Short answer
Arkansas taxes vehicle sales at 6.5% new; used vehicles $4,000-$9,999 pay 3.5% and under $4,000 pay no state tax state plus local add-ons (depends on the buyer's address). Arkansas taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted. Arkansas exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions. Arkansas does not credit sales tax paid to another state. This applies to a retail dealer purchase; lease deals and private-party sales follow their own rules in most states.
Arkansas car sales tax quick facts
Last verified September 17, 2026| Sales tax rate on vehicles | 6.5% new; used vehicles $4,000-$9,999 pay 3.5% and under $4,000 pay no state tax state plus local add-ons (depends on the buyer's address)[1] |
| Trade-in credit | Arkansas taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted. The item taken in trade has to be a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer.[2] |
| Selling to an out-of-state buyer | Arkansas exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions. the vehicle is not registered in Arkansas. The tax is collected from the buyer at Arkansas registration, so a vehicle first registered in another state pays that state's tax instead of Arkansas's.[2] |
| Credit for tax paid to another state | Arkansas does not credit sales tax paid to another state.[2] |
| Dealer doc fee | Capped at $129[3] · taxable[2] |
| Temp tag for the drive home | Arkansas's temporary preprinted paper buyer's tag runs until the vehicle is registered or the 30th day after the purchase date, whichever comes first.[4] |
| Out-of-state buyer registration | You have 60 days from the date of purchase to register. Someone who just moved to Arkansas registers with the vehicle title and an odometer statement, or with the out-of-state registration if a lienholder is holding the title.[1] |
Arkansas car sales tax calculator
Enter the sale price and any trade-in to estimate Arkansas vehicle tax and the out-the-door total before title and registration. It applies the verified rate, trade-in rule and doc fee treatment from the quick facts above.
From the desk
Arkansas layers local rates on the state number and collects at registration, so the desk quote and the revenue office bill have to match. Trade-in math matters here, and buyers notice when it's wrong.
Selling to an out-of-state buyer in Arkansas
Arkansas exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions. the vehicle is not registered in Arkansas. The tax is collected from the buyer at Arkansas registration, so a vehicle first registered in another state pays that state's tax instead of Arkansas's.[2]
Whatever the tax treatment, the desk owns what happens next: title in transit, tag on the car, registration filed in another state.
Buying in Arkansas from out of state
If you live in another state and buy in Arkansas, the deciding rule is where the vehicle gets registered: your home state's tax applies at registration, and what happens at the Arkansas sale depends on the rule above. Arkansas does not credit sales tax paid to another state.[2]
Registration and temp tags
Arkansas's temporary preprinted paper buyer's tag runs until the vehicle is registered or the 30th day after the purchase date, whichever comes first.[4] You have 60 days from the date of purchase to register. Someone who just moved to Arkansas registers with the vehicle title and an odometer statement, or with the out-of-state registration if a lienholder is holding the title.[1]
Bordering states
Cross-border deals from Arkansas most often involve Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. No two pairings behave the same; run the exact combination through the out-of-state checker.
Vehicle-type exceptions
Used vehicles ride a price ladder: a used motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer priced under $4,000 owes no state sales tax, and one priced from $4,000 to just under $10,000 is taxed at a reduced 3.5% state rate instead of 6.5%. The local city and county tax is not reduced.[5]
Sources
- www.dfa.arkansas.gov/office/motor-vehicle/faqs-for-dsmv/ · verified 2026-08-27
- www.dfa.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/et2008_3.pdf · verified 2026-08-27
- www.labor.arkansas.gov/…/Rule_8_Dealers_Service_and_Handling_Fee.pdf · verified 2026-08-27
- codeofarrules.arkansas.gov/…/Rule · verified 2026-08-27
- www.dfa.arkansas.gov/…/recent-changes-in-the-law · verified 2026-08-27
“Arkansas Car Sales Tax & Out-of-State Rules.” Voltra. Last verified September 17, 2026. https://voltra.ai/car-sales-tax/arkansas/
More state-by-state guides: trade-in tax credit by state · recent rule changes · all states + the out-of-state checker