Replacing an Arkansas Vehicle Title

By Javier Marín, Editor·Last reviewed September 2026·How we check this

When an Arkansas vehicle title is lost, stolen, damaged, or never received from a paid-off lien, the registered owner can apply for a duplicate title through the DFA Motor Vehicle Division. Duplicates are issued only to the recorded owner (or the recorded lienholder), and the application has to be notarized.

Who can apply

An Arkansas duplicate title is issued only to:

The owner whose name appears on the most recent Arkansas title.
The lienholder of record if there is an active lien on the vehicle.
An attorney-in-fact under a notarized power of attorney specifically for the title transaction.
A court-appointed personal representative or executor for a deceased owner's estate.

A buyer who does not yet appear on the title cannot apply for a duplicate — the seller must apply for the duplicate first, then complete the title transfer.

How to apply

Applications go through any DFA Revenue Office. Bring:

A completed and notarized Application for Duplicate Title — the form is provided by the Revenue Office or downloadable from the DFA website.
Your Arkansas driver's license or state-issued ID.
If a lien is recorded and now satisfied, a written lien release from the lender on company letterhead.
Proof of Arkansas auto insurance on the vehicle.
The duplicate title fee.

You can also mail the notarized application directly to the Arkansas DFA Motor Vehicle Division in Little Rock with a check or money order, but most owners use the Revenue Office because the in-person staff can verify the lien status and any holds before payment.

Fees

The Arkansas duplicate title fee is $10. If the lienholder is requesting the duplicate to record a satisfied loan or transfer the lien, the lien recording fee of $10 also applies. There is no rush option for duplicate titles in Arkansas; standard processing takes 4 to 6 weeks for the new title to arrive in the mail.

Common scenarios

Lost title

If you can't find the original title, file the duplicate application as described above. The DFA voids the old title in its system as soon as the duplicate is issued, so the lost copy — if it later turns up — is no longer valid for any transaction. This also protects against fraud if the original was misplaced and could fall into the wrong hands.

Damaged title

A title that is torn, water-damaged, or has illegible handwriting can be replaced. Bring the damaged title to the Revenue Office along with the standard application; the staff will process the duplicate and surrender the damaged copy.

Title held by a paid-off lender

When a vehicle loan is paid off, the lender is supposed to mail the title (or, in some Arkansas lender systems, an electronic lien release with a paper title). If the title doesn't arrive within 30 days, contact the lender first; if the lender confirms the title was mailed but never received, file the duplicate application and include the lien release the lender provides.

Inherited vehicle without a title

If the registered owner has died and the title cannot be located, the personal representative of the estate can apply for a duplicate. Bring the death certificate, a small-estate affidavit (if assets qualify) or letters testamentary from probate court, and the standard duplicate application. The new title can be issued in the estate's name and then transferred to the heir in the same Revenue Office visit.

Title corrections

Sometimes a duplicate is needed because of a clerical error — misspelled name, wrong VIN digit, wrong odometer reading. The correction process uses a similar application but includes documentation supporting the correction (court order, marriage certificate, or a notarized affidavit explaining the original error).

Holds that block a duplicate title

A duplicate title cannot be issued while there are unresolved DFA holds, including:

An open theft report on the vehicle.
An unresolved court order such as a forfeiture proceeding.
Outstanding personal property tax owed on the vehicle.
A pending salvage or rebuilt-title inspection.

If a hold exists, resolve it through the appropriate channel before applying. A current driving and vehicle record can help reveal what's outstanding before you make the trip to the Revenue Office.