Guide
Arkansas Missing Children at a Glance
Arkansas named its child abduction alert after Morgan Nick, a six year old taken from a Little League game in Alma in 1995 and never found. The Morgan Nick AMBER Alert is run by the Arkansas State Police, which also runs the state's missing persons clearinghouse and its Missing and Endangered Person Alert for cases outside the AMBER criteria. A missing child is reported to the local police or county sheriff, who enter the case in the national database and can request the alert.
Arkansas has no waiting period to report a missing child, and federal law requires the national database entry within two hours.
Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.
Guide
Arkansas Statewide Missing Children Search
- Arkansas State Police
- Arkansas Center for Missing and Exploited Children
- National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenArkansas Missing Children
- Arkansas Attorney General
- What To Do If Your Child Is MissingReport a Missing Child
- Arkansas Runaway and Missing ChildrenGuies for Parents
- Arkansas Crime Information CenterMissing Persons Search
Guide
How AMBER Alerts work in Arkansas
The Morgan Nick AMBER Alert is activated by the Arkansas State Police at the request of the investigating agency when a child under 18 has been abducted, is in danger of serious harm or death, and enough information exists about the child, the suspect or a vehicle to broadcast. The alert goes to broadcasters, the wireless emergency alert system, highway message signs, the Arkansas Lottery's terminals and social media, and the Morgan Nick Foundation in Alma supports families through the search.
- Arkansas State Police Morgan Nick AMBER AlertArkansas's AMBER Alert plan and active alerts, checked September 25, 2026
- Morgan Nick FoundationFamily support and prevention education, checked September 25, 2026
- National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenNational case posters, the CyberTipline and the 1-800-THE-LOST hotline, checked September 25, 2026
Guide
Arkansas missing children clearinghouse and how to report
The Arkansas State Police Missing Persons clearinghouse maintains the statewide list of missing children and adults with photos, coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on child cases and with NamUs on long term cases. Make the report to the local police or the county sheriff and write down the case number. Confirm the entry into the National Crime Information Center, then call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which can assign a case manager and produce posters. The Arkansas Attorney General's office also runs a missing persons page and works with families on cold cases.
- Arkansas State Police missing personsStatewide missing persons listings and investigations, checked September 25, 2026
- Arkansas Police DepartmentsCity police departments that take missing child reports
- Arkansas County Sheriff DirectorySheriff offices for all 75 counties
- Arkansas Most WantedFugitives and outstanding warrants
Guide
Other Arkansas alerts and where the records go
Arkansas issues Silver Alerts for missing seniors and adults with cognitive impairment, Missing and Endangered Person Alerts for children and adults in danger without evidence of abduction, and Blue Alerts for suspects who have harmed an officer, all through the State Police. Case files stay with the investigating agency and can be withheld while the investigation is active under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, while the missing person listing is public. Long term cases can be entered in NamUs by the investigating agency, with the public seeing the entries it approves, and the State Crime Laboratory's DNA program takes family reference samples for unidentified remains matching.
Guide
Federal & National Authoritative Sources
These federal and national sources complement Arkansas's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when Arkansas state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.
NCMEC, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Congressionally authorized national clearinghouse for missing children. NCMEC operates the 24-hour hotline 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) and the CyberTipline for exploitation reports.
AMBER Alert, U.S. Department of Justice The federally coordinated AMBER Alert network. Each state operates its own plan under DOJ AMBER Alert Program guidance.
NISMART, National Incidence Study OJJDP's periodic survey of missing-child incidence in the United States, the authoritative federal statistical source.
Straight answers
Arkansas Missing Children, questions
Why is Arkansas's AMBER Alert called the Morgan Nick Alert?
It is named for Morgan Nick, a six year old abducted from a Little League game in Alma, Arkansas in 1995 and never found. Her mother's foundation helped build the state's alert system.
Who issues AMBER Alerts in Arkansas?
The Arkansas State Police, at the request of the local investigating agency, when a child under 18 has been abducted and is in danger and enough information exists to broadcast.
What if the case does not meet Arkansas's AMBER criteria?
The State Police can issue a Missing and Endangered Person Alert for a child or adult in danger without evidence of abduction, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children can post the case nationally once the police enter it in the FBI's database and the family or the agency agrees.