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All state guides Oregon dealer license

How to get a used car dealer license in Oregon

You mail or hand-deliver Form 735-370 to the Oregon DMV Business Licensing Unit for a three-year vehicle dealer certificate. Oregon requires eight hours of pre-licensing education, a $50,000 bond, city or county approval of the location, and an insurance certificate on DMV's own form.

  • Sourced to Oregon DMV
  • Checked October 2026
  • Free
License
Three-year vehicle dealer certificate
Surety bond
$50,000
State fee
$1,188 (includes one plate)
Pre-license course
8 hours + tests
Background check
No fingerprints listed
License term
3 years
What the state asks for

Oregon dealer license requirements

The figures a first-time used car dealer needs before applying to Oregon DMV. Each row shows how well it is supported.

Surety bond
$50,000Official source

Filed on DMV's bond form (735-370B) in the sum of $50,000 for each year the certificate is valid. Claims from anyone other than retail customers are capped at $10,000. The statute also allows a letter of credit.

State license fee
$1,188 (includes one plate)Official source

The amount on DMV's current application for an original three-year certificate with one dealer plate. Each additional location is $350 and each additional dealer plate is $55.

Pre-license education
8 hours + testsOfficial source

At least eight hours from a DMV-approved provider, with a test for each course hour passed at 70 percent or better, completed within one year before you apply. Renewals need four hours for each year.

Background check
No fingerprints listedOfficial source

The packet asks for a copy of each owner's government photo ID and each principal's dealer history. It lists no fingerprint card. DMV may investigate the statements in your application.

Insurance
25/50/20 liability, DMV formOfficial source

Liability coverage at Oregon's minimum limits ($25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, $20,000 property damage) on all dealership vehicles. The certificate must be on DMV's form. ACORD forms and binders are refused.

Business location
Display space, sign, public contactOfficial source

Space to display at least one vehicle, a way for the public to reach you during normal business hours, a permanent exterior sign with the dealership name, and the certificate on display. The city or county must approve the address.

License term and renewal
3 yearsOfficial source

The certificate expires three years after it is issued. Renewal needs 12 hours of continuing education, a bond and a new insurance certificate. A renewal filed 16 to 45 days after expiration costs an extra $150.

Sales allowed without a license
5 per calendar yearOfficial source

You may sell vehicles you owned mainly for personal, family or household use. Once you sell or offer more than five in one calendar year, the burden is on you to prove they were personal vehicles.

Processing time
2 to 3 weeksOfficial source

DMV says a complete application can take 2 to 3 weeks. The state license directory lists one month. You cannot do any dealer business until the application is approved.

“Official source” means the state agency’s own page, form or law. Where the state’s sources did not settle a point, the row says so instead of showing a guess.

Who issues the license

Oregon Department of Transportation, Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV), Business Licensing Unit

License you apply for

Three-year vehicle dealer certificate

Official licensing page

Pay the amount on the current form

DMV's Form 735-370 (revision 8-26) lists $1,188 for an original certificate with one dealer plate. The statute sets the certificate fee at $1,100, and the form total includes the plate. The Legislature amended parts of the dealer chapter in its 2026 session, so download the packet from DMV when you apply and pay the amount printed on it.
Step by step

How to get a Oregon dealer license

The order that works for a first application. Tick each step off as you finish it.

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  1. Register the business and get its numbers

    Register the company or assumed business name with the Oregon Secretary of State and get a federal EIN. The application asks for your Oregon registry number and your FEIN, not a Social Security number. DMV will not issue a certificate under a name that is identical to, or cannot be told apart from, an existing dealer's name.

    Oregon Business Registry · FEIN

  2. Complete eight hours of dealer education

    One of the applicants named on the application must finish at least eight hours with a DMV-approved provider and pass the test for each course hour with 70 percent or better. Do it within one year before you apply. DMV lists four approved providers on its Instructions for Becoming a Dealer page.

    ORS 822.027 · 8 hours

  3. Get city or county approval of the location

    Fill in the business address on Line 3, then take the application to the local zoning, planning or community development office. An official signs Lines 9 to 11 to confirm the address complies with local land use rules. Any change to Line 3 after that voids the approval, so settle the address first.

    Form 735-370, Lines 9 to 11

  4. Set up the sign and display space

    The location needs room to display at least one vehicle, a way for the public to contact you during normal business hours, and a permanent exterior sign showing the dealership name. If local zoning stops you from meeting one of these, you can ask DMV for an exemption on Form 735-7178 with a letter from the zoning authority.

    OAR 735-150-0030

  5. Get the $50,000 bond on DMV's form

    Your surety completes, signs and seals the bond form in the packet, and an owner signs it too with an original signature. The owner names, legal name, business name and business address on the bond must match the application exactly.

