How to Fill Out and Submit Oregon DMV Form 226

Oregon DMV Form 226 is the single application you submit to get both a certificate of title and registration for a vehicle in Oregon. You can download the fillable PDF (Form 735-226) from the Oregon DMV website or pick one up at any field office. You have 30 days from the date of sale to submit it, and late filings add a $25 penalty between 31 and 60 days or $50 beyond 60 days.¹

When to Use Form 226

Form 226 covers nearly every title transaction except duplicate titles and corrections to an existing title.² The common situations are buying a used vehicle from a private party in Oregon, buying from an out-of-state seller, titling a new vehicle with a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO), and adding or removing an owner on an existing title.

What to Gather Before You Start

Pulling your paperwork together first keeps you from being sent home or receiving a letter asking for missing items. What you need depends on where the vehicle came from.

Every Transaction

The original ownership document: an Oregon title, an out-of-state title, or an MCO for a new vehicle.³
A written odometer disclosure from the seller. Vehicles with a model year more than 20 years old and vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating over 16,000 pounds are exempt under federal rules.⁴
The completed Form 226, signed by every owner.⁵
Payment for the title, registration, plate, and county fees that apply to your address and vehicle.

Out-of-State Vehicles

A vehicle coming in from another state adds a few requirements:

A VIN inspection. If the vehicle is already in Oregon, a DMV office does it for $9. If it is still out of state, that state’s DMV or a law enforcement officer can perform it.⁵
A DEQ Certificate of Compliance if your registration address falls inside the Portland metro or Medford testing boundaries. DEQ has an address lookup on its website. Testing costs $25 in Portland and $20 in Medford, with no charge if the vehicle fails. Recent model year vehicles are exempt; for 2026, that includes model years 2024 through 2027 (and 2023 if the registration expires before January 1, 2026).⁶⁷⁸
Low-emission vehicle proof for passenger vehicles that are model year 2009 or newer with 7,500 miles or less. Look for a statement on the MCO or an underhood label showing compliance with U.S. or California emission standards.⁵
A Certificate of Vehicle Use Tax Payment if you bought the vehicle from an out-of-state dealer and it qualifies for Oregon’s 0.5% vehicle use tax (see below).

Vehicles From Outside the U.S.

You also need proof the vehicle meets federal safety standards, such as U.S. Customs Form CF7501 or an original letter from the manufacturer, plus a completed Certification of Liens on an Imported Vehicle (Form 735-6436).⁵

Vehicle Use Tax for Out-of-State Dealer Purchases

Oregon charges 0.5% of the retail price when you buy a qualifying vehicle from a dealer outside the state. A vehicle qualifies if it was purchased from a dealer on or after January 1, 2018, has 7,500 miles or fewer (or comes with an MCO), has a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,000 pounds or less, and has never been titled or registered in Oregon.⁹

You pay through the Department of Revenue’s Revenue Online portal within 30 days of purchase and receive a Certificate of Vehicle Use Tax Payment, which DMV requires. Missing the 30 days triggers a 5% penalty on unpaid tax, failing to file the return adds another 20%, and interest runs on top. If the dealer collected the tax at the sale, it will appear on your bill of sale as “Oregon Vehicle Use Tax” and you do not pay again. Private-party sales are not subject to this tax.⁹

Filling Out the Form

You can type into the PDF and print, or print and complete it by hand. Work through it in order.

Vehicle Description

The top section asks for the vehicle identification number, year, make, model, and body type. Oregon law requires a full description of the vehicle, including the VIN.¹⁰ Copy the VIN directly from the dashboard plate or door jamb sticker. One transposed digit delays everything. Enter the current odometer reading in this section as well.

Owner Information

Enter the full legal name and residential address of each person who will appear on the title. State law requires the owner’s true name and actual residence or business address.¹¹ Match your driver license exactly; a name mismatch creates problems when you sell the vehicle later.

