Sell your car in Arkansas — no notary, no inspection, no runaround
Arkansas keeps car selling refreshingly simple: one state form covers the bill of sale and the odometer statement, nobody needs a notary, and there is no inspection to pass before the handoff. Every fact below is checked against the state's own DFA pages, and if your car sits in one of the four metros we cover in depth, the city pages dig into the local wrinkles.
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Little Rock is Arkansas's busiest city, and our Little Rock page covers selling there. Wherever you are in the state, the paperwork is the same: the signed title, Form 10-313 and your plate off the car.
How to sell a car in Arkansas
- 01Count sixty days if you're replacing the car. Sell within sixty days before or after you buy your next vehicle and Arkansas taxes the new one like a trade-in, on the difference only. It has to be a real sale; an insurance settlement or a gift doesn't count.
- 02Clear the title: Form 10-315 or a $10 replacement. Arkansas still runs on a paper certificate with the assignment on the back. If a paid-off loan still shows on it, the lender signs Form 10-315, the Arkansas lien release, and a lender that has merged or closed can take weeks to find. Lost the title? An Arkansas duplicate title (DFA calls it a replacement) is $10 at any State Revenue Office. By mail it takes at least three weeks; in person at the Central Revenue Office in Little Rock, $10 more gets it ready in 3 business days.
- 03Print the buyer's name in the assignment, then both sign. This is your half of the Arkansas title transfer. You print the buyer's name in the assignment section on the back of the title, then you both sign and print your names. Owners joined by AND both sign; joined by OR, either one can. No notary is needed. On a 2011 or newer car, write the mileage where the assignment asks for it. Made a mistake? Stop writing and don't reach for correction fluid: an altered assignment needs a sworn Affidavit of Alteration (Form 10-308), and DFA can still refuse the title.
- 04Fill out Form 10-313 together. Form 10-313 is the Arkansas bill of sale and odometer statement on one DFA sheet, and the buyer can't register without it. Our 10-313 page walks through it; use whole miles and the same price and mileage you put on the title.
- 05Keep your plate; $1.00 moves it to your next car. The registration expires when the car changes hands, and the plate stays yours. Take it off at the handover and bring it to a State Revenue Office when you register your next vehicle: moving it costs $1.00, plus the difference if that car is in a heavier weight class. The buyer gets a temporary tag from any State Revenue Office within 10 days of buying, on the bill of sale and a driver's license.
- 06File the free Notice of Transfer to date your exit. It's optional, costs nothing and has no deadline. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 27-14-911 you aren't liable for the buyer's later careless driving once you've made a real sale, handed over the car and given them a properly signed title; the Notice of Transfer of Ownership proves the date. File it in person at the Ragland Building, by mail to the Records Unit, or online, where DFA calls it Transfer Vehicle Ownership. Keep your insurance until the plate is off and the notice is in.
- 07The buyer registers at a State Revenue Office within 60 days. A State Revenue Office is where Arkansas DMV filings happen. The buyer brings the signed title, the 10-313, insurance, this year's property assessment and proof personal property taxes are paid, and applies on Form 10-381. They pay the sales tax, the $10.00 title fee and registration. Past 60 calendar days, DFA's DSMV FAQs add a 10% penalty on the tax plus $3.00 for every 10 days unregistered.
- 08Claim your sixty-day tax credit. Sold before you bought? Bring the credit bill of sale, signed by you and your buyer, when you register your next car, and the credit comes off at the counter. Already registered the new car? Mail Form 10-448 for a refund; DFA allows up to six weeks to process it.
Not keen on advertising the car? Ask for an instant cash offer here. Checked against the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor Vehicle in August 2026.
