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Arkansas Vehicle Transfer After Death

Transfer a car title after death in Arkansas by checking how the title was held first. Arkansas offers four nonprobate paths: a transfer-on-death beneficiary named on the title (Certificate of Title with Beneficiary), joint tenancy with right of survivorship, the Affidavit of Inheritance of a Motor Vehicle, and the $100,000 small estate affidavit, plus a probate path for estates that need court administration. Titling is handled at DFA State Revenue Offices, not a DMV.

Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), Office of Motor Vehicle
https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/office/motor-vehicle/
Transfer fee
$10 title fee (plus $1 to transfer existing license plates)
Title fee
$10
Registration
Varies by vehicle weight (see DFA registration fee schedule)
Small estate limit
$100,000

How Was the Vehicle Titled?

The transfer process depends on ownership type. Pick your situation below.

Reading a joint title: look at the word between the two owner names. "OR" (or a slash) means either owner can act alone, so the surviving owner can usually transfer the title without probate. "AND" means both owners must act together, so the vehicle usually has to go through probate when one owner dies.
Transfer-on-Death (TOD) Beneficiary (Title with Beneficiary)Probate may not be needed

The owner named a TOD beneficiary on the Arkansas title during their lifetime using the DFA Certificate of Title with Beneficiary

Process

Arkansas allows a vehicle owner to name a transfer-on-death beneficiary on the title using the DFA’s Certificate of Title with Beneficiary form (Ark. Code 27-14-727). The owner completes the designation during their lifetime at a State Revenue Office. After the owner’s death, the named beneficiary presents the TOD certificate, a certified death certificate, and a title application at any DFA State Revenue Office and receives a new title without probate. The current form took effect January 31, 2024, so confirm form requirements on the DFA Motor Vehicle Forms page.

Documents Needed
  • Certificate of Title with Beneficiary (designated during the owner’s lifetime at a State Revenue Office)
  • Certified death certificate of the deceased owner
  • Application for Title or Replacement Title
  • Title fee of $10.00
Joint Owner With Right of Survivorship (WROS)Probate may not be needed

A surviving co-owner held the vehicle as a joint tenant with right of survivorship

Process

When an Arkansas vehicle is titled to joint owners with right of survivorship and one owner dies, the surviving joint owner holds the vehicle without probate. The survivor presents the existing title, a certified death certificate, and a title application at any DFA State Revenue Office, and a new title is issued in the survivor’s name alone. The title must actually reflect survivorship ownership: joint ownership shown as "AND" rather than "OR" may indicate tenancy in common, which would require probate or an Affidavit of Inheritance instead.

Documents Needed
  • Original vehicle title showing joint tenancy with right of survivorship
  • Certified death certificate of the deceased joint owner
  • Application for Title or Replacement Title
  • Title fee of $10.00
Heir or Surviving Spouse (Affidavit of Inheritance)Probate may not be needed

No estate administration is occurring and an heir transfers the vehicle with the DFA’s notarized Affidavit of Inheritance of a Motor Vehicle

Process

An heir, including a surviving spouse, can transfer a deceased owner’s Arkansas vehicle without opening probate using the DFA’s Affidavit of Inheritance of a Motor Vehicle. The affidavit must be notarized, and it certifies that no estate administration has occurred and that any will has not been (and will not be) admitted to probate. The heir presents the affidavit with the death certificate, the existing title, and a title application at any DFA State Revenue Office, and a new title is issued in the heir’s name without a court order. If the estate is being probated, use the probate path instead.

Documents Needed
  • Affidavit of Inheritance of a Motor Vehicle (completed and notarized; available on the DFA Motor Vehicle Forms page)
  • Original vehicle title (if available)
  • Certified death certificate
  • Application for Title or Replacement Title
  • Government-issued photo identification
  • Title fee of $10.00
Small Estate Affidavit (Estate $100,000 or Less)Probate may not be needed

The estate’s total value, less encumbrances, is $100,000 or less and no personal representative has been appointed

Process

When the total value of everything the decedent owned, less encumbrances, does not exceed $100,000, a distributee can collect and transfer personal property including motor vehicles under Ark. Code 28-41-101 without a personal representative. At least 45 days after the death, and only if no petition for a personal representative is pending or granted, the distributee files the small estate affidavit with the circuit court clerk of the county where the decedent lived, then presents the court-filed affidavit, the death certificate, the title if available, and a title application at any DFA State Revenue Office to transfer the vehicle.

