Free Arkansas Bill of Sale Template & Generator

Arkansas Bill of Sale Requirements

Additional Forms Required in Arkansas

• Vehicle Registration Application

Arkansas has one of the most consequential price-to-tax relationships in the country, which makes the number on your bill of sale matter more here than almost anywhere else. Instead of a single flat rate, the state uses graduated bands: a used vehicle sold for under $4,000 pays NO state sales tax at all; from $4,000 to $9,999 the rate drops to 3.5%; and only at $10,000 and above does the full 6.5% state rate apply, on top of city and county taxes. A car sold at $3,900 and one sold at $4,100 are taxed very differently, so an accurate, dated bill of sale is your documentation of which band your purchase falls into.

The state's official document is Form 10-313, the Vehicle Bill of Sale and Odometer Disclosure Statement, which handles the sale record and the federal mileage disclosure in a single form. You are not locked into it — any written bill of sale carrying the parties, the vehicle description and VIN, the odometer reading, the price, the date, and both signatures is accepted at the counter. Notarization is not required anywhere in an Arkansas private sale.

Arkansas gives buyers a comparatively relaxed 60 days from the purchase date to register and title, but the penalties past that point are concrete: a 10% penalty on the sales tax owed, plus a registration penalty of $3 for every 10 days you are late. Transfers happen at a state revenue office operated by the Department of Finance and Administration rather than a standalone DMV, and you will need the assigned title, the bill of sale, proof of insurance, and valid ID.

One thing Arkansas does not ask for: an inspection. There is no periodic safety inspection and no emissions testing program anywhere in the state, so nothing stands between agreeing on a price and completing the paperwork. That combination — no inspection, a long 60-day window, no notary, and a genuine tax exemption under $4,000 — makes Arkansas one of the simplest states in which to buy a used vehicle privately.

Sellers have a short checklist worth honoring: file a seller notification with the DFA so the state records that the vehicle left your hands, take your license plate off the car (Arkansas plates belong to the owner and can move to your next vehicle), and keep your signed copy of the bill of sale. If a dispute over the price or the sale date ever arises — or if the buyer is slow to register — that document is what protects you.