Arkansas school drill law

Which drills does Arkansas require, and how often?

What do the fire and lockdown drill rules say?

The fire drill statute applies to public and private schools and all educational institutions. It requires one fire drill each month and also requires all doors and exits to be kept unlocked at set times. The state school safety rule requires all public schools, private schools and educational institutions to hold at least one fire drill each month during the school year. By statute, a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school must hold a yearly lockdown drill for a possible threat on campus. The rule adds that each district must hold that lockdown drill at each school at least once a year, by October 15. The statute itself sets no October 15 date; it requires an annual lockdown drill, and the date comes from the state rule. In planning lockdown drills, a district must work with local law enforcement, medical professionals, the fire department and emergency management officials.

What about tornado and earthquake drills?

The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) must require all public schools to hold tornado and earthquake drills. By statute, tornado safety drills must be held not less than three times a year. The rule requires all public schools to hold tornado drills at least three times a year, with the first of each school year by October 15. Earthquake drills are required only in areas susceptible to earthquakes; the rule sets them each year by October 15. The statute sets no date or count for earthquake drills; the October 15 date comes from the state rule.

What does the state fire code add?

The state fire code is the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code, 2021 Edition: the 2021 International Fire Code as amended and adopted by the State Fire Marshal, effective January 1, 2023. Arkansas made no changes to the code's emergency planning chapter, so its school drill sections apply as published. Under the 2021 International Fire Code, which Arkansas adopts as its Fire Prevention Code in 12 CAR pt. 15, school (Group E) buildings must hold fire and evacuation drills monthly, with all students and staff in the building taking part. The first evacuation drill of each school year must be held within 10 days of the start of classes. Evacuation drills must be held at different times of day, such as class changes, assemblies and recess, so drills can't be told apart from real fires. Lockdown drills cannot be counted in place of the required fire and evacuation drills.

Can drills happen outside class time?

Districts may hold emergency response drills during the instructional day or outside it, as the district decides. This is allowed, not required.

Do drills need to be reported?

The superintendent or a designee must submit the data DESE asks for, during the right reporting cycle, to verify that drills were completed. The superintendent or designee must also verify in writing, as DESE requires, that the district worked with local law enforcement and emergency management officials. Each school bus evacuation drill must be documented and kept on file. Under the adopted fire code, records must be kept of each required evacuation drill.

Must parents be told, and are there limits on realistic drills?

The lockdown drill statute, Ark. Code § 6-15-1303(b), sets no parent notice, opt-out or limit on realistic drill elements such as simulated gunfire. The state rule on lockdown drills, 6 CAR § 249-102(b), also sets no parent notice, opt-out or limit on realistic drill elements.

What role do first responders play?

Each public school district must give the right first responders current floor plans and emergency contact information for each school.

What about school bus and cardiac drills?

Students who ride a school bus must be taught safe riding practices and take part in emergency evacuation drills at least twice each school year. Act 352 of 2025 requires each school, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, to have a cardiac emergency response plan that includes yearly practice drills for sudden cardiac arrest. Schools must add the cardiac plan requirements to their emergency operations plan no later than the 2026-2027 school year.

Who is covered?

Fire drills cover public and private schools and all educational institutions. Lockdown drills cover public school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools. As written by Act 442 of 2021, "public school" for tornado and earthquake drills includes open-enrollment public charter schools. Act 796 of 2025 rewrote that definition: "public school" for tornado and earthquake drills now includes the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts and the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind.

What has changed recently?

The tornado and earthquake drill statute was rewritten by Act 442 of 2021, approved March 24, 2021. The lockdown drill statute was rewritten by Act 237 of 2023. The cardiac emergency drill requirement came from Act 352 of 2025. Act 796 of 2025 (HB1810), which rewrote the tornado and earthquake drill definition, was approved April 17, 2025 and took effect July 1, 2025. Act 340 of 2025 (SB246) changes the Safe Schools Initiative Act only in its school safety clearinghouse provision; it does not rewrite the lockdown drill. Its House twin, HB1512, also became law, as Act 341 of 2025, with the same change. None of the 103 House bills or 77 Senate bills filed in the 2026 fiscal session concerns school drills; nearly all are appropriation bills. The 2026 fiscal session has adjourned, and bills it did not pass died at adjournment on April 29, 2026. The 2026 extraordinary session had only two bills, both income tax cuts that became law; neither concerns school drills.