Chapter 803 — Chapter 803
137 sections in this chapter.
ORS 803.525 Number of plates issued. The Department of Transportation shall issue two registration plates for every vehicle that is registered by the department except as otherwise provided in this section or ORS 803.530. Upon renewal or when otherwise provided under ORS 803.555, the department may issue stickers in lieu of or in addition to registration plates. The following shall be issued plates as described
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(1) Only one registration plate shall be issued for a moped, motorcycle, trailer, antique vehicle or vehicle of special interest registered by the department. (2) Only one plate shall be issued for a camper that is registered. Stickers may be issued in lieu of a plate. [1983 c.33…
ORS 803.530 Period of validity; transfer; replacement. (1) Registration plates assigned to a vehicle by the Department of Transportation shall remain with the vehicle to which the plates are assigned and are valid only during the registration period for which the plates are issued except as provided in this section
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(2) The department may allow registration plates to be transferred to another vehicle if: (a) The department receives an application; (b) The applicant pays the plate transfer fee under ORS 803.575; and (c) The applicant complies with the registration qualifications described in …
ORS 803.533 Period of validity for Oregon National Guard member or military reservist. (1) Notwithstanding ORS 803.530, a registration plate assigned to a vehicle registered to a member of the Oregon National Guard or a military reservist ordered on active duty and deployed to a location outside the United States that expires while the person is on active duty shall remain valid for 90 days following the termination of active duty
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(2) The court shall dismiss the charge of improper display of validating stickers under ORS 803.560 if, when charged, the person charged was the registered owner of the vehicle and a member of the Oregon National Guard or a military reservist, and the registration plate was valid…
ORS 803.535 Size, form, material, color, design, contents. Subject to ORS 805.105 and 805.205 and the following, the Department of Transportation shall select registration plates it issues
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(1) Registration plates shall be in the size, form and arrangement and made of materials determined by the department subject to the following: (a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (f) of this subsection, the design of the registration plates shall be that chosen by the …
ORS 803.537 [1987 c.572 §5; 1989 c.742 §5; repealed by 1993 c.741 §147]
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[Repealed or reserved.]
ORS 803.538 Color of sky in graphic plates. Registration plates chosen by the commission pursuant to section 1, chapter 572, Oregon Laws 1987, shall have the colors chosen by the commission except that the sky shall be blue. [1989 c.742 §4]
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[Repealed or reserved.]
ORS 803.540 Failure to display plates; exceptions; penalty. (1) A person commits the offense of failure to display registration plates if the person operates, on the highways of this state, any vehicle or camper that has been assigned registration plates by this state and the registration plates assigned to the vehicle or camper are displayed in a manner that violates any of the following
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(a) The plate must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle, if only one plate is required. (b) Plates must be displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle if two plates are required. (c) The plates must be in plain view and so as to be read easily by the public. (d) The plate m…
ORS 803.545 Failure to display out-of-state plates; penalty. (1) A person commits the offense of failure to display plates on an out-of-state vehicle if the person operates a vehicle that is registered in any jurisdiction other than this state and the person does not display the registration plates assigned to and furnished for the vehicle by the registering jurisdiction
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(a) For the current registration period in that jurisdiction; and (b) Substantially as provided under ORS 803.540 for vehicles that are registered by this state. (2) This section does not allow the display of out-of-state registration plates on a vehicle when the vehicle is requi…
ORS 803.550 Illegal alteration or display of plates; exception; penalty. (1) A person commits the offense of illegal alteration or illegal display of a registration plate if the person knowingly does any of the following
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(a) Illegally alters a registration plate in a manner described in subsection (2) of this section. (b) Causes a registration plate to be illegally displayed as described in subsection (3) of this section. (c) Operates any vehicle that is displaying a registration plate that is il…
ORS 803.552 Car rental company; issuance of plates; fees; rules. (1) As used in this section
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(a) “Car rental company” has the meaning given that term in ORS 803.219. (b) “Integrator” has the meaning given that term in ORS 802.600. (2) If the Department of Transportation receives an application for vehicle registration from a car rental company that was submitted to an in…
ORS 803.555 Replacement. The owner of a registered vehicle to which registration stickers are assigned may replace a registration sticker that is lost, destroyed or mutilated in a manner that renders illegible any identification of the sticker. To replace a registration sticker under this section, the owner must apply to the Department of Transportation for a replacement of the damaged or lost sticker in a form prescribed by the department and pay the replacement sticker fee established under ORS 803.575. The application must state the facts of the damage, destruction or loss of the stickers. The stickers issued under this section are valid only for the period of the stickers replaced. Provision for replacement of registration plates is made under ORS 803.530. [1983 c.338 §267; 1985 c.16 §107; 1985 c.174 §6; 1989 c.76 §3; 1993 c.741 §122]
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[Repealed or reserved.]
