Oregon DMV on RHD Vehicles and importing.

[PHOENIX]

Since I live overseas, I am considering bringing an MR2 back with me next year. So I decided to ask the Oregon State DMV a few questions and figured i would post them here to show you guys what they had to say.

My questions are in Bold.

QUESTION - ( 1.) Can i register a vehicle from Japan with the above VIN number legally in Oregon? Reminding you that it is a Right hand drive vehicle with a Japanese Vin. I would upgrade the required upgrades to make the car up to U.S. standards such a windows, door braces, and front brace.
ANSWER: ANY AND ALL foreign documents including the Title, and VIN if not written in English MUST have an "Official Legal Document" with it that translates it into English or the transaction CANNOT be accepted.

Title Requirements: Vehicles imported from out-of-country have the same basic title requirements as other vehicles plus a few additional requirements. The requirements to title a vehicle imported from out-of-country, including Canada, appear in this chapter in the following order:
* An ownership document
* A VIN inspection
* Odometer disclosures (if applicable)
* DEQ (if applicable)
* Releases from previous owners
* Fees
* Proof the vehicle meets federal vehicle standards
* Certification of Liens on an Imported Vehicle, Form 6436 Ownership Documents - Used Vehicles If the ownership document is submitted but not all the title requirements are met, do not accept the transaction unless there is a security interest holder on the application.

Proof of Compliance With Federal Vehicle Standards: ORS 803.045 and OAR 735-022-0090 (1) give DMV authority to request proof of compliance with federal vehicle standards when ownership documents submitted were issued by a jurisdiction outside the U.S., issued by the U.S. military, or when an MCO is issued by someone other than the authorized U.S. distributor.
Proof may also be requested if DMV is not satisfied, based on documentation, that the vehicle complies with federal vehicle standards.
Federal vehicle standards are defined in OAR 735-022-0080 as:
1. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations specified under
49 CFR, Part 574.
All vehicles with a year model less than 25 years old must conform to federal safety standards. This includes trailers, as U.S. Department of Transportation counts them as motor vehicles for purposes of safety requirements.
2. Motor Vehicle Emissions Standards specified by 40 CFR, Part 52. All vehicles with a year model 20 years old or less must conform to federal emission standards.
Acceptable Forms of Proof:
Proof of compliance with federal standards is not required if the vehicle has been titled or registered in the U.S. or the MCO submitted to DMV indicates the vehicle was manufactured for use in the U.S., meets U.S. federal safety and emission standards, or similar language.
Proof that the vehicle is in compliance with federal vehicle standards may be any one of the following:
1. For vehicles imported by the U.S. military or U.S. military personnel, a written notice or form issued by the U.S. military that states the vehicle complies with federal vehicle standards.
2. A Dealer Certification of Compliance with Federal Emission and Safety Standards, Form 7290, completed by an Oregon licensed dealer.
3. An original letter from the manufacturer or authorized U.S. distributor that clearly identifies the vehicle, including the vehicle identification number, and states that the vehicle was manufactured to meet federal safety and emission standards.
4. An original letter from the manufacturer or authorized U.S. distributor that clearly identifies the vehicle, including the vehicle identification number, and states that the vehicle meets EPA standards and can be modified to meet federal safety standards.
The letter must be accompanied with a certification that the vehicle has been modified and complies with federal vehicle standards. A Certification of Compliance with Federal Emission and Safety Standards, Form 7286, can be used for this purpose.
5. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection Form CF7501 or CBP7501, Entry Summary, that contains:
* A vehicle description that includes the year model, make and vehicle identification number, and
* An approval stamp or signature of an authorized U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent.
This form is required for all imported vehicles and must contain an approval stamp or signature.
If no approval stamp or signature is found on the form, its validity must be verified.
Oregon DMV will not accept the CF7501 or CBP7501 as proof of compliance if the vehicle was imported on a temporary basis.
These vehicles are only authorized to remain in the U.S. for a period not to exceed 1 year and must be exported at the end of the approval period, and they are not eligible for an Oregon title or registration.
Certification of Liens on an Imported Vehicle, Form 6436:
Since liens are not shown on most foreign titles and Canadian registrations, transactions for imported vehicles must include the Certification of Liens on an Imported Vehicle, Form 6436.
The form must be signed by the owner listed on the foreign ownership document or registration, not the new applicant, unless they are one and the same.
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Contact Information For Importing Vehicles into the U.S.:
If you have any questions regarding the import process or federal safety and emission requirements, you may wish to contact the agencies listed below.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
PO Box 55580
Portland, OR 97238-5580
Phone: (503) 326-3230
Internet: http://www.cbp.gov
Other Oregon port offices and phone numbers include:
Astoria (503) 325-5541
Coos Bay (541) 267-6312
Newport (541) 265-6456
For additional port locations throughout the U.S., see the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website listed above.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Certification and Compliance Division, Imports Group 2000 Traverwood Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Phone: (734) 214-4100
Internet: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports

