To apply, you must:
10 Oregon Dealer License Requirements
Oregon Dealer Licenses are issued by the Oregon Department of Transportation's DMV Business Regulation unit, as a Vehicle Dealer Certificate. This page covers Oregon's 1 Dealer License type, its requirements, bond size, costs, and how to apply.
Name your Dealership
Your company name is the first step, because you use it through the entire Dealer License process. Oregon's Dealer application accepts an individual (sole proprietorship), partnership, LLC, or corporation.
An LLC keeps your business separate from your personal life and adds trust to the name. An LLC or corporation lists the name registered with the Oregon Secretary of State, including “LLC” or “Inc.”, plus an Oregon registered agent.
You can add or remove an owner, partner, LLC member, or corporate officer later and keep your certificate. It's a correction on Form 735-371 with its fee, not a new application, and changing from a sole proprietorship to an LLC works the same way.
Choose your Dealer License Type
Oregon issues 1 Dealer License type, on Form 735-370, and you check New Vehicles, Used Vehicles, or both as your primary type. DMV Business Regulation issues a Dismantler Certificate, a Vehicle Transporter Certificate, a Vehicle Appraiser Certificate, and a per-show Show License for RV dealers too. None of those is a Dealer License.
| License Type | What It Lets You Do |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Dealer CertificateNew, used, or both on one certificate; wholesale needs no separate certificate | Buy and sell new and used vehicles at the dealer auctions, to other dealers, and to the public. New RVs need a service facility at your address. DMV won't certify a dealer in motorcycles, mopeds, Class I ATVs, or snowmobiles only; dismantling needs the Dismantler Certificate |
Get your Dealer Bond (Surety Bond)
An Oregon Vehicle Dealer Certificate requires a $50,000 surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit, filed with the DMV (ORS 822.030). The bond protects customers if you break Oregon's dealer laws. A $50,000 Dealer Bond costs only $400 a year at the base rate, after a credit check.
You buy the bond every year, on or before each anniversary of your certificate, even though the certificate itself is valid for 3 years. It's filed on the DMV's own surety bond form, part of the Form 735-370 packet.
| License Type | You Pay | Bond Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Dealer Certificate, new vehiclesOregon - NEW Motor Vehicle Dealer ($50,000). Credit check required | $400/yearabout $33 a month | $50,000 |
| Vehicle Dealer Certificate, used vehiclesOregon - USED Motor Vehicle Dealer ($50,000). Credit check required | $400/yearabout $33 a month | $50,000 |
Get your Dealer Liability Insurance (Certificate of Insurance)
An Oregon Vehicle Dealer Certificate requires a Certificate of Insurance filed with the DMV, at issuance and at every renewal (ORS 822.033). The policy covers every vehicle you own, operate, use, or control, and everyone who drives one with your consent. The limits below are the minimums, not the price; your insurance agent sets the price.
Selling only antique vehicles, farm trailers, farm tractors, implements of husbandry, snowmobiles, or Class I or III ATVs? You file a Certificate of Exemption (Form 735-7024) instead.
Minimum limits, under ORS 806.070:
- $25,000 per person, bodily injury or death
- $50,000 per accident, bodily injury or death
- $20,000 property damage
Set up your Dealer Office (Business Location)
An Oregon Vehicle Dealer Certificate requires a business location in Oregon that meets the location rules in OAR 735-150-0030. The table below lists them, with zoning and second-location rules. Oregon publishes no square footage, sign-lettering size, or parking count.
You can hold the certificate at your home where your city or county allows it. Where local zoning blocks the display space, public contact, or sign, the DMV can grant a written exemption on Form 735-7178. The certificate itself must still be displayed, and you agree to an on-site inspection.
Your city or county zoning official signs and seals the application itself, confirming the location complies with local land-use ordinances (ORS 822.025). Some charge a fee for the signature.
| What Oregon Requires | |
|---|---|
| Display space | Sufficient space to display one or more vehicles of the type your certificate covers |
| Public contact | A means for the public to contact you or an employee at all times during your normal business hours |
| Sign | An exterior sign, permanently affixed to the land or a building, with the dealership name as printed on the certificate, in letters clearly visible to the major avenue of traffic |
| Certificate | The Vehicle Dealer Certificate displayed in a publicly accessible and conspicuous manner |
| Zoning | The local zoning official's signature and seal on Lines 9-11 of your application |
| Second location | A location more than 500 feet from your main one, under the same name, needs its own supplemental certificate (Form 735-372), $350 |
| Moving | A corrected certificate (Form 735-371), filed at least 3 days before the move, $30 |
Take the Dealer Education Course (Precertification Education)
An Oregon Vehicle Dealer Certificate requires 8 hours of precertification education, completed within the year before you apply (ORS 822.027). There is no separate DMV exam: the provider tests you after each course hour, at least 10 questions each, and you pass with 70%.