ORS 803.560 Improper display; exception; penalty. (1) A person commits the offense of improper display of validating stickers if the person owns or drives a vehicle on which the display of registration stickers provides proof of valid registration and
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(a) The stickers are not displayed in a manner required by the Department of Transportation; or (b) The stickers are displayed on the vehicle after the registration period shown on the stickers. (2) A person does not commit the offense of improper display of validating stickers i…
ORS 803.565 Removal of stickers upon sale of vehicle by dealer or towing business. (1) Except as provided in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, when a person who has a vehicle dealer certificate issued under ORS 822.020 or a towing business certificate issued under ORS 822.205 sells a motor vehicle that has valid Oregon registration plates, the person shall remove the registration stickers from the registration plates of the vehicle if the vehicle
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(a) Has a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less; (b) Is designed to carry passengers; and (c) Is not a motorcycle, moped or snowmobile. (2) A person who has a vehicle dealer certificate issued under ORS 822.020 need not remove registration stickers under subsection…
ORS 803.570 Plate manufacturing fee. Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, the Department of Transportation shall collect the fee described by this section each time the department issues a registration plate upon the registration of a vehicle or at other times when a registration plate is issued by the department. The following all apply to the fee established by this section
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(1) The fee shall be in addition to any other fee collected upon issuance of a registration plate. (2) The fee for each registration plate issued and for each pair of plates issued shall be determined by the department and shall be established by the department by rule. The depar…
ORS 803.575 Fees for cards, plates and stickers; issuance; replacement; transfer. (1) The fee for issuance of a duplicate or replacement registration card under ORS 803.510 is $5
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(2) The fee for issuance of a replacement or duplicate registration plate under ORS 803.530 is the fee established under ORS 803.570, together with a fee of $12. (3) The fee for transfer of registration plate under ORS 803.530 is $30. (4) The fee for issuance of replacement regis…
ORS 803.577 Fee for identification device for proportionally registered vehicle. Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, the Department of Transportation shall collect the fee described by this section each time the department issues an identification device for the proportional registration of a vehicle. The following apply to the fee established by this section
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(1) The fee shall be in addition to any other fee collected upon issuance of a registration plate. (2) The fee for each device issued shall be determined by the department and shall be established by the department by rule. (3) The department shall establish the fees under this s…
ORS 803.580 [1983 c.338 §220; repealed by 1987 c.750 §12]
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[Repealed or reserved.]
