SALEM, Ore. — Oregon license plate tags, trip permits and vehicle title application fees are all set to rise about 3% on Jan. 1, tacking on $3 to most title fees and $4 to most two-year registration fees.
The rate hike is the third in a series of four scheduled increases prescribed by the transportation investment package that the state legislature passed in 2017. The final hike is scheduled for January 2024.
Oregonians whose vehicle tags are set to expire on or after Jan. 1 will need to pay the new fee, even if they renew before the end of the year. The Oregon DMV has already started mailing out renewal reminders with the updated fees, according to a press release from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).
Current registration fees for conventional gas and hybrid vehicles range from $122 to $152 for two years, depending on the vehicle's fuel economy. Each fee is scheduled to increase by $4, ODOT said, for a new range of $126 to $156. There is also a four-year registration option for new vehicles, where all the costs are doubled.
Title fees currently range from $98 to $113 depending on the vehicle's fuel economy, with all vehicle models from 1999 or earlier included in the lowest fuel economy tier. Those fees will each rise by $3, for a new range of $101 to $116.
Fully electric vehicles have different fees depending on whether they're enrolled in OReGO, the state's mileage tax program, which is intended to offset the gas tax revenue that is lost to battery-powered vehicles that never fill up at the pump.
Registration for OReGO vehicles costs $172 every two years and will not increase next year. Registration for EVs that are not in OReGO will rise from $306 to $316 for a two-year renewal. Electric vehicle title fees will rise from $187 to $192.
The increased funds will go toward a variety of programs including safety improvements around schools, preparing bridges and roads for earthquakes, reducing congestion and local street improvements through the Small City Allotment program, according to ODOT.