In Oregon, you are required to submit certain documents and payment(s) to your local Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office.
To obtain a vehicle title transfer in OR, you need to obtain the current vehicle title from the previous owner and a lien release of interest from your lien holder, if applicable. You are required to complete the vehicle title and registration application, and submit all documents and payments for the vehicle title transfer fees to the OR DMV.
Be advised you may be required to submit additional documents and payments at the time of the vehicle title transfer.
Smog Certification/Vehicle Inspection
In the state of Oregon, residents in this state who live in the cities of Portland and Medford are required to have their vehicles pass an emissions test before the initial vehicle registration can be provided. A vehicle emissions test is also required for residents in the state of Oregon every two years during registration renewal.
If your vehicle doesn’t pass a smog or emissions test, you can apply for a temporary permit to remain legal while you get your vehicle repaired. As a new resident of Oregon, you must have your vehicle’s vehicle identification number (VIN) inspected to ensure the vehicle is not stolen.
Oregon Emissions and Smog Check Requirements
Vehicles that are registered in Portland, Oregon are required to pass a smog check if the vehicle was manufactured in 1975 or newer model year, or if the vehicle falls into one of the following categories:
- Gas vehicle
- Hybrid vehicle
- Alternative fuel vehicle (AFV)
- Diesel vehicle weighing less than 8,500 pounds
Vehicles that are registered in Medford, Oregon are required to have smog checks or emissions checks if they were manufactured in the last 20 years and fall into one of the following categories:
- Gas vehicles
- Alternative fuel vehicle
- Hybrid vehicle
- Diesel vehicle weighing less than 8,500 pounds
As a vehicle owner in Oregon, you can check to see if your vehicle requires testing by checking the Oregon DEQ’s VIP Boundary Address Matching Tool.
Smog Check Exemptions in Oregon
If you have a vehicle registered in Portland or Medford counties in Oregon, and your vehicle falls in one of the following categories, your vehicle does not require a smog check:
- Mopeds
- Motorcycles
- All-terrain vehicles (ATVs)
- New vehicles made in the past 4 model years
- Golf carts
- Tractors
- Diesel vehicles that exceed a weight of 8,501
- Vehicles made in the 1975 model year or earlier in Portland, Oregon, or vehicles over 20 years old in Medford
If you have a vehicle that is exempt from smog checks or emissions testing, you need to complete a Declaration of Exemptions: DEQ’s Vehicle Inspection Program (Form 735-1400)
How to Transfer Your Vehicle Title in Oregon?
Regardless of whether you are buying or selling a vehicle in Oregon, you must transfer the vehicle’s title. Here’s the information you need.
Transferring a Vehicle’s Title As a New Resident of Oregon
As a new resident of Oregon, you are required to title and register your vehicle with Oregon’s Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division.
You need to take the following steps to apply for an Oregon vehicle title:
- Pass an emissions test (if applicable)
- Get a vehicle identification number (VIN) inspection
- Provide your current vehicle title
- Complete an Application for Title and Registration (Form 735-226)
- Provide an odometer disclosure (listed on the vehicle application) The odometer disclosure statement is required if your car is less than 20 years old.
- Pay all applicable Oregon vehicle title fees
You can submit to OR vehicle application in person at your local OR DMV or mail it to the following address:
Oregon DMV
1905 Lana Ave NE
Salem, OR 97314
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle Purchased From a Private Seller
When you purchase a vehicle from a private seller, you need to have the vehicle’s seller:
- Sign the vehicle title over to you
- Release their interest in the vehicle by filling out either the back of the vehicle title or a bill of sale (Form 735-501)
- Provide a Statement of Lien Satisfaction (Form 735-524) from their lien holder (if the vehicle had a lien while they owned it)
- Provide an odometer disclosure (required if the vehicle is under 20 years old) filled out on either the vehicle title certificate or a Secure Odometer Disclosure/Reassignment form (available at your local Oregon DMV office)
After you receive the vehicle title and other documents from the vehicle’s seller, you can visit your local OR DMV and:
- Submit a completed Application for Title and Registration (Form 735-226)
- Provide the documents given to you by the seller
- Pay all applicable vehicle title and registration fees
If the vehicle isn’t currently registered, and you’re moving to Portland or the Rogue Valle/Medford area in Oregon, you’ll need to pass an emissions inspection before titling and registering the vehicle.