ORS 803.585 Registration fees in lieu of certain other taxes and licenses; exemptions. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section or ORS 801.041 or 801.042, the registration fees under the vehicle code are in lieu of all other taxes and licenses, except municipal license fees under regulatory ordinances, imposed on vehicles, the owners of such vehicles or the use of or any privilege related to such vehicles. Fixed load vehicles are not exempt from ad valorem taxation by this section
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(2) Travel trailers subject to registration and titling under the vehicle code are not subject to ad valorem taxation, but may be reclassified as manufactured structures and made subject to taxation as provided in ORS 308.880. (3) This section does not apply to the privilege tax …
ORS 803.590 [1983 c.338 §219; 1985 c.253 §2; 1987 c.750 §9; 1989 c.43 §29; 1989 c.103 §1; 1989 c.723 §12; 1993 c.751 §96; 2003 c.655 §116; 2005 c.770 §4; repealed by 2019 c.17 §6]
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(Diesel Engines)
ORS 803.591 Requirements for vehicles with diesel engines; exceptions; rules. (1) As used in this section and ORS 803.593
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(a) “Diesel engine” has the meaning given that term in ORS 468A.795. (b) “Heavy-duty truck” has the meaning given that term in ORS 468A.795. (c) “Medium-duty truck” has the meaning given that term in ORS 468A.795. (d) “Public body” has the meaning given that term in ORS 174.109. …
ORS 803.593 Annual report. (1) No later than September 15 of each year, the Department of Transportation shall submit a report in the manner provided by ORS 192.245 to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to transportation and the environment on the registration of medium-duty trucks and heavy-duty trucks in this state. The purposes of the report shall be to identify and address trends in the registration of medium-duty trucks and heavy-duty trucks in this state over time and to identify any effects that the requirements of ORS 803.591 may have on the trends in registration
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(2) The report shall include information on: (a) The number of medium-duty trucks and heavy-duty trucks registered in each county in this state; and (b) The number of medium-duty trucks and heavy-duty trucks registered in this state that are motor vehicles described in ORS 803.59…
ORS 803.600 Trip permits; authority granted; types; records; rules; when not required. A trip permit grants authority to temporarily operate a vehicle on the highways of this state under circumstances where the operation would not otherwise be legal because the vehicle is not registered by this state or because provisions relating to the vehicle’s registration do not allow the operation. The Department of Transportation shall provide for the issuance of trip permits in a manner consistent with this section. All of the following apply to permits issued under this section
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(1) The department shall issue the following types of trip permits to authorize the described type of operation and, except as provided in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, may not issue trip permits for any other purpose: (a) A heavy motor vehicle trip permit may be issue…
ORS 803.601 Disposition of fees collected for certain permits. Fees collected by the Department of Transportation from a person issued a vehicle dealer certificate under ORS 822.020 for recreational vehicle trip permits described in ORS 803.600 shall be transferred to the State Parks and Recreation Department Fund established by ORS 390.134 and are continuously appropriated to the State Parks and Recreation Department for the purposes specified in ORS 390.134. [1997 c.421 §3; 2003 c.14 §463; 2025 c.55 §2]
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Note: 803.601 was enacted into law by the Legislative Assembly but was not added to or made a part of ORS chapter 803 or any series therein by legislative action. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.
ORS 803.602 Proof of insurance coverage for certain trip permits. An applicant for a light vehicle trip permit, a recreational vehicle trip permit for a motor vehicle or a trip permit issued under ORS 803.600 (2) or (3) must submit, at the time of application, proof indicating that the vehicle that will be operated under the permit is covered by an insurance policy that meets the requirements of ORS 806.080 and will continue to be covered by the policy for as long as the permit is valid. The proof must include the name of the insurer and the policy number. The Department of Transportation or, if the permit is issued under ORS 803.600 (2) or (3), the person with the vehicle dealer certificate or towing business certificate shall refuse to issue a permit to a person who does not present the proof required by this section. [1991 c.360 §2; 1993 c.751 §28; 2001 c.412 §2; 2003 c.600 §5; 2019 c.312 §30; 2025 c.55 §3]
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Note: 803.602 was added to and made a part of ORS chapter 803 by legislative action but was not added to any smaller series therein. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.
ORS 803.605 Erroneous issuance of trip permit; refund of fee. When the Department of Transportation determines that it has erroneously issued a trip permit to a person who did not require the permit, the department may refund to the person any fee the person paid for the permit. [1985 c.313 §6]
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Note: 803.605 was enacted into law by the Legislative Assembly but was not added to or made a part of ORS chapter 803 or any series therein by legislative action. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.
ORS 803.610 Reciprocity permits. A reciprocity permit is a vehicle permit that may be issued to identify vehicles operating under a reciprocal agreement established under ORS 802.500. When required by an agreement, the Department of Transportation shall provide for the issuance of reciprocity permits as authorized by the agreement. All of the following apply to the issuance of permits under this section
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(1) The issuance of permits shall comply with the agreement authorizing their issuance. (2) Permits may be used to identify vehicles entitled to operate within the areas described in an agreement. [1983 c.338 §273; 1985 c.668 §16]
ORS 803.615 Temporary permit for registration applicant. The Department of Transportation may issue a temporary permit in a form determined by the department to an applicant for registration to permit the applicant to operate the vehicle while the department is determining all facts relative to the right of the applicant to receive title, regular registration plates and regular registration. [1983 c.338 §276; 1985 c.16 §112; 1985 c.401 §10; 1987 c.146 §9; 1993 c.233 §52]
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[Repealed or reserved.]
