Arkansas Title Transfer in a Private Sale: 60 Days, Tax Tiers, Assessment

Arkansas gives you 60 calendar days, not 30, to title and register a car you bought from a private seller, and you pay the sales tax yourself at a State Revenue Office (or online through MyDMV) when you do. Used cars under $4,000 owe no state sales tax, $4,000 to $9,999 pays a reduced 3.5 percent state rate, and $10,000 and up pays the full 6.5 percent, with local tax on top. Before the revenue office will register anything, you need the signed title, a bill of sale, an odometer statement, proof of insurance, and paperwork from your county assessor and tax collector.

If you have seen 30 days quoted somewhere, ignore it. I checked the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration's own pages on October 16, 2026, and both the DSMV FAQ and the vehicle registration page say 60 days for cars, trucks and motorcycles. The 30-day rule is for trailers, mobile homes, ATVs and motorboats. Miss the 60 and DFA charges a penalty of 10 percent of the sales tax due plus $3 for every 10 days the car sat unregistered.

What the seller owes you at the handoff

Arkansas law (A.C.A. 27-14-902) says the seller endorses the title and delivers it when the car is delivered, removes their plates, and can move those plates to their next car for a $1 transfer fee. So you drive away with no tag. DFA also reminds sellers that they must print the buyer's name in the assignment section, and both of you sign and print in the right boxes. Blank buyer lines are how floated titles start. Do not accept one.

Look at the control number on the back of an Arkansas title. According to DFA's new and used vehicle registration page, if it is 3003001 or higher, the bill of sale and odometer section printed on the title is enough. Below 3003001, or on any out-of-state title, you need a separate bill of sale and odometer statement, which revenue offices stock. The same page says the odometer disclosure applies to vehicles less than 20 years old. Get the bill of sale signed by both of you with the full price, because the tax math below runs off it.

The assessor stop most buyers forget

Arkansas ties registration to county personal property tax. The registration page lists proof from your county assessor that the vehicle has been assessed (or listed for assessment) for the current year, plus proof that personal property taxes due by the previous October 15 have been paid. Annoyingly, a paragraph higher on that same page says October 10 when it describes renewals. For your trip to the counter it barely matters: assess the car in your name first and bring the receipts. The normal annual assessment window runs January 1 through May 31, per DFA's citizen services page.

How the sales tax tiers work

Act 1013, explained on DFA's recent changes page, created the tiers for used vehicles bought on or after January 1, 2022. Under $4,000, no tax is collected. From $4,000 up to $9,999, the state rate drops to 3.5 percent, but local tax is not reduced. At $10,000 or more you pay the full 6.5 percent state rate (7 percent for Texarkana residents, per the registration page). Local city and county taxes depend on where you live, and DFA notes each local tax will not exceed $25 for each 1 percent. Rough examples on the state piece alone: a $7,500 car is about $262.50, a $14,000 car about $910. Use the calculator on MyDMV for your address.

Now the unpleasant bit. Arkansas Code 26-52-510 presumes the taxable price is the greater of the price on your bill of sale or the average loan value in an industry pricing guide. If the book value is higher, it is on you to prove the lower price was real. Write $3,900 on a car that books for $9,000 and expect questions, not a free pass. Selling your old car privately within 60 days before or after the purchase can earn a credit, but only with a signed bill of sale for the car you sold. Our used car sales tax post compares other states.

Fees at the counter

DFA's fee schedule lists a $10 title fee, a $0.50 lien filing fee, and passenger car registration by weight: $17 up to 3,000 pounds, $25 from 3,001 to 4,500, and $30 above that, plus a $2.50 decal fee and 50 cents postage. Hybrids are $50, plug-in hybrids $100 and full EVs $200. Those are cheap next to the tax, which is why people try to shave the price. A lost-title duplicate is $10, and the Central Revenue Office in Little Rock can rush a title for another $10 with pickup in three business days.

Branded and out-of-state cars

DFA requires a VIN verification on vehicles with out-of-state titles branded salvage, prior salvage or similar, done by a certified city or county officer, the Arkansas State Police or a designee. Our VIN verification guide explains the check, and the Arkansas salvage and rebuilt title rules cover what happens to a branded car. If you live near Fort Smith, Oklahoma cars are a short drive away, and the Oklahoma private-sale title post shows what that seller should hand you.

Brands do not always survive a trip between states, so search the VIN on NMVTIS and run your own history instead of reading the seller's screenshot. The private-party CARFAX guide shows what to look at. CarVins is a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller with no affiliation to CARFAX, AutoCheck or Experian; as of mid October 2026, a report costs about $5.50 for guests and $4.50 for members, or about $6.75 for both reports, against $39.99 to $44.99 at retail. Confirm the final number at checkout. CARFAX lists what a report covers.

Sources

• Arkansas DFA: DSMV FAQs
• Arkansas DFA: New and used vehicle registration
• Arkansas DFA: Recent changes in the law (Act 1013)
• Arkansas DFA: Registration fee schedule
• Arkansas Code 26-52-510 and 27-14-902 (2025)