An Oregon DMV power of attorney lets someone else sign title and registration paperwork for you when you can’t do it yourself. Oregon recognizes two forms: Form 735-500, the general Power of Attorney used for most title and registration transactions, and Form 402A, the Secure Power of Attorney used only when an odometer disclosure is required and the title isn’t available. Choosing the wrong one is one of the most common reasons the DMV rejects a submission.
When You’d Use One
A DMV power of attorney comes into play whenever the registered owner can’t personally sign for a vehicle transaction. Typical situations include selling a vehicle while the owner is deployed, hospitalized, or out of state; applying for a replacement title; removing a lienholder from the record; renewing registration for someone who can’t get to a DMV office; and transferring a title as part of an estate.
The authority is narrow. It covers only vehicle transactions with the Oregon Department of Transportation. It doesn’t reach healthcare decisions, bank accounts, or anything else outside the DMV’s jurisdiction. It also applies to just one vehicle at a time: a single POA cannot cover multiple vehicles, so each one needs its own form.1Oregon Department of Transportation. Oregon DMV Form 735-500 Power of Attorney
Which Form Fits Your Situation
Form 735-500 for Most Transactions
Form 735-500 is the standard, non-secure power of attorney used for the great majority of Oregon DMV work.2Oregon Department of Transportation. DMV Title and Registration Handbook – Preface Use it when someone needs to sign a title application, apply for a duplicate title, update registration records, or handle similar administrative tasks for you. The form authorizes your representative “to sign my name to any forms necessary concerning the titling and/or registration of the vehicle described.”1Oregon Department of Transportation. Oregon DMV Form 735-500 Power of Attorney
Form 402A When Odometer Disclosure Is Involved
Form 402A serves a narrower purpose. Use it only when an odometer disclosure is required and the physical title isn’t available at the time of transfer, whether because a lienholder holds it, the title has been lost or destroyed, or the title is electronic.3eCFR. 49 CFR 580.13 The form is printed on secure paper issued by the state, a federal requirement meant to prevent odometer fraud.
Federal law controls how it works. The seller discloses the odometer reading at the time of sale, certifies whether that reading reflects the actual mileage, and provides both parties’ names and addresses. The buyer must then enter the mileage on the title exactly as disclosed and return the original secure POA to the state with the title documents.3eCFR. 49 CFR 580.13 Providing false mileage information can carry fines and imprisonment.
A general power of attorney cannot substitute for the secure version here. Federal regulations specifically prohibit using a general POA to delegate the responsibility of executing an odometer disclosure statement.4National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Interpretation of Federal Odometer Disclosure Regulations
Filling Out Form 735-500
The form is short, but the DMV will reject it if any required field is blank. Form 735-500 is valid only when three things are filled in: the name of the person or firm you’re appointing as your representative, the vehicle’s plate number, VIN, or title number, and your signature as the owner.1Oregon Department of Transportation. Oregon DMV Form 735-500 Power of Attorney
The VIN is the 17-character code visible at the base of the windshield on the driver’s side or on a sticker inside the driver’s door frame. Double-check it. One wrong digit ties the POA to a different vehicle and makes it useless. Your name on the form has to match the name on the current title or registration in the state’s records. Small discrepancies, like a middle initial on one document but not the other, can trigger a rejection.
When your representative signs at the DMV, they sign in a specific way: the owner’s name followed by the representative’s signature. If Sharon Smith is the owner and Jane Doe is the representative, Jane signs “Sharon Smith by Jane Doe.”1Oregon Department of Transportation. Oregon DMV Form 735-500 Power of Attorney If the representative is a business, the company name follows the owner’s name and an authorized person countersigns.
How to Submit It and What the Transaction Costs
Submit the completed power of attorney with your title or registration paperwork by mail or in person. Mailed transactions all go to DMV Headquarters at 1905 Lana Ave NE, Salem, OR 97314. Field offices don’t accept mailed documents.5Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. DMV Offices Going in person has one real advantage: a clerk reviews the paperwork on the spot and catches errors before they turn into delays.
The POA form itself has no separate fee, but the underlying transaction does. Title fees for passenger vehicles and light trucks depend on fuel efficiency:6Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Vehicle Title, Registration and Permit Fees
- 0–19 MPG: $101
- 20–39 MPG: $106
- 40+ MPG: $116
- All electric: $192
New fees took effect December 31, 2025, so confirm the current amount on the DMV’s fee schedule before sending payment.6Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Vehicle Title, Registration and Permit Fees
How Long Processing Takes
Turnaround for mailed transactions runs about:7Oregon Department of Transportation. Titling and Registering Your Vehicle
- Oregon and out-of-state titles: 2 to 3 weeks
- Replacement titles: about 1 week
- Dealer titles mailed in: 3 weeks
- Response letters for missing requirements: 1 week
If the DMV finds errors, it mails a response letter explaining what’s needed. That letter adds at least a week before you can resubmit. Getting names and VINs to match exactly the first time is the single easiest way to avoid the extra round trip.
What Happens When the Owner Has Died
A DMV power of attorney terminates the moment the principal dies, so it cannot be used to transfer a vehicle out of a deceased owner’s name.8Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code ORS 127.015 – Revocation of Power of Attorney The mechanism is different.
Under Oregon law, when there is no probate and the transfer doesn’t fall under certain statutory exceptions, heirs can assign interest using an affidavit on a form prescribed by the DMV. All known heirs must sign, naming the person who receives ownership; a parent or guardian signs for any heir who is a minor or incapacitated.9Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 803.094 – Release or Assignment of Title Interest When an estate is being probated, the personal representative, trustee, or other successor handles the transfer and provides the DMV with documentation showing their authority to act.
When the Power of Attorney Otherwise Ends
Under ORS 127.015, the agent’s authority terminates when any of the following happens:8Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code ORS 127.015 – Revocation of Power of Attorney
- The owner dies. Authority ends immediately.
- The owner revokes it. You can cancel at any time by giving written notice to your agent.
- The agent dies or becomes incapacitated.
- The POA’s own terms provide for termination, such as an expiration date written into the form.
- A divorce or separation action is filed between the owner and the agent, unless the POA says otherwise.
One protective exception applies. If the agent doesn’t know the owner has died or revoked the POA and acts in good faith, the transaction remains valid and binding on the owner’s estate and heirs.8Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code ORS 127.015 – Revocation of Power of Attorney An affidavit from the agent stating they had no actual knowledge of the death or revocation is conclusive proof that authority hadn’t ended when they acted.
If you revoke a POA, retrieve or destroy any copies the agent or the DMV might have. Notify the DMV directly if the agent has already submitted paperwork or might attempt to, especially in contentious situations like a divorce where a spouse was previously named as the representative.