Documents Needed
  • Small estate affidavit filed with the circuit court clerk under Ark. Code 28-41-101
  • Original vehicle title (if available)
  • Certified death certificate
  • Application for Title or Replacement Title
  • Title fee of $10.00
Sole Owner (Probate / Personal Representative)Probate likely needed

The vehicle is titled only to the decedent, with no TOD beneficiary or survivorship co-owner, and the estate requires court administration

Process

A vehicle titled solely in the decedent’s name with no TOD designation, no surviving joint owner, and an estate that must be probated requires the appointed personal representative to transfer title. Open probate in the Circuit Court (Probate Division) of the county where the decedent lived. Once appointed, the personal representative presents letters testamentary or letters of administration, the death certificate, and a title application at any DFA State Revenue Office to transfer the title. An attorney is recommended for formal probate proceedings.

Documents Needed
  • Original vehicle title (or apply for a replacement title if lost; fee $10.00)
  • Certified death certificate
  • Letters testamentary or letters of administration from the Arkansas Circuit Court (Probate Division)
  • Application for Title or Replacement Title
  • Title fee of $10.00
See the full step-by-step processThe forms, the order to do them, and what to bring

Read the Arkansas title before anyone signs

Confirm whether the title is sole or joint, whether a transfer-on-death beneficiary is named, and whether a lien is listed. A deceased owner cannot sign, so you need the correct authority path first. Joint names joined by "AND" rather than "OR" may indicate tenancy in common, not survivorship.

Match your situation to a transfer path

A named TOD beneficiary uses the Certificate of Title with Beneficiary. A surviving joint owner with right of survivorship uses the existing title. If no probate is open, an heir can use the notarized Affidavit of Inheritance of a Motor Vehicle, or the small estate affidavit under Ark. Code 28-41-101 when the estate is $100,000 or less after a 45 day wait. Otherwise the personal representative transfers title with letters.

Gather the death certificate and the right form

Every path needs a certified death certificate and the Application for Title or Replacement Title. Add the TOD certificate (beneficiary), the notarized Affidavit of Inheritance (heir, no probate), the court-filed small estate affidavit (distributee), or letters testamentary or letters of administration (probate).

File at a DFA State Revenue Office

Arkansas processes titles at DFA State Revenue Offices, which serve all 75 counties. Bring the title, certified death certificate, your form, and photo ID. The title fee is $10.00 per the DFA fee schedule.

Keep insurance and registration current

Arkansas sets no statutory deadline to transfer a deceased owner’s title (other than the 45 day wait before the small estate affidavit path). Keep registration current and insurance in force until ownership changes. If the original title is lost, apply for a replacement at any State Revenue Office ($10.00) and allow at least three weeks for standard processing.

