Wheel ScoutWhat an Arkansas plate lookup shows
A license plate points to one car. We turn the Arkansas plate into the car's 17-character VIN, show you the year, make and model, then read its history: salvage, flood and rebuilt brands, title history by state, odometer readings and theft records. You also see the factory specs and the safety recalls for that model year before you pay. What it never shows is the owner: the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps names and addresses in DMV records private, and we don't sell them.
What an Arkansas plate looks like
Arkansas plates are issued by the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) through its State Revenue Offices, and registration is tied to the vehicle's weight class and fuel type. Type the plate without spaces or dashes; we find the car. If the plate comes back to a different car than the one in front of you, ask why before anything else.
What the plate tells you on an Arkansas registration:
- Weight class. Passenger cars are registered in three classes: 3,000 pounds or less, 3,001 to 4,500 pounds, and 4,501 pounds and over.
- Hybrid and electric. DFA's fee schedule lists a $50 registration fee for hybrids and $100 for electric vehicles.
- Decal. Cars, trucks and motorcycles also pay a $2.50 validation decal.
DFA charges $1 to move a plate to another vehicle. Ask the seller whether they are keeping theirs for their next car; either way, you register the car in your name within 60 days. DFA's FAQ describes a temporary tag for a buyer whose dealer does not issue one: a State Revenue Office issues it when you bring the bill of sale and your driver's license, within the first 10 days after the purchase, and the fee is added when you come back to complete the registration. DFA does not describe one for a sale between two people, so ask your State Revenue Office how to move the car legally before it is registered.
DFA also runs an online Vehicle Title, Registration and Lien Search through the state portal, which can confirm the title and lien status the seller describes.
Arkansas title brands: what the lookup can show
Arkansas brands a title when a car has been badly damaged, flooded or rebuilt, and carries every other state's brand forward. Our $5 report reads the NMVTIS record, the national title system DFA links to from its own motor vehicle page.
| SALVAGE | Printed in the remarks section on the face of the title. Arkansas law defines a salvage vehicle as one with physical damage equal to or more than 70 percent of its average retail value, measured with a pricing guide DFA approves, or water damage up to any level above the dashboard, whatever the repair bill. The owner, or the insurer that takes the car, must surrender the title with a Declaration of Damage within 30 days of the event. An insurer that pays the claim but leaves the car with the owner must still notify the Office of Motor Vehicle, which then stamps the record. |
|---|---|
| REBUILT | A salvage car repaired to the point it can be licensed for the road. The repairer fills out the Affidavit of Reconstruction for a Salvage Motor Vehicle, listing every part repaired or replaced and the VIN of each vehicle the parts came from, and certifies the structural repairs meet manufacturer or industry standards. For a water-damaged car every replaced electrical component must be listed. The owner applies for the REBUILT title within 10 working days. Failing to hand over or file the affidavit is a Class A misdemeanor. |
| PARTS ONLY | For a car with no value except parts or scrap. The title says PARTS ONLY and Not for Registration. Cars branded junk, non-repairable or parts only, in Arkansas or anywhere else, cannot be registered for the road here. |
| Out-of-state brands | A salvage or similar brand from another state is carried forward onto the Arkansas title as SALVAGE, or REBUILT once repaired, regardless of the car's age. |
The Arkansas age exemption. The salvage law does not apply to a car registered in Arkansas that was more than seven model years old before the year it was damaged, to motorcycles, or to trucks of 10,000 pounds or more unladen. In practice that means an older Arkansas car can be totaled by its insurer and keep a clean-looking Arkansas title. The NMVTIS record can still show the insurer's total-loss report, which is one more reason to run the plate before you trust a title on an older car.
