Selling or junking a car in Arkansas, step by step
- Find your title (or replace it). If the title is lost or damaged, request a duplicate from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (Office of Motor Vehicle) using Application for Title or Replacement Title (plus Form 10-315, Official Release of Lien or Permission to Issue Replacement Title, if applicable).
- Pay off any loan. If a lender is listed on the title, it must release the lien before the car can change hands. See our guide to junking a car with a lien.
- Sign the title over at pickup. Fill in the seller section of the title exactly as the buyer instructs, with the sale date and odometer reading where required.
- Deal with your plates. Ask the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (Office of Motor Vehicle) whether you keep, transfer or return your plates.
- File the Notice of Transfer of Ownership of a Motor Vehicle. Filing this optional notice records that the seller has sold the vehicle and handed it over, which under Arkansas law relieves the seller of liability for how the buyer later drives it. The form is mailed or delivered in person, and a DFA page (https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/mydmv-service/transfer-vehicle-ownership) says sellers can also notify the state online.
Lost title? Getting a duplicate in Arkansas
Arkansas residents can apply at any state revenue office or mail the application to the Special License Unit. If a lien is involved, the release/permission form 10-315 is also required.
- Form: Application for Title or Replacement Title (plus Form 10-315, Official Release of Lien or Permission to Issue Replacement Title, if applicable) — download
- Official page: dfa.arkansas.gov
More background: how to get a duplicate title before junking.
Notice of Transfer of Ownership of a Motor Vehicle
Filing this optional notice records that the seller has sold the vehicle and handed it over, which under Arkansas law relieves the seller of liability for how the buyer later drives it. The form is mailed or delivered in person, and a DFA page (https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/mydmv-service/transfer-vehicle-ownership) says sellers can also notify the state online.
- Can be filed online: yes
- Official page: dfa.arkansas.gov
Why it matters: release of liability when selling a car.
License plates after you sell
We couldn't confirm Arkansas's plate rule on an official page. Ask the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (Office of Motor Vehicle) before pickup, and see plates and insurance when junking a car.
Junk and salvage titles in Arkansas
Owners who sell a vehicle for scrap or dismantling file a Notice of Intent to Dismantle a Motor Vehicle and assign the title to the buyer. The Office of Motor Vehicle then cancels the title, and no new title is issued unless the notice was filed by mistake.
Official page: dfa.arkansas.gov. Background: salvage vs. rebuilt vs. junk titles.
Selling a car without a title in Arkansas
On the dismantling notice, a vehicle at least 25 years old with no title available can go with a bill of sale instead of the title. That bill of sale must list year, make, model and VIN, state that no future title will be issued, and be signed by both parties.
Official page: dfa.arkansas.gov
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Arkansas title questions
How do I replace a lost car title in Arkansas?
Arkansas residents can apply at any state revenue office or mail the application to the Special License Unit. If a lien is involved, the release/permission form 10-315 is also required. The form is Application for Title or Replacement Title (plus Form 10-315, Official Release of Lien or Permission to Issue Replacement Title, if applicable).
Do I need to notify Arkansas when I sell or junk my car?
Arkansas uses the Notice of Transfer of Ownership of a Motor Vehicle. Filing this optional notice records that the seller has sold the vehicle and handed it over, which under Arkansas law relieves the seller of liability for how the buyer later drives it. The form is mailed or delivered in person, and a DFA page (https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/mydmv-service/transfer-vehicle-ownership) says sellers can also notify the state online.
What happens to my license plates when I sell a car in Arkansas?
Check with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (Office of Motor Vehicle); plate rules vary by state.
Can I junk a car without a title in Arkansas?
On the dismantling notice, a vehicle at least 25 years old with no title available can go with a bill of sale instead of the title. That bill of sale must list year, make, model and VIN, state that no future title will be issued, and be signed by both parties. Confirm the details with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (Office of Motor Vehicle).
Official sources
- Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (Office of Motor Vehicle) — homedfa.arkansas.gov
- Duplicate or replacement title (Application for Title or Replacement Title (plus Form 10-315, Official Release of Lien or Permission to Issue Replacement Title, if applicable))dfa.arkansas.gov
- Application for Title or Replacement Title (plus Form 10-315, Official Release of Lien or Permission to Issue Replacement Title, if applicable) formdfa.arkansas.gov
- Notice of Transfer of Ownership of a Motor Vehicledfa.arkansas.gov
- Junk and salvage vehiclesdfa.arkansas.gov
Summarized from official Arkansas government websites in October 2026. Fees and procedures change; always confirm with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (Office of Motor Vehicle) before you sell. This guide is general information, not legal advice.