Oregon
Vehicle Resource Center
Oregon is home to more than 2 million licensed drivers. With so many people on the roadways throughout the state, it's essential for everyone to understand the laws, regular maintenance requirements, and more that come with owning and operating a vehicle in the state. Vehicle owners who fail to meet the state's requirements may face fines, loss of license, and could even face lawsuits.
Ownership and Maintenance
Each vehicle in Oregon must be maintained by filing the proper paperwork, renewing documents, and keeping the insurance current. These maintenance tasks are essential and require a significant amount of information to do properly.
No safety inspections are required for vehicles in Oregon, and most of the state does not require emissions testing either, but vehicle owners in Portland and Medford face different rules. Any vehicles registered in Portland or Medford locations must undergo annual emissions testing. Portland vehicles can be tested at one of six DEQ test stations, while Medford vehicles must be tested at a single location.
The fees vary based on the location, but the testing process is simple and requires no special paperwork. Owners simply drive their vehicles to an approved testing station, pay for the testing, and collect the receipt as proof that the testing was completed successfully. If the vehicle fails the emissions test, it must be repaired and tested again until it passes.
Learn about Oregon emissions testing requirements via the DEQ page.
All vehicle owners in Oregon must have adequate liability insurance on their vehicles. Liability insurance is necessary to protect vehicle owners from any potential damage that's caused during an automobile accident. In Oregon, drivers who are at fault for causing an accident are responsible for paying for the damages. Without proper insurance coverage, the driver responsible could face lawsuits for the damages, as well as legal charges.
The Minimum Insurance Coverage Amount
Every vehicle owner must have at least the minimum liability insurance coverage.
Liability Coverage
Personal Injury Protection
Uninsured Motorist
When all the above insurance requirements are met, an Oregon vehicle is said to be adequately insured. Carrying the minimum amount of insurance does not guarantee a driver won't face additional costs during an accident. For serious accidents, it's beneficial to have more coverage, and many vehicle owners opt for more comprehensive policies instead. Some drivers invest in collision insurance that will cover the costs of repairing their own vehicle even if they are at fault for an accident.
Get more details about Oregon insurance requirements from the Oregon government insurance webpage.
Each year, vehicle registrations must be renewed for a vehicle to remain road-legal. Registrations can be renewed online, at a DMV office, by mail, or at a DEQ for owners in Portland or Medford locations.
Renew Online
To renew online, visit the DMV2U website and provide the information from the old registration before submitting payment. Online registration is not available when changing the location on the registration. It's important to note that Medford and Portland residents must submit emissions testing results before the registration can be renewed.
Renew By Mail
Each resident can go through the mail renewal process. To do so, they must calculate their fees, complete an application, or send in a renewal reminder and pass an emissions test if necessary.
Once these steps are complete, the resident must send all the fees to the following address:
DMV Services
Attn: Renewal
1905 Lana Ave NE
Salem, OR 97314
The renewal will be processed, and all the final documents will be sent to the address on file.
Renew at the DMV
Residents can renew their registration by visiting the DMV. This is necessary when changing the address on file. Vehicle owners must show up with the renewal notice or a completed application to go through with the process. Anyone in Portland or Medford must go to the DEQ for emissions testing first.
Renew at the DEQ
When an emissions test is required for renewal, it makes sense to renew the registration at the DEQ. To do this, bring a payment method and the renewal reminder to the test appointment. If the vehicle passes the emissions inspection, the registration can be renewed right there. The DEQ will not renew registrations if owners want to change their license plates or registration locations.
Once the registration is renewed, the final registration will be sent to the location on file to provide proof that the registration is good.
Every eight years, a driver's license in Oregon becomes invalid and must be renewed. The renewal process is simple and can be completed online by nearly everyone.
Drivers can renew their licenses online by visiting the renewal platform and inputting their data. License holders who can provide all the requested information can quickly pay any renewal fees and finish renewing their licenses. Drivers must be able to provide either a license control number or a title number for the vehicle to successfully go through the online renewal process. If those requirements previously listed are provided, they can renew their license rapidly and will not have to deal with the in-person process.
Renew In Person
Any residents who aren't sure about online renewals can opt for an in-person renewal instead. Standard DMV locations offer the renewal service, but residents should call and learn what schedule the office has to ensure they can get in successfully.
