Posted by Waste Happy
on September 10, 2026
Quick answer: Yes. Fort Smith requires dog owners to pick up after their dogs under Fort Smith Municipal Code Sec. 4-110. A court can impose up to $1,000. You are also required to carry a means of removal whenever you walk your dog.
What the Fort Smith ordinance says
| Ordinance | Fort Smith Municipal Code Sec. 4-110 (Animal waste), Ord. No. 35-23 (3-21-2023); penalty Sec. 1-9 |
|---|---|
| Fine | Up to $1,000 |
| Must carry a bag | Yes |
| Service animal exemption | No |
How the penalty works
No fixed fine. General penalty of up to $1,000 for a first offense, up to $2,000 for a second, and up to $4,000 for each subsequent offense (Sec. 1-9(c)).
The carry rule
Yes. 4-110(a) makes it unlawful to have an animal on property you do not own or possess unless it is accompanied by a person who has 'a device for the removal of excrement and a depository' for carrying it to a receptacle. 4-110(b) requires immediate removal to a proper receptacle. No service-dog exemption stated.
How Fort Smith compares
Fort Smith is also stricter than Little Rock and Fayetteville on carrying: here the empty pocket is itself the offense.
In practice
Because Fort Smith requires you to carry a way to clean up, the simplest way to stay on the right side of it is to keep bags on the leash itself, so they leave the house every time the dog does. The Walk Dispenser clips to the leash and holds a full roll.
Elsewhere in Arkansas
Arkansas dog poop laws covers the state and its other large cities. All 50 states.
Source
Checked 2026-09-10 against the Fort Smith municipal code. Codes change, so read the current version before relying on this for an actual citation.
This page is general information, not legal advice.
