Ark. Code Ann. § 23-48-903

One (1) or more Arkansas banks, provided no such Arkansas bank has a de novo charter, may enter into an interstate merger transaction with one (1) or more out-of-state banks under this subchapter in which the out-of-state bank is the resulting bank, and the out-of-state bank may thereafter maintain and operate the branches in Arkansas of any Arkansas bank that was a party to the interstate merger transaction, provided that the conditions and filing requirements of § 23-48-1001 et seq. are met.