Business licenses 

Anyone who generates income from a business transaction — whether it’s selling crafts you make in your living room or building multimillion-dollar homes — needs a business license, issued through the city governments. 

The process is generally the same for each area: Fill out an application either online (Little Rock only), in person or through the mail, pay the appropriate fee (it varies widely based on municipality and type and size of business), and go through some kind of approval or inspection process with the applicable zoning department. It can take anywhere from 10 minutes to a week. 

Here’s a list of contact numbers: 

Little Rock: 371-4567. The treasury management division handles business licenses in Little Rock. Average fee is about $250. Fill out an application at City Hall or online at www.littlerock.org. 

North Little Rock: 975-8833. Fees range from about $50 to more than $2,000. Fill out an application at the City Services Building at 120 Main St., or download the form from the city’s web site (www.northlr.org) and mail it in with the appropriate fee. Business owners who must have licenses from the state (construction, cosmetology, etc.) must provide copies of those documents as well. 

Jacksonville: 982-6702. Jacksonville’s process starts in the engineering department. Fill out an application at City Hall, 1 Municipal Drive; the city then conducts water, fire and code enforcement inspections. Fees vary. 

Maumelle: 851-2500 (851-2784 ext. 229 for home-based businesses). Fill out an application at 550 Edgewood Drive; fees range from $25 for home-based businesses to $100 for industrial businesses. 

Car registration 

To register a new car, bring the manufacturer’s certificate, a copy of the lien contract, and an invoice or bill-of-sale reflecting the value of your trade-in (if any) to a state revenue office (see accompanying list). If the car was purchased used, you’ll need the title, properly signed and dated by the previous owner, or a copy of the lien contract. For vehicles being transferred from other states, have the vehicle assessed and have the assessment stamped by the tax collector’s office. Then bring the assessment, title or proof the vehicle is being financed, current registration and proof of insurance to the revenue office. 

You can renew your registration in person, by phone or on-line. You need to be up to date on your yearly tax assessment and personal property taxes and have proof of liability insurance. You may renew your license at www.arstar.com, by calling 800-941-2580 or at any revenue office. Registration fees range in price from about $18 for small cars to $33, along with other fees. Call the Arkansas Department of Motor Vehicles at 682-4692 or go to www.arkansas.gov/dfa for more information on buying tags for autos, motorcycles, scooters and boats.   

Driver’s licenses 

First-time drivers must pass a written test, a vision test and a driving test. Study manuals for the written test are available from the State Police, or through state revenue departments. In addition, those under 18 must provide proof of enrollment in school and at least a 2.0 grade point average, and they must bring a parent or legal guardian to the testing site. If the applicant is under 18 but has graduated from high school, they will need to present their diploma before the written test can be administered. 

Once they have passed the written and road test administered by the Arkansas State Police, young drivers between 14 and 16 are issued a learner’s license, which allows them to drive as long as a driver at least 21 years old is in the car with them. Drivers may get an intermediate license at 16 as long as they’ve had no accidents or traffic convictions in the six months prior. Otherwise, the learner’s permit stays in effect for six months after the driver’s last ticket or until the driver’s 18th birthday. Drivers between the ages of 16 and 18 must have an adult in the car for the first six months after they pass their driver’s test. Intermediate drivers must have a clean record for 12 months to get a regular license. 

The cost for a standard Class D license, either new or a renewal, is $20. All licenses expire after four years, tagged to the applicant’s closest birthday after receiving the license. Those moving from out of state are required to surrender the license from their former state. If the out-of-state license is expired more than 31 days, the applicant will be required to pass the written and vision exams before obtaining an Arkansas license. If the out-of-state DL is expired more than a year, or if the applicant is unable to produce an ID from his/her former state, the applicant will be requited to pass the written, vision and driving tests.    

To get a driver’s license, applicants must provide two primary documents or one primary document and one secondary document. They are defined as follows: 

Primary documents
Out-of-state driver’s license with photo
U.S. birth certificate
INS documents with photo
Valid U.S. passport (if applicant is foreign, INS card or U.S. visa required)
Certificate of naturalization
Court order containing the applicant’s full name, DOB, and court seal.
Military or military dependent ID with photo
Armed forces discharge papers 

NOTE: A Social Security Card is NO LONGER a valid primary or secondary ID 

Secondary documents
Work or school ID with photo
Vehicle registration or title in the applicant’s name
Bureau of Indian Affairs card or Indian Treaty card (no tribal cards)
Marriage license
Health insurance card (Medicaid card is NOT acceptable)
IRS or state tax forms (W-2 NOT acceptable)
Court order (date of birth not present)
Medical records from a doctor or hospital
Concealed handgun license
Certified school transcript
Pilot’s license
Parent or guardian affidavit — the minor’s parent or guardian must appear in person, prove his/her identity and submit a notarized affidavit attesting to the child’s identity
Official court records
Prison release document 

Pulaski County Revenue offices
1900 W. Seventh St., Room 1040
1524 S. Main St.
801 Barrow Road
1 State Police Plaza Drive
650 Edgewood Drive, Maumelle
2655-A Pike Ave., NLR
6929 JFK Blvd., NLR
No. 14 Crestwood Plaza, Jacksonville
For more information, call 682-7059  

Hunting and fishing 

Hunting and fishing are a big part of Arkansas life for some people. If you’re one of them, you’ll need a license. 

A person 16 or older needs an Arkansas fishing license to take or attempt to take game fish, turtles or frogs in Arkansas, unless he or she is fishing in a licensed “put-and-take pay lake.” The license must be carried with the fisherman. 

Various licenses are available. A Resident Fisheries Conservation License entitles the holder to fish the waters of the state with sport fishing tackle. It costs $10.50 a year. A Resident Trout Permit ($5) must be purchased also to retain trout or to fish in certain waters. 

A person 16 or older needs an Arkansas hunting license to hunt wildlife, unless the person is on a licensed game-bird shooting resort that supplies pen-raised birds. The license must be carried with the hunter. 

A Resident Sportsman’s License costs $25 and is required to hunt all game species using a modern gun, muzzleloader or archery, and to take a total bag limit of deer. It expires June 30 each year. 

Most hunting and fishing licenses can be purchased at sporting goods stores, hunting and fishing supplies stores, some discount chains, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Little Rock and regional offices. Licenses can be purchased by telephone by calling 800-364-GAME (4263), or on-line at www.agfc.com. More information about hunting and fishing in Arkansas also is available at www.agfc.com.