If two or more people will own the vehicle together, the form asks whether you want survivorship. Check “Yes” so the surviving owner receives full ownership automatically if one owner dies, bypassing probate. Check “No” if you want the deceased owner’s share to pass through their estate. If both boxes are left blank, the title will show no survivorship.²

Security Interest (Lienholder)

If you financed the vehicle, list the full legal name and address of each lender holding a security interest. DMV uses this information to perfect the lien in the public record.¹² When the title issues, DMV mails the paper certificate to the lender; you receive the registration card, plates, and stickers.¹ Leave this section blank if you own the vehicle outright.

If your current lender holds the previous title and you cannot include the original ownership document with your application, send the completed paperwork and fees to the lender with a Security Interest Holder letter (Form 735-6603L), and the lender submits everything to DMV.⁵

Signatures

Every owner listed must sign and date. By signing, you certify the application is true, and a knowingly false statement is a Class A misdemeanor.¹³

If someone signs for you, they need a valid power of attorney (Form 735-500). They write the owner’s name followed by their own signature, for example “Sharon Smith by Jane Doe.” The power of attorney must identify the specific vehicle by plate number, VIN, or title number, and cannot be transferred to anyone else.¹⁴

Fees to Include

For a standard passenger vehicle, the title fee depends on fuel efficiency:¹⁵

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

Registration runs on a two-year cycle. For registrations beginning or expiring after December 31, 2025, passenger vehicle fees are $126 (0–19 MPG), $136 (20–39 MPG), $216 (40+ MPG), and $376 (electric). Motorcycles and mopeds are $88.¹⁵ The higher 40+ MPG and electric amounts include a $30 annual surcharge; enrolling in OReGO, Oregon’s road usage charge program, drops the two-year registration to $86. A brand-new vehicle titled with an MCO gets a four-year initial registration, doubling the registration and county fees.

Many counties add a surcharge. Multnomah County, for example, charges $112 for a two-year car or pickup registration.¹⁶ The DMV fee calculator applies your county automatically once you enter your address.

Add $25 if you are submitting 31 to 60 days after the sale, or $50 if more than 60 days have passed.¹

Where to Submit

By Mail

Send the original ownership documents, signed Form 226, and payment to DMV Headquarters. Every mailed title transaction in Oregon goes to the same address, not to individual field offices:¹⁷

DMV Headquarters
1905 Lana Avenue NE
Salem, OR 97314

Pay by check or money order made out to “Oregon DMV.” Headquarters is a processing center only, with no walk-in service.¹⁸

In Person

Bring everything to any DMV field office. Offices accept cash, checks, money orders, debit cards, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, and mobile payments.¹⁹ If you need a VIN inspection for an out-of-state vehicle, handling it during the same visit saves a trip.

After You Submit

Oregon and out-of-state title applications take about two to three weeks to process. Dealer-submitted Oregon titles run about three weeks, and replacement titles about one week. If something is missing, DMV sends a letter within roughly a week asking for the additional information.¹

Once approved, DMV mails the registration card, plates, and stickers to the address on your application. If you listed a lienholder, the paper title goes to the lender. If there is no lien, the title comes to you. Keep the registration card in the vehicle; it is your proof of registration until the plates and stickers arrive.

1
Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Titling and Registering Your Vehicle
2
Oregon Department of Transportation. Oregon DMV Application for Title and Registration, Form 226
3
Oregon Department of Transportation. DMV Title and Registration Handbook – Chapter A General Title Requirements
4
Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 803.102 – Odometer Disclosure Statement Upon Transfer of Interest When Required Rules
5
Oregon Department of Transportation. Title and Registration Instructions for Vehicles New to Oregon
6
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Testing Boundaries
7
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Fees
8
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Recently Purchased and Newer Model Year Vehicles
9
Oregon Department of Revenue. Vehicle Privilege and Use Taxes
10
Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 803.050 – Application Contents
11
Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 803.370 – Contents of Application Rules
12
Oregon Department of Transportation. Oregon DMV Title and Registration Handbook – Chapter I Security Interest Perfection
13
Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code Chapter 803 – Vehicle Title and Registration
14
Oregon Department of Transportation. Power of Attorney
15
Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Vehicle Title, Registration and Permit Fees
16
Multnomah County. Vehicle Registration Fee
17
Oregon Department of Transportation. DMV Offices
18
Oregon Department of Transportation. DMV Offices – Headquarters
19
Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Fees Home