registering an out-of-state car (Portland, Hillsboro: 2015, insurance, loan) - Oregon (OR) - City-Data Forum

asterosdeals · 05-06-2015, 05:13 PM

Will be moving to OR in a few weeks.

I would like to ask about these issues regarding moving:

1. Have two cars right now, I will be using to move to OR, and the other will stay here in NJ for my uncle to use. So I know when I have the car I can transfer the title myself. However, how do I get a new license plate and a new title for the car that will stay behind in NJ?

2. I will use my car to move there (so will still have a NJ license plate), and then park my car on a paid garage while I am travelling abroad for a month. Would this be a problem, like will this violate any issue that an out of state car can only be used for a certain amount time? If I need to have change my license plate before I go on travel, how long does it generally take to apply for a new license plate? (I ask because I only have at most 2 days in between arriving and leaving for the trip).

3. In OR, how often does a used car need to do emission and safety inspection and how much is the registration fee per year?

Thank you!

Larry Caldwell · 05-06-2015, 07:14 PM

You have to be in Oregon for 30 days to qualify for residence, so you won't be an Oregon resident for a while after you get back. After you are a resident, you have to get Oregon drivers license and plates ASAP, but the cops are not unreasonable. They will give you a 30 day grace period.

Application will take an hour or so. The only areas that require emissions inspection are the Portland Metro area and Medford, because of air quality issues. I don't think there is any such thing as a safety inspection, but unsafe vehicles can result in a citation. All your lights have to work, including license plate lights. Registration is so cheap I don't remember how much it is. IIRC it was around $86 for two years. Liability insurance is required for registration.

You will need a birth certificate or passport and a piece of mail that has been delivered to your current address to get your drivers license. Oregon has adopted the Uniform Traffic Code, so if you know the law where you came from you probably know enough to pass the license test without even studying.

asterosdeals · 05-06-2015, 08:03 PM

Thanks a lot. Not getting my license soon is fine, but I just wanna make sure my car is parked safely (paid parking, so sort of private...).

So does Hillsboro require emission inspection?

Then any suggestions for my 2nd car? I certainly cannot drive it back and forth just for the license plate, but I cannot transfer the title yet.

jjpop · 05-06-2015, 09:24 PM

Hillsboro does require a DEQ inspection: Oregon DEQ: Air Quality Vehicle Inspection - What's tested?

As for the 2nd car, how long are the tags good for? If it's a while, I wouldn't do anything with it. If it's coming up and you're afraid your registration renewal won't get to you, you should probably investigate how the NJ DMV would deal with an out of state owner for a car that is still kept in NJ.

asterosdeals · 05-06-2015, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjpop

Hillsboro does require a DEQ inspection: Oregon DEQ: Air Quality Vehicle Inspection - What's tested?

As for the 2nd car, how long are the tags good for? If it's a while, I wouldn't do anything with it. If it's coming up and you're afraid your registration renewal won't get to you, you should probably investigate how the NJ DMV would deal with an out of state owner for a car that is still kept in NJ.

The 2nd car's tag is good definitely until end of this year. So shall I just wait? Sooner or later I will need to transfer, and I don't mind doing it now (or a month after I move there), but just wondering what the procedure would be for OR.

jjpop · 05-08-2015, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asterosdeals

The 2nd car's tag is good definitely until end of this year. So shall I just wait? Sooner or later I will need to transfer, and I don't mind doing it now (or a month after I move there), but just wondering what the procedure would be for OR.

I just helped someone with registering their car from another state. Just go on the Oregon dmv website and the instructions are very explicit. There is a form to complete. Then You have to go in to a dmv office with the form, your current title and about $200 (at least that's what it cost us). The dmv takes only cash or check, no cards.

asterosdeals · 05-08-2015, 02:56 PM

Thanks very much. Yes, I will also call OR DMV.

Terryj · 05-09-2015, 08:53 AM

Heres, the link to the Oregon DMV on reg out of state vehicles. Oregon DMV Titling & Registering Out-of-State Vehicles

SaharaNC · 05-10-2015, 08:26 PM

We moved to Oregon last fall. I think we paid $187 each to register the cars here. It took about a month to get the plates mailed, but I think it took longer because we have a loan on each car. We did have to bring each car to the DMV for an agent to confirm the VIN costing $7.

ccjarider · 05-11-2015, 09:56 PM

You already paid for NJ tag through 2015. Why throw the $ away? Keep the NJ tag on the car.
The stored car won't even be on a road so don't worry about it.

When I moved to OR, I had to two cars with almost one year of good IL registration on them. I did not re-title them to OR until the IL registration was up. No reason to give gov't more $ than necessary.

It could be some minor violation but why worry about it?