You can submit the above-mentioned documents and payment(s) in person at your local OR DMV or by mail to the following address:
Oregon DMV
1905 Lana Ave NE
Salem, OR 97314
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle Purchased From a Dealership
When you purchase a vehicle from a dealership in Oregon, the dealer handles the vehicle title transfer on your behalf.
If the dealer doesn’t submit your vehicle title and registration application to the Oregon DMV, you are required to submit the following documents on your own:
- A completed Application for Title and Registration (Form 735-226)
- The Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO)
- Proof that the vehicle meets low emissions vehicle requirements (electric, hybrid, and government-owned vehicles are exempt)
- An odometer disclosure (usually completed on the back of the MCO)
- Release of interest (if applicable) on either the MCO, vehicle bill of sale (Form 735-501), or Statement of Lien Satisfaction (Form 735-524)
You can submit the above documents and payment(s) in person at your local OR DMV office, or by mail to the following address:
Oregon DMV
1905 Lana Ave NE
Salem, OR 97314
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle You’re Selling
When you’re selling a vehicle in Oregon, it’s the vehicle buyer’s responsibility to complete the application for DMV title transfer. However, there are certain documents you are responsible for providing to the buyer as the seller of the vehicle.
In order to transfer the title of a vehicle you’re selling:
- Sign the vehicle title over to the buyer
- Sign a release of interest on the back of the title certificate, the vehicle bill of sale (Form 735-501), or a Statement of Lien Satisfaction (Form 735-524) if the vehicle had a lien on it while you owned it.
- Complete an odometer disclosure on the vehicle title certificate or a Secure Odometer Disclosure/Reassignment form (available at your local OR DMV)
How to Transfer a Car Title When the Owner is Deceased?
If you are the beneficiary of a deceased individual’s will, and you want to keep the vehicle, a vehicle title transfer is required. As the beneficiary, you can keep the vehicle, gift the vehicle to a family member, or sell the vehicle.
As the beneficiary, surviving spouse, or joint-owner, you have the legal authority to transfer the vehicle’s title to someone else when the vehicle’s owner passes away. The first step is determining if the estate is in probate.
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle in a Probated Estate
When the owner of a vehicle passes away, the process for transferring the vehicle’s title depends on whether the vehicle’s title was in the individual’s name as a descendant or joint ownership. If the vehicle title was solely in the descendant’s name, you need to know if the estate is being probated.
When there is no living spouse or beneficiary listed on the will, the probate process will begin. The probate is a legal process that involves administering the estate of the deceased individual, and it proves the last will and testament are legitimate. The Probate Court determines how you need to proceed with the individual’s belongings. During this process, the deceased individual’s property is distributed according to their will.
If the vehicle is part of a probated estate, you are required to take the following steps to transfer the vehicle title of a deceased individual:
Contact an Attorney or Probate Court
The executor or administrator of the deceased must contact an attorney or Probate Court to determine the next steps in the probate process. This contact must occur as soon as possible because the vehicle’s title can’t be transferred until the probate process is completed. Once the probate is complete, the heir receives the vehicle, unless the executor was given the vehicle. If the executor was given the vehicle, they can choose to sell it.
Gather the Necessary Documentation
The documents you’re required to present vary by state, but in Oregon, you are required to have the following documents to successfully transfer a vehicle’s title:
- Order from Probate Court to transfer the vehicle’s title
- The death certificate
- Certificate of the vehicle title
- Odometer disclosure statement
- Transfer fee
Visit the Vehicle Title Office
If you are the administrator of the deceased individual’s estate or the beneficiary of the vehicle, you can take the above-listed documents to your local OR DMV office to start the vehicle title transfer process.
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle Without Probate
The steps you need to take to transfer the title of a vehicle without probate depend on the state in which you live. In Oregon, the deceased person’s property can’t exceed a certain amount and a specific amount of time needs to have passed since the person passes away before the vehicle title transfer process can be initiated.
