6 Documents Arkansans Need to Transfer a Car Title After a Death
If no one has opened a probate case, Arkansas heirs can claim a car title with an Affidavit of Inheritance.
Which papers you need depends on the estate, and the stack can grow fast.
Here are the documents Arkansans need to transfer a car title after a death.
Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Title paperwork and fees are subject to change, so confirm the current requirements with DFA’s Office of Motor Vehicle.
1. Death Certificate
A death certificate is one of the papers DFA’s checklist says a transfer may need.
The Arkansas Department of Health sells copies for $10 for the first copy and $8 for each additional copy of the same record.
Most walk-in requests at the Little Rock office can be filled the same day for customers arriving by 4 p.m.
Same-day service isn’t guaranteed for non-routine requests, such as certificate corrections.
Online orders take longer.
Online requests typically take 7 to 14 business days from the date your order is approved, plus shipping time.
You’ll also pay a $5 processing fee and a $1.85 identity verification fee.
You can also order by mail with a check or money order and copies of acceptable ID.
Mail orders take 10 to 14 days to process, plus delivery time.
2. Affidavit of Inheritance
The Affidavit of Inheritance is the DFA form heirs sign to claim a car’s title after a death.
The sole heirs at law of the person who died sign it.
You fill in the car’s year, make, model, body style and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
If a court has already opened an estate, you’re on the letters route in the next section.
What Heirs State When Transferring a Car Title
The form has the heirs state that the estate hasn’t been administered.
If the person who died left a will, the heirs state that it hasn’t been, and probably won’t be, admitted to probate.
They also state that the person who died owned the vehicle listed.
The signers direct that the vehicle become the property of the person they name.
3. Letters Testamentary or Administration
DFA’s checklist places letters in its extra-papers list, on the same line as the Affidavit of Inheritance.
The state’s probate forms include Letters Testamentary, which name an executor of a will, and Letters of Administration.
Letters of administration exist to tell outside parties that a court appointed an administrator, under the Arkansas Code.
If you’re the personal representative, the court issues the letters to you.
Psst! How much do you know about Arkansas wills? Take our quiz and see if you can ace it.
Quiz
Arkansas Will IQ
Answer these questions on Arkansas wills and estate claims. We bet you can’t get them all right. Prove us wrong?
An Arkansas will that’s handwritten from start to finish and signed can be established by how many credible, disinterested witnesses to that handwriting?
4. Release of Lien
A release of lien is on DFA's checklist of extra papers, and it may come into play if the car still had a lender's name on it.
The form is called the Official Release of Lien or Permission to Issue a Replacement Title.
The lender signs it.
It certifies that a named lien on a named vehicle is either satisfied and released or not satisfied.
If the car had a loan, you may want the lender to complete that form.
When a loan isn't paid off, the lender can use the same form to grant permission to issue a replacement title in a named person's name.
A replacement title costs $10.
Plan on at least three weeks of processing time for it to arrive.
5. Odometer Statement
Some transfers may call for an odometer statement, which DFA's checklist names among its extra papers and its forms page titles the Vehicle Bill of Sale / Odometer Disclosure Statement.
Federal law requires a written mileage disclosure whenever ownership of a vehicle changes hands.
Vehicles that are 20 years old or older are exempt, as are model year 2010 vehicles or older.
If you're titling an older family truck, that exemption may cover you.
DFA can tell you whether a transfer after a death calls for the statement.
Check the year first.
6. Assessment, Tax and Insurance Proof
The checklist also asks for the current year's personal property assessment with the vehicle listed.
Personal property tax comes next.
It has to be paid up to date.
Current insurance on the VIN that meets Arkansas liability requirements is on the list too.
If you're putting the car in your name, you'll want all three in hand.
Psst! How much do you know about car title paperwork? Take our quiz and see if you can ace it.
Quiz
Title Paperwork Quiz
Answer these questions on car title paperwork. We bet you can't get them all right. Prove us wrong?
Federal estimates say how many vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings?
Transferring a Car Title Without Probate
The Affidavit of Inheritance is built for estates nobody has administered, and some families use a small-estate affidavit instead.
The state's probate courts publish it as the Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate by Distributee, which you file with a probate clerk.
The statute lets a distributee collect an estate's assets without a personal representative once 45 days have passed since the death.
The estate also has to total $100,000 or less after encumbrances, not counting the homestead or a spouse's or minor children's allowances.
The statute speaks of collecting an estate's assets, while DFA's checklist names the Affidavit of Inheritance and court letters.
Whether DFA will accept it for a vehicle is worth a call to DFA's Motor Vehicle office at 501-682-4692 before you go to a revenue office.
FAQ
Short answers to common questions about the paperwork above.
Does an Arkansas family always need probate to transfer a car title?
Not always.
DFA has an Affidavit of Inheritance for heirs when no one has administered the estate.
How much does a death certificate cost in Arkansas?
The Arkansas Department of Health charges $10 for the first copy and $8 for each additional copy of the same record.
How long does it take to get a death certificate in Arkansas?
Most walk-in requests at the Little Rock office can be filled the same day for customers arriving by 4 p.m.
Online requests typically take 7 to 14 business days from the date your order is approved, plus shipping time.
Does an old car need an odometer statement?
Vehicles that are 20 years old or older are exempt from the federal mileage disclosure, and so are model year 2010 vehicles or older.
Can a small-estate affidavit transfer a car title?
DFA's checklist names the Affidavit of Inheritance and court letters, and the small-estate statute speaks of collecting an estate's assets.
Ask DFA's Office of Motor Vehicle whether it will accept one for a vehicle.
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