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Oregon garage liability for motor vehicle dealers

Oregon dealers must keep liability insurance in force for the entire term of their dealer certificate unless DMV has accepted a certificate of exemption. The policy details must be submitted on Oregon DMV’s own Certificate of Insurance form; DMV warns that an ACORD form is not accepted for this filing. 1,2

What Is Garage Liability?

Garage liability can address injury and property-damage claims from auto repair and related garage operations. If you run a repair or service shop, check separately whether customer cars in your care need garagekeepers coverage for vehicle damage. Read the national Garage liability guide.

Oregon Requirements

RequirementDetails
Dealer liability filingContinuous during dealer certificate term unless DMV accepts an exemption 1

What to Watch for in Oregon

  • Use Oregon’s Certificate Form

    Oregon DMV requires insurance changes to be reported on its Certificate of Insurance form, not an ACORD certificate. Have the new carrier complete the state form before replacing a policy so the licensing record remains current. 1

  • A Coverage Gap Stops Dealer Activity

    Oregon says dealers without continuous bond or required liability coverage may not conduct activity requiring a valid dealer certificate. If a policy is canceled, the handbook says reinstatement is not available after 45 days without new bond or insurance proof, and the dealer must reapply. 1

  • Exemptions Depend On Exclusive Inventory Type

    Oregon’s exemption form allows certain dealers who deal exclusively in specified vehicle types to apply for an insurance exemption, but antique-only dealers cannot receive dealer plates. Confirm that every vehicle type you handle fits the exemption before omitting coverage. 2

Who Regulates Insurance in Oregon

Oregon Division of Financial Regulation

DFR handles complaints about most insurance lines and provides Oregon license checks for agents, agencies, and insurers. You can use its consumer complaint form if an insurer or agent is not following Oregon law or rules. 3,4,5

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 2% of Oregon-home-state gross premiums, plus 0.3% on premium or fees for fire marshal For Oregon-home-state risks, the surplus-lines licensee must collect a 2% tax on gross premiums and a 0.3% fire-marshal tax on premium or fees, in addition to the premium. Oregon requires the policy to warn that losses will not be paid by the state guaranty fund; the exempt-commercial-purchaser search exception requires admitted-market disclosure and a written request. 6,7,8,9

Surplus Line Association of Oregon

Providers With Documented State Licenses

No provider in Spot’s research documents both a state license record and this coverage line. This does not establish that providers are unlicensed. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm availability with a provider when requesting a quote.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Oregon

  1. Has Oregon DMV accepted an insurance-exemption certificate for every vehicle type we sell, or must we file liability coverage?
  2. Will our carrier complete the Oregon DMV Certificate of Insurance rather than send only an ACORD form?
  3. If the policy is canceled or replaced, who will deliver new proof to DMV before the lapse affects our dealer certificate?

Garage Liability in Oregon: FAQ

Does Oregon require dealers to maintain liability insurance? 1,2

Yes, throughout the dealer certificate term unless Oregon DMV accepts a certificate of exemption for the dealer’s qualifying vehicle type. 1,2

Can an Oregon dealer use an ACORD certificate for its DMV insurance filing? 1

No. Oregon DMV says the required policy information must be entered on its Certificate of Insurance form, not an ACORD form. 1

Garage Liability in Other States

Other Coverage in Oregon

Sources

  1. DMV Title and Registration Handbook, Chapter R: Dealers. Oregon Department of Transportation, Driver and Motor Vehicle Services; Insurance coverage, DMV Certificate of Insurance form, cancellation, reinstatement, and certificate renewal. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. Liability Insurance Certification of Exemption. Oregon Department of Transportation, DMV; Qualifying exclusive vehicle types and dealer-plate limits for exempt dealers. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. oregon insurance regulator. State insurance regulator; DFR homepage identifies consumer, licensing, and complaint services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. DFR Check a License. State insurance regulator; Insurance industry section links Oregon agent, agency, and company license-status search in NAIC SBS. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. DFR File a Complaint. State insurance regulator; Online insurance complaint form; DFR says it can review whether a company or agent follows Oregon law and rules. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Oregon Revised Statutes §735.470. Oregon Legislature; Subsections (1)(a)–(c), (4): 2% on Oregon-home-state gross premiums plus 0.3% of premium or fees for fire marshal; licensee collects taxes in addition to premium. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Oregon Revised Statutes §§735.405, 735.410, 735.470. Oregon Legislature; ORS 735.470(1)(a) taxes Oregon-home-state risks; ORS 735.418 authorizes interstate allocation procedures. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Surplus Lines Insurance. Oregon Division of Financial Regulation; Page states surplus-lines insurance through a nonlicensed insurer is not protected by the Oregon Insurance Guaranty Association. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Oregon Revised Statutes §§735.405, 735.410 and 735.415. Oregon Legislature; 2025 Edition online text: §§735.405(6), 735.410(1)–(2), 735.415(1)(b)–(2); current chapter text includes the ECP definition, diligence rule, disclosure/written-request exception, and policy warning against guaranty fund coverage. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  11. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  12. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  13. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  14. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  15. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  16. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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