If you are listed as the joint-owner, administrator, spouse, or beneficiary, you may only be required to take the death certificate and title of the vehicle to your local OR vehicle title office and have them retitle the vehicle’s title. Court orders and attorneys are not required for vehicles without probate.
Transferring the Title of an Inherited Vehicle
If you inherited a vehicle in Oregon, there are specific steps you need to take to transfer the title of the vehicle you inherited.
The steps you will take to transfer the title of an inherited vehicle in Oregon depend on different factors:
- If you are named as the co-owner (ex. You have survivorship)
- If the deceased’s estate is probated
- If there is no named owner and no probate on the estate
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle with Survivorship
If you have survivorship of a co-owned vehicle when the primary titleholder passes away, you can legally retitle the vehicle’s title in your name. For example, if your spouse gets a new vehicle and decides to make you a co-owner, they’ll have the option of assigning survivorship to you during the vehicle registration process.
When you have survivorship, you are able to re-title the vehicle of the deceased individual in your name by submitting the following documents and payment(s) to your local Oregon DMV branch:
- The current vehicle title certificate
- A death certificate or obituary notice showing proof of death
- Any other required documents you are required to have when buying or selling a vehicle in Oregon
- Payment for all applicable OR vehicle titling fees
How to Transfer Ownership of a Vehicle Without a Title in Oregon?
You can’t transfer ownership of a vehicle without a vehicle title. If you have lost or damaged your vehicle’s title, or the vehicle title has been stolen, you need to apply for a duplicate vehicle title (Form 735-515).
Can I Gift a Car to a Family Member?
In Oregon, you can gift a vehicle to a family member as long as you have the required documentation. If you were gifted a vehicle from a relative, you must complete a vehicle title transfer at your local OR DMV office. The process for transferring the title of a gifted vehicle is similar to the steps you must take when you are buying or selling a vehicle in Oregon.
In the “price” section of the vehicle title, write “0”. The person receiving the vehicle may be exempt from paying taxes on the vehicle. As with a private vehicle sale, you are required to fill out the transfer of ownership sections on the reverse side of the original vehicle title.
Although the vehicle is being gifted to a family member, they may be required to pay tax on the current market value of the vehicle when they are registering the vehicle. The signed original vehicle title must be submitted to the OR city clerk to have the application for a new vehicle title completed.
Transferring a Vehicle Title When You Have an Out-of-State Title
In order to successfully transfer the title of an out-of-state vehicle in Oregon, you must meet different requirements.
You need the following paperwork to transfer the title of an out-of-state vehicle to Oregon:
- A completed application for a certificate of ownership
- The original out-of-state vehicle title
- A completed Oregon vehicle registration application
- Proof of a valid OR vehicle insurance policy
- Proof of identification (ex. A valid driver’s license)
If a lien holder possesses the vehicle’s title, you must fill out an application for the release of the title, which will be sent to the OR DMV. Be advised, you may be required to submit additional information and payments.
Requesting a Duplicate Vehicle Title in Oregon
If you need a duplicate Oregon vehicle title, you can apply by mail or in person at your local OR DMV office. Oregon doesn’t accept electronic application submissions or online payments.
Be advised, the OR DMV only considers a stolen title “lost” if an unknown party has taken it. The Oregon DMV will not replace a vehicle title if you know or suspect who stole the vehicle title. The OR DMV will only honor a duplicate vehicle title if the title has been damaged, lost, or destroyed.
If your vehicle title has been damaged, lost, or destroyed, you need to take the following steps to apply for a duplicate vehicle title:
- Complete the Application for Replacement Title (Form 735-515) (all vehicle owners on the vehicle title must sign the title)
- Pay all applicable fees:
- $90 for a loaded trailer that exceeds 8,000 pounds or a motor with a gross weight that exceeds 26,001 pounds
- $101 to $192 for all other vehicles (the OR DMV only accepts money orders and checks made out to the “Oregon DMV”)
Take the completed materials to your local OR DMV office mail everything to the following address:
DMV Headquarters
1905 Lana Ave NE
Salem, OR 97314
Transferring a Vehicle Title With a Lien
Hooray! You paid off your vehicle loan. That’s something to celebrate. After you pay your vehicle loan in full, you can remove the lien from your Oregon vehicle title. The lien holder must sign and mail the vehicle title to you when they receive the final loan payment.
