How to Complete the Oregon DMV Title and Registration Application (Form 735-226)

Oregon Form 735-226 is the Application for Title and Registration you file with the DMV to put a vehicle in your name. You have 30 days from the date of transfer to submit the completed form with supporting documents and fees. Miss that window and DMV charges a $25 late fee between days 31 and 60, then $50 after that.¹² The form is a fillable PDF on the Oregon Department of Transportation’s forms page.³

Gather Your Documents First

Missing paperwork is the top reason DMV returns applications.⁴ Have all of this ready before you start filling anything out:

The original certificate of title, signed over to you by the previous owner. Do not mail your application without it; DMV returns the whole packet.⁵
Original bills of sale or release-of-interest documents from every intermediate owner if the vehicle changed hands between the person named on the title and you.¹
Original lien releases from any bank, credit union, or finance company that previously held a security interest.¹
Your Oregon driver license or ID card, for the license number.
A vehicle use tax certificate from the Department of Revenue, if you bought from an out-of-state dealer, the vehicle has 7,500 miles or fewer, has a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,000 pounds or less, and has never been registered in Oregon. DMV will not process the title without proof the 0.5 percent use tax was paid.⁶

If the original title is lost, what you do depends on the vehicle’s age. For a 2011 or newer vehicle that needs an odometer disclosure, the seller must request a replacement title from the issuing state before you can transfer ownership. For a 2010 or older vehicle, check the “Replacement Oregon Title” box in the Certifications section instead.⁵

Fill In the Vehicle Information

The top of the form asks for the vehicle identification number, any existing Oregon title number, make, model, year, body style, fuel type, and miles-per-gallon rating.⁷ The VIN is a 17-character code on the driver-side dashboard or door jamb; copy every character exactly, because one wrong digit delays processing. The MPG rating determines both your title fee and your registration fee, so pull the EPA fuel economy rating for your specific vehicle rather than estimating.

Oregon requires an odometer disclosure for vehicles model year 2011 or newer. It does not require one for model year 2010 or older vehicles, trailers and campers, vehicles with a GVWR over 16,000 pounds, Class I ATVs, or snowmobiles.⁸ If the odometer has rolled over its mechanical limit, check the box saying the reading is not the actual mileage. A false odometer disclosure is a Class C felony under Oregon law.⁷

Complete the Owner Section

Enter your legal name exactly as it appears on your Oregon license or ID, along with your residential address, mailing address if different, and license number. If the vehicle is parked somewhere other than where you live, which is common with RVs or park models, fill in the separate vehicle address field.⁷

For joint ownership, the form has a checkbox stating that joint owners agree the title will show right of survivorship. Checking it means the surviving owner automatically inherits full ownership if the other dies, without probate. Leave it blank if you do not want that arrangement.

If You Are Financing the Vehicle

Fill in the security interest holder section with your lender’s name and address. There is room for both a primary and secondary lienholder. When a lienholder is recorded, DMV mails the new certificate of title to the lender, not to you.⁵

If an Out-of-State Loan Still Exists

If you are titling an out-of-state vehicle with an existing loan, send your completed application and fees to your lienholder rather than directly to DMV. The lender submits everything together with the current title. You cannot add or remove owners on the application without the lienholder’s approval. Include DMV’s instruction letter (Form 6603L) so the lender knows what to do.⁵

Sign the Certifications

By signing the bottom of the form, you confirm the information is true, acknowledge your odometer disclosure if one is required, and certify that you carry the required liability insurance if you are registering the vehicle. A false statement on the application is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $6,250, or both.⁷ Every owner listed on the form must sign it.

