Gifting a Car in Oregon
If you hold the vehicle title, you can gift a car by filling out some information on the back of the title, notifying the DMV, and paying title transfer fees.
Written by Amber Reed
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Gifting a car in Oregon is a straightforward and tax-free process, as long as the car is paid off and the title is free of any lien holders. Paying a few hundred dollars in fees and doing some paperwork is all it takes to give someone the gift of new wheels!
A car is one of those amazing, big-ticket gift items that the stuff of dreams are made of. Whether you’re giving or receiving, it’s sure to be a moment everyone will remember. But giving a car as a gift requires a few more steps than just getting one of those enormous bows, and every state has different regulations around gifting a vehicle.
To make sure the big moment goes smoothly,
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How to buy a car as a gift in Oregon
The most straightforward way to give a new car as a gift to someone is to bring the recipient with you to the car dealership. When you buy a car at a dealership, they take care of the titling process on site. But you can’t transfer a title to someone else if any money is owed on the vehicle—you have to own it free and clear first.
If you want to give a new car to someone who can’t otherwise afford to buy one, it’s best to make them a part of the shopping and buying process. That way you know they’re getting the car they want, and it avoids any future legal or financial tangles.
Key Takeaway You’ll need full possession of the title before you can give a car away as a gift—so if you want to gift a new car, bringing the lucky recipient to the dealership with you is the easiest way to do it.
MORE: How to buy a new car
How to gift a used car in Oregon
If you’re hoping to create a cinematic driveway reveal or just want to help out someone you love, the best way to gift a vehicle is to transfer the title of a car that you already have. It doesn’t need to be an old car, either. If you’ve purchased a new car outright or just paid off the loan on one, you can easily make it a gift.
Negotiate the terms of the gift with your recipient
Once everyone has stopped screaming and jumping up and down, make sure you take some time to discuss the nuts and bolts of the arrangement with the lucky recipient. The car may be a gift, but there are still costs to transfer the title as well as costs of ownership.
In Oregon, the cost to transfer a title is around $101 to $192. There is a
fee calculator
on the Oregon DMV website that will help determine exactly what your cost will be. Residents of Portland and Medford may also need an emissions test to transfer a title. Discuss and establish who’s going to pay for the transfer fees, as well as who is going to be responsible for maintenance, insurance, fuel, and other associated costs. Owning a car in Oregon isn’t cheap, and you want to make sure you’re not springing an unanticipated financial burden on someone.
Here are some of the costs of car ownership you should discuss:
Cost | Oregon average |
|---|---|
Title transfer | $101 to $192 |
Registration fee | $126 to $316 |
Insurance | $1,804 (liability only)
$2,117 (full coverage) per year |
Maintenance | $1,000 per year |
Fuel | $800 to 1,200 per year |
Record of the gift with a bill of sale
Even if you’re not actually selling it, you still need to document the transfer of ownership. This can be done two ways: you and the recipient can fill out and sign the appropriate areas on the back of the title, or you can complete a
Vehicle Bill of Sale
. As the gifter of the vehicle, you are required to notify the DMV within 10 days that you have given the vehicle away as a gift.
Transfer the vehicle title
The final bit of paperwork will be getting a new title in the name of the giftee. To do this, the new owner will need to complete an
Application for Title and Registration
. This has to be done within 30 days of acquiring the vehicle to avoid paying a late fee. Once the recipient has filled out all the paperwork, they can bring everything (along with a valid driver’s license) to the DMV to pay the fees and complete the process. They may need to make an
appointment
—check with your local DMV branch for details. If preferred, the application materials and fee payment can be mailed to:
Oregon DMV
1905 Lana Ave NE
Salem, OR 97314
Purchase Oregon liability insurance—or full coverage
Before you call it a day, make sure that the car will have at least enough insurance to meet Oregon’s minimum requirements. Once that’s done, your recipient is ready to explore the Pacific Northwest in their lovely new wheels!
MORE: How to register a car in Oregon
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FAQs
Do you have to pay taxes on a gifted car in Oregon?
Nope. Oregon doesn’t have any sales tax, and that also applies to cars given as gifts. Sweet!
Is it better to gift a car or sell it for $1 in Oregon?
If you’re not going to sell the car for its fair market value, then gifting it is the most legitimate way to go.
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