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

Updated on Mar 23, 2023

Table of Contents

How to buy a car as a gift in Oregon
How to gift a used car in Oregon
How to find affordable car insurance in Oregon

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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is here to fill you in on what you need to know about gifting a car in Oregon. Read on, and then you can get one of those big ol’ bows. We recommend classic red.

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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: Foodie road trip Pacific Northwest

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Jerry
was quick, simple, and saved me a headache searching for the best policy on my brand-new car. I definitely like this service!” —Rich N.

How to find affordable car insurance in Oregon

Car insurance in

Oregon

isn’t cheap, and whether you or the recipient will be purchasing it, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible.

With

Jerry

, you’ll find that the process of finding great insurance is the easiest aspect of the whole car-gifting process. Download the app, enter a little bit of info, and within minutes, Jerry will shop for quotes from over 50 top insurance companies to bring you the best deals.

Whether you’re switching providers or getting car insurance for the first time, Jerry has you covered from beginning to end. All the paperwork is taken care of with a few clicks, and you can even get help canceling your old policy if you like.