Steadworthy

As of 2026-07-23 · verified against primary sources

Arkansas charitable solicitation registration: requirements, fees, and deadlines

RegistrationRequired
AgencyArkansas Secretary of State — Business & Commercial Services, Charities Registration
Initial feeNo fee
Renewal feeNo fee
Renewal / report due180 days after fiscal year end
Filing channelPaper / mail

Who must register

Arkansas generally requires charitable organizations to register with the Arkansas Secretary of State — Business & Commercial Services, Charities Registration before soliciting contributions there, unless an exemption applies. Requirements attach to out-of-state charities soliciting Arkansas residents as well as local ones.

Ark. Code § 4-28-402 (Act 727 of 2017 § 1, verbatim enacted text) · official source

How to register in Arkansas

  1. 01Register with the Arkansas Secretary of State before soliciting — the program moved from the AG to the SOS on January 1, 2018 (the AG keeps enforcement). Email the sworn CR-01 with your IRS tax-exempt form to charities@sos.arkansas.gov; there's no portal and no fee — Arkansas registration is free. A parent's consolidated filing covers its chapters and affiliates. If you qualify for an exemption, file the notarized EX-01 instead — Arkansas exemptions require SOS acceptance, and a rejected application means registering.Ark. Code § 4-28-402 (Act 727 of 2017 § 1
  2. 02The registration doesn't expire — instead, file the CR-03 annual financial report within 180 days after fiscal year end (with IRS returns, minus contributor schedules). Extensions: up to 6 months on a notice of need, plus 3 more on written request. Contributions over $1,000,000 require a CPA audit; $500,000–$1,000,000, a CPA review — measured on CONTRIBUTIONS since Act 338 of 2023 (the SOS's own instructions PDF still shows the old $500,000 audit rule; the statute controls).Ark. Code § 4-28-403(a)(1)(A) (FYE+180-day report, Act 137 of 2019, eff. 2019-07-24); § 4-28-403(b) (audit >$1,000,000 / review $500,000–$1,000,000 in contri…

Form CR-01 (initial registration)

Charitable Organization Registration Form (CR-01)

Ark. Code § 4-28-402 (Act 727 of 2017 § 1) — no soliciting until registered with the Secretary of State on its forms; SOS Form CR-01, filed by email. · official form

Form CR-03 (annual renewal)

Annual Financial Report (CR-03)

Ark. Code § 4-28-403(a)(1)(A) (Act 137 of 2019 § 1) — annual report no later than 180 days after the last date of the fiscal year; IRS returns attached minus… · official form

Form EX-01 (initial registration)

Exempt Organization Verification (EX-01)

Ark. Code § 4-28-404 (Act 727 of 2017 § 3) — exemption conditioned on submitting an application for a reporting exemption to the Secretary of State; SOS Form… · official form

Exemptions we check for

The state, not Steadworthy, decides whether an exemption applies.

Financial statement thresholds

If you use a paid fundraiser

Arkansas's small-organization exemption (up to $50,000 per calendar year, raised from $25,000 by Act 338 of 2023) requires ALL functions including fundraising be carried on by unpaid persons — any paid role defeats it. Paid solicitors register separately at $200 with a $10,000 bond.

Ark. Code § 4-28-404(6) (small-org exemption at ≤$50,000 conditioned on all functions carried on by unpaid persons + no inurement, Act 338 of 2023 (§ 3 amend…

If you haven't registered yet

Arkansas costs nothing to comply with — registration and the annual report are both free — and the AG retains enforcement of unregistered solicitation, with SOS records open to the AG. The exemption lane has its own teeth: the SOS may reject an EX-01 and require full registration.

Ark. Code § 4-28-402 (no soliciting until registered); Act 727 of 2017 (SOS administration, AG enforcement, records open to the AG); § 4-28-404 (SOS may reje… · how to get current, calmly

Is your charity registered in Arkansas? Check free.

Free. No account. Built from public records. Informational, not legal advice.

Arkansas registration: common questions

Does a charity need to register to solicit donations in Arkansas?
Yes. Arkansas generally requires charitable organizations to register with the Arkansas Secretary of State — Business & Commercial Services, Charities Registration before soliciting contributions in the state, unless an exemption applies. The requirement reaches out-of-state charities soliciting Arkansas residents.
How much does charitable registration cost in Arkansas?
The initial registration fee is No fee, and renewal is No fee. Fees are stated as the state sets them; where a fee varies with contributions, the tiers are cited on this page.
When is the Arkansas charitable registration renewal due?
180 days after fiscal year end. The date is computed from the organization's own fiscal year end under the rule this page cites, so it differs between charities.
Are any charities exempt from registering in Arkansas?
Arkansas recognizes exemptions, and this page lists each one we check for with its statutory citation. At least one of them still requires a filing to claim it — an exemption is not always automatic. The state, not a third party, decides whether an exemption applies.
Does Arkansas require audited financial statements?
Arkansas requires an accountant's report above a revenue threshold. The lowest threshold on record is a review above $500,000 in contributions. Every threshold and its citation are listed on this page.

Related: registration fees by state · renewal deadlines by state · exemptions · all state registration requirements

Nearby states

Fundraising rarely stops at a border — where Arkansas charities also commonly solicit:

Citations

Statuses and requirements reflect public records and cited sources as of the dates shown. Informational, not legal advice.