In Arkansas, the Notice of Transfer of Ownership is a short form a seller files with the Office of Motor Vehicle to tell the state a vehicle no longer belongs to them. Filing it is one of three ways to satisfy Arkansas Code § 27-14-911, the statute that protects a former owner from liability for damages caused by the new owner’s driving.1FindLaw. Arkansas Code 27-14-911 – Transfer of Title or Interest You can submit it online through the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), by mail, or at any county revenue office.
What Goes on the Form
The Notice of Transfer is a single page. Do not confuse it with the Vehicle Registration Application (Form 10-381), which is a longer document the buyer fills out. You can download the Notice as a PDF from the DFA site or pick one up at a revenue office.2Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Arkansas Notice of Transfer of Ownership Form
The fields are:
- Year, make, and model of the vehicle.
- The full Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), found on the dashboard near the windshield or on a sticker inside the driver’s side door jamb.
- The date you handed over possession.
- Your full legal name and current residential address.
- The buyer’s full legal name and current residential address.
- Your signature and the date you signed.
By signing, you certify that you transferred your ownership interest and delivered the properly endorsed certificate of title to the buyer.2Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Arkansas Notice of Transfer of Ownership Form The form does not ask for an odometer reading; that disclosure is handled on the title itself when you endorse it to the buyer.3Justia. Arkansas Code 4-90-206 – Disclosure Requirements
Print every field clearly in ink. If the Office of Motor Vehicle cannot read a VIN digit or the buyer’s address, the form may not match the correct vehicle record, and the liability protection you were trying to establish may not attach.
How to Submit It
Arkansas gives you three routes, and any one of them counts.
Online
The fastest option is the DFA’s online “Release Liability” service, which the agency describes as a way to “transfer ownership and update the state’s records without visiting the DMV in person.”4Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Citizens – Online Services You’ll need the VIN, the buyer’s information, and the date of the sale.
By Mail
You can mail the completed form to the Office of Motor Vehicle. Section 27-14-911 specifically recognizes placing the notice “in the United States mail, addressed to the Office of Motor Vehicle” as valid delivery.1FindLaw. Arkansas Code 27-14-911 – Transfer of Title or Interest Use certified mail with a return receipt so you have proof the state received it. The DFA’s Little Rock mailing address is PO Box 1272, Little Rock, AR 72203.
In Person
Hand-deliver the form to any county revenue office. The DFA lists locations and phone numbers on its website.5Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Office Locations Ask the clerk for a stamped or dated copy for your records.
When to File and Whether You Have To
Under Arkansas Code § 27-14-916, filing the Notice of Transfer is not mandatory. The statute says the owner “may notify” the Office of Motor Vehicle.6Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-916 – Notice of Sale or Transfer Optional is not the same as unimportant. Until you file the notice, or satisfy § 27-14-911 another way, you remain exposed to liability tied to the vehicle. File the same day you hand over the keys if you can.
Why Filing Matters
The reason to bother with this form is § 27-14-911. That statute says a vehicle owner who has made a genuine sale, transferred title, and delivered possession to the buyer is not liable for damages caused by anyone else’s negligent driving of that vehicle.1FindLaw. Arkansas Code 27-14-911 – Transfer of Title or Interest The Notice of Transfer form itself quotes the statute and explains the protection.2Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Arkansas Notice of Transfer of Ownership Form
You only have to do one of these three things to lock in the protection:
- Endorse the certificate of title (with the date) and hand it to the buyer.
- Deliver or mail the Notice of Transfer described in § 27-14-916 to the Office of Motor Vehicle.
- Deliver or mail the buyer’s registration paperwork and fees on their behalf.
Most private sellers endorse the title at the sale, which technically satisfies the first option on its own. Filing the Notice of Transfer on top of that gives you a second layer of proof, a state record showing you told the government you no longer own the vehicle. If the buyer delays registering the car and it later turns up in an accident or gets towed, that filed notice makes it much easier to show the vehicle wasn’t yours at the time.
What § 27-14-911 covers is damages from negligent operation. It does not explicitly mention parking tickets, toll violations, or storage fees. Even so, having an official state record of the sale date helps in any dispute where someone tries to hold you responsible for a car you no longer own.
Plates and Insurance After the Sale
Arkansas license plates stay with the seller, not the vehicle. If you’re replacing the car with another vehicle that carries the same registration fee, you can transfer your existing plate for $10.7Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-914 – Transfer of License Plates and Registration If you aren’t buying a replacement, you can elect not to transfer the plate.
Do not cancel your auto insurance on the sold vehicle until the sale is fully complete: title signed over, possession handed off, and ideally your Notice of Transfer already filed. Canceling coverage while the vehicle is still registered in your name can create a gap that leads to fines or a suspended license. Once you have your bill of sale and the notice is on file, contact your insurer to remove the vehicle or cancel the policy.
Records to Keep
After filing, keep the Notice of Transfer, the bill of sale, and any mailing receipts together. The state does not send you a confirmation or a new title after processing the notice; the form’s purpose is to update the internal vehicle record, not to generate paperwork back to you. If a dispute surfaces months later, whether it’s an unpaid toll, a towing bill, or a lawsuit, your dated copy of the notice and the certified mail receipt are your evidence that you reported the sale.