Good to knowShort notes that save a second trip to the title office
  • Two no-probate affidavits do different jobs. Arkansas has two affidavit routes. The DFA’s Affidavit of Inheritance of a Motor Vehicle is the vehicle-specific form used when no estate administration is occurring; it is notarized and presented directly at a State Revenue Office. The small estate affidavit under Ark. Code 28-41-101 covers the decedent’s whole personal estate up to $100,000, is filed with the circuit court clerk, and requires a 45 day wait. Ask the serving State Revenue Office which mechanism fits your situation.
  • "AND" on a joint title may not be survivorship. The survivorship route only applies when the title reflects right-of-survivorship ownership. Joint ownership shown as "AND" rather than "OR" may indicate tenancy in common, which would require probate or an Affidavit of Inheritance instead of the survivor route.
  • Get a replacement title first if the original is missing. If the original title is lost, misplaced, or destroyed, the last titled owner(s) of record apply for a replacement at any DFA State Revenue Office using the Application for Title or Replacement Title; the fee is $10.00 and standard processing takes at least three weeks. An additional $10.00 expedited fee applies for in-person pickup at the Central Revenue Office in Little Rock, ready in three business days. If a lien is recorded, the lienholder must complete the Official Release of Lien or Permission to Issue Replacement Title form (Form 10-315).
  • The TOD beneficiary form is new; confirm the current version. The DFA’s Certificate of Title with Beneficiary form took effect January 31, 2024. Confirm the current form and its requirements on the DFA Motor Vehicle Forms page before relying on an older copy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer a car title without probate in Arkansas?
Sometimes. Whether probate is needed depends on how the vehicle was titled, whether there is a survivorship or beneficiary feature, and whether the estate qualifies for a small-estate transfer method.
What documents do I usually need to transfer a vehicle after death in Arkansas?
Common documents include the original title, a certified death certificate, your ID, a title application, and in some cases letters of administration, a small-estate affidavit, or beneficiary paperwork.
What if there is a loan on the vehicle?
A lender still has rights in the vehicle. Before transfer, contact the lender to confirm payoff, refinance, or release requirements so the DMV filing is not rejected. Depending on the estate finances, the options are usually paying off the loan, refinancing it in the new owner name, or returning the vehicle.
Do I need to keep the car insured during the transfer?
Yes. Keep insurance on the vehicle throughout the transfer process. If the policy was in the deceased person name, contact the insurer to add yourself as a driver or move the policy, and do not let coverage lapse before the title and registration are updated.
What if several heirs inherit the car together?
The title agency may require signatures or authority from each person with an interest in the vehicle. Verify exactly whose signatures are required before the office visit. In practice, one heir often keeps the car and buys out the others, or the estate sells it and splits the proceeds.
What if the car is titled in another state, not Arkansas?
If the person who died lived elsewhere or the vehicle is registered in another state, that state's motor vehicle agency usually handles the deceased-owner transfer first. Complete the transfer under the title state's rules, then register the vehicle in Arkansas if it is staying here.

Not Sure Whether Probate Is Required?

Use the Arkansas probate assessment before you submit DMV paperwork if the vehicle was solely owned or the estate looks close to a small-estate threshold.

Take Arkansas Assessment

Still weighing whether to keep or sell the car? Read what to do with the car when someone dies for the keep-or-sell decision, or see how to sell the car if you cannot find the title in Arkansas.

Official Arkansas Sources

Office of Motor Vehicle (title transfer after death) - Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Official DFA page, accessed 2026-06-27.
Motor Vehicle Forms (Affidavit of Inheritance; Certificate of Title with Beneficiary; title application) - Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Official DFA forms page, accessed 2026-06-27.
Certificate of Title with Beneficiary (TOD designation form, effective 01/31/2024) - Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Official DFA form, accessed 2026-06-27.
Affidavit of Inheritance of a Motor Vehicle - Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Official DFA form, accessed 2026-06-27.
Ark. Code Ann. 28-41-101 (Collection of small estates by distributee; $100,000; 45 days) - Arkansas Code Annotated (LexisNexis Free Public Access via arkleg.state.ar.us). Official statute, accessed 2026-06-27.
Ark. Code Ann. 27-14-727 (certificate of title with beneficiary) - Arkansas Code Annotated (LexisNexis Free Public Access via arkleg.state.ar.us). Official statute gateway, accessed 2026-06-27.
Motor Vehicle Registration Fee Schedule Part 1 (title fee $10.00) - Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Official DFA fee schedule, accessed 2026-06-27.
Replacement Titles (fee $10.00; three week processing) - Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Official DFA page, accessed 2026-06-27.

Information current as of July 8, 2026

Settled Estate is not a law firm, and this content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Probate laws and procedures in Arkansas can change. Consult with a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation. Full disclaimer.

Need Help With the Full Estate?

Vehicle transfers are often just one part of settling an estate. See our related guides.

All Asset TransfersArkansas Probate Guide

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