Learn more specifics from the Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Page.
Emissions Inspection
Vehicle owners that must undergo an emissions inspection in Portland must pay $25, while Medford owners must pay $20 for an inspection.
Registration Fees
When renewing a vehicle's registration, the fees vary based on the age of the vehicle. The minimum fee is $112, and the fee goes up to as much as $316, depending on the model's type and year.
License Renewal
There is a standard license renewal fee of $40, though the cost varies depending on the type of license and the age of the driver.
See more information about all the fees using the Oregon fees page.
Buying & Selling
Buying or selling vehicles in Oregon comes with risks and requires vehicle owners to understand the rules and the steps involved in the process. Most owners do not know these steps well.
Print a Bill of Sale
Sellers should print a Bill of Sale document for themselves and another for the buyer. This form is simple to fill out and is a useful item to prove the sale was completed.
Fill in the Original Title
When buying the vehicle, the seller must obtain the original vehicle title. This title has all the vehicle's information and must be filled out on the back to prove that the vehicle purchase is legitimate. The seller should have all the proper documentation and details added to the rear of the vehicle title. Any vehicles newer than 2010 must have an odometer disclosure on the rear of the title. If the title doesn't have an odometer disclosure section on it, it may have to be replaced with a modern duplicate instead.
Notify the DMV Electronically
The seller can use the DMV2U system to inform the DMV the vehicle has been sold to an interested buyer. A system notification removes the seller's status as a vehicle owner.
Remove the License Plates
Take off the license plates from the vehicle before it is sold to the interested buyer. Do not allow the buyer to take the original license plates.
Cancel the Auto Insurance Policy
After allowing the vehicle to leave, the buyer should cancel their auto insurance policy to limit how much they spend on insurance.
Sign the Back of the Title
The seller must carefully fill in all the open sections on the back of the Certificate of Title when selling a vehicle. If a section is left open, the title transfer may not be valid and could cause issues for the buyer when they seek to register and title the vehicle.
Research the Vehicle
Before buying the vehicle, the buyer must take the time to research the purchase before committing any professional resources to the purchase. Use the GoodCar License Plate Lookup or Vehicle VIN Search tools to look up ownership history, open recalls, accident history, title brands, odometer information, vehicle features and specifications, and more. All this information can help make the selection process easier to complete.
Get A Legal Title
The most important step when buying a vehicle is to obtain the legal title for the vehicle. The title must match the VIN and be free of liens. The seller must fill out all the required information on the back of the title to provide a usable document for titling and registering the vehicle at the DMV. An odometer disclosure must be included on the back of the title on all 2011 or newer vehicles.
Get a Bill of Sale
While it likely isn't necessary, it's still useful to have an official Bill of Sale document filled out by the seller before purchasing the vehicle. This document proves the purchase price and date of the vehicle and may be useful when titling it.
Purchase Auto Insurance
A valid auto insurance policy must be held on the vehicle before it can be titled and registered in Oregon. This is an important step each buyer must go through with a registered insurance agent in the state. Take the time to attain legal insurance coverage so that it can be presented to the DMV when registering the vehicle.
Register and Title the Vehicle
With all the appropriate documentation complete, the buyer can title and register the vehicle at an Oregon DMV location. They must go through this process by issuing an Application for Title and Registration and providing the requested documentation at the DMV. They will also have to pay the sales tax amount when registering the vehicle to meet all the state's legal requirements.
No Sales Tax
There is no vehicle sales tax in the state of Oregon. This makes purchasing vehicles within the state more affordable than in other states.
Reasonable Registration and Title Fees
Registration and title fees are to be paid when registering the vehicle, and they are based on the model year and fuel efficiency rating of the vehicle. Buyers should use the fee chart to determine how much they must pay for these services. The buyer should expect to spend between $126 and $300 for registration and $101 and $192 for titling based on the type and age of the vehicle.
Laws and Regulations
Oregon roadways are regulated by strict laws. Every driver who operates a vehicle within the state is expected to follow the state's driving laws and can be fined for failing to follow key laws.
Oregon has serious DUI (driving under the influence of intoxicants) laws. The state punishes drivers found driving with too much alcohol or any other drug in their system. Offending drivers could receive jail time, large fines, and more serious consequences.
