Arkansas Bill of Sale

There's what appears to be a nice bike in Ft. Smith that I would seriously get. The current owner only has a bill of sale.

Oklahoma requires a title and will not accept the AR BoS.

If the seller never had a title in his name, it seems there are two possible courses of action: 1.) The seller gets a bonded title and transfers ownership to me or 2.) I walk away.

Any counsel from those in this group who have done these things?

Can you get a bonded title youself or do you have to have the owners input ?

From what I've read on the Arkansas side, the one with BoS, current owner, must get the bonded title in order to legally sell the vehicle.

I don't know how it works in OK or AR as far as bonded titles go, here in TX I think you go to your insurance co to start the bonded title process once you have the bike and know it's clean as far as liens etc. either way personally I wouldn't purchase a street legal bike without a title in the sellers name.

Mark - Thanks. It seems to be pretty much the same process in AR and OK. I am with you - will not buy a street bike with no title. Will be patient and try not to be rash.

Not worth the trouble or risk to buy any bike without a title. Any bike I can afford is not that rare.

I've been through it in Texas; not sure how different Okieland is. The Texas process is roughly:
- Get the bike inspected and "greensheeted" (which essentially means it meets state standards). That cost me $14.
- Go to TXDOT (obviously different in OK) where they assign a value to the bike, for bonding purposes. That cost me $10.
- Go to a bonding company and buy a bond. That cost me $100. Seems to be done on a percentage basis of the assigned value of the bike.
- Take all that paperwork to the tax office to get it plated & titled. That cost me state tax + license fee; same as any bike.

It's not the worst ordeal I've ever been through, but it burned a couple of days and I stood in a lot of lines. I wouldn't do it again.

The local tag agency told me no way to get an OK title from an AR bill of sale. Getting an AR title from an AR bill of sale is much as you described it for TX. I told the owner that if he obtained a title, I would check out the bike and buy it if it's good. But I am not driving 90 minutes without that.

What a pain!

The bike I bought was an old Honda that had been hauled down from Pennsylvania. I'm not convinced the person at your local office was correct, but that's part of the problem with going through the bonding process; you're at the mercy of whoever is at the front of the line at the moment. In my case, I was eventually handed a process printed by the Tarrant County Tax Office, but not before I had gone in circles for a couple of days, and been sent on a few wild goose chases. And from what I often read on TWT, other counties seem to have (or maybe just make up) their own processes. All reasons why I wouldn't do it again. I think your stance on this matter is right on.

I agree with Ken, unless it some sort of smoking deal (like a $5k valued bike for $2500), I'd walk.
I've been though the bonding process in TX but without having done it in AR or OK you need to hear from others that live in those states.
Sounds like your OK DMV person will be difficult.
Maybe another OK DMV may be easy.
Even though I've done it before, Like most here, I'd just find one with a title already.


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