How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Oregon in 2026

Vehicle title transfers in Oregon are administered by Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services (DMV), a division of the Oregon Department of Transportation. A transfer between family members is handled through the same title system used for other private transactions, with the ownership record updated only after DMV receives and processes the required title documents.

A family transfer in Oregon may be documented as either a gift or a sale, but the filing process remains a DMV title transfer. Under ORS 803.092, the transferee must submit the application for title within 30 days after the transfer of interest to avoid a late fee.

What Does Transferring a Car Title to a Family Member in Oregon Mean?

Transferring a car title to a family member in Oregon means changing the legal owner of record through the state title process. The Oregon certificate of title is the ownership document for the vehicle, and the DMV requires the original title or another ownership document before issuing a replacement title in the new owner’s name.

Until the DMV processes the transfer, the current owner remains the one shown on the DMV records. The Oregon DMV states that the DMV can record the sale, donation, or gift, but the transferor remains listed as the owner until the buyer completes the title transfer.

Eligible Family Members for Title Transfers in Oregon

Oregon does not provide a separate routine DMV title-transfer procedure based solely on family relationships. A transfer to a spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, stepparent, stepchild, or another relative is still processed as a standard title transfer through the DMV.

Common family transfers include:

• Spouse to spouse
• Parent to child
• Child to parent
• Grandparent to grandchild
• Grandchild to grandparent
• Sibling to sibling
• Stepparent to stepchild
• Stepchild to stepparent

Oregon also does not impose a general state sales tax on ordinary private vehicle transactions. The state vehicle use tax applies to certain vehicles purchased from dealers outside Oregon, so it is not the standard tax rule for a routine in-state family transfer between private individuals.

How To Transfer a Car Title as a Gift to a Family Member in Oregon

Step 1 — Confirm That the Title Can Be Transferred
The current owner should locate the Oregon title and confirm that any recorded security interest has been released. If a lien remains active, DMV will also require the lienholder’s signed release before title can be issued to the recipient.

Step 2 — Complete the Ownership Assignment
The transferor should sign and date the back of the title. The Oregon DMV also accepts a Vehicle Bill of Sale (Form 735-501) as a release document, but the title itself remains the primary ownership document for the transfer.

Step 3 — Record the Odometer Reading if Required
If the vehicle is a 2011 model year or newer and is under 20 years old, the odometer reading must be disclosed to the other party. Oregon DMV directs the seller and buyer to enter and sign the odometer disclosure on the title when that rule applies.

Step 4 — Notify DMV of the Gift
The transferor must notify the DMV within 10 days after the transfer. That notice may be filed online through DMV2U or on the Notice of Sale or Transfer of a Vehicle (Form 735-6890), which Oregon states is used only to update the DMV's record and is not a bill of sale.

Step 5 — Decide How To Handle the Plates
Oregon DMV states that the owner may remove the license plates before selling, donating, or gifting the vehicle. If the plates are retained, the recipient will need to register them in the recipient’s own name or under another plate arrangement authorized by the DMV.

Step 6 — Submit the Title Application
The recipient must submit the Application for Title and Registration (Form 735-226), the original title, any required releases, and the applicable fees to the DMV by mail or at a DMV office.

Step 7 — File Within the Statutory Deadline
The application for the title should be submitted within 30 days after the transfer date. If DMV receives the transfer after that deadline, late title fees apply.

How To Transfer a Car Title as a Sale to a Family Member in Oregon

Step 1 — Complete the Title Assignment
For a family sale, the seller should sign and date the title and enter the buyer's information in the assignment area. The Oregon DMV also accepts a written bill of sale as supporting transfer documentation when needed.

Step 2 — State the Transaction Amount Accurately
The sale records should show the actual purchase price and date of transfer. Even in a family sale, the DMV expects accurate transaction information in the title paperwork and related records.

Step 3 — Provide Odometer Disclosure When Required
For vehicles with a model year of 2011 or newer and under 20 years old, the mileage disclosure must be completed by both parties as part of the transfer documentation.

