What is the Vehicle Code?

Behind the laws, regulations, and enforcement of Oregon's streets, roads, and freeways, is a legal framework called the vehicle code. The Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) periodically compiles it into a book known as the vehicle code.

In addition to ensuring the safety of both motorists and others, including cyclists and pedestrians, the Oregon vehicle code can serve to clarify questions or clarifications that are bound to come up with vehicles and driving.

Oregon's vehicle code also covers such matters as vehicle sales, including a lemon law, and emissions testing and requirements.

How to Access the Code

The 2007 version of Oregon's vehicle code, currently applicable to the state's residents and roads, is available online in PDF or HTML, which may be easier to access or for cutting and pasting into other documents.

The entire vehicle code can be downloaded, but it is a fairly large, 3.8-megabyte file and might take some time. Users of the Oregon DMV's site for vehicle code may find it easier to choose the right part of the code to look at to get only a portion of the code.

The chapters are listed as follows:

• General provisions, definitions

• Administrative

• Vehicle registration and title

• Special provisions for registration

• Insurance, law on financial responsibility

• Licenses, permits, and privileges

• Suspension, revocation, habitual offender, vehicle impound

• Law enforcement and the courts

• Driving rules

• DUII

Other topics included in the different chapters of Oregon's vehicle code include:

• Passengers, pedestrians, motorized wheelchairs, two and three-wheel vehicles

• Equipment

• Lights

• Destroyed, abandoned, or stolen vehicle identification numbers (VINs)

• Special vehicle provisions

• All-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles

• Vehicle business, including dealers

You may also purchase a hard copy of the Oregon vehicle code for $5. Send a request in writing along with the payment to:

• DMV Record Services

• 1905 Lana Ave. NE

• Salem, OR 97314

Check Your Driver's License Status

Whenever you need or want to check the status of your driver’s license, you can order a driving record report. This record will spell out if your driver’s license is currently valid. Should your license have been revoked or suspended, the report will indicate that according to what’s on record at the DMV. This report will also show points against your license and, in some cases, information on any accidents you have had.

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