Free Arkansas Transfer on Death Deed

In Arkansas, a beneficiary deed is signed before a notary, then recorded with the county before the owner's death. Arkansas does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.

Progress0%

Your Information

Enter your information as the property owner (transferor). If the property is jointly owned, you’ll add the second owner below.

How is the property owned?*

Choose “Jointly owned” if two people are on the title (e.g. spouses as joint tenants or tenants by the entirety). Both owners must sign.

I am the sole ownerJointly owned with one other person

First Name*

Middle Name

Last Name*

Street Address*

City*

State*

ZIP Code*

State Where Property Is Located*

County Where Property Is Located*

Email Address*

Phone Number*

Marital Status*

Arkansas law requires spousal joinder for certain property. Marital status determines whether a spouse consent section is included for this owner.

SingleMarriedDivorcedWidowed

FREE & PRIVATE: This form is free—no account or credit card required. Your document contents and generated PDF never leave your browser—SimplyTrust does not transmit or store them. Contact details you provide (name, email, phone, state) are transmitted only to send the updates you agree to receive at download. You are responsible for saving your completed document.

SELF-HELP SERVICE: SimplyTrust provides a self-help document preparation service. We are not a law firm and cannot provide legal advice, select forms for you, or tell you how to complete forms. Our role is limited to providing a platform where you input your own information into document templates.

NOT LEGAL ADVICE: This document was created entirely based on your selections. SimplyTrust does not review, analyze, or verify your entries, nor do we verify your identity, capacity, or authority to act. You are solely responsible for determining whether this document meets your needs and for completing all required execution formalities (signatures, witnesses, notarization, or recording) in accordance with your state's laws. For any legal questions, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Arkansas provides a statutory form, and a deed in substantially that form is accepted. The deed must state that it is not to take effect until the death of the owner (Ark. Code Ann. 18-12-608(a)(1)(A)); the statutory form expresses this as "effective on my (our) death" (18-12-608(g)).

An Arkansas beneficiary deed is recorded with the Circuit Clerk / Ex Officio County Recorder for the county where the property sits and must be on record before the owner's death to take effect. The deed must be recorded in the county where the property is located prior to the death of the owner or last surviving owner. Ark. Code Ann. 18-12-608(c)(1).

Co-owners may sign one deed together. Arkansas offers a spouse's joinder signature because the effect of one spouse signing alone is unsettled; the document carries the signature line and a notice of the point.

Arkansas lapses the share of a beneficiary who dies before the owner. The deed can name a successor beneficiary to take in that case.

The beneficiary takes the property subject to the mortgages, liens and other encumbrances on it at death. Property passing by an Arkansas beneficiary deed is not subject to the Department of Human Services' claim for benefits paid to the owner. The deed moves this parcel alone; a revocable living trust set up with SimplyTrust carries the rest of the estate.

Arkansas Transfer on Death Deed

Arkansas allows transfer on death deeds, which transfer real property directly to a named beneficiary at death without probate. The deed is revocable during the owner's lifetime and does not affect the ability to sell, mortgage, or otherwise use the property.

Probate in Arkansas takes at least 6 months for simple estates. A TOD deed eliminates probate for the property it covers, regardless of value. For estates under $100,000, simplified procedures exist, but they still involve court paperwork. Compare the costs with the Arkansas probate calculator.

A TOD deed covers only real property and requires a separate deed for each parcel. A revocable trust covers all asset types in a single document and avoids probate for everything it holds. For families with multiple assets beyond real estate, the trust vs. will comparison shows the trade-offs.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 17, 2026

Legal Sources

Ark. Code § 28-41-101
Ark. Code Ann. 18-12-608

Data sourced from Arkansas statutes and official state code. How we research.

Is this your situation?

Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.

New Home

How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.

Learn more

Retirement

Retirement changes your financial picture. Healthcare directives, beneficiary reviews, long-term care planning, and protecting what you've built.

Learn more

Free tools for planning your estate in Arkansas: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.

Do I Need a TOD Deed?

Arkansas authorizes transfer on death deeds: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.

Check Now

Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

Arkansas allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle title, filed through the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor Vehicle using Form 108.

Check Now

How Much Is the Federal Gift Tax?

Whether a gift owes federal gift tax, how much of the annual exclusion and lifetime exemption it uses, and whether Form 709 is due.

Check a Gift

What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Arkansas runs $2,890 to $4,335 and a simple will $942 to $1,884, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

Compare Costs

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In Arkansas, four years at a public university cost about $77,880 and the cost of living is 13% below the U.S. average; no state estate or inheritance tax applies.

Use Calculator

Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Arkansas does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

Check Now

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

Check Requirements

Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

Check Portability

All Arkansas tools

Arkansas Estate Planning Resources

In-depth guides covering Arkansas probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.

Free Arkansas Transfer on Death Deed

In Arkansas, a beneficiary deed is signed before a notary, then recorded with the county before the owner's death. Arkansas does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.

Progress0%

Arkansas Transfer on Death Deed

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 17, 2026

Legal Sources

Ark. Code § 28-41-101
Ark. Code Ann. 18-12-608

Data sourced from Arkansas statutes and official state code. How we research.

Free Arkansas Transfer on Death Deed

Your Information

Is this your situation?

New Home

Retirement

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Arkansas

Healthcare Power of Attorney

HIPAA Release

Financial Power of Attorney

Vehicle Transfer on Death

Living Will

Last Will and Testament

Codicil to a Will

Tools for Planning Your Estate in Arkansas

Do I Need a TOD Deed?

Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

How Much Is the Federal Gift Tax?

What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

When you're ready, we're here.

Arkansas Estate Planning Resources

Free Arkansas Transfer on Death Deed

Your Information