Oregon DMV Fees Increase Jan. 1, 2018

To help fund the state's $5.3 billion transportation infrastructure package, finalized by the Oregon Legislature in July and signed by Gov. Kate Brown in late August, the costs for vehicle registrations, titles, and trip permit fees will increase. That increase will take effect Jan. 1, 2018.

As renewal notices with the new registration fees are released by the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles next month, car owners will notice the fee for a renewed two-year passenger vehicle registration increases from $86 to $112.

House Bill 2017 passed with bipartisan support after a handful of senators and representatives from various districts across the state took a tour of Oregon's roads and found them wanting — badly.

Also contributing the the massive infrastructure package will be a new .5 percent tax on car, motorhome, and recreational vehicle purchases, a new $15 fee attached to bicycle purchases of more than $200, a new statewide .1 percent payroll tax on Oregon workers, a 10-cent total increase to the state's gas tax (beginning with a 4-cent increase next year and an additional 2 cents every two years after), and — possibly — highway tolls throughout the metro region.

According to DMV officials, the newly increased and imposed fees will support:

• Highway maintenance, preservation, seismic upgrades and safety, including specific construction projects across the state;
• Increased funding for small cities and counties;
• A Safe Routes to School infrastructure program to reduce barriers and hazards for children walking or bicycling to and from school; and
• Economic benefits by sustaining jobs, keeping freight moving, and providing a boost to local communities across the state.

Vehicle owners who receive registration renewals prior to the Jan. 1 fee increase date, but whose registrations do not expire until after Jan. 1, will pay the newly increased fees. DMV officials said this is because the new fees are based on the registration renewal date, not the date the renewal fee is actually paid.

For information on your local DMV, such as addresses and open hours, visit OregonDMV.com. For information on possible forthcoming road projects in your area, visit Oregon.gov/ODOT.

Image: Travis Loose, Patch News