US state guide
This guide is general information about the law in Arkansas, checked against the sources listed below on November 1, 2026. It is not legal advice. Laws change and every case is different: for advice on your situation, speak to a licensed attorney in Arkansas.
01Defamation law in Arkansas
Where the law comes from
Arkansas defamation law comes mainly from state court decisions (common law), shaped by U.S. Supreme Court First Amendment rulings. Statutes set the filing deadlines and the anti-SLAPP procedure.
Sources1United Insurance Co. of America v. Murphy, 331 Ark. 364 (1998)2Little Rock Newspapers, Inc. v. Dodrill, 281 Ark. 25 (1983)3Ark. Code § 16-56-105 (three-year actions, including libel)4Ark. Code § 16-56-104 (one-year actions, including slander)5Ark. Code § 16-63-504 (immunity)
Is defamation a crime?
Arkansas once treated libel as a crime (former Ark. Stat. §§ 41-2401 to 41-2403), punishable by a fine and up to one year in jail. In 1975 the Arkansas Supreme Court held that criminal libel statute unconstitutional under New York Times v. Sullivan and Garrison v. Louisiana, so defamation is now pursued as a civil claim.
Statute of limitations
A libel claim must be filed within three years after the cause of action accrues. A slander claim, for spoken words that damage someone's character, must be filed within one year.
Sources3Ark. Code § 16-56-105 (three-year actions, including libel)4Ark. Code § 16-56-104 (one-year actions, including slander)
Defamation per se
Arkansas no longer presumes damages for statements that were traditionally treated as defamatory per se. In 1998 the Arkansas Supreme Court abolished presumed damages going forward and held that every defamation plaintiff must prove injury to reputation to recover.
Source1United Insurance Co. of America v. Murphy, 331 Ark. 364 (1998)
Anti-SLAPP protection
Arkansas gives immunity from civil liability for privileged communications and other acts furthering free speech or petition rights on issues of public interest, unless the statement was made knowing it was false or with reckless disregard for whether it was false. A plaintiff (and their lawyer) bringing a claim over that kind of speech must file a sworn verification with the complaint; an unverified claim is struck unless it is verified within 10 days after the omission is pointed out. If the defendant moves to dismiss or strike, discovery is generally paused, and if a verification was improper the court must impose a sanction, which can include dismissal and paying the defendant's reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees.
Sources5Ark. Code § 16-63-504 (immunity)7Ark. Code § 16-63-505 (verification)8Ark. Code § 16-63-506 (failure to verify; sanctions)9Ark. Code § 16-63-507 (hearing; stay of discovery)10Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Anti-SLAPP Legal Guide: Arkansas
Defenses and public figures
A public figure must prove actual malice, while the Arkansas Supreme Court has held that a private individual suing a publisher needs to show negligence. The anti-SLAPP law also protects privileged statements and speech on public issues unless made with knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth.
Sources2Little Rock Newspapers, Inc. v. Dodrill, 281 Ark. 25 (1983)5Ark. Code § 16-63-504 (immunity)
02Online harassment, cyberstalking and doxxing in Arkansas
Cyberstalking
Arkansas's stalking law reaches online conduct: a course of conduct includes acts done by any action, method, device or means, such as monitoring or threatening a person or communicating to or about them. Depending on the circumstances, stalking ranges from a Class A misdemeanor (third degree) to a Class B felony (first degree).
Online harassment
Sending communications by mail, email, messages to an electronic device or other written or electronic means, with the purpose to harass, annoy or alarm someone (or to frighten, intimidate or emotionally distress them), can be the Class A misdemeanor of harassing communications. Separately, posting or sending electronic communications to frighten, coerce, intimidate, threaten, abuse or harass someone, in furtherance of severe, repeated or hostile behavior, is cyberbullying, a Class B misdemeanor (Class A if the victim is a school employee).
Sources12Ark. Code § 5-71-209 (harassing communications)13Ark. Code § 5-71-217 (cyberbullying)
Doxxing
Arkansas specifically makes it a crime to dox a minor: knowingly posting a minor's private or identifying information, or other communications about the minor, on a social media platform with the purpose to frighten, coerce, intimidate, threaten, abuse or harass, when it puts the minor in reasonable fear of physical injury. Penalties range from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class B felony depending on the harm. This section covers minors only; other harassment laws may apply to adults.
Source14Ark. Code § 5-27-610 (unlawful doxxing of minor on social media platform)
Intimate images shared without consent
It is a Class A misdemeanor for an adult to share a sexual or nude image or recording of a family or household member, or of a current or former dating partner, with a third person in order to harass, frighten, intimidate, threaten or abuse them. The fact that the person agreed to the recording, or that the sender owns it, is not a defense.
Source15Ark. Code § 5-26-314 (unlawful distribution of sexual images or recordings)
03How to remove defamatory content in Arkansas
How to remove defamatory content in Arkansas
A lawsuit is one route, but it is slow, costly and public. Much harmful content can come down sooner through the platform’s own reporting process, a legal notice to the site owner or host, or a removal request to search engines. The right route depends on where the content lives and on the law that applies to it.
Media Removal reviews each case and recommends the fastest route that fits it. Removal always depends on each platform and, where relevant, the courts.
04Frequently asked questions about defamation in Arkansas
How long do you have to sue for defamation in Arkansas?
Arkansas allows 3 years to file a libel (written) claim and 1 year to file a slander (spoken) claim, counted from when the cause of action accrues.
Is defamation a crime in Arkansas?
No. Arkansas's old criminal libel statute was struck down by the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1975, so defamation is handled as a civil claim.
Do you have to prove damages for defamation in Arkansas?
Yes. Since the Arkansas Supreme Court's 1998 decision in United Insurance Co. of America v. Murphy, a plaintiff must prove actual harm to reputation to recover damages, even for statements once treated as defamatory per se.
Does Arkansas have an anti-SLAPP law?
Yes. Arkansas shields speech on issues of public interest unless it was made knowing it was false or with reckless disregard for the truth. A plaintiff suing over that speech must file a sworn verification, and a court that finds a verification improper must impose a sanction, which can include dismissal and the defendant's attorney's fees.
Is cyberbullying illegal in Arkansas?
Yes. Posting or sending electronic communications to frighten, intimidate, threaten, abuse or harass someone, as part of severe, repeated or hostile behavior, is a misdemeanor. Separate laws cover harassing communications and stalking.
05Defamation laws in nearby states
06Sources
- United Insurance Co. of America v. Murphy, 331 Ark. 364 (1998)
- Little Rock Newspapers, Inc. v. Dodrill, 281 Ark. 25 (1983)
- Ark. Code § 16-56-105 (three-year actions, including libel)
- Ark. Code § 16-56-104 (one-year actions, including slander)
- Ark. Code § 16-63-504 (immunity)
- Weston v. State, 258 Ark. 707 (1975)
- Ark. Code § 16-63-505 (verification)
- Ark. Code § 16-63-506 (failure to verify; sanctions)
- Ark. Code § 16-63-507 (hearing; stay of discovery)
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Anti-SLAPP Legal Guide: Arkansas
- Ark. Code § 5-71-229 (stalking)
- Ark. Code § 5-71-209 (harassing communications)
- Ark. Code § 5-71-217 (cyberbullying)
- Ark. Code § 5-27-610 (unlawful doxxing of minor on social media platform)
- Ark. Code § 5-26-314 (unlawful distribution of sexual images or recordings)