In order to successfully remove the lien holder’s name from the vehicle title, you can apply for a new vehicle title at your local OR DMV. To apply for a new OR vehicle title, you need to take the following document(s) and payment(s) to your local Oregon DMV office:
- The vehicle title sent to you by the lien holder (if the lien holder doesn’t sign a release of interest on the vehicle title, they are required to sign and submit a separate Lien Release (Form 735-524)
- An Application for Title and Registration (Form 735-226)
- The $101 to $192 OR vehicle title transfer fee (the OR DMV will only accept payment in the form of a check, cash, or money order)
Be advised, if the lien holder has sent you a release of interest form but not the vehicle title, you are also required to complete an Application for Replacement Title (Form 735-515), and pay the additional fees.
You can submit the above documents and payment in person at your local OR DMV office, or mail all documents and payment to the following address:
Oregon DMV
1905 Lana Ave NE
Salem, OR 97314
The OR DMV will mail the new vehicle title. If you mailed the application during peak hours, the new title may take longer to arrive.
How Much Does a Title Transfer Cost in Oregon?
In the state of Oregon, there are different fees that are associated with a vehicle title transfer. The following are standard vehicle titling fees in Oregon:
- Vehicle title fee: $101 to $192
- Vehicle title replacement fee: $101 to $192
- Vehicle title replacement with transfer: $101 to $192
Late Fees
- Additional $25 late fee if applying 31 to 60 days after the date of sale.
- Additional $50 late fee if applying on or after 61 days after the date of sale.
Where Can I Go to Transfer a Vehicle Title in Oregon?
There are different DMV locations in New Hampshire where you can transfer a vehicle’s title.
Oregon DMV
1905 Lana Ave NE
Salem, OR 97314
(503) 945-5000
Monday – Friday (9 Am to 5 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
Oregon DMV – Bend Office
63085 N Highway 97 Ste 110
Bend, OR 97703
(541) 388-6322
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (8 AM to 5 PM)
Wednesday (9 Am to 5 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
Oregon DMV – South Salem Branch
4825 Commercial Street SE Ste 120
Salem, OR 97302
(503) 945-5000
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (8 AM to 5 PM)
Wednesday (10 AM to 5 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
How to Fill Out the Oregon Title and Title Transfer Forms
You need to complete the vehicle title and title transfer forms correctly in order to successfully transfer the title of a vehicle in Oregon. You must have signatures from the vehicle’s buyer and seller in the provided areas on the vehicle’s title. Make sure you create a bill of sale that gives information regarding the vehicle, such as its model, make, color, and year. You also need to provide the vehicle’s VIN.
If you decided to sell a vehicle instead of gifting it, you need to add the correct sales tax to the vehicle’s total price. There is a section of the vehicle title named “transfer of title by seller”, and in this section, you must provide an accurate odometer reading. Make sure the recipient of the vehicle signs the vehicle’s title in the required spaces.
Keep in mind, you may be required to submit additional documentation, such as a valid Oregon vehicle insurance policy that meets or exceeds the minimum vehicle coverage limits set by the state of Oregon. You may also be required to provide a valid government-issued photo ID or a foreign passport for proof of identification.
My Car Title Was Signed But Never Transferred. What Do I Do?
The title of a vehicle can be signed but not transferred, and when this happens, the vehicle has an open title. When a vehicle has an open title, this means the seller of the vehicle didn’t transfer ownership or register the vehicle in their name.
Because the vehicle seller’s name is not provided on the vehicle title, they don’t assume any legal responsibility for anything pertaining to the vehicle, such as taxes and any other applicable fees.
If the seller of the vehicle has lost the vehicle’s title, they may be able to apply for a duplicate vehicle title. Keep in mind, only the person listed on the vehicle’s title can apply for a duplicate vehicle title (Form 735-515) at an OR DMV. If the seller of the vehicle is not listed on the title, they must contact the person listed on the title to initiate the vehicle title transfer process. Once the vehicle owner completes the duplicate vehicle title form (Form 735-515), they can sign it over to you for you to put in your name.