Arkansas felony classifications sort serious crimes into five tiers: Class Y at the top, then Classes A, B, C, and D. Class Y carries 10 to 40 years or life in prison. Class A runs 6 to 30 years, Class B 5 to 20, Class C 3 to 10, and Class D up to 6 years with no statutory minimum. The class controls more than the prison range. It also sets the fine cap, decides whether probation is even available, and drives how much of the sentence a person actually serves before parole.1Justia. Arkansas Code 5-4-401 – Sentence
Some Arkansas offenses are unclassified. Those crimes carry whatever sentence their own statute prescribes and do not fit the A-through-D ranges above.
Prison Ranges by Class
The ranges in Ark. Code Ann. § 5-4-401 are hard caps and, except for Class D, hard floors. A judge cannot sentence below the minimum or above the maximum.
- Class Y: 10 to 40 years, or life.
- Class A: 6 to 30 years.
- Class B: 5 to 20 years.
- Class C: 3 to 10 years.
- Class D: up to 6 years (no minimum).
Class D is the only classified felony without a floor, which gives judges room for a shorter prison term or an alternative sentence. Class A guarantees at least six years behind bars. The step up from Class A to Class Y adds four years to the minimum and a decade to the maximum, plus life as an option.1Justia. Arkansas Code 5-4-401 – Sentence
Class Y: The Top Tier
Class Y sits above Class A and just below capital murder. The Arkansas Sentencing Commission’s offense ranking table lists dozens of Class Y crimes, including rape, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping. Manufacturing methamphetamine in quantities of two grams or more, or with a prior conviction for any amount, is also Class Y, as is trafficking controlled substances.2Arkansas Sentencing Commission. Offense Seriousness Ranking Table
The 10-year minimum on a Class Y conviction is longer than the starting sentence for any other felony class and cannot be reduced regardless of circumstances.
Fines by Class
Fines are on top of any prison sentence, not in place of it. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 5-4-201:
- Class A or B felony: up to $15,000.
- Class C or D felony: up to $10,000.
The general fine statute sets no separate cap for Class Y. Fines for Class Y offenses come from the specific statute defining each crime.3Justia. Arkansas Code 5-4-201 – Fines – Limitations on Amount Fines are also separate from restitution ordered to compensate victims, and from court costs and supervision fees.
When Probation Is Off the Table
Arkansas law prohibits courts from suspending a prison sentence or ordering probation for a Class Y felony.4Justia. Arkansas Code 5-4-301 – Crimes for Which Suspension or Probation Prohibited The same prohibition applies to capital murder, treason, and second-degree murder. A defendant convicted of a Class B, C, or D felony might, depending on the circumstances, receive a suspended sentence and serve no prison time. That door is closed for Class Y. The only question at sentencing is how long.
How Much of the Sentence Is Actually Served
Parole rules stretch the real length of a Class Y sentence well past what the shorter classes face. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 16-93-611, a person convicted of certain Class Y crimes must serve at least 70 percent of the imposed sentence before parole eligibility. Those crimes include first-degree murder, kidnapping charged as a Class Y felony, aggravated robbery, rape, causing a catastrophe, and methamphetamine manufacturing offenses.5Justia. Arkansas Code 16-93-611 – Class Y Felonies
For the most violent offenses, Arkansas has moved further. Legislation enacted in recent years requires 100 percent of the sentence for crimes including capital murder, first-degree murder, rape, aggravated robbery, kidnapping (Class Y), and human trafficking. A 30-year sentence for rape means 30 years, with no early release. Standard parole timelines still apply to the lower classes.
Habitual Offender Enhancements
Priors change the ceiling on every class. The minimum sentence stays the same, but the maximum climbs.
One Prior Felony
- Class Y: 10 to 60 years, or life.
- Class A: 6 to 50 years.
- Class B: 5 to 30 years.
- Class C: 3 to 20 years.
- Class D: up to 12 years.
Two or More Prior Felonies
- Class Y: 10 years to life.
- Class A: 6 to 60 years.
- Class B: 5 to 40 years.
- Class C: 3 to 30 years.
- Class D: up to 15 years.
At two priors, a Class Y conviction has no ceiling short of life.6Justia. Arkansas Code 5-4-501 – Habitual Offenders – Sentencing for Felony
Repeat Violent Offenders
A defendant convicted of a serious violent felony who has at least one prior serious violent felony conviction faces a mandatory 40-year minimum and a maximum of 80 years or life. Most Class Y crimes appear on the qualifying list.6Justia. Arkansas Code 5-4-501 – Habitual Offenders – Sentencing for Felony
Consequences That Outlast the Sentence
A felony conviction in Arkansas carries effects that continue after release, and they apply regardless of class.
Federal law permanently bans anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison from possessing firearms or ammunition. Every Arkansas felony class clears that threshold. Violating the ban is a separate federal felony.7Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons
Voting rights are suspended during the felony sentence, including any probation, parole, or supervised release. Rights are automatically restored once the sentence is fully discharged. No separate application is required, though the person will need to re-register and present a discharge letter.8U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas. If I Am Convicted of a Felony in Federal Court, Can I Vote?
Professional licensing boards commonly deny or revoke licenses based on felony convictions, especially for work with children or vulnerable adults. Nursing, teaching, law enforcement, and healthcare roles typically screen felony records. A Class Y conviction involving violence or sexual conduct is a near-automatic disqualifier for most licensed professions.
Which Convictions Can Be Sealed
The Comprehensive Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2013 lets some felony convictions be sealed from public view. Sealing does not erase the record, but it keeps employers, landlords, and the public from accessing it without a court order.
Non-violent Class C and D felonies can be sealed after the sentence is fully served, including fines and court costs. Class A and B drug felonies are also eligible. Violent Class C and D felonies require an additional five-year wait after sentence completion. The applicant cannot have more than one prior felony, though multiple charges from the same criminal episode count as one.
Class Y felonies cannot be sealed. Neither can Class A or Class B felonies outside the drug category, sexual offenses, or any felony carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years or more. Most serious felony convictions in Arkansas stay on the record permanently.