How to Appeal an Unemployment Denial in Arkansas
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Arkansas · Last updated 2026-09-06
An unemployment appeal is the formal request you file to challenge a decision that denied, reduced, or ended your unemployment benefits, asking a neutral tribunal to review the agency's ruling. In Arkansas, the Division of Workforce Services (ADWS) issues that decision on a Notice of Agency Determination. You appeal in writing within 20 calendar days of the mailing date on that notice, and the Arkansas Appeal Tribunal holds a hearing on your case (Ark. Code Ann. section 11-10-524). If the Tribunal rules against you, you can appeal again to the Board of Review within 20 days, and later to the Arkansas Court of Appeals. A late appeal may still be accepted if the delay was beyond your control, and you should keep filing your weekly claims while the appeal is pending.
Find out where you stand in Arkansas
Where are you in the unemployment appeal process?
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How do I appeal an unemployment denial in Arkansas?
Submit a written appeal within 20 days of the mailing date on your ADWS Notice of Agency Determination. You can use the Petition for Appeal to the Appeal Tribunal (form ARK-AT-213) or a signed letter, mail it to the Arkansas Appeal Tribunal, or email it to ADWS (Ark. Code Ann. section 11-10-524).
How long do I have to appeal an unemployment decision in Arkansas?
You have 20 calendar days from the mailing date printed on your ADWS Notice of Agency Determination. Missing the deadline can end your appeal rights, though the Appeal Tribunal may still treat a late appeal as timely if you show the delay happened because of circumstances beyond your control.
What is the appeal form for unemployment in Arkansas?
Arkansas uses the Petition for Appeal to the Appeal Tribunal, form ARK-AT-213, but ADWS also accepts a signed letter instead. Either way, identify the decision you are appealing, explain why you disagree, and attach a copy of your Notice of Agency Determination before you mail or email it in.
Can I keep receiving benefits while my appeal is pending in Arkansas?
Keep filing your weekly claims on Launch or ArkLine while your appeal is pending. ADWS can only pay you for weeks you claimed and were otherwise eligible, so stopping can cost you back payments even if you win. Filing does not guarantee payment, but it preserves weeks the Tribunal may later approve.
Arkansas unemployment appeal law at a glance
In Arkansas, the Division of Workforce Services (ADWS) decides unemployment eligibility and issues a Notice of Agency Determination. A claimant who disagrees appeals in writing within 20 calendar days of the mailing date on that notice (Ark. Code Ann. section 11-10-524). The first-level appeal goes to the Arkansas Appeal Tribunal, which holds a hearing. If the Tribunal rules against you, a second-level appeal goes to the Board of Review within 20 days of its decision, and a further appeal goes to the Arkansas Court of Appeals within 30 days. A late appeal may be treated as timely if the Tribunal or Board finds the delay resulted from circumstances beyond your control. ADWS advises claimants who are still unemployed to keep filing weekly claims while the appeal is pending.
Appealing an Arkansas unemployment denial after a quit-versus-fired dispute
Suppose ADWS mails you a Notice of Agency Determination denying benefits because it treated your job separation as a voluntary quit. You disagree, believing you were let go. Because the notice controls the timeline, you note the mailing date and file your appeal within 20 days, using the Petition for Appeal (ARK-AT-213) and explaining that your separation was an involuntary layoff, with your final pay stub and a supervisor email attached. You keep filing your weekly claims on ArkLine while you wait. At the hearing, the Appeal Tribunal reviews the evidence and questions both sides. If the Tribunal still rules against you, you file a second-level appeal to the Board of Review within 20 days. Attorney review of your appeal statement is available through DocDraft.
Relevant Laws
Ark. Code Ann. section 11-10-524 (appeal to the Appeal Tribunal)
Gives the claimant and other entitled parties 20 calendar days from the date the notice is mailed to file a written notice of appeal with the Appeal Tribunal or any ADWS office, and allows a late appeal to be treated as timely if the delay resulted from circumstances beyond the appellant's control.
Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, UI Information Handbook (Section 4: Appeal Rights)
The ADWS handbook instructs claimants to appeal within 20 days of the mailing date on the Notice of Agency Determination, explains the Petition for Appeal to the Appeal Tribunal, and describes the Board of Review and Arkansas Court of Appeals as the next levels of review.
Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, Unemployment
The ADWS unemployment page is the state's primary hub for filing claims, filing weekly certifications on Launch or ArkLine, and reaching the UI Service Center, which claimants use to keep their claims active while an appeal is pending.
Regional Variances
Arkansas unemployment appeal rules at a glance
Appeal deadline
20 calendar days from the mailing date on the ADWS Notice of Agency Determination, under Ark. Code Ann. section 11-10-524. The clock runs from the notice mailing date, not the date you received it.
How to file
In writing, using the Petition for Appeal to the Appeal Tribunal (form ARK-AT-213) or a signed letter, sent by mail to the Arkansas Appeal Tribunal, by email to ADWS, or in person at a Workforce Center. Attach a copy of your Notice of Agency Determination.
Who hears it
The Arkansas Appeal Tribunal holds the first-level hearing. A second-level appeal goes to the Board of Review within 20 days, and a further appeal goes to the Arkansas Court of Appeals within 30 days.
Late appeals
Allowed when the delay is beyond your control. Ark. Code Ann. section 11-10-524 lets the Appeal Tribunal or Board of Review treat a late appeal as timely if it was not perfected within 20 days because of circumstances beyond the appellant's control.
Benefits during appeal
ADWS advises claimants who are still unemployed to keep filing weekly claims on Launch or ArkLine while the appeal is pending, because payment is only possible for weeks claimed and otherwise eligible.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Find the mailing date on your ADWS notice
The day you receive the Notice of Agency Determination days after startingLocate the mailing date printed on your ADWS Notice of Agency Determination. That date starts the 20-day appeal window under Ark. Code Ann. section 11-10-524, so calendar it immediately and work backward from it to give yourself time to prepare.
Read the reason ADWS gave for the decision
As soon as you receive the notice days after startingIdentify the exact eligibility issue ADWS relied on, such as a quit-versus-fired dispute, availability for work, or an overpayment. Your appeal is stronger when it responds directly to that finding rather than restating your situation generally.
Write your appeal on the ARK-AT-213 or in a letter
Within 20 days of the notice mailing date days after startingComplete the Petition for Appeal to the Appeal Tribunal (form ARK-AT-213) or a signed letter identifying the decision and explaining why it is wrong. Attach a copy of your Notice of Agency Determination. Attorney review of your appeal statement is available through DocDraft.
File the appeal within 20 days
By the 20th day after the notice mailing date days after startingSubmit the appeal by mail to the Arkansas Appeal Tribunal, by email to ADWS.UI.Hotline@arkansas.gov, or in person at a Workforce Center before the 20-day deadline. Keep a dated copy and proof of sending. If you are already late, file immediately and explain the reason.
Keep filing your weekly claims
Every week while the appeal is pending days after startingContinue filing your weekly claims on Launch or ArkLine during the appeal and keep meeting the eligibility requirements. ADWS can only pay weeks you claimed and were otherwise eligible, so unbroken filing protects back payments if the Appeal Tribunal rules in your favor.
Prepare for the Appeal Tribunal hearing
Before the hearing date on your notice days after startingGather documents and witnesses, review the ADWS file, and organize the facts that support your position. The Appeal Tribunal mails a hearing notice with the date and format, usually by phone. Attending is critical, because missing it can lead to a decision against you.
