Oregon Auto Dealer Bond and License Requirements
In Oregon, you apply to DMV for a three-year vehicle dealer or rebuilder certificate, and a $50,000 surety bond is filed with your application. This page covers the bond, the DMV fees, the pre-licensing education, and the steps to get your car dealer license in Oregon.
- Who requires it: Oregon DMV Business Licensing (ODOT Driver & Motor Vehicle Services); ORS 822.030 (as cited on DMV Form 735-370B).
- Timing: We submit complete applications to the carrier promptly; most quotes within one business day.
Official Oregon Requirements
"THIS BOND SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE AS OF THE DATE THE PRINCIPAL(S) IS ISSUED A VEHICLE DEALER CERTIFICATE BY THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION."Oregon DMV Form 735-370 (Original Application for Three Year Vehicle Dealer Certificate) • View Official Requirements →
The $50,000 bond for a three-year dealer or rebuilder certificate
Oregon's program covers both a dealer and a rebuilder of vehicles on one DMV application, Form 735-370. The bond is submitted with that application on the DMV bond form (Form 735-370B), and it binds you to the State of Oregon. DMV's bond form states both that the penal sum is $50,000 "FOR EACH YEAR THE CERTIFICATE IS VALID" and that the bond is "CONTINUOUS IN FORM" and stays in effect for the whole certification period and each renewal, until depleted by claims paid; confirm which reading applies to you with Oregon DMV. The bond becomes effective on the date DMV issues your dealer certificate.
What the bond protects and its limits
The bond holds you to conducting business without fraud or fraudulent representation and without violating the Oregon Vehicle Code provisions the form cites. The maximum payable under the bond for claims by persons other than retail customers is $10,000. The surety's liability is limited to the penal sum of the bond. A surety can cancel the bond by giving written notice to ODOT's Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division. What you pay is a share of the bond amount, set by the surety from your credit and finances.
License steps and documents
You file Form 735-370 with DMV Business Licensing, part of ODOT Driver & Motor Vehicle Services, which issues vehicle dealer certificates. You need eight hours of pre-licensing education from a provider DMV recognizes. You must carry vehicle liability insurance: the form cites ORS 822.033 for the requirement and ORS 806.070 for the amounts, and it lists an exemption from filing the insurance certificate for dealers dealing exclusively in certain vehicle types (Form 735-7024). Confirm the required coverage amounts with Oregon DMV. You also need city or county location approval on your original application.
Fees
The fees below come from Form 735-370 and the change form (Form 735-371).
- Original three-year certificate: $1,188.00, which includes one plate.
- Each additional location: $350.00, filed on a supplemental application (Form 735-372).
- Business name change: $30, with a bond rider and an updated certificate of insurance.
- Address change: $30 for each business location.
Location approval and your lot
Your location must have sufficient space to display one or more vehicles of the type your certificate covers. You must display an exterior sign affixed to the land or building that identifies the business. City or county location approval is required on your original application.
Renewal, expiration, and keeping the bond in force
The dealer certificate runs for three years. For renewals, you need four hours of education per year in a licensing period. Keep the bond in force when you renew. If your name, address, or ownership structure changes, DMV needs a bond rider and an updated certificate of insurance.
Steps
- Do your education. Complete eight hours of pre-licensing education from a provider DMV recognizes.
- Line up the bond. Have your bonding company complete, sign, and seal DMV's bond form (Form 735-370B) for the $50,000 penal sum.
- Get insurance. Obtain vehicle liability insurance; the form cites ORS 822.033, with an exemption from filing the insurance certificate for dealers dealing exclusively in certain vehicle types (Form 735-7024).
- Set up your lot. Get city or county location approval, keep space to display vehicles, and post an exterior sign.
- Plan the fees. Budget $1,188.00 for the original certificate, plus $350.00 for each additional location on Form 735-372.
- Submit to DMV. File Form 735-370 with DMV Business Licensing; you cannot conduct dealer business until DMV issues your certificate.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the auto dealer bond in Oregon?
DMV's bond form sets the penal sum at $50,000.
What form do I file for a car dealer license in Oregon?
You file DMV Form 735-370, the application for a Three Year Vehicle Dealer Certificate as a dealer or rebuilder, and the bond goes on Form 735-370B.
How long does it take to get a dealer license in Oregon?
DMV says complete applications can take about 2-3 weeks to process, and you cannot conduct dealer business until DMV issues your certificate.
How long is the dealer certificate good for?
It is a three-year vehicle dealer certificate.
Is pre-licensing education required?
Yes, eight hours from a provider DMV recognizes; renewals need four hours of education per year in a licensing period.
Who issues the dealer license in Oregon?
DMV Business Licensing, part of ODOT Driver & Motor Vehicle Services, issues vehicle dealer certificates.
What does the bond cover?
It holds you to conducting business without fraud or the Oregon Vehicle Code violations the form cites, with a $10,000 maximum payable on claims by persons other than retail customers.
Do I need liability insurance?
Yes; the form cites ORS 822.033 for the requirement and ORS 806.070 for the amounts, with an exemption from filing the insurance certificate for dealers dealing exclusively in certain vehicle types (Form 735-7024).
How do I get an Oregon auto dealer bond?
Request a quote with the form on this page. A licensed agent submits your application to a Treasury-listed surety carrier; once the carrier issues your bond, file it as the requiring agency directs.
What happens after I apply?
We submit complete applications to the carrier promptly; most quotes come back within one business day. The carrier decides approval and the final premium, and you pay only when your bond is issued.
Checking nearby states? See our dealer bond pages for Washington, Idaho, California, and Nevada.
Oregon dealers: vehicles without a title
If a trade-in or auction unit arrives with a missing or defective title, a bonded title may clear it. See the Oregon bonded title page, or see how bonded titles work in other states.
Four situations dealers run into have their own guides: salvage and rebuilt vehicle titles, a trade-in from another state with no title, trailer title rules and VIN corrections on a trade-in.
Stocking more than cars? See motorcycle titles for dealers, a boat with no title and titling an older unit without paperwork.
Handling titles regularly? See how we work with dealers and title services.
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All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov). BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-listed surety carriers.
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