What Arkansas requires when you sell
| Notary | Not required. Arkansas's combined bill of sale and odometer disclosure (Form 10-313) takes plain signatures from seller and buyer — there is no notary block anywhere on the form. |
|---|---|
| The title form | Sign the title over to the buyer and complete DFA Form 10-313, which records the VIN, the full sales price, any trade-in, the odometer certification, and both signatures. The state posts it on the DFA motor-vehicle forms page and allows copies as long as the format and language are unchanged. |
| Bill of sale | Required. The buyer can't register without a bill of sale showing the VIN, the date of sale, the price and both signatures. DFA's own Form 10-313 covers all of that and the odometer statement on one sheet; our Arkansas vehicle bill of sale page shows how to fill it out. |
| Lost your title? | A replacement costs $10 at any state revenue office or by mail, and a mailed replacement takes at least three weeks. In a hurry, an extra $10 at the central revenue office in Little Rock has it ready for pickup in three business days (DFA replacement-title details). |
| Protect yourself after the sale | File the optional Notice of Transfer of Ownership with the DFA in person or by mail — no fee, no deadline. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 27-14-911, an owner who made a bona fide sale, delivered possession, and properly endorsed and delivered the title isn't liable for anyone's later negligent operation of the vehicle; the notice puts the handoff on record. |
| License plates | Plates stay with you, not the car. The registration expires on transfer (Ark. Code Ann. § 27-14-902), so take the plate off at the handover. DFA's fee schedule moves it to your next vehicle for a $1.00 tag transfer fee, plus the difference if the new vehicle sits in a heavier weight class. |
| Sales tax | The buyer pays it, not you — DFA collects when the buyer registers, and they get 60 days to do so. The tiers are unusually gentle: used vehicles sold for $3,999 or less owe no sales tax, $4,000–$9,999 is taxed at a reduced 3.5% state rate, and 6.5% applies above that, local taxes extra (DFA FAQ). |
| Selling near a purchase | Sell within 60 days before or after buying another vehicle and tax is due only on the difference between what you paid and what you got for the old one, under Act 1232 of 1997 as amended by Act 277 of 2021. Sold first? Claim it at the Revenue Office with a signed credit bill of sale. Registered the new car first? Form 10-448 claims the refund by mail. Insurance settlements don't count as a sale for this credit (DFA credit rules). |
| Inspections | None. Arkansas has no periodic safety inspection and no emissions testing — the DFA's registration checklist contains no inspection certificate of any kind. |
Everything above is current as of August 2026 and checked against the Arkansas DFA Office of Motor Vehicle — fees and tax tiers can change, so confirm there before you head to a revenue office.
No notary needed here, unlike a handful of states; a replacement title runs $10 — compare all fifty; what protects you after handoff; selling when the title is gone; or price the Arkansas transfer in the fee calculator.
Asked by Arkansas sellers
Do I need a notary to sell my car in Arkansas?
No. The state's own bill of sale and odometer form, DFA Form 10-313, takes ordinary signatures from seller and buyer — there's no notary block on it. Sign the title over, fill out the form together, and you're done.
Who pays the sales tax when I sell my car?
The buyer does, when they register with DFA within 60 days of the purchase. Arkansas's tiers actually help low-priced sales: nothing under $4,000 is taxed, $4,000–$9,999 gets a reduced 3.5% state rate, and 6.5% applies above that. And if you're buying your next car within 60 days of selling, you can claim a credit so tax is owed only on the difference.
What happens to my license plates after the sale?
They're yours. Take them off before the car leaves: the registration expires when the car changes hands, and Arkansas's fee schedule moves the plate to your next vehicle for $1.00, plus the difference if that vehicle is in a heavier weight class. The buyer doesn't need your plate, because any State Revenue Office issues them a temporary tag on the bill of sale and a driver's license within 10 days of the purchase. A plate left on the car keeps your name on it until they register.
I can't find my title — can I still sell my car?
Yes, but order the replacement first: $10 at any state revenue office or by mail, and a mailed replacement takes at least three weeks. If you're in a hurry, the central revenue office in Little Rock offers an expedited option for an extra $10 with pickup in three business days.