Note your second-level appeal rights
Within 20 days of the Appeal Tribunal decision days after startingIf the Appeal Tribunal denies your appeal, you can appeal to the Board of Review within 20 days, and later to the Arkansas Court of Appeals within 30 days. The Court of Appeals petition must be filed by you directly, so track each deadline carefully.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find the mailing date on your ADWS notice | Locate the mailing date printed on your ADWS Notice of Agency Determination. That date starts the 20-day appeal window under Ark. Code Ann. section 11-10-524, so calendar it immediately and work backward from it to give yourself time to prepare. | - | The day you receive the Notice of Agency Determination |
| Read the reason ADWS gave for the decision | Identify the exact eligibility issue ADWS relied on, such as a quit-versus-fired dispute, availability for work, or an overpayment. Your appeal is stronger when it responds directly to that finding rather than restating your situation generally. | - | As soon as you receive the notice |
| Write your appeal on the ARK-AT-213 or in a letter | Complete the Petition for Appeal to the Appeal Tribunal (form ARK-AT-213) or a signed letter identifying the decision and explaining why it is wrong. Attach a copy of your Notice of Agency Determination. Attorney review of your appeal statement is available through DocDraft. | - | Within 20 days of the notice mailing date |
| File the appeal within 20 days | Submit the appeal by mail to the Arkansas Appeal Tribunal, by email to ADWS.UI.Hotline@arkansas.gov, or in person at a Workforce Center before the 20-day deadline. Keep a dated copy and proof of sending. If you are already late, file immediately and explain the reason. | - | By the 20th day after the notice mailing date |
| Keep filing your weekly claims | Continue filing your weekly claims on Launch or ArkLine during the appeal and keep meeting the eligibility requirements. ADWS can only pay weeks you claimed and were otherwise eligible, so unbroken filing protects back payments if the Appeal Tribunal rules in your favor. | - | Every week while the appeal is pending |
| Prepare for the Appeal Tribunal hearing | Gather documents and witnesses, review the ADWS file, and organize the facts that support your position. The Appeal Tribunal mails a hearing notice with the date and format, usually by phone. Attending is critical, because missing it can lead to a decision against you. | - | Before the hearing date on your notice |
| Note your second-level appeal rights | If the Appeal Tribunal denies your appeal, you can appeal to the Board of Review within 20 days, and later to the Arkansas Court of Appeals within 30 days. The Court of Appeals petition must be filed by you directly, so track each deadline carefully. | - | Within 20 days of the Appeal Tribunal decision |
Frequently Asked Questions
An unemployment appeal is your formal, written request asking a neutral Appeal Tribunal to review an ADWS decision that denied, reduced, or ended your benefits. In Arkansas it is filed against a Notice of Agency Determination, and it triggers a hearing before the Appeal Tribunal, which is independent of the staff who made the decision.
The agency determination is ADWS's initial decision on your eligibility, sent as a Notice of Agency Determination. An appeal is the separate step where you challenge that decision before the Arkansas Appeal Tribunal, which reviews it independently. The determination comes first; the appeal is how you contest it within 20 days.
You have 20 calendar days from the mailing date on your ADWS Notice of Agency Determination to file a written appeal (Ark. Code Ann. section 11-10-524). The clock runs from the notice mailing date, not the day you happened to open the envelope, so calendar the deadline as soon as it arrives.
A late appeal may still be treated as timely. Under Ark. Code Ann. section 11-10-524, the Appeal Tribunal or Board of Review can accept an appeal filed after 20 days if the delay resulted from circumstances beyond your control. File as soon as you can and clearly explain the reason you missed the deadline.
The Arkansas Appeal Tribunal decides the first-level appeal, independent of the ADWS staff who issued the determination. The Tribunal holds a hearing, reviews the ADWS file and your evidence, questions both sides, and then issues a written decision that either affirms or reverses the Notice of Agency Determination.
The Appeal Tribunal mails a hearing notice, and the hearing is usually held by phone. The hearing officer takes testimony under oath from you and ADWS or your former employer, reviews documents, and lets each side ask questions. A written decision follows, explaining the result and your further appeal rights.
Yes. If the Appeal Tribunal rules against you, you can file a second-level appeal to the Board of Review within 20 days of its decision. If the Board also denies you, you can petition the Arkansas Court of Appeals within 30 days, which you must file yourself rather than through ADWS.
Yes. ADWS instructs claimants who are still unemployed to keep filing their weekly claims on Launch or ArkLine while an appeal is pending, and to keep meeting the eligibility requirements. Filing does not guarantee payment, but skipping it can forfeit weeks the Appeal Tribunal might later approve in your favor.
Other Arkansas guides
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