Vehicle registration exemptions - Arkansas

Conforming or temporary permit vehicles

Vehicles driven or moved upon a highway that are in conformance with the regulations relating to manufacturers, transporters, dealers, lienholders, or nonresidents or under a temporary registration permit issued by the Office of Motor Vehicle as authorized in A.C.A. §27-14-708.

Vehicles crossing the highway

Vehicles driven or moved on a highway only to cross the highway from one property to another.

Implement of husbandry

Any implement of husbandry that is only incidentally operated or moved upon a highway regardless of whether it is subject to registration.

Incidental use may be established by an affidavit of the owner of the implement of husbandry submitted to the Department of Finance and Administration along with payment of the gross receipts or use tax imposed on the implement of husbandry when the owner applies for and receives a certificate of title to the implement of husbandry.

The transportation of logs or timber upon a highway from the point of severance to a point in Arkansas at which the logs or timber first undergo any processing, preparation for processing, conversion, or transformation from their natural or severed state will not be considered incidental operation of the implement of husbandry upon a highway.

An affidavit to establish incidental use is not required if the implement of husbandry was originally manufactured as an implement of husbandry.

Special mobile equipment

“Special mobile equipment” means a vehicle not designed or used primarily for the transportation of persons or property and incidentally operated or moved over the highways, including, but not limited to:

• A farm tractor;
• Road construction or maintenance machinery;
• A ditch-digging apparatus;
• A well-boring apparatus; and
• A concrete mixer.

Vehicle propelled by overhead electric power

Any vehicle propelled exclusively by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, though not operated on rails.

Federally owned government vehicles

No certificates of title need be obtained for any vehicle of a type subject to registration owned by the United States Government.

A vehicle will be exempt from the requirement to exhibit a state license plate if it:

• Belongs to the United States Government; and
• Is used by the United States Government exclusively for United States Government business.

The exempt vehicle must exhibit a special license plate that states that the vehicle is owned by the United States Government.

Nonresident owned foreign-registered motor vehicles or motorcycles

Any motor vehicle or motorcycle belonging to any person who is a nonresident of Arkansas who has registered the motor vehicle or motorcycle in and who has complied with all the laws of the state, territory, District of Columbia, or any province or territory of Canada in which the owner resides with respect to the registration of motor vehicles and who conspicuously displays the registration number as required may be operated in Arkansas as follows:

• If the vehicle is operated for the sole purpose of marketing farm products raised exclusively by the owner or other growers.
• A privately owned and duly registered motor vehicle not operated for hire but for the purpose of going to and from the owner's place of regular employment and the making of trips for the purchasing of goods, wares, and merchandise in Arkansas.
• Any motor vehicle operated by a nonresident only making an occasional trip into Arkansas may do so without the payment of any motor vehicle license fee to this state, if the vehicle is not operated for hire.
• The Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration may issue temporary permits without payment of license fees for motor vehicles operated for hire by a nonresident into and across the highways of Arkansas when the vehicles are operated upon charters for casual, irregular, occasional, and nonscheduled sightseeing trips; and
• The secretary is authorized and empowered to enter into any agreement or issue any permit for the operation of any motor vehicles upon the highways of Arkansas without payment of license fees when the motor vehicles are operated under and by the supervision of the proper authorities of the United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Navy, or United States Marine Corps during any period of emergency.

These provisions apply to a motor vehicle owned by a nonresident of Arkansas only to the extent that under the laws of the state, territory, District of Columbia, or any province or territory of Canada, or other place of residence of the nonresident owner, like exemptions are granted to motor vehicles registered under the laws of, and owned by, residents of Arkansas.

Citations

• A.C.A. 27-14-708 Temporary permit pending registration
• A.C.A. 27-14-703 Vehicles subject to registration - Exceptions
• A.C.A. 27-14-104 Definitions
• A.C.A. 27-24-501 United States Government exemption
• A.C.A. 27-14-704 Motor vehicles registered in foreign states