An Arkansas temp tag is the temporary paper buyer’s tag that lets you legally drive a newly purchased vehicle while the Office of Motor Vehicle processes your title and produces your metal plate. You have 60 days from the date of purchase to complete registration, and the paper tag covers you during that window.1Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-903 – Registration by Transferee – Title Retention Notes – Definition How you get the tag depends on whether you bought from a dealer or a private seller.
How to Get the Tag
If you bought from a licensed Arkansas dealer, the dealer issues the Temporary Preprinted Paper Buyer’s Tag at the time of sale, prepares your title application, and collects sales tax and registration fees for you. The dealer notes the tag’s issuance on your bill of sale.2Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-1705 – Temporary Preprinted Paper Buyer’s Tags If the dealer cannot issue the tag directly, you have 10 calendar days from the purchase date to pick one up yourself from any State Revenue Office or an approved vendor. Bring your bill of sale and driver’s license, and keep a copy of the bill of sale in the vehicle until the tag is in hand.3Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. DSMV FAQs
If you bought from a private seller, you handle it yourself. Visit a State Revenue Office in person to apply for the title, pay the taxes, and receive the temporary tag.3Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. DSMV FAQs The 60-day clock still runs from the purchase date, so the sooner you go the better.
What to Bring
Before anyone issues a temp tag you need proof of Arkansas auto insurance at the state minimums: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per incident, and $25,000 property damage.4Justia. Arkansas Code 27-22-104 – Insurance Required – Minimum Coverage – Definitions You also need:
- A valid driver’s license.
- A bill of sale or signed title showing the transfer.
- A completed Application for Title and Registration (Form 10-381).5Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Vehicle Registration Application – Form 10-381
- An odometer disclosure statement if the vehicle is less than 20 model years old. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expanded that threshold from 10 to 20 years effective January 1, 2021, so a 2011 model-year vehicle does not become odometer-exempt until 2031.6eCFR. 49 CFR Part 580 – Odometer Disclosure Requirements
Where the Tag Goes and How Long It Lasts
Place the buyer’s tag on the inside of the rear window where it can be read from outside. Only if the vehicle has no rear window does it go in the permanent plate location.7Code of Arkansas Rules. 27 CAR 15-103 – Temporary Preprinted Paper Buyer’s Tag Write the expiration date in ink and cover it with the security sticker that comes with the tag.2Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-1705 – Temporary Preprinted Paper Buyer’s Tags Nothing should obstruct the information printed on it.
The tag is valid until your permanent plates arrive or the 60-day registration deadline passes, whichever comes first.3Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. DSMV FAQs
The One Extension Available
There is only one situation that qualifies for a longer tag: a prior lienholder is holding up release of the title. When that delay pushes you past the normal window, the dealer can issue one additional temporary tag good for 30 more days, or the Office of Motor Vehicle can issue it if the dealer cannot.7Code of Arkansas Rules. 27 CAR 15-103 – Temporary Preprinted Paper Buyer’s Tag One extension, one circumstance. No other reason qualifies.
What It Costs
You pay state sales tax before the tag is issued. For used vehicles priced at $10,000 or more, the state rate is 6.5%, with local city and county taxes added based on where you live. Vehicles between $4,000 and $9,999 get a reduced state rate, and vehicles under $4,000 are taxed differently.8Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Recent Changes in the Law Ask the Revenue Office for your total before you go.
Fixed fees include a $10.00 title fee, a $0.50 lien filing fee if you financed, a $2.50 validation decal, and a registration fee that runs $17.00 to $30.00 for passenger cars depending on weight. Electric vehicles add $100.00 and hybrids add $50.00.9Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Motor Vehicle Registration Fee Schedule
What Happens If You Miss the 60 Days
Blow the deadline and two penalties start running. You owe a 10% penalty on the total sales tax due, plus a $3.00 late-registration penalty for every 10 days you remain unregistered beyond the deadline.3Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. DSMV FAQs On an expensive vehicle, the tax penalty alone can be substantial.
Driving with an expired temporary tag also means operating an unregistered vehicle, which is a misdemeanor under Arkansas law. The maximum penalty is a $500 fine, up to six months in jail, or both.10Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-301 – Penalty for Misdemeanor Most stops end in a citation rather than an arrest, but a conviction would carry a misdemeanor on your record.
Driving Out of State on the Paper Tag
Other states generally recognize valid temporary tags issued elsewhere under reciprocity, so you can usually travel or pass through on an Arkansas paper tag. Rules vary by state, though. Keep your bill of sale, proof of insurance, and a copy of your title application in the vehicle whenever you cross a state line, and check with the destination state’s motor vehicle agency before a longer trip.