Step 4 — Obtain Any Lien Release
If a lender is shown on the title, the lienholder must sign the title or provide a separate signed release of interest before the DMV can issue a clear Oregon title to the buyer.

Step 5 — File the Seller’s Transfer Notice
The seller must report the sale to the DMV within 10 days. Oregon allows this through DMV2U or through Form 735-6890.

Step 6 — Handle Registration Plates Appropriately
Oregon does not require the seller to leave plates on the vehicle. The DMV states that the plates may be removed before the transfer. If the seller later moves those plates to another vehicle, Oregon plate-transfer rules and fees apply.

Step 7 — Submit the Buyer’s Title Application
The buyer must send or deliver the Oregon title application, the original title, any required lien releases, and the required fees to the DMV. DMV accepts title transactions by mail and at DMV offices.

Step 8 — Complete the Transfer on Time
The buyer should submit the title application within 30 days after the date of sale. Late filing triggers Oregon’s late title transfer fee schedule.

For a routine in-state family sale, Oregon does not add a general sales tax through the DMV. The Oregon vehicle use tax, as described by the Department of Revenue, applies only to certain dealer sales outside Oregon and is not the standard tax treatment for a private family sale within the state.

What Documents Are Needed To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Oregon

Required for All Transfers

• Application for Title and Registration (Form 735-226) — This is the main DMV application used to request a new Oregon title and, if applicable, registration. The form includes owner information, vehicle information, plate choices, and title and registration selections on Form 735-226.
• Original title or ownership document — DMV requires the original Oregon title or another acceptable ownership document to transfer ownership, as described on the titling and registration page.
• Odometer disclosure — An odometer disclosure is required between the parties if the vehicle is model year 2011 or newer and under 20 years old, according to Oregon DMV’s vehicle information guidance.
• Lien release — If a prior security interest appears on the title, DMV requires the original signed release from the lienholder before a clear title can be issued.

Additional Documents for Sale Transfers

• Vehicle Bill of Sale (Form 735-501) — This bill of sale can document the buyer, seller, vehicle description, VIN, purchase date, and transfer of interest. It is useful supporting documentation for a private family sale.
• Releases or bills of sale from previous owners — If the ownership chain is incomplete on the title, the DMV may require original releases or bills of sale from prior owners.

Documents Required in Specific Circumstances

• Notice of Sale or Transfer of a Vehicle (Form 735-6890) — This notice form is filed by the transferor within 10 days so DMV can note the sale, donation, or gift on the record.
• VIN inspection documentation — A VIN inspection is required for vehicles coming from another state or another country.
• Use Tax Certificate — A use tax certificate may be required if the vehicle was bought from an out-of-state dealer and is new or has 7,500 miles or less.
• Estate documents — If the former owner is deceased, the DMV may require a death certificate, an inheritance affidavit, letters testamentary, or other estate documents.
• Notarization — Oregon’s standard DMV title-transfer instructions and the common transfer forms identified above do not require notarization for an ordinary private title transfer.

How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member Online in Oregon

Oregon does not offer a fully online private-party title transfer for a routine family transaction. DMV’s titling and registration instructions state that the title application and original ownership documents must be mailed to the DMV or submitted at a DMV office.

What's the Cost To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Oregon?

Oregon’s title and registration charges are set by statute and the DMV vehicle fee schedule. For most passenger vehicles, the title fee is fixed, while registration charges vary by fuel economy category, electric status, county, and plate choice.

Title and Related Fees

Passenger Vehicle Registration Fees

These are the two-year passenger registration fees shown by Oregon DMV for registrations that begin or expire after December 31, 2025:

Additional county fees may apply:

Oregon does not impose a general sales tax through the DMV title-transfer process for an ordinary in-state family transfer. The Department of Revenue instead applies a 0.5% vehicle use tax only to certain taxable vehicles purchased from dealers outside Oregon. As a result, a routine private gift or private family sale within Oregon is generally not taxed in the same manner as an out-of-state dealer transaction.

Contact Information

Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services
1905 Lana Ave NE, Salem, OR 97314
Phone: (503) 945-5000
Official Website: Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services