Whether you live in the City of Roses or in the ‘burbs in Oregon, if you have a car you want to get rid of you want to get the most out of selling it. Right now the used car market is booming. Instead of going the easy route and trading it in at a dealership, you may be able to get more money selling on the private market. Here’s how to sell a car in Oregon and what you should know.
Step 1: Prepare your vehicle
The first thing you want to do is prepare your vehicle for selling. That means cleaning out your car and removing your belongings and any trash. Getting a car wash, buffing out any scratches, and putting in a car air freshener. While you may not be able to replicate the new car smell, you can freshen it up and prepare it for a new home. Getting your car prepared ahead of time and nice and clean can help you sell your vehicle faster and get a better deal.
Step 2: Take pretty photos of your car
After your car is clean and organized, it’s time to take pretty photos of your car. Your car’s photos are the first impression a buyer gets. You need to give them enough incentive to even want to see the car.
Think of it like a dating app, but for cars. You don’t join a dating app and put up just any photos. You put up photos that make you look good and represent you well. Do the same for your car. Take full interior photos and exterior photos and remember, it’s all about angles and lighting!
Step 3: List your vehicle on various car marketplaces
Now that you have photos, it’s time to list your vehicle on various car marketplaces. You can place car ads on:
- Facebook Marketplace
- OfferUp
- AutoTrader
Be sure to write compelling copy about the car and the more detail the better! Think like a dating app, but instead of selling yourself, you’re selling a car. Also, like a dating app, expect that many people will waste your time with one-off messages or questions that are already answered in your listing. But be patient and entertain serious buyers by replying in a timely fashion and with details as needed.
Step 4: Say yes to an inspection if asked
How do you separate the flakes and the serious buyers when it comes to selling a car in Oregon? Well, the serious buyers typically want an inspection. The buyer is usually on the hook for this and may bring the car to a mechanic of their choice, but you still want to be a willing participant and help out with the coordination. While it’s an added step, it means they’re serious.
Step 5: Get your documents in order
If you have a buyer that’s interested, to start selling a car in Oregon you want to get your documents in order first. Get the owner’s manual ready, any vehicle history records, etc. You also want to gather your title, get the Oregon DMV selling a car Bill of Sale Form and the Statement of Lien Satisfaction form, if you’ve paid off your car loan.
If you don’t have your car title, you’ll need to get a replacement title and can fill out an Application for Replacement. It’ll take about a week to get a replacement title and you’ll have to pay a fee, based on your car.
Step 6: Sign the back of the title or the Bill of Sale to transfer ownership
As part of selling a car in Oregon, you need to officially transfer ownership in one of two ways, per the Oregon DMV:
- Sign the back of your vehicle title.
- Sign the Bill of Sale Form.
You also want to make sure your lienholder signs the front of the title if you had a loan on the vehicle. It needs to be paid off and signed off by the lienholder in order to sell.
Additionally, if the car is less than 10 years old both you and the buyer will need to report the mileage on the odometer on the back of the title or on the Secure Odometer Disclosure form, which you must request to be mailed to you here. If it’s older than 10 years, you don’t need to do this part.
Doing one of these two steps is integral to complete the Oregon DMV selling a car process.
Step 7: Report the sale using DMV2U within 10 days
After accepting the money and transferring the title, you need to report the sale of the vehicle using DMV2U online within 10 days. You’ll need the VIN number to make that happen.
If you’d rather have a paper trail, you can fill out the Notice of Sale Form and mail it here:
DMV
1905 Lana Ave NE
Salem, OR 97314
This is important as it releases you of any liability with the car. So if there is any type of infraction with the vehicle, the DMV knows you’re not the owner anymore. The buyer also needs to do their part in transferring the title to make it all official.
The bottom line
If you’re interested in figuring out how to sell a car in Oregon, take these seven steps to get started. Once you complete the seven steps, make sure to report the sale to finalize the Oregon DMV selling a car process. After selling a car in Oregon, it might be time to buy a new car and get affordable car insurance. You can check out rates and providers like Metromile, which offers pay-per-mile insurance so you don’t pay more than you need to, ever. You pay for utilities based on usage, and gas by the gallon. Why not pay for insurance by the miles you actually drive? Grab your free quote today.
—Melanie Lockert is a freelance writer, podcast host of the Mental Health and Wealth show, and author of Dear Debt. She’s a cat mom to two jazzy cats, Miles and Thelonious, an amateur boxer, music lover, and needs coffee to function.