You pick any of the 4 providers on DMV's approved list, and each sets its own price. If you already hold another current Oregon dealer certificate, the precertification course is waived (Form 735-370C).
The 4 approved providers:
- A Certified Dealer Education School, 503-399-9199
- At Your Pace Online, 877-724-6150
- Auto Dealers Certified Education School, 503-362-6839
- Automobile Dealer Training Association, 800-369-2467
Answer the Dealer History Questions (Principal's Dealer History)
An Oregon Vehicle Dealer Certificate requires no fingerprints and no criminal background check. What the application asks about is your dealer history. Has any principal been financially or operationally involved with a dealership whose certificate was revoked or suspended, anywhere? Have you held an Oregon certificate before?
DMV can investigate that answer (OAR 735-150-0024). It won't issue a certificate if a principal was tied to a suspended, canceled, or revoked dealership within the year before you apply (OAR 735-150-0027).
If you have a record
- No bar for the certificate. DMV “shall issue” the certificate to anyone who meets the application, bond, insurance, fee, and education requirements (ORS 822.020). A conviction isn't a ground for refusal, and Form 735-370 never asks about one.
- The 10-year rule is for DMV-agent status only. It lets you process your buyers' title and registration paperwork yourself. You and every principal must have no felony conviction in the prior 10 years, counted from the conviction date (OAR 735-150-0039). Without it you still hold the certificate and send that paperwork to DMV.
- Misdemeanors count only in named categories: vehicle dealing, fraud, identity theft, misrepresentation, forgery, or conversion, within the same 10 years. A no-contest plea counts as a conviction; a pending charge doesn't.
- A set-aside clears it. Once a court sets a conviction aside under ORS 137.225, you're “deemed not to have been previously convicted” and may answer questions accordingly.
- You can appeal. A refused applicant gets a contested case hearing on a written request received by DMV within 60 days.
Submit your Dealer Certificate Application (Form 735-370)
You apply to DMV Business Licensing on paper, by mail or in person at DMV headquarters in Salem; Oregon has no online dealer application. The fee is $1,100 for 3 years plus a $75 processing fee, and every fee is itemized under costs.
Line 1 asks for your business's FEIN, whatever your business type; the instructions say “Provide your FEIN, not your SSN.” A sole proprietor gets one free from the IRS.
The business address must be in Oregon (ORS 822.025). Attach a copy of a valid government-issued photo ID for every owner, partner, LLC member, and corporate officer. If the address on it differs from the residence address you list, add a short statement explaining why.
Pass the DMV Review (Investigation of Applications)
Oregon DMV investigates applications on a random basis, and whenever it has reason to doubt one, to confirm the application is accurate and complete (OAR 735-150-0024). It may inspect your proposed location before the certificate is issued; the visit is at DMV's discretion, not a fixed step.
If you asked for a location exemption, an on-site inspection is a condition of it.
Get your Dealer License Plates
An Oregon Vehicle Dealer Certificate includes your first dealer plate; DMV prints the original certificate with one plate as $1,188 on its fee table. Additional plates and plate renewals are $42 each, and a replacement plate is $10 (ORS 805.250).
Dealer tags let you drive an inventory vehicle the dealership owns or controls, offered for sale and available for display during business hours (ORS 822.040). The dealer, firm members, salespeople, and authorized persons can drive on them. Oregon publishes no personal-use or family allowance, and DMV's instructions say plates may not be used on vehicles operated for commercial purposes.
Dealer License Cost
An Oregon Vehicle Dealer Certificate costs $1,100 for 3 years, plus a $75 processing fee, and the same again at each renewal. That is higher than most states. Every other fee on this page is in the table.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Dealer CertificateOriginal or renewal, one location, 3 years | $1,100 |
| Processing feePaid with every issuance and renewal | $75 |
| First dealer plate | Included; DMV's fee table prints the original certificate with one plate as $1,188 |
| Additional dealer plates | $42 each, additional or renewal$10 replacement |
| Dealer Bond | $400 a year, $50,000 bond, credit check required |
| Liability insurance | Priced by your agent; $25,000 / $50,000 / $20,000 minimum limits |
| Dealer education | Priced by the provider; 8 hours before you apply, 12 hours to renew |
| Additional locationSupplemental certificate, Form 735-372 | $350 each |
| Corrected certificateName or location change, Form 735-371 | $30 |
| Late renewal | $150, from day 16 to day 45 after expiration |
| Zoning signature | Some cities and counties charge their own fee |
| Show LicensePer show, for an RV dealer at a multi-dealer show | $50 |
| Dismantler CertificateA separate certificate, one location | $1,000 |
Dealer License Renewal
An Oregon Vehicle Dealer Certificate is valid for 3 years and renews for the same $1,100 fee plus $75 processing (ORS 822.020). Renewal needs a new bond, a new Certificate of Insurance, and the names of your current partners or officers. It also needs 12 hours of continuing education, 4 for each year of the term.
