Arkansas Temporary License Plate: Duration, Cost, and Penalties

An Arkansas temporary license plate, usually called a buyer’s tag or paper tag, lets you legally drive a newly purchased vehicle for up to 60 calendar days while you complete titling and registration. The dealer normally issues the tag at the time of sale. If you bought from a private seller, an out-of-state dealer, or an Arkansas dealer that doesn’t issue tags, you have 10 days to get one yourself from an approved vendor or any Office of Motor Vehicle (OMV) location.¹

How Long the Tag Is Good For

The tag expires on whichever date comes first: the day you register the vehicle, or the 60th calendar day after the purchase date. The purchase date is the date on the sales invoice or the date on the title assignment, whichever is earlier.¹

There is one narrow way to extend. If a prior lienholder hasn’t released their lien and that delays registration, the dealer can issue one additional temporary tag good for 30 calendar days from the date it’s issued. Only one extension is allowed, and the 30 days run from the new tag’s issue date, not stacked onto the original 60.¹ When a prior lien is involved, the 60-day registration clock also restarts from the date the lien is released.²

How to Get a Tag

If you bought from a licensed Arkansas dealer, the dealer is responsible for issuing the tag and security sticker at the point of sale. Most handle it inside the closing paperwork.

If the dealer isn’t set up to issue tags, or if you bought from a private party or out-of-state seller, you have 10 calendar days from the purchase date to obtain a tag from an approved vendor or an OMV office.¹ Keep a copy of the bill of sale in the vehicle until the tag is in hand. The 60-day registration deadline still applies regardless of where the vehicle came from.³

What to Bring

Bill of sale showing the seller’s name, your name, sale date, and the VIN
The vehicle’s make, color, and model
Proof of liability insurance meeting Arkansas minimums⁴

Arkansas liability minimums follow a 25/50/25 structure: $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person per accident, $50,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more people per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident. You cannot legally drive on a temporary tag without coverage, and failing to show proof at a stop creates a rebuttable presumption that you’re uninsured.⁵

Where to Display the Tag

Place the tag on the inside of the rear window. If the vehicle has no rear window, put it where the permanent license plate would go.⁴ It must stay visible and legible. A security sticker covers the expiration date to prevent tampering.¹

The tag belongs to one specific vehicle and one specific sale. You can’t move it to another car, and you can’t reuse an old one. If the tag is damaged or destroyed before it expires, register the vehicle right away or get a replacement from whoever issued the original.

Registering Before the Tag Expires

All motor vehicles, including motorcycles and commercial trucks, must be titled and registered within 60 calendar days of the transfer date.² Registration happens at your local Arkansas Revenue Office. Bring:

The endorsed and assigned title from the previous owner, or the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin for a new vehicle
A completed Vehicle Registration Application (Form 10-381)⁶
Proof of liability insurance
A valid driver’s license
Payment for taxes and fees

What It Costs

The temporary tag itself costs no more than $5.50, which covers the tag and its security sticker.¹

At permanent registration, you’ll pay a $10.00 title fee plus a weight-based registration fee. For passenger cars, annual registration runs $17.00 for vehicles 3,000 pounds or less, $25.00 for 3,001 to 4,500 pounds, and $30.00 for 4,501 pounds and over.⁷ A $2.50 validation decal fee is also collected. That decal fee replaced the old requirement to submit proof of personal property tax assessment at the counter, so you no longer need to bring a tax assessment receipt or non-assessment statement.⁸

Sales tax on the vehicle is also due at registration. Arkansas uses a tiered rate on used vehicles based on the sale price:

Under $4,000: no state sales tax
$4,000 to $9,999: 3.5% state rate
$10,000 or more: 6.5% state rate

New vehicles are taxed at the standard 6.5% state rate regardless of price. Local taxes apply on top and are not subject to the reduced-rate tiers.⁹ Budget for the tax up front. It’s paid in one shot at registration, not spread out.

Penalties for Missing the Deadline

Two penalties stack if you don’t register within 60 days. A late registration fee accrues at $3.00 for every 10 days the vehicle stays unregistered, capped at the annual license fee for the vehicle (between $17.00 and $30.00 for a passenger car). On top of that, a 10% penalty is added to the sales tax you owe.¹⁰ On a $20,000 vehicle taxed at 6.5%, the sales tax penalty alone is $130.

Driving on an expired tag also puts you at risk of a traffic stop and citation for operating an unregistered vehicle. Register a few days before day 60, not on day 60, and the whole problem goes away.

1
Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-1705 – Temporary Preprinted Paper Buyer’s Tags
2
Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-903 – Registration by Transferee
3
Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Vehicle Tag Renewal
4
Code of Arkansas Rules. 27 CAR 15-103 – Temporary Preprinted Paper Buyer’s Tag
5
Justia. Arkansas Code 27-22-104 – Insurance Required – Minimum Coverage – Definitions
6
Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Vehicle Registration Application Form 10-381
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Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Motor Vehicle Registration Fee Schedule
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Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-1015 – Payment of Personal Property Taxes and Listing for Assessment Required
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Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Recent Changes in the Law
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Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. DSMV FAQs