What an Arkansas title transfer costs
The buyer pays at a State Revenue Office when titling and registering the car. Amounts are from DFA's fee schedule and its registration FAQ; your city and county set the local sales tax.
| Title fee | $10. A duplicate title is also $10, and DFA's Central Revenue Office in Little Rock will expedite one for $10 more, ready in 3 business days. |
|---|---|
| Sales tax, used cars | Since January 1, 2022 (Act 1013) the state rate depends on the price: no state sales tax under $4,000; 3.5 percent from $4,000 to $9,999; and the full 6.5 percent at $10,000 and up. Local city and county taxes are not reduced and apply on top. A new car is 6.5 percent. |
| Trade-in style credit | If you sell a used vehicle yourself within 60 days before or after the purchase, the tax is figured on the difference between the price you paid and what you got for the old one. If you sell the old one after you have registered and paid tax on the new car, that sale has to happen within 45 days of the purchase, and you file a claim for a refund. Insurance settlements and gifts do not count. |
| Registration | Passenger cars: $17 at 3,000 pounds or less, $25 from 3,001 to 4,500 pounds, $30 over 4,500 pounds. Half-ton and three-quarter-ton trucks and vans: $21. Hybrids $50, electric vehicles $100. Plus the $2.50 decal. |
| Personal property tax | To register, DFA asks for the current-year personal property assessment listing the vehicle and proof your personal property tax is paid. That means a trip to, or a call with, your county assessor and collector first. |
| Late penalties | A 10 percent penalty on the total sales tax due, plus $3 for each 10-day period the vehicle goes unregistered after the 60 days. |
| Plate transfer | $1 to move your own plate to the car you bought. |
Arkansas forms and deadlines
| Buyer's deadline | You have 60 days from the date of purchase to title and register the car. |
|---|---|
| The title | The current title signed by both the seller and the buyer. |
| Bill of sale | Required. It must show the VIN, the date of sale, the price and both signatures. DFA publishes a combined Vehicle Bill of Sale / Odometer Disclosure Statement form. |
| Odometer statement | DFA lists an odometer statement among the papers it may need. Its combined bill of sale form has the seller state the reading, with both of you signing. |
| Assessment and tax receipt | Proof the vehicle is on your current-year personal property assessment, and that your personal property taxes are paid up. |
| Insurance | Current insurance on that VIN meeting Arkansas liability requirements. |
| Lien contract | If you are financing, bring the retail installment contract so the lien can be recorded. If the seller had a loan, bring their release of lien. |
| Seller's Notice of Transfer of Ownership | The seller may file it with the Office of Motor Vehicle. It is optional, but a seller who files it is a seller who closed the sale properly. |
| Temporary tag | DFA describes one for a car bought from a dealer that does not issue temporary tags: from a State Revenue Office within 10 days of the purchase, with the bill of sale and your license. |
Other paperwork DFA may ask for: a power of attorney, an affidavit of alteration if something on the title was changed, a death certificate with an affidavit of inheritance or letters testamentary, or a surety bond when the title is missing.
Inspections in Arkansas
DFA's list of what you need to register a newly bought vehicle has no inspection on it: title, bill of sale, odometer statement, assessment, tax receipt and insurance. There is no safety inspection or emissions certificate to bring, and the rebuilt-title rule asks for the repairer's sworn Affidavit of Reconstruction rather than a state inspection of the work.
That puts the checking on you. Nobody at the State Revenue Office looks at the brakes, tires, frame or wiring, and an older car that was totaled may not even carry a brand because of the seven-model-year exemption. Run the plate here for the title, odometer and total-loss history, then have a shop you choose put the car on a lift. On a car with any hint of water, look under the carpet and at the wiring; Arkansas's own law treats water above the dashboard as salvage no matter what the repair cost.
Before you meet an Arkansas seller
- Run the plate or the VIN here first, before the deposit. Match the year, make, model and trim to the car in front of you.
- Match the VIN on the dashboard, the driver door sticker and the title.
- Match the name on the title to the seller's ID. Both of you sign the title, and both sign the bill of sale.
- Write the real price on the bill of sale. The price sets which sales tax bracket you land in: under $4,000, $4,000 to $9,999, or $10,000 and up.
- Check for a lien on the title, and use DFA's online title, registration and lien search if you are unsure.
- Think about age. If the car is more than seven model years old, a total loss may not show as a brand on its Arkansas title. The report is how you find out.
- Get assessed. List the car with your county assessor before you go to the State Revenue Office, and bring proof of insurance.
- Count 60 days. After that the 10 percent tax penalty and $3 per 10 days start.
Where these Arkansas facts come from
Read on the state's own pages on October 31, 2026. Fees and rules change; the county tax office has the final word on the day you file.
