Do I Need a Vehicle Transfer on Death Designation in Arkansas?
Arkansas allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleArk. Code Ann. 27-14-727Verified Aug 25, 2026View source, filed through the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor Vehicle using Form 108.
Yes. Arkansas allows a certificate of title with beneficiary on a vehicle titleArk. Code Ann. 27-14-727Verified Aug 25, 2026View source. It passes the vehicle to the named beneficiary at death without probate.
Arkansas allows a certificate of title with beneficiary on motor vehicle and watercraft / motorboatArk. Code Ann. 27-14-727Verified Aug 25, 2026View source. A beneficiary may not be added while the vehicle or watercraft is subject to a lien (27-14-727(d)(1)(A)). If a lien request is made for a beneficiary title, the beneficiary is removed and the lien added (27-14-727(d)(2)).
Add the designation through the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor VehicleArk. Code Ann. 27-14-727View source using Request for Title or Watercraft Registration with Beneficiary (Form 108)Ark. Code Ann. 27-14-727View source. Notarization is not requiredArk. Code Ann. 27-14-727View source. You file the completed designation with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor Vehicle by mail to Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Special License Unit, P.O. Box 1272, Little Rock, AR 72203 or in person. Adding a vehicle TOD beneficiary is a title transaction (DFA form 108 plus surrender of the existing title): file by mail to the DFA Special License Unit or in person at a state revenue office. The myDMV online portal does not support adding a beneficiary to a title.
Yes. The designation can be changed or cancelled at any time during the owner's life; in Arkansas: Sell the vehicle with proper assignment and delivery of the certificate of title to another person (27-14-727(f)(2)(A)); File a transfer-on-death application (DFA form 108) with the Office of Motor Vehicle to remove or change the beneficiary (27-14-727(f)(2)(B) referencing subsection (c)).
The beneficiary retitles the vehicle with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor VehicleArk. Code Ann. 27-14-727View source by submitting: Proof of death of the owner, including a death certificate issued by the state or a political subdivision of the state (27-14-727(i)(1)(A)(i)); Surrender of the outstanding certificate of title with beneficiary (27-14-727(i)(1)(A)(ii)); Application for a new certificate of title and payment of the title application fee and title fee (27-14-727(i)(1)(A)(iii)). The designation covers that vehicle alone; a revocable trust set up with SimplyTrust keeps the home, the accounts and everything else out of probate in one document.
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New Baby or Adoption
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Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
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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.
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Retirement
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Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate in Arkansas
Free forms for planning your estate in Arkansas: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Arkansas allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2Act 1264 of 2013 § 2; Ark. Code Ann. § 20-6-103Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
Arkansas treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultArk. Code §§ 28-68-102, 28-68-104, 28-68-105, 28-68-106, 28-68-107, 28-68-109, 28-68-112, 28-68-113, 28-68-119, 28-68-120, 28-68-201, 28-68-204 through 28-68-217, 28-68-301; Ark. Code § 18-12-501; Acts 2011 No. 805 (SB887, primary enactment); Acts 2021 No. 804 (HB1518, added "create" to § 28-68-201(a)(1) and § 28-68-301 form); Acts 2021 No. 356 (HB1455, amended §§ 18-12-501, 18-12-502); no amendments to Ch. 68 or § 18-12-501 after 2021 (re-checked 2026-09-18 via arkleg Code Sections Amended, /Acts/CodeSection?section=28|18 for every session 2013R through 2026F/2026S1 — zero Ch. 68 / § 18-12-501 rows; 2021R control returns §§ 28-68-201, 28-68-301, 18-12-501, 18-12-502; 2026F/2026S1 positive-controlled on titles 6, 19, 25, 26); verified 2026-09-18 against Act 805, Act 804, and Act 356 PDFs from arkleg.state.ar.us (amendment pages rendered to check strike/underline) and cross-checked against codified text (law.justia.com 2025 Ark. Code, codified-mirror tier, live curl)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementArk. Code §§ 28-68-102, 28-68-104, 28-68-105, 28-68-106, 28-68-107, 28-68-109, 28-68-112, 28-68-113, 28-68-119, 28-68-120, 28-68-201, 28-68-204 through 28-68-217, 28-68-301; Ark. Code § 18-12-501; Acts 2011 No. 805 (SB887, primary enactment); Acts 2021 No. 804 (HB1518, added "create" to § 28-68-201(a)(1) and § 28-68-301 form); Acts 2021 No. 356 (HB1455, amended §§ 18-12-501, 18-12-502); no amendments to Ch. 68 or § 18-12-501 after 2021 (re-checked 2026-09-18 via arkleg Code Sections Amended, /Acts/CodeSection?section=28|18 for every session 2013R through 2026F/2026S1 — zero Ch. 68 / § 18-12-501 rows; 2021R control returns §§ 28-68-201, 28-68-301, 18-12-501, 18-12-502; 2026F/2026S1 positive-controlled on titles 6, 19, 25, 26); verified 2026-09-18 against Act 805, Act 804, and Act 356 PDFs from arkleg.state.ar.us (amendment pages rendered to check strike/underline) and cross-checked against codified text (law.justia.com 2025 Ark. Code, codified-mirror tier, live curl)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source.
Transfer on Death Deed
In Arkansas, a beneficiary deed is signed before a notaryArk. Code Ann. 18-12-608Verified Oct 18, 2026, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathArk. Code Ann. 18-12-608Verified Oct 18, 2026.
Vehicle Transfer on Death
Name a beneficiary to inherit your vehicle at death without probate. Available in 26 states and the District of Columbia.
Living Will
In Arkansas, the living will is the DeclarationArk. Code Ann. §§ 20-17-201 to 20-17-218 (Arkansas Rights of the Terminally Ill or Permanently Unconscious Act)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.
Last Will and Testament
In Arkansas, a will is signed before 2Ark. Code Ann. § 28-25-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and the witnesses sign an affidavit at probate instead of a self-proving affidavitArk. Code Ann. § 28-25-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in Arkansas
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 deedsArk. Code Ann. 18-12-608Verified Oct 17, 2026: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Arkansas runs $2,890Estimate: 10 hours at $289, Clio's Arkansas Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $4,335Estimate: 15 hours at $289, Clio's Arkansas Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $942Estimate: 3 hours at $314, Clio's Arkansas Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,884Estimate: 6 hours at $314, Clio's Arkansas Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
In Arkansas, four years at a public university cost about $77,880NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is 13% below the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; no state estate or inheritance tax appliesArk. Code Ann. §§ 26-59-103, 26-59-106(c)(2)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Arkansas does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceArk. Code § 28-25-109Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
How Do I Sign Estate Documents?
Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.
Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Arkansas costs an estimated $27,915Ark. Code § 28-48-108(d)(2) (6-tier statutory schedule on total market value of real + personal property; court may adjust if excessive or insufficient)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees are statutory (set by law)Ark. Code § 28-48-108(d)(2) (6-tier statutory schedule on total market value of real + personal property; court may adjust if excessive or insufficient)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in Arkansas, descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representationArk. Code §§ 28-9-204, 28-9-205Verified Sep 10, 2026View source, and an heir must survive the decedent by 120 hoursArk. Code § 28-10-202Verified Sep 10, 2026View source to inherit.
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Arkansas Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering Arkansas probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.