Arkansas — Code Adoption Summary
Adoption model: Statewide-mandatory but split across three different agencies (Fire Marshal for building/electrical, Dept. of Health for plumbing/gas, Energy Office for energy) — each with its own cycle.
Last verified: 2026-07-03
Confidence: verified
Primary sources: AR State Fire Marshal · AR Dept. of Health (plumbing) · AR Energy Office · ICC AR
Statewide adopted codes — current (2026)
| Code family | Adopted edition | Notes | Source |
|---|
| Residential | 2021 IRC (Residential Code of Arkansas) — includes building/plumbing/mechanical/fuel-gas/electrical for 1-2 family + townhouses ≤3 stories | | permitplace / bcapcodes |
| Electrical (NEC) | NEC 2020 + AR amendments, eff. 2022-08-01 | no mandatory statewide NEC beyond the 2020 edition (i.e., no newer statewide mandate yet) | jadelearning / bhs1 |
| Plumbing | 2018 Arkansas Plumbing Code (Dept. of Health) | | ar dept of health |
| Mechanical | 2021 IMC | | " |
| Energy | 2009 IECC + 2014 AR Supplements/Amendments — commercial may alternatively comply via ASHRAE 90.1-2007 | notably dated — oldest energy floor confirmed so far in this dataset | climatepolicydashboard.org |
Adoption model & precedence
- Codes are statewide, but administered by separate agencies per discipline — building/electrical (Fire Marshal), plumbing/gas (Dept. of Health), energy (Energy Office). Don't assume one agency's cycle reflects another's.
- AHJ = local building department, applying the statewide editions above (local amendment authority appears limited/not prominent in sources reviewed — confirm locally).
Major cities / counties
| Jurisdiction | Notes | Building dept. |
|---|
| Little Rock | statewide code | littlerock.gov |
| Fayetteville | statewide code; publishes current-codes page | fayetteville-ar.gov |
AHJ fallback (when local adoption is unverified)
- State baseline (certain): 2021 IRC (residential), NEC 2020 + AR amend., 2018 AR Plumbing Code, 2021 IMC, IECC 2009 + 2014 AR Supplements (energy — very dated).
- Action: confirm commercial energy compliance path (2009 IECC+supplements vs. ASHRAE 90.1-2007 alternative) with the AR Energy Office.
Change log
- 2026-07-03 — created; verified NEC 2020 (eff. 2022-08-01), 2018 AR Plumbing Code, dated IECC 2009+2014 supplements energy floor, tri-agency administration split.
