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Arkansas · DFA Office of Motor Vehicle

Arkansas License Plate Lookup

In Arkansas, plates and titles are handled by the Department of Finance and Administration, not a standalone DMV. Its Office of Motor Vehicle keeps the records, and the law decides who sees the owner. Here's what an Arkansas license plate lookup can lawfully return, and the faster options most people need.

Arkansas at a glance

  • Records kept by DFA's Office of Motor Vehicle
  • Owner data only for DPPA-permitted uses
  • Ark. Code 27-14-412 governs disclosure
  • No published individual form found
  • Driving records are a separate office

Your Arkansas options

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By Mohamed SkhiriUpdated November 10, 2026Checked against Arkansas Code 27-14-412 and DFA regulation 1997-6

What Arkansas law allows

Two rules frame every request. Arkansas Code section 27-14-412, amended in 2015, ties the disclosure of personal information in vehicle records to the purposes the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994 authorizes. And DFA's own regulation on the federal privacy act, from 1997, states that personal information in registration records is prohibited from release except in the cases it lists. Put together, vehicle facts are one thing; a name and address are another, and they need a permitted reason.

Asking the Office of Motor Vehicle

We didn't find a published, individual request form for an Arkansas vehicle record on DFA's site, unlike states with a numbered form and a fixed fee. If you have a permitted purpose, contact the Office of Motor Vehicle directly and ask for the current request process and cost. Expect to identify yourself, describe the vehicle (the VIN helps more than the plate), and state the DPPA purpose that applies. If you're the owner, asking for your own record is the simplest case, and the easiest one to get approved.

Who can see the owner

The DPPA's permitted uses decide it: crash and theft matters, insurance claims, court cases, towing and impound notices, verifying information a person gave you, and requests with the owner's written consent, among others. Curiosity, or finding where someone lives, isn't on that list, and a request made under false pretenses exposes you to a lawsuit under the federal act.

The right move in common Arkansas situations

After a crash or hit-and-run, call the police with the plate and get a report; officers can identify the vehicle immediately, and your insurer takes it from there. For a car abandoned on your land, local law enforcement or a licensed tow company handles owner notice. Before buying a used car, the title and the VIN tell you more than a plate record would: compare them, then run a free VIN decode and recall check. A seller without a title can replace it for $10; our Arkansas replacement title guide explains how.

Not to be confused with a driving record

Arkansas driving records come from a different office, DFA's Office of Driver Services, under a separate state law that is stricter than the federal act. If an employer or insurer asked for your record, that's the one you want, and our MVR guide covers how driving records work.

Is there a free Arkansas license plate lookup?

Not one that lawfully returns the owner. Sites advertising a free Arkansas license plate lookup with names are selling general vehicle data or information they can't legally pass on.

Arkansas plate lookup FAQ

Who keeps Arkansas vehicle records?

The Office of Motor Vehicle in the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA).

Can I get an Arkansas vehicle owner's name from the plate?

Only for a purpose the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act allows. Arkansas law ties disclosure of personal information in vehicle records to those permitted uses, and DFA regulations have long barred releasing personal information from registration records outside them.

Is a driving record the same as a vehicle record in Arkansas?

No. Driving records come from DFA's Office of Driver Services under a separate, stricter state law, while vehicle and registration records come from the Office of Motor Vehicle.

Sources

This page explains common rules and is not legal advice. The Arkansas DFA has the final word on what it releases.