Updated on August 17, 2021
Starting in 1905, Oregon drivers were required to register their vehicles. Drivers in the
Beaver state were also in charge of crafting their own license plate until 1911! Since then, OR issues all license plates to drivers and requires a registration renewal every two years.

If you’re renewing your registration in the Beaver State, you’ll pay between $120 to $300 depending on the vehicle type, year, and mpg. But depending on the county you live in, you may have to pay extra fees for your registration. For example, an extra $38 if you’re in Multnomah County, or and extra $60 if you’re in Washington or Clackamas County. If you want to learn more about registering in Oregon, keep reading!

Oregon Vehicle Registration Renewal Guide

How to Renew a Car Registration in Oregon

The Department of Motor Vehicles in Oregon will mail out a renewal notice for your vehicle registration approximately 45 to 60 days before your current registration has expired.

Oregon Emissions Test Requirements and Vehicle Registration Renewal

In order to renew your registration your vehicle might be required to pass a safety and emissions test.

Vehicles that are registered in the Medford or Portland area will generally need to pass an emissions test. Your vehicle will need to be tested if:

• You live in Portland and your vehicle is was made after 1975
• You live in Medford and your vehicle is less than 20 years old
• Your vehicle is powered with alternative fuel, gas powered, or a hybrid (i.e., not electric)
• Diesel powered and weighs less than 8500 pounds

Oregon Online Vehicle Registration Renewal Options

In order to renew your registration online you will need your renewal access code that is on your notice that you receive. You will also need to have your license plate number, your title, and the payment for your registration fees.

Renewing Your Registration By Mail In Oregon

To renew your registration either by mail or in person you will be required to provide the following:

• A completed application or renewal notice or a completed application for registration, replacement, renewal, or a transfer for plates and stickers if you have lost or not received a renewal notice
• DEQ emissions test results (if applicable)
• A payment for your registration fees

How to Replace Car Registration Paperwork in Oregon

Losing your Oregon car registration, license plates, or license plate sticker is a common problem, but an important one to fix right away. It won’t take you long to get a replacement vehicle registration, but it will save you a big headache if you get pulled over.

In Oregon, you will have to replace your vehicle registration through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). You will have to fill out an application and pay a small fee. You can find this application, as well as more information about the required fees, on the Oregon DMV website.

Replacement Registration vs. Vehicle Registration Renewal

Replacing and renewing your registration are two different things. When your vehicle registration is nearing its expiration date, you will have to renew it. The process for doing this is essentially the same as how to replace your vehicle registration.

If your registration is lost, damaged or stolen, your stickers are damaged, or your plates are missing, you’ll need to replace your registration instead of renewing it. Not replacing these things isn’t an option, as police will use all of them as verification if they pull you over.

How to Replace Stolen License Plates

My Oregon license plates were stolen? Should I report my plates stolen? How do I replace my license plates in Oregon?

The first step you should take if your license plates have been stolen is to contact your local police department. You can file a police report, which you can then take to the Oregon DMV. You will have to sign a document saying you no longer have the plates, and you will be issued new plates, tags, and a new registration paper.

How to Replace a Lost License Plate Sticker In Oregon

If you’ve lost or damaged a sticker, you’ll need to submit an application for a replacement car tag. In the state of Oregon, you can get a free replacement for your month tags. Year tags, however, require an application and a fee of $10.

To get a new license plate sticker, head to a local Oregon DMV office and ask for a new month sticker or fill out a year sticker application.

Replacement and Duplicate Registration Office Locations In Oregon

Where do I go to replace my vehicle registration?

You can get a replacement vehicle registration in Oregon by visiting your local DMV office, sending an application and payment by mail, or filling out an online application and paying through the DMV website.

If you replace your car registration online, you can print out a temporary registration paper. If you apply for a replacement registration in person at a DMV office, you will be given a temporary registration paper. In both cases, your permanent registration paper will arrive in the mail.

What to Do with Old License Plates

Where can I get rid of my old license plates in Oregon?

If you have old, rusted license plates, you may want to replace them with newer plates. You can do this by filling out the same application and paying the same replacement plate fee.

When you get new license plates, you should take your old ones into the DMV or recycle them at an aluminum recycling center. You aren’t required to do this by law, but it’s an easy and responsible way to dispose of old license plates.

Replacing Your License Plates with Specialty Plates

Oregon offers a range of specialty license plates, including the Oregon Salmon plates and the Portland Trail Blazers plates.

If you want to upgrade to one of these specialty license plates when you replace your license plates. you’ll have to fill out a custom plate application. You will have to pay an additional fee for these specialty plates, which will be added to the regular renewal fee at the time of renewal.

If you want a custom license plate but not a specialty one, you will also have to fill out a custom plate application.

To find more information about replacing your registration, license plates, or stickers in Oregon, call the Oregon DMV number for your area or visit the Oregon DMV website.