ORS 803.620 [1983 c.338 §277; 1989 c.109 §2; repealed by 1989 c.43 §37]
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[Repealed or reserved.]
ORS 803.625 Temporary registration permits issued by dealers; rules. (1) The holder of a current, valid vehicle dealer certificate issued under ORS 822.020 may issue temporary registration permits for the operation of vehicles or the transporting of a camper pending the receipt of permanent registration from the Department of Transportation
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(2) Forms for temporary registration permits issued under this section shall be furnished and, subject to ORS 803.640, prescribed by the department. (3) A vehicle dealer may issue a temporary registration permit for a motor vehicle being sold that is subject to the pollution cont…
ORS 803.630 Agent violation of temporary registration permit procedures; penalty. (1) A person commits the offense of agent violation of temporary registration permit procedures if the person is authorized to issue temporary registration permits under ORS 803.625 and the person violates any rules adopted by the Department of Transportation concerning the procedures for issuing the permits
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(2) The offense described in this section, agent violation of temporary registration permit procedures, is a Class B traffic violation. [1983 c.338 §279]
ORS 803.635 Improper use of temporary registration permit; penalty. (1) A person commits the offense of improper use of temporary registration permit if the person is issued a temporary registration permit under ORS 803.625 and the person does any of the following
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(a) Violates any rule adopted by the Department of Transportation under ORS 803.625 concerning the use of the permit. (b) Fails to keep the permit on and upon the vehicle during the period until the receipt of the permanent registration plates. (c) Fails to remove the permit from…
ORS 803.640 Prohibition on showing name or address on permit. (1) Vehicle permits issued under ORS 803.600 to 803.615 that are required to be displayed so as to be visible from the outside of a vehicle shall not show the name or address of the registered owner of the vehicle or of the person who has applied for registration or titling of the vehicle
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(2) The Department of Transportation may require that permits described in this section contain the driver license number of the registered owner or of the person who has applied for registration or titling of the vehicle displaying the permit and the name of the state that issue…
ORS 803.645 Fees for trip permits. Fees for trip permits issued under ORS 803.600 are as follows
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(1) For a heavy motor vehicle trip permit, $43. (2) For a heavy trailer trip permit, $10. (3) For a light vehicle trip permit, $35. (4) For a recreational vehicle trip permit, $35. (5) For a registration weight trip permit, $5. (6) For a registered vehicle trip permit, $7.50. (7)…
ORS 803.650 Placement of permits in vehicles; rules. (1) A permit issued under ORS 803.600, 803.615 or 803.625 shall be placed on the left side of the rear window of the vehicle unless
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(a) The vehicle has no rear window; or (b) The design of the vehicle or of any equipment lawfully added to the vehicle is such that a permit placed as required by this section could not easily be seen from outside the vehicle. (2) The Department of Transportation shall adopt rule…
ORS 803.655 Improper display of permit; penalty. (1) A person commits the offense of improper display of a permit if the person is issued a permit under ORS 803.600, 803.615 or 803.625, and the person does not display the permit on the vehicle in the manner required by ORS 803.650 or as required by the Department of Transportation by rule
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(2) The offense described in this section, improper display of a permit, is a Class D traffic violation. [1987 c.166 §4; 1995 c.383 §8]
ORS 803.660 Color and size of permits. The color and size of the print on permits issued under ORS 803.600, 803.615 and 803.625 shall be such that the permits can easily be read. [1987 c.166 §3; 1999 c.359 §5; 2003 c.655 §119]
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[Repealed or reserved.]
ORS 803.665 Towing commercial fishing boat without permit. Notwithstanding ORS 803.600, a person may tow the person’s own commercial fishing boat without a trip permit and regardless of the weight permitted under the registration of the trailer if the combined weight of the towing vehicle, the trailer and the boat is 15,000 pounds or less. [1989 c.992 §12b]
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_______________ CHAPTER 804 [Reserved for expansion]