The zoning signature isn't needed again unless you're changing location.
Continuing education is waived for:
- a franchised dealer for nationally advertised new vehicles
- a franchised dealer for new recreational vehicles
- a nationwide-franchise vehicle rental company
- a national auction company holding both dealer and dismantler certificates that mainly sells totaled vehicles
Common Questions
Can you get an Oregon Dealer License with a felony?
Yes. Oregon runs no background check for the certificate. DMV “shall issue” it to anyone who meets the application, bond, insurance, fee, and education requirements (ORS 822.020). A felony matters only for DMV-agent status, processing your buyers' title paperwork yourself. That needs no felony in the prior 10 years, counted from the conviction date (OAR 735-150-0039).
Can you get a Dealer License in Oregon without a lot?
Yes, where local zoning allows it. Oregon's rule asks for display space for a vehicle, a way for the public to reach you, an exterior sign, and the certificate on display. The DMV can waive the first 3 where zoning blocks them (OAR 735-150-0030). Washington County permits it with no vehicles displayed; McMinnville doesn't. See Office.
How many cars can you sell in Oregon without a Dealer License?
In Oregon, you can sell, trade, or offer for sale up to 5 vehicles in a calendar year without a Vehicle Dealer Certificate (ORS 822.015). They must be vehicles you owned for personal, family, or household use. Past 5, the exemption still applies, but you carry the burden of proving they were for personal use.
Does Oregon have a wholesale dealer license?
No. Oregon issues one Vehicle Dealer Certificate for new, used, and wholesale sales. A wholesale-only operation applies for the same certificate, on the same Form 735-370 (ORS 822.020). Even a wholesale vehicle auction company operates under it (ORS 822.060).
How long does an Oregon Dealer License take?
DMV says a complete application takes 2-3 weeks to process, and no Oregon law sets a deadline for the decision (DMV instructions). You can't do any dealer business until it's approved, and DMV may inspect your location during its review.
Do you have to renew an Oregon dealer bond every year?
Yes. The $50,000 bond is purchased annually, on or before each anniversary of the certificate's issuance, even though the certificate itself is valid for 3 years (ORS 822.030). A lapsed bond or Certificate of Insurance cancels the certificate (ORS 822.050).
Do I need a business bank account?
No. Nothing on Form 735-370 or in ORS 822.025 asks for a bank name, account number, or signer; the application packet has no financial-institution field at all.
Support
DMV Business Licensing issues the Vehicle Dealer Certificate and answers questions on fees, plates, the bond, and insurance. Dealer Investigations handles inspections and complaints; Dealer Services handles the title and registration work you submit as a dealer.
| Contact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Department | Oregon DMV Business Regulation, Business Licensing Unit |
| Phone | (503) 945-5052 Business Licensing(503) 945-5281 Dealer Investigations(503) 945-5479 Dealer Services, for title and registration work |
| Hours | 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday |
| [email protected][email protected], for title and registration work | |
| Address | DMV Business Regulation, 1905 Lana Ave NESalem, OR 97314 |
Additional sources (8)
The forms and the DMV pages for each step are linked in the steps. These are the law, the rules, and the agency pages the page was checked against.
- ORS Chapter 822, vehicle dealers — the dealer law: the certificate, the annual $50,000 bond, insurance, education, plate use, fees, the 3-year term, and who is exempt
- ORS 806.070, minimum insurance limits — why insurance is required: the $25,000 / $50,000 / $20,000 limits the dealer policy must meet under ORS 822.033
- ORS 805.250, dealer plate fees — no fee for the original plate, $42 for additional or renewal plates, $10 to replace one
- OAR chapter 735, division 150 — the DMV's dealer rules: location, investigation of applications, refusal to issue, DMV-agent qualifications, and the 15-day and 45-day renewal windows
- ORS 137.225, setting aside a conviction — the waiting periods by offense class, and the rule that a set-aside conviction is deemed not to have happened
- ORS 63.111, registered agent — an Oregon LLC's registered agent must be an individual who resides in Oregon or a domestic entity with an Oregon office
- DMV Title and Registration Handbook, Chapter R (PDF) — changes to dealership information on Form 371, and why a sold dealership needs a new certificate
- DMV FAQs Related to Dealers — the DMV's own answer to “When do I need a dealer license?”, pointing to ORS 822.005 and 822.015
