How to sell a car in Arkansas privately

Prepare the bill of sale and optional ownership notice

Arkansas DFA's document checklist calls for a bill of sale showing the VIN, sale date, purchase amount and buyer and seller signatures. Make the price and vehicle details consistent with the title assignment. Keep a completed copy, rather than relying on the public advertisement as the sale record. See Arkansas DFA's document checklist.

DFA also provides an optional Notice of Transfer of Ownership. Its certification concerns an actual sale with an endorsed title delivered to the buyer. The notice is a separate record of the transfer; filling it out is not a replacement for correctly assigning and delivering the title. Follow Arkansas's Notice of Transfer of Ownership.

Plan the Arkansas closing appointment

Have the revenue office confirm the title assignment, lien-release and plate steps for your transaction. If you are also buying a replacement car, ask separately about the documents needed for any available vehicle-sale tax treatment rather than assuming the sale automatically creates a credit.

If a lender still has an interest in the car, ask it for the payoff amount, payment instructions and release timing before accepting a closing date. Use our selling a car with a loan guide to prepare those questions. For inherited, leased or branded-title vehicles, obtain the instructions for that situation before using an ordinary private-sale checklist.

Set a price and prepare a useful listing

Compare vehicles with the same trim, similar mileage, condition and title history. Keep private asking prices separate from confirmed dealer offers, then subtract your payoff and selling costs to compare what you could keep. Our private-sale pricing guide explains the comparison.

Use current photographs of your own car. Include the odometer, interior and known damage, and describe maintenance you can document. State the actual city, mileage, asking price and known faults. Keep identification, title photos and financial documents out of the public ad. Use the car-sale photo checklist before posting.

Agree on payment and lawful collection

Ask your own financial institution how to verify the proposed payment before releasing the car. A screenshot or message saying money was sent is not verification. Use the private-sale payment guide to prepare the appointment.

If the buyer lives elsewhere, have them confirm destination-state title, registration, insurance and transport requirements. Follow your own seller steps as well. Our out-of-state buyer handoff guide helps keep the two responsibilities separate.

Arkansas private-sale checklist

• Match the VIN, date and actual price across the title and bill of sale.
• Retain a bill of sale signed by both parties.
• Consider DFA's optional transfer notice after completing the actual transfer.
• Verify payment through your own bank before the agreed release.
• Remove belongings, toll devices and saved connected-car information.
• Keep the completed transaction records and mark the listing sold afterward.

Start your Arkansas listing

When your photos, condition description and ownership plan are ready, start a CarTruvo listing. You set the asking price and speak directly with interested buyers. Arrange payment, ownership transfer and collection with the buyer using the official requirements above.