pawnbroker Act, there is no state license, no state pawn interest cap and no state-mandated loan term, but the Ark. Code §12-12-103 transaction record, the 3-year retention requirement, and law-enforcement access still apply. It captures the required record fields, calculates loan due dates, prints a clean pawn ticket, and keeps everything searchable and ready to export. PawnSmarts ships pre-configured for Arkansas, so it records the right fields the first time and keeps your transactions ready for police on request.
In 2021, Arkansas repealed its Pawnbroker Act (Act 491 of 2021, repealing Arkansas Code Title 17, Chapter 56). As of today Arkansas has no state pawnbroker licensing requirement, no state-specific interest-rate cap for pawn transactions, and no state-mandated loan terms or forfeiture periods. What remains is the criminal record-keeping statute that applies to anyone buying or taking in pledged property — and the state's constitutional usury limit, which is unsettled for pawn.
Arkansas Code §12-12-103 requires pawnshops to keep a detailed record of all property pawned or purchased. PawnSmarts captures every required field automatically on each transaction:
Because the pledgor's ID scans in, the record is complete and legible the first time — no missing fields, no guessing at handwriting, no penalty exposure.
Arkansas law requires pawnshops to maintain transaction records for 3 years and keep them accessible to law enforcement. Under the statute, that includes:
PawnSmarts keeps a searchable archive of every transaction with date filters, pledgor lookups, and item-description search. When an officer needs records, you pull them in seconds and export — no digging through boxes or notebooks.
Arkansas allows electronic submission of transaction records to law enforcement, and the statute specifies that pawnshops, pawnbrokers, and customers "shall not be required to incur any costs or increased fees" as a result of a city, county, or state collecting records electronically. PawnSmarts exports to LEADS Online for police reporting and also produces standard report files, so you can submit electronically or print as your local agency prefers.
Arkansas's constitution (Article 19, Section 13) originally capped interest at 10%, and was amended to 5% above the Federal Reserve Discount Rate — commonly read as a roughly 17% annual ceiling. Complicating matters, the Federal Reserve Discount Rate on 90-day commercial paper is no longer published, and the 2016 class-action lawsuits against Arkansas pawnbrokers alleging usury were never resolved by the 2021 repeal. PawnSmarts lets you set your own interest and fee rates, auto-calculates them on every loan along with the due date, and documents them clearly for disclosure — but it is software for record-keeping and transaction management, not legal advice.
Even without a state license, an Arkansas pawn shop typically still has to:
Non-compliance with the §12-12-103 record-keeping requirements carries a fine of up to $1,000. PawnSmarts helps you avoid that by capturing every required field on every ticket, automatically.
Whether you run a shop in Little Rock, Fort Smith, Fayetteville, or a small town like Austin or Bearden, the work is the same: write the loan fast, capture the record correctly, keep it for three years, and produce it when an officer asks. PawnSmarts does a new pawn in about 30 seconds, scans the pledgor's license to auto-fill the record, and keeps your archive a search away.
On the Professional plan, PawnSmarts sends your pledgors 3 automatic reminders — by SMS and email — before each loan comes due, each with a secure payment link. Pledgors pay online from home and the loan updates instantly. Fewer missed due dates means fewer forfeitures and more repeat business.
PawnSmarts is $89/month for Essential or $129/month for Professional — month to month, no contract, no setup fee, no exit fee. Prefer to own it? Professional is also available as a one-time purchase for $2,995. It works offline and auto-syncs, and runs on Windows, Mac, iPad, Android, or any browser.
Already on another system? We migrate your data for you for a one-time $395 and have you live in under 24 hours. See the full comparison, the states we serve, and our US pawn licensing guide for the rules in your area.
No. Arkansas repealed its Pawnbroker Act with Act 491 of 2021, eliminating the statewide licensing requirement, state-specific interest-rate cap, and state-mandated loan terms. However, pawnshops must still comply with Ark. Code §12-12-103 record-keeping requirements and retain records for 3 years. PawnSmarts comes pre-configured to capture those record fields and hold them for the full retention window.
Arkansas Code §12-12-103 requires pawnshops to record the transaction date, a detailed property description, the pledgor's name, address and identification, the amount paid or loaned, and whether the transaction is a pawn or outright purchase. Records must be retained for 3 years and kept accessible to state police, county sheriffs, and municipal police officers. PawnSmarts captures every required field on each ticket and scanning the pledgor's license auto-fills the name, address and ID details.
Non-compliance with §12-12-103 record-keeping requirements carries a fine of up to $1,000. PawnSmarts captures every required field automatically on each ticket, and the pledgor's license scan auto-fills name, address, and ID details so no required fields are missed.
Yes. Arkansas pawnshops must keep transaction records for 3 years and keep them accessible to the Division of Arkansas State Police, county sheriffs and deputies, and municipal police officers; the state allows electronic submission at no added cost to the shop or customer. PawnSmarts exports to LEADS Online for police reporting, produces standard report files for local agencies, and runs OFAC checks on all pledgors as part of the intake workflow.
Pawn software for Arkansas should capture the §12-12-103 record fields, retain them for 3 years and export electronically for law enforcement. PawnSmarts does all of this on every plan from $89/month (Essential) or $129/month (Professional), or $2,995 one-time, with no contract and no setup fee. It works offline, syncs automatically, runs in any browser on any device, and exports reports for LEADS Online.
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