Applying for a salvage title in Arkansas is a mandatory procedure in situations when a newer motor vehicle sustains physical or water damages that make it uneconomical to repair. You can get a car salvage title through the Office of Motor Vehicle (OMV) of the state Department of Finance and Administration (DFA). Note that motor vehicles older than seven model years are exempt from the state salvage title laws.

After buying a salvage title car, owners have the option of restoring their wrecked motor vehicle to operable status. If you repair your vehicle, you can apply for a restored title and a new car registration. Note that you can obtain an AR rebuilt salvage title only if your motor vehicle was not originally branded as a junk, non-repairable or parts-only vehicle.

What is an Arkansas salvage title?

If you are wondering what the Arkansas salvage title certificate is, note that it is a special type of title document issued to assign ownership of a motor vehicle that was declared total loss by an insurance company or the vehicle owner. The type of salvage certificate that you receive will depend on whether or not your motor vehicle is repairable.

If your vehicle did not sustain serious damages, you will receive the standard salvage car title. However, totaled motor vehicles may also be marked with the junk, non-repairable and parts-only notation, which deems them ineligible for a car registration. Once you reconstruct your damaged motor vehicle, it may qualify for a rebuilt title, which will allow you to reregister your motor vehicle and operate it once more.

Arkansas Salvage Title Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for an Arkansas OMV salvage title, your motor vehicle must be declared a salvage vehicle with the official Declaration of Damage form issued by the state OMV. Your vehicle will meet the vehicle salvage criteria if the damage it sustained exceeds more than 69 percent of its average retail value or it was submerged under water up to a level above the dashboard. Note that the Office of Motor Vehicles uses a different declaration form depending on whether the application is made by the original owner or by his or her insurance company. You will also be able to apply for a salvage title if you submit the corresponding total loss report issued by the insurer, in lieu of the declaration document.

Note that you will need additional items to apply for an AR salvage title, such as the original title certificate, any lien release forms, if applicable, and the corresponding titling fee. When applying for a rebuilt salvage title, on the other hand, you will need to meet a slightly different set of requirements, such as submitting an additional reconstruction form filled out by the vehicle rebuilder.

How to Get a Salvage Title in Arkansas

To successfully apply for an Arkansas salvage car title, you will be required to submit your request in person through a nearby OMV location processing title applications. The steps to get a vehicle salvage title include the following:

1. Fill out the OMV Declaration of Damage for a Salvage Motor Vehicle.
2. Present an identification document.
3. Submit the current vehicle title certificate.
4. Provide any lien release forms, if applicable.
5. Pay the corresponding titling fee.

Note: Since the requirements to get an AR salvage title may vary depending on your circumstances, contact the state OMV to inquire about the exact documents that you will need.

If you are applying for a salvage title certificate as an agent of the owner’s insurance company, on the other hand, you will be required to follow slightly different steps. You will be required to fill out the OMV Insurer Notification and Declaration of Damage for a Salvage Motor Vehicle and submit it along with the total loss insurance report in person, by mail, by email or by fax.

Salvage Car Inspections in Arkansas

When applying for a salvage certificate in Arkansas, vehicle owners are not required to have their vehicles inspected. The damage on a motor vehicle can simply be declared with the corresponding form. If you are getting a rebuilt title, on the other hand, a basic inspection must be conducted by the repairer or rebuilder after the rebuilding process, provided you did not rebuild the vehicle yourself. In such cases, the individual carrying out the vehicle repairs will have to fill out the OMV Affidavit of Reconstruction for a Salvage Motor Vehicle.

You can proceed with the application process for a rebuilt salvage title in AR after obtaining the document of reconstruction from the rebuilder. You will be required to submit this affidavit along with the existing salvage title. Note that the reconstruction affidavit contains an important section for listing the vehicle identification numbers of the parts used to reconstruct the motor vehicle. When applying for a rebuilt title certificate, you will also have to meet the standard titling and registration requirements.

Arkansas Salvage Title Fees

When applying for a salvage or a restored salvage title in Arkansas, you will be required to pay certain costs to the state OMV, which will vary depending on your circumstances. If you are getting a salvage certificate of title, you will only have to pay this single fee in most cases. However, if you are applying for a rebuilt title and a vehicle registration, you will also have to pay the applicable registration costs, which will vary depending on your vehicle type.

California Privacy R. Request

California Opt-Out