U.S. Department of Transportation (NHTSA) Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance Organization Imports Division NSA-32, NHTSA 400 7th St. S.W.
Washington D.C. 20590
Internet: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/

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QUESTION - ( 2.) Is is legal to drive a car with Right hand drive even though the car is legally registerd in the states in oregon? I am considering converting my American MR2 from Left hand drive over to Right hand drive.
ANSWER: Vehicles With Steering Wheels on the Right Side Vehicles with the steering wheel on the right side may be titled and registered in Oregon as long as they meet all federal standards for highway use.

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QUESTION - ( 3.) Is there a waiver or special request not to have a license plate in the front of the car in oregon? Reason is, is i don't have any place to put it except in front of the radiator, which would cause my engine to over heat if i did that.
ANSWER: ALL Motor Vehicles except Mopeds and Motorcycles are required to have (2) License Plates displayed on the vehicle, (1) on the FRONT, and (1) on the REAR, and there are NO ECPTIONS, and THERE ARE NO WAIVERS OR EXEMPTIONS TO THE REQUIREMENT TO HAVE BOTH A FRONT LICENSE PLATE AND A REAR LICENSE PLATE ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE.
Please see the Oregon Revised Statute - ORS (Oregon Vehicle Law) below for details.

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ORS 803.540 Failure to display plates; exceptions; penalty.
(1) A person commits the offense of failure to display registration plates if the person operates, on the highways of this state, any vehicle or camper that has been assigned registration plates by this state and the registration plates assigned to the vehicle or camper are displayed in a manner that violates any of the following:
(a) The plate must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle, if only one plate is required.
(b) Plates must be displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle if two plates are required.
(c) The plates must be in plain view and so as to be read easily by the public.
(d) The plate must not be any plate that does not entitle the holder thereof to operate the vehicle upon the highways.
(2) A person is not in violation of this section if the person is operating a vehicle or camper under and in accordance with the requirements for any of the following:
(a) A temporary application permit issued under ORS 803.615.
(b) An agent temporary registration permit issued under ORS 803.625.
(c) Provisions established under ORS 826.007, 826.009 or 826.011 for the display of registration plates or other evidence of registration on vehicles that are proportionally registered under ORS 826.009 or 826.011.
(3) The offense described in this section, failure to display registration plates, is a Class D traffic violation. [1983 c.338 §261; 1985 c.668 §13; 1989 c.43 §28; 1995 c.383 §6]
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There is never any guarantee that an imported vehicle will qualify to be issued an Oregon Title and Oregon Registration, and ALL of these type of transactions are accepted on a "REVIEW BASIS ONLY" and the final decision will be made by DMV Headquarters when the transaction is received at DMV Headquarters in Salem.
I hope this answers your questions, but if you need additional assistance within the "Limitations", and/or "Restrictions" as explained above, please feel free to contact us, but if you have questions about meeting the Federal Safety and Emissions Standards, and/or importation questions you must contact the agencies listed above.

Thank You: Billy / DMV Customer Assistance-3 Oregon DMV Headquarters Phone: 1-503-945-5400 Oregon DMV Web Address: www.oregondmv.com

[driftmonster]

Wow , are you from oregon? If not why did you choose oregon to ask these questions? and thanks for the info!

[PearlJammzz]

Better be commin back to Utah biatch...

[PHOENIX]

Lol

Yes, I grew up in Oregon, and I am planning on moving back there when my contract is over here in Japan. That's why I chose oregon to get the information from.

Eh, Utah is nice, but I like the coast (surfing) and Im big into snowboarding (great boarding in Oregon).

[driftmonster]

Where in Oregon?

[PHOENIX]

I grew up in Coos Bay, on the coast.

But when my parents moved to Seaside 7 years ago, thats where i have been going when i go to visit oregon.

The wife and I are wanting a suburb of Portland like Beaverton, or maybe even a little farther out like Aloha or something. If we can afford a decent house, possibly Bend, but the real estate in that area is through the roