Title Loans in Arkansas: What’s Legal & Your Options

Arkansas’s constitution caps consumer interest at 17%, which effectively rules out title loans inside the state. This page explains how that works, what happens at the Oklahoma and Missouri borders, and how Arkansas residents can borrow against a car more safely.

Last reviewed on April 27, 2026.

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Arkansas Title Loan Overview

Arkansas Title Loan Rates

APR Range: 17% constitutional cap
Status: Not offered in-state
Typical Loan Amount: $500 - $10,000
Approval Time: 30 min - 2 hrs

About Arkansas Title Loans

Arkansas is one of the few states with an interest-rate ceiling written into its constitution: 17% per year for consumer loans. No title lender can operate profitably at that rate, so there are no licensed title loan stores in Little Rock, Fayetteville, or Fort Smith.

Because Fort Smith sits on the Oklahoma line, many residents see ads from lenders in Oklahoma or Missouri, where title loans are legal. Those contracts follow the other state’s law — see the section below before you cross the border.

Use our loan calculator to estimate your monthly payment based on Arkansas's typical interest rates.

Title Pawns by Arkansas City

Little Rock

State Capital

Fort Smith

Major City

Fayetteville

Major City

Springdale

Major City

How to Get a Loan With Your Car Title in Arkansas

If you own your car outright and need cash, you have three realistic paths in Arkansas — and only one of them is a traditional title loan.

  1. A secured personal loan from an Arkansas bank or credit union. Many will lend against a paid-off vehicle at rates within the 17% cap. This is the closest thing to a legal in-state title loan and is dramatically cheaper.
  2. A pawn. Arkansas pawnbrokers can hold a vehicle as collateral, but you hand over the car, not just the title.
  3. An out-of-state title loan. Lenders in Oklahoma (near Fort Smith) and Missouri lend to Arkansas residents at triple-digit APRs under their own state law. You keep driving the car, but the lender can still repossess it in Arkansas, and Arkansas courts have limited ability to help you with a contract governed elsewhere.

Before choosing option three, run the numbers in our title loan calculator, read how to vet a title pawn lender, and compare the lower-cost alternatives.

What Out-of-State Lenders Will Ask Arkansas Borrowers For

If you do borrow across the border, expect to provide:

Requirements vary by lender and by the state the lender is licensed in. Ask which state’s law governs the contract before you sign. See our state-by-state regulations guide.