Arkansas
Arkansas is one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to licensing lower-income occupations. It licenses 72 of the 102 occupations studied here, and its licensing laws rank as the sixth most burdensome, due to high average education and experience burdens. On average, Arkansas requires $246 in fees, 642 days of education and experience, and about one exam. Because it licenses so many occupations so onerously, the state ranks as the third most broadly and onerously licensed.
Arkansas licenses several occupations that are rarely licensed elsewhere. For example, nursery workers are licensed by just one other state, psychiatric technicians by four and title examiners by six. Among these, title examiners face particularly steep burdens. They need at least one year of experience to become licensed in Arkansas, which is more than three times the average required in other licensed states (about 104 days).
The most onerously licensed occupation in Arkansas is fire alarm installer. Licensees must have 1,825 days—five years—of experience, pay $1,443 in fees and pass four exams before they can open for business. By comparison, the average across licensed states is about half that: $557 in fees, 915 days lost to education and experience, and two exams. To open up more employment opportunities in the state, Arkansas should reduce, if not repeal, these and other particularly onerous licensing burdens, or—if government regulation is necessary—replace them with less restrictive regulatory alternatives.
Burden Rank | Occupation | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fire Alarm Installer | $1443 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 4 | 0 | 18 |
2 | Earth Driller, Water Well | $750 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
3 | HVAC Contractor (Commercial) | $485 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
4 | Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Commercial) | $380 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
5 | Landscape Contractor (Commercial) | $330 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Carpenter/Cabinet Maker Contractor (Commercial) | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Cement Finishing Contractor (Commercial) | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Door Repair Contractor (Commercial) | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Drywall Installation Contractor (Commercial) | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Floor Sander Contractor (Commercial) | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Glazier Contractor (Commercial) | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Insulation Contractor (Commercial) | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Iron/Steel Contractor (Commercial) | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Mason Contractor (Commercial) | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Painting Contractor (Commercial) | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Paving Contractor (Commercial) | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Pipelayer Contractor | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Sheet Metal Contractor, Other (Commercial) | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Terrazzo Contractor (Commercial) | $180 | 1825 | - | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
20 | Preschool Teacher, Public School | $421 | 1460 | 4 years | - | 2 | 0 | 0 |
21 | Coach, Head (High School Sports) | $395 | 1462 | 4 years and 9 clock hours | - | 2 | 0 | 0 |
22 | Athletic Trainer | $425 | 1460 | 4 years | - | 1 | 0 | 0 |
23 | Optician | $260 | 1095 | - | 3 years | 2 | 12 | 21 |
24 | Midwife, Direct Entry | $900 | 800 | - | 40 births | 2 | 12 | 0 |
25 | Security Alarm Installer | $1118 | 730 | - | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
26 | HVAC Contractor (Residential) | $255 | 730 | - | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
26 | Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Residential) | $255 | 730 | - | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
28 | Veterinary Technician | $350 | 730 | 2 years | - | 1 | 0 | 0 |
29 | Barber | $115 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | - | 3 | 8 | 17 |
30 | Cosmetologist | $125 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | - | 2 | 10 | 16 |
31 | Pest Control Applicator | $350 | 365 | - | 1 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
32 | Title Examiner | $50 | 365 | - | 1 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
33 | Massage Therapist | $375 | 117 | 500 clock hours | - | 2 | 12 | 18 |
34 | Manicurist | $125 | 140 | 600 clock hours | - | 2 | 10 | 16 |
34 | Skin Care Specialist | $125 | 140 | 600 clock hours | - | 2 | 10 | 16 |
36 | Psychiatric Technician | $38 | 210 | 900 clock hours | - | 1 | 12 | 0 |
37 | Mobile Home Installer | $2790 | 92 | 1 days | 3 jobs, mobile home installers | 1 | 0 | 0 |
38 | Makeup Artist | $125 | 140 | 600 clock hours | - | 1 | 10 | 16 |
39 | School Bus Driver | $92 | 4 | 24 clock hours | - | 6 | 0 | 19 |
40 | Vegetation Pesticide Applicator | $700 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 0 | 18 |
41 | Child Care Home, Family | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 12 | 21 |
42 | Bus Driver, City/Transit | $92 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | 18 |
42 | Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer | $92 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | 18 |
44 | Shampooer | $35 | 31 | 20 days | 20 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 0 |
45 | Truck Driver, Other | $92 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 0 | 18 |
46 | Pharmacy Technician | $73 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 12 | 0 |
47 | Emergency Medical Technician | $80 | 28 | 120 clock hours | - | 2 | 0 | 18 |
48 | Auctioneer | $339 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | 18 |
49 | Security Guard, Unarmed | $75 | 1 | 6 clock hours | - | 1 | 0 | 18 |
50 | Bill Collection Agency | $140 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 21 |
51 | Gaming Cage Worker | $75 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 21 |
51 | Gaming Supervisor | $75 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 21 |
51 | Slot Supervisor | $75 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 21 |
54 | Interpreter, Sign Language | $170 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | 0 |
55 | Milk Sampler | $10 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 |
56 | Landscape Contractor (Residential) | $200 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Carpenter/Cabinet Maker Contractor (Residential) | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Cement Finishing Contractor (Residential) | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Door Repair Contractor (Residential) | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Drywall Installation Contractor (Residential) | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Glazier Contractor (Residential) | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Insulation Contractor (Residential) | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Iron/Steel Contractor (Residential) | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Mason Contractor (Residential) | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Painting Contractor (Residential) | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Paving Contractor (Residential) | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Sheet Metal Contractor, Other (Residential) | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Terrazzo Contractor (Residential) | $50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
70 | Fisher, Commercial | $25 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
70 | Travel Guide | $25 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
72 | Nursery Worker | $10 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |