To write a bill of sale for a car in Arkansas, use the Department of Finance and Administration’s Bill of Sale/Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form 10-312), fill in the buyer’s and seller’s legal names and addresses, the vehicle’s year, make, model, and VIN, the exact purchase price and date of sale, and the current odometer reading, then have both parties sign. The form combines the bill of sale and the federally required odometer disclosure on one page, which is what the revenue office expects when the buyer comes in to register the vehicle.1Department of Finance and Administration. Motor Vehicle Forms
Start With Form 10-312
Download Form 10-312 from the DFA’s Motor Vehicle Forms page or pick up a paper copy at any local revenue office.1Department of Finance and Administration. Motor Vehicle Forms A generic online template may leave off the odometer section or use language the clerk doesn’t recognize, which stalls the registration. The state form avoids both problems.
What to Write on the Form
The form captures three things: who is involved, what vehicle is changing hands, and on what terms.
Buyer and Seller Information
Enter the full legal names and physical addresses of both parties exactly as they appear on each person’s government-issued ID. The seller’s name on the bill of sale has to match the name on the certificate of title. If it doesn’t, the revenue office will reject the paperwork and the buyer has to come back.
Vehicle Description
Write the year, make, and model, and copy the 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number directly from the metal plate at the base of the windshield on the driver’s side or from the sticker inside the driver’s door jamb. One transposed digit in the VIN is enough to get the filing kicked back.
Purchase Price and Date of Sale
Enter the exact dollar amount the buyer is paying. The revenue office calculates sales tax from this figure, so don’t round or inflate it. If the car is a gift, write zero and note that the transfer is a gift. The date of sale matters as much as the price, because it starts the buyer’s 60-day window to register the vehicle.2Justia. Arkansas Code 26-53-126 – Motor Vehicle, Trailer, or Semitrailer Sales or Use Tax
An As-Is Clause
Most private sales in Arkansas come with no warranty. Say so on the form. A sentence along the lines of “Seller makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the condition of this vehicle” protects the seller from later claims about mechanical problems the buyer finds after driving away.
Fill In the Odometer Disclosure
Arkansas law requires the seller to disclose the vehicle’s exact mileage at the time of transfer.3Justia. Arkansas Code 4-90-206 – Disclosure Requirements on Transfer of a Motor Vehicle Form 10-312 has a built-in section for this. Read the odometer, write the number down, and check the box that applies: that the mileage is actual, that it exceeds the odometer’s mechanical limits, or that it is not the actual mileage. Misstating the reading isn’t just dishonest; it carries legal penalties. Buyers who see a reading that looks too low for the car’s age should pull a vehicle history report before closing.
Check the Title for a Lien First
Before anyone signs anything, look at the certificate of title to see whether a lienholder is printed on it. A lien means a lender still has a financial claim on the car, and the seller cannot transfer a clean title until that lien is released. If the title shows a lien and the seller says the loan is paid off, ask to see a written lien release from the lender. Don’t hand over money on a promise that the paperwork is on its way. More private sales go wrong here than almost anywhere else.
Sign the Bill of Sale and the Title
Both buyer and seller sign the bill of sale. Separately, the seller must endorse the assignment section on the back of the certificate of title and deliver that title to the buyer at the time of sale.4Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-902 – Transfer or Assignment by Owner That is two signatures from the seller: one on Form 10-312, one on the title itself.
Notarization is not generally required for an Arkansas vehicle bill of sale. For a high-value sale, getting both signatures notarized adds a layer of protection if authenticity is ever disputed, but it is optional.
What the Seller Does Next
Arkansas law allows a seller to notify the Office of Motor Vehicle that the vehicle has been sold, though it does not require it.5Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-916 – Notice of Sale or Transfer File the notice anyway. If the buyer picks up parking tickets or has an accident before registering the car, that filing is what shows the state you were no longer the owner on the date in question. Keep a signed copy of the bill of sale for your own records for a few years in case any question comes up about the sale or the condition of the vehicle.
What the Buyer Does Next
The buyer has 60 days from the date on the bill of sale to register the vehicle at a DFA revenue office. Miss that deadline and a late registration penalty kicks in, plus a 10% penalty on any unpaid sales tax.6State of Arkansas. Vehicle Tag Renewal
Bring to the revenue office:
- The signed Form 10-312 with the odometer disclosure completed
- The signed title with the assignment section endorsed by the seller
- Proof of insurance on the vehicle
- Documentation from your county assessor showing the vehicle has been added to your personal property assessment for the current year, plus proof that any personal property taxes already due have been paid6State of Arkansas. Vehicle Tag Renewal
The county assessor step catches many buyers off guard. Stop there before heading to the revenue office. Without that proof, the clerk will send you away. At the revenue office you’ll pay sales tax calculated from the purchase price on the bill of sale, plus the title fee, registration, and decal.7State of Arkansas. Motor Vehicle Registration Fee Schedule
If the Seller Can’t Find the Title
A bill of sale by itself does not transfer legal ownership of a vehicle in Arkansas. It documents the transaction; the title is what moves ownership through state records. If the seller has lost the certificate of title, hold off on signing and paying until the last titled owner of record applies to the DFA for a duplicate. The replacement costs $10 and takes about three weeks.8State of Arkansas. Replacement Titles Writing a bill of sale for a car whose title can’t be delivered leaves the buyer unable to register it.