- Arkansas DFA: registration FAQs (60 days, sales tax, penalties, temporary tags)
- Arkansas DFA: do you have what you need (registering a newly purchased vehicle)
- Arkansas DFA: motor vehicle registration fee schedule
- Arkansas DFA: recent changes in the law (Act 1013 used-vehicle sales tax)
- Arkansas DFA: sales tax credit for sale of a used vehicle
- Arkansas DFA: Rule 2007-8, salvage, rebuilt and parts only vehicles
- Arkansas DFA: Affidavit of Reconstruction for a Salvage Motor Vehicle
- Arkansas DFA: Insurer Notification and Declaration of Damage
- Arkansas DFA: Vehicle Bill of Sale / Odometer Disclosure Statement
- Arkansas DFA: Notice of Transfer of Ownership
- Arkansas.gov: Title, Registration and Lien Record Search
Look up a plate from another state
The reports
Works for Arkansas plates and every other state. You see the car before you pay.
Basic history report
By VIN or license plate · official NMVTIS record · shows right away
- Salvage, junk, flood and rebuilt title brands
- Title history by state, with dates
- Odometer readings and rollback flags
- Total-loss records from insurers
- Theft check
- Market value for the car
Full vehicle history report
By VIN or license plate · Not instant: emailed or texted to you within two hours
- Every owner, how they used it (personal, lease, rental or fleet) and where
- Accidents and damage reports
- Title brands: salvage, junk, rebuilt, flood, fire, hail, lemon
- Odometer readings over time, checked for rollbacks
- Service and maintenance history
- Open recalls and common owner complaints for the model
Arkansas license plate lookup questions
How do I look up an Arkansas license plate?
Type the plate above with Arkansas selected. We turn it into the car's VIN and show the year, make and model at no charge, then the $5 report shows its title brands, odometer readings, total-loss records and theft check from the NMVTIS record.
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Arkansas?
The title fee is $10. Registration for a passenger car is $17, $25 or $30 by weight, plus a $2.50 decal; hybrids are $50 and electric vehicles $100. Sales tax depends on the price, and you must show your personal property assessment and paid tax receipt to register.
What is the sales tax on a used car in Arkansas?
Since January 1, 2022: no state sales tax under $4,000, 3.5 percent from $4,000 to $9,999, and 6.5 percent at $10,000 or more. Local city and county taxes apply in full on top. If you sell a used vehicle within 60 days of the purchase, you pay tax only on the difference.
Does Arkansas require a vehicle inspection?
DFA's registration checklist for a newly bought vehicle includes no safety inspection and no emissions certificate. That makes an independent pre-purchase inspection and a history check the buyer's only protection.
What does a rebuilt title mean in Arkansas?
The car was once branded SALVAGE, meaning damage of 70 percent or more of its average retail value or water above the dashboard, and was then repaired. The repairer must list every part repaired or replaced on an Affidavit of Reconstruction, and the new title prints REBUILT in its remarks section.
Why might a totaled Arkansas car have a clean title?
Arkansas's salvage law exempts cars registered in Arkansas that were more than seven model years old before the year of the damage. An older car can be paid off as a total loss and keep an unbranded Arkansas title, which is why checking the national total-loss record matters.
Can I find the owner of an Arkansas plate?
No. The federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps owners' names and addresses in Arkansas motor vehicle records private, and no legitimate plate lookup shows them. You see the car, not the person.
Who runs vehicle titles in Arkansas?
The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor Vehicle, issues titles and plates through State Revenue Offices. DFA's Excise Tax office sets the sales tax rules, and your county assessor and collector handle the personal property tax you must show to register.
More ways to check a car
Find the deal, then check it.
Wheel Scout alerts you the moment an underpriced car posts on Marketplace, OfferUp or Craigslist near you, and runs the history right in the app.
The basic history report uses NMVTIS data from an approved NMVTIS data provider. NMVTIS records come from states, insurers and salvage yards; not every event is reported to it. Vehicle specs and recalls come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Wheel Scout is not affiliated with any marketplace or government agency. Wheel Scout is not affiliated with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor Vehicle.