If you cannot sign yourself, an agent can sign for you using Oregon DMV Form 735-500, the state’s vehicle power of attorney. It is only valid if it names the representative, identifies the vehicle by plate, VIN, or title number, and carries the owner’s signature. The agent signs by writing the owner’s name followed by their own signature. This power of attorney cannot be transferred to anyone else.⁹

What You Will Pay

Both title and registration fees are based on your vehicle’s EPA fuel economy rating and fuel type. Title fees for passenger vehicles and trucks with a GVWR of 26,000 pounds or less:¹⁰

0–19 MPG: $101
20–39 MPG: $106
40+ MPG: $116
All electric: $192

Trailers eligible for permanent registration and vehicles over 26,000 pounds GVWR pay a flat $90 title fee. Salvage titles cost $27.

Registration is separate. Two-year passenger vehicle registration:¹⁰

0–19 MPG: $126
20–39 MPG: $136
40+ MPG (not enrolled in OReGO): $216
All electric (not enrolled in OReGO): $376
Motorcycle or moped: $88

Effective December 31, 2025, two-year registration fees for electric and 40-plus MPG vehicles increased by $60.¹¹ Drivers enrolled in OReGO, Oregon’s road usage charge program, pay lower registration fees because they already pay per mile driven.¹²

DMV accepts cash, checks, money orders, debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and mobile payments. Make checks and money orders payable to “Oregon DMV.”¹³ If you mail your application, pay by check or money order only.¹⁴

Where to Send It

You can submit the completed form, supporting documents, and payment by mail or in person.

By mail:

DMV Services
1905 Lana Ave NE
Salem, OR 97314¹⁴

In person, DMV offices handle title transfers by appointment, with up to two transactions per appointment.¹⁵ Booking ahead saves waiting time at busier metro locations.

How Long It Takes

DMV currently processes title transfers in two to three weeks for both Oregon and out-of-state titles. If something is missing, you should get a response letter within about a week asking for it.⁵

Once approved, DMV mails the new certificate of title to you, or to your lienholder if one is recorded. If you also applied for registration, your registration card, plates, and stickers arrive separately by mail or are handed to you in person.

Why Applications Get Sent Back

The same problems come up over and over:

No title enclosed. This is the biggest single reason for rejection, and DMV returns the whole packet unprocessed.⁴
Missing odometer reading or lienholder information when the vehicle requires one.⁴
Junk or scrapped history. DMV will not issue a title if the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System shows the vehicle was crushed, junked, or scrapped.⁴
Diesel retrofit requirement. If your address is in Clackamas, Multnomah, or Washington County, certain older diesel trucks cannot be titled or registered unless they are exempt or carry approved diesel retrofit technology certified by the Department of Environmental Quality.⁴
Wrong payment amount. If your check does not match the exact total of title, registration, and any applicable fees, DMV sends the whole application back.

A Note on Sales Tax

Oregon does not charge a general sales or use tax on private vehicle purchases. The only tax that might apply at the DMV window is the 0.5 percent vehicle use tax on vehicles bought from out-of-state dealers with fewer than 7,500 miles that have never been registered in Oregon. Buy a used car from a private seller, or any vehicle already registered in Oregon, and no tax applies beyond title and registration fees. Oregon’s vehicle privilege tax is paid by dealerships on new sales and requires nothing from the buyer.⁶

1
Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Vehicle Information
2
Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 803 – Vehicle Title and Registration
3
Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Forms Home
4
Oregon Department of Transportation. Title and Registration Instructions for Vehicles New to Oregon
5
Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Titling and Registering Your Vehicle
6
Oregon Department of Transportation. Oregon Vehicle Use Tax Information
7
Oregon Department of Transportation. Title and Registration Form 735-226
8
Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Odometer Disclosure
9
Oregon Department of Transportation. Power of Attorney Form 735-500
10
Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Vehicle Title, Registration and Permit Fees
11
Oregon Department of Transportation. New DMV Fees
12
Oregon Department of Transportation. DMV Title and Registration Handbook – Chapter M Fees
13
Oregon Department of Transportation. Fees Home
14
Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Vehicle Registration – Renew/Replace/Transfer
15
Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. DMV Offices