How to Get a Dealer License in Oregon: Cost & Requirements

Last updated: August 18, 2026

Oregon is one of the few states where the required class is a real, ongoing cost. You need eight hours of pre-certification education and a 70% test score before you apply — then four hours a year of continuing education to keep the certificate. The certificate itself is $1,188 and runs three years.

Oregon Shifts the Burden of Proof, It Doesn’t Set a Limit

Most states give you a number. Oregon gives you a presumption. If you have sold, traded, displayed or offered for sale, trade or exchange more than five vehicles in one calendar year, the law puts the burden on you to prove those vehicles were owned for personal use.

Below five, the state has to prove you were dealing. Above five, you have to prove you were not — and that is a much worse position to argue from. Treat five as the practical ceiling, not a safe harbour.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Original three-year certificate	$1,188	Includes one dealer plate
Additional locations	$350 each	Supplemental application Form 735-372; not prorated
Additional dealer plates	$550 each	Two sizes available
Surety bond	See below	DMV form; original wet signature required
Liability insurance	Required	DMV form only — ACORD forms and binders are refused
Pre-certification education	8 hours	Plus 4 hours per year to renew
Oregon LLC	$100	Filed with the Secretary of State

The Bond Is Written Per Year of the Certificate

Oregon phrases its bond unusually, and it is worth reading the form rather than a summary. The DMV’s own bond form binds the principal and surety “in the penal sum of $50,000 for each year the certificate is valid” — and the certificate is a three-year certificate.

There is also a sub-limit most guides never mention: the maximum amount payable under the bond for claims by persons other than retail customers of the vehicle is $10,000. So the protection for other dealers and third parties is far smaller than the headline figure.

Because of that per-year phrasing, ask your surety how they will write and price it for the three-year term before you budget. You pay a premium, not the penal sum — but the premium depends on how the bond is structured.

Dealers holding the legacy certificate for motorcycles, mopeds, Class I ATVs and snowmobiles exclusively are bonded at a lower amount.

The Education Requirement Is Real and Recurring

This is what separates Oregon from most states in this series — the class does not end when you get licensed:

• Eight hours minimum of an approved pre-certification education program, and you must pass the tests with at least 70%.
• Four hours minimum per year of approved continuing education for each year of the certification period, to renew.
• Programs are re-approved by an advisory committee every two years, so a provider approved once is not approved forever — check current status before you pay.
• An Education Certificate from a DMV-approved provider must accompany the application, or a Certification of Exemption (Form 735-370C).

DMV publishes the approved provider list; providers have included A Certified Dealer Education School, At Your Pace Online, Auto Dealers Certified Education School (OIADA) and the Automobile Dealer Training Association. Confirm against the DMV list before enrolling.

Do Not Let It Lapse

Oregon treats a late application harshly. Applying after the certificate has expired is treated as a new dealer application, not a renewal. That means a new dealer number and every original requirement again — city or county approval, the education requirement, and a fresh investigation of the application contents.

Worse, any dealer activity conducted after expiry and before the new application is approved counts as acting as an unlicensed dealer, exposing you to civil penalties. The same applies if your bond or liability insurance lapses: DMV mails a Notice of Cancellation and you must stop all business requiring the certificate until coverage is restored, with 45 days to reinstate.

How to Get Certified, In Order

1. Form the entity and settle the exact legal and business names.
2. Get zoning approval — the application carries a land use certification under ORS 822.025, and altering that line voids the location approval.
3. Complete eight hours of approved pre-certification education and pass at 70%.
4. Bind the surety bond on the DMV form with an original wet signature, matching the application exactly.
5. Get liability insurance certified on the DMV form — not an ACORD form.
6. Submit Form 735-370 with photo ID for every owner, partner, LLC member or officer, and the fees. Allow 2–3 weeks, and do no dealer business until it is approved.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cars can I sell in Oregon without a dealer license?

Oregon does not set a hard limit, it shifts the burden of proof. If you have sold, traded, displayed or offered for sale more than five vehicles in one calendar year, the law puts the burden on you to prove those vehicles were owned for personal use rather than for resale. Below five, the state has to make its case; above five, you do.

How much does an Oregon dealer certificate cost?

$1,188 for an original certificate, which includes one dealer plate, and the certificate runs three years. Additional locations are $350 each and additional dealer plates are $550 each. Supplemental certificate fees are not prorated and expire on the same date as the primary location’s certificate.

Is a course required for an Oregon dealer license?

Yes. Applicants must complete a minimum of eight hours of courses in an approved pre-certification education program and pass the required tests with a score of at least 70 percent. Renewal requires a minimum of four hours of continuing education for each year of the certification period. DMV publishes the list of approved providers.

What happens if my Oregon dealer certificate expires?

Applying after the certificate has expired is treated as a brand new dealer application, not a renewal. You get a new dealer number and must repeat every original requirement, including city or county approval and the education requirement. Any dealer activity between expiry and approval counts as acting as an unlicensed dealer.

Taxes, licensing and hiring are covered in our full guide to starting a business in Oregon.

Sources

Source	What It Covers
Oregon DMV Form 735-370 — Application for Three Year Vehicle Dealer Certificate	$1,188 original certificate including one plate, $350 additional locations, $550 additional plates, bond form penal sum and the $10,000 non-retail claim cap, wet-signature and no-ACORD rules, land use certification
ORS Chapter 822 — Vehicle Dealers	Three-year certificate term, eight-hour pre-certification education and 70% pass mark, four hours annual continuing education, two-year program re-approval, five-vehicle burden of proof
Oregon DMV Title and Registration Handbook, Chapter R: Dealers	Expired certificate treated as a new application, unlicensed-dealer exposure, bond and insurance cancellation and 45-day reinstatement, supplemental location rules
Oregon DMV — Instructions for Becoming a Dealer	Eight hours of pre-licensing education, approved provider list, 2–3 week processing, no dealer business before approval