    Form 735-370B · $50,000

  6. Have your insurer complete DMV's certificate

    The insurance company completes, signs and stamps the Certificate of Insurance in the packet. DMV accepts the insurer's own form only if it duplicates the DMV form, and it does not accept ACORD forms or binders. The names and address must match the application exactly.

    Certificate of Insurance, 735-370B

  7. Send the complete packet with $1,188

    Mail or deliver the application, bond, insurance certificate, education certificate, photo ID copies for every owner and the fee to the DMV Business Licensing Unit, 1905 Lana Ave NE, Salem OR 97314. DMV returns applications with any part missing. Processing can take 2 to 3 weeks, and you cannot do dealer business until you are approved.

    Form 735-370 · $1,188

Practical advice

Hand your insurance agent the DMV certificate page from the packet instead of asking for proof of garage liability, because DMV rejects ACORD forms and binders. Get the city or county signature early, since it is the one item you do not control. Check that the legal name, business name and address read exactly the same on the application, the bond and the insurance certificate.

Before you apply

Seven things to settle before any state application: the business, the owners, the money and the property.

Read the startup playbook
The lot and the office

Oregon dealer location requirements

What the state checks at the business address.

  • Enough space to display one or more vehicles of the type your certificate covers.
  • A way for the public to reach the dealer or an employee at all times during normal business hours.
  • An exterior sign permanently attached to the land or a building, showing the dealership name, with letters clearly visible from the main road.
  • The vehicle dealer certificate displayed where the public can see it. DMV grants no exemption from this rule.
  • City or county zoning approval signed on the original application (Lines 9 to 11). Some local offices charge a fee to sign.
  • Vehicles may be sold and displayed only at the location on the certificate. Each extra location needs Form 735-372 and $350.
  • Exemptions from the display, contact and sign rules are granted only for local zoning restrictions, on Form 735-7178.

Zoning comes first

A site that meets the state’s rules can still fail local zoning. Get written approval for vehicle sales from the city or county, and ask the landlord for a lease that depends on the license being issued, before you sign.
Once you are licensed

Keeping a Oregon dealer license

Renewal and ongoing duties

Renew before the certificate expires. DMV sends no reminders. Renewal needs 12 hours of continuing education (four per year), a bond and a new insurance certificate. If your bond or insurance is canceled, stop dealer business until it is replaced. After 45 days you must reapply. File Form 735-371 before you change the name, location or owners. Keep sale records for five years.

Federal rules that apply here too

  • The FTC Buyers Guide, posted on every used vehicle you offer for sale.
  • The FTC Safeguards Rule: a written plan for protecting customer financial information.
  • IRS Form 8300 when a customer pays more than $10,000 in cash.
  • A federal odometer disclosure on each transfer.
How each federal rule works
FAQ

Oregon dealer license FAQ

The questions first-time dealers ask most.

How do I get a used car dealer license in Oregon?

Oregon calls it a vehicle dealer certificate. Complete eight hours of approved dealer education, get your city or county to sign the location approval on Form 735-370, obtain a $50,000 bond and an insurance certificate on DMV's forms, and send the packet with $1,188 to the DMV Business Licensing Unit in Salem. DMV says a complete application can take 2 to 3 weeks.

How much is the dealer bond in Oregon?

$50,000 for each year the certificate is valid. It must be on DMV's bond form, signed and sealed by a surety authorized in Oregon and signed by an owner. A dealer that sells only motorcycles, mopeds, Class I all-terrain vehicles or snowmobiles posts $10,000 instead.

How much does an Oregon dealer license cost?

DMV's current application lists $1,188 for an original three-year certificate, which includes one dealer plate. Each additional location is $350 and each additional dealer plate is $55. The education course, the bond premium and your insurance are paid separately to those providers, and some cities and counties charge a fee to sign the location approval.

Do I need a pre-licensing course in Oregon?

Yes. An applicant must complete at least eight hours from a DMV-approved provider and pass a test for each course hour with a score of 70 percent or better, within one year before applying. You are exempt if you already hold another Oregon vehicle dealer certificate. To renew, you need four hours of continuing education for each year of the certificate.

Can I get an Oregon dealer license without a car lot?

You need an approved business location, but Oregon sets no minimum lot size. Each location must have space to display at least one vehicle, a way for the public to reach you during business hours, a permanent exterior sign and the certificate on display. DMV exempts a dealer from the first three only when local zoning prevents compliance, and the city or county must sign off on the address.

How many cars can I sell in Oregon without a dealer license?

Oregon exempts an owner who sells vehicles held mainly for personal, family or household use. If you sell, trade or offer more than five vehicles in one calendar year, the law puts the burden on you to prove they were personal vehicles. Vehicles you buy in order to resell are not covered by this exemption.

Sources

Checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Fees, bond amounts and forms change, and local zoning rules vary. Confirm current requirements with Oregon DMV or your attorney before you sign a lease or pay a fee.

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