How DUI Is Measured
To determine if a driver is over the legal limit to drive, police officers will provide a field sobriety test and can administer a breathalyzer test. The breathalyzer looks for a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) of 0.08 BAC or higher. With a level of 0.08 BAC or higher, the driver can receive a DUI charge and serious punishments.
Avoiding a DUI Charge with the Diversion Program
Many first-time offenders who get caught driving while under the influence of alcohol can avoid DUI charges using the Diversion Program. This special program allows drivers to avoid a DUI charge on their record by agreeing to go through a substance abuse program, agreeing to add an ignition interlock to the vehicle, and avoiding drinking for a full year after the incident. The Diversion Program is only available to first-time offenders who are caught in a situation that did not harm another individual.
Learn more about DUI charges and the Diversion Program by visiting the Oregon Bar Association website covering DUI offenses.
Oregon law requires all adults and children to remain buckled in passenger vehicles at all times. Not buckling properly can result in tickets, and there is no position in the vehicle that does not require a buckle.
Children who are eight or younger are expected to be restrained using an appropriate child safety seat. The smallest children should be restrained in a rear-facing car seat until at least 20 pounds in weight. The children should only be graduated to a forward-facing configuration when they outgrow the rear-facing size limits. Children can use forward-facing car seats until they are over 40 pounds or when they exceed the size limits on that seat.
Children using booster seats should only be moved to adult seats when they reach 4'9" in height, and the seat belt fits properly.
Oregon vehicle owners who want to protect their interior from sunlight can use window tint to do so. These owners must be careful to avoid using a tint that's too dark, though, or they could receive fines from the police department.
In Oregon, it's legal to add a non-reflective tint to the top six inches of the windshield. The vehicle may have a tint on the front side windows as long as it allows more than 35% of all visible light to pass through. All the rear windows can have any type of tint installed without any legal considerations.
In Oregon, vehicles up to two years old and with as many as 24,000 miles may be protected by the state's Lemon Law. This law states that personal vehicles may not suffer from significant manufacturer defects if those defects are supposed to be covered by the company's warranty. These laws give buyers the chance to get the manufacturer to pay for the damaged vehicle.
Under the state's Lemon Law, any vehicle with significant defects must be reported to the manufacturer so it can be repaired. The manufacturer has three separate chances to repair the problem before it could be considered a lemon. If the manufacturer repairs and keeps the vehicle in the garage for 30 or more days, it could be considered a lemon as well.
Any vehicle that has legal grounds to be called a lemon could be used in a lawsuit against the company, but these lawsuits can be difficult to win and take time and money to be successful.
Get more info from the consumer protection agency Lemon Law page.
Useful Things to Know
Oregon vehicle owners and drivers should know more about the location of EV charging stations, DMV locations, information in the driver manual, and more. Additional information is essential for drivers to meet their requirements properly.
Locate Oregon DMV Locations: Get access to immediate driver and vehicle services in Oregon using one of the nearby DMV locations. This directory helps locate them quickly: DMV Location Directory
Get the State Driver Manual: Drivers can access the Oregon Driver Manual online and easily review any unfamiliar laws as well as all the other regulations imposed on drivers in the state. New drivers can use the book to pass the written exam, and all other drivers can rely on it to learn the laws more effectively: Oregon Driver Manual Online
Find EV Charging Stations: Any citizen with electric vehicles needs access to public charging station locations when they cannot do all their charging at home. Use this search tool to find nearby stations that make charging easier: Oregon EV Charging Station Search Tool
Oregon Crash Trends: Hundreds of people die in Oregon each year due to traffic fatalities. In 2021, 599 recorded individuals died due to traffic accidents, a significant figure that could be reduced. According to stats from the IIHS, Oregon is one of the most dangerous states to drive in due to its fatal accidents. Get a complete picture using Oregon car accident statistics from GoodCar.
Oregon Resources
Get the Latest Oregon Vehicle Information with GoodCar
Oregon vehicle owners owe it to themselves to have the most up-to-date information about state laws, maintenance requirements, recalls, and more. Refer to this useful resource for residents looking for help and GoodCar's VIN and license plate lookup tools for help getting additional information about specific vehicles.