Arkansas Vehicle History — SALVAGE, REBUILT and PARTS ONLY Titles (Reports from $4.99)

Arkansas brands a car SALVAGE at 70% damage or after water above the dashboard — but its salvage law does not reach vehicles more than seven model years old. Dealers must post a buyer’s notification on salvage cars, and buyers can cancel when they don’t.

🇺🇸
US-AR
Arkansas

Official vehicle-registry authority: Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration — Office of Motor Vehicle

Why Arkansas is different

Arkansas titles are issued by the Office of Motor Vehicle within the Department of Finance and Administration, and the damaged-vehicle rules come from Ark. Code Ann. §27-14-2301 through §27-14-2305 as applied by DFA Rule 2007-8. A salvage vehicle is one with damage equal to or exceeding 70 percent of its average retail value under an approved pricing guide, or one that was submerged above the dashboard, whatever the repair bill. Within 30 days of the damage the owner, including an insurer that takes the car, surrenders the title with a Declaration of Damage and receives a title marked "SALVAGE" in the remarks.

When a salvage car is repaired, the repairer or rebuilder completes an Affidavit of Reconstruction that discloses the repairs and lists every part repaired or replaced. The owner then has ten working days to apply for a title marked "REBUILT". Cars considered junk or non-repairable can only receive a "PARTS ONLY" title that also says "Not for Registration", and a car with an intent-to-dismantle filing or another state’s junking certificate cannot be registered in Arkansas. Salvage, rebuilt and parts-only notations from other states are carried forward onto every later Arkansas title.

The largest gap is age. Rule 2007-8 and the Attorney General both say the salvage law does not apply to vehicles more than seven model years old, counted from the year of the damage, and it also leaves out motorcycles and trucks of 10,000 pounds or more unladen. An older Arkansas car can therefore carry heavy past damage on a clean title. The dealer buyer’s notification protects you only on vehicles the law covers, so check history and auction records whatever the title shows.

Title rules in Arkansas at a glance

Title agency
Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor Vehicle.
Salvage trigger
Damage of 70% or more of average retail value, or water above the dashboard.
Title brands
SALVAGE; REBUILT; PARTS ONLY / Not for Registration; other states’ brands carried forward.
Rebuilt inspection
Rule 2007-8 relies on the rebuilder’s Affidavit of Reconstruction listing repairs and parts; owner applies within ten working days.
Older-vehicle exemption
Salvage law does not apply to vehicles more than seven model years old at the time of damage.
Seller disclosure
Dealers post a buyer’s notification on the side window; non-disclosure lets the buyer cancel for a full refund.
Flood vehicles
Any submersion above dashboard level makes a covered vehicle salvage, regardless of repair cost.

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Title brands in Arkansas

SALVAGE
Printed in the remarks section of an Arkansas title for a car with damage of 70% or more of average retail value, or water damage above the dashboard.
REBUILT
Printed in the remarks section after a salvage car is repaired and the owner files the rebuilder’s Affidavit of Reconstruction with the title application.
PARTS ONLY / Not for Registration
For a vehicle considered junk or non-repairable, with no resale value except as parts or scrap. It cannot be registered for the road.
Carried-forward out-of-state brands
Rule 2007-8 says a "Salvage", "Rebuilt", "Parts Only" or similar notation from another state is printed on all later Arkansas titles for that vehicle.

Red flags specific to Arkansas

⚠ Cars more than seven model years old
Arkansas’s salvage law does not apply to a vehicle more than seven model years old at the time of the damage. A heavily damaged older car can be repaired and resold with no SALVAGE or REBUILT notation on its Arkansas title.
⚠ No buyer’s notification on a damaged car
The Attorney General says a dealer must affix a buyer’s notification to the side window of a salvage vehicle, describing the damage and repairs. If it is missing and the car turns out to be salvage, the buyer may cancel and get a full refund.
⚠ Flood damage judged by water level, not cost
In Arkansas, any submersion above dashboard level makes a covered vehicle salvage regardless of repair cost. A car from a flooded area, such as the 2019 Arkansas River flooding, should be checked for water lines and auction or insurance records.
⚠ Motorcycles and heavy trucks
Rule 2007-8 leaves motorcycles, motor-driven cycles and trucks with an unladen weight of 10,000 pounds or more out of its damaged-vehicle definition, so an Arkansas title on those vehicles says little about past damage.

Frequently asked questions

Under DFA Rule 2007-8, a vehicle is salvage if it was submerged or partly submerged above the dashboard, regardless of the dollar amount of damage, or if it has other damage equal to or exceeding 70% of its average retail value under an approved pricing guide.

No. The Attorney General and Rule 2007-8 say it does not apply to vehicles more than seven model years old, counted from the calendar year in which the damage occurred.

The repairer or rebuilder signs an Affidavit of Reconstruction listing the repairs and every part repaired or replaced. Within ten working days the owner surrenders the salvage title with the affidavit and an application, and receives a title marked "REBUILT" in the remarks.

No. A PARTS ONLY title also carries the notation "Not for Registration". Rule 2007-8 says vehicles considered junk, with an intent-to-dismantle form on file, or with another state’s junking certificate cannot be registered in Arkansas.

The Attorney General says a dealer offering a salvage vehicle must affix a buyer’s notification to the car’s side window that discloses it is a salvage vehicle and includes information about the damage and the repairs.

According to the Attorney General, if the seller did not disclose the salvage status and the required information, the buyer may cancel the purchase and receive a full refund. A violation is also a criminal offence and a consumer-protection violation.

Yes. Rule 2007-8 says salvage, rebuilt, parts-only or similar notations issued by another state are carried forward and printed on all subsequent Arkansas titles.

Sources

Legal facts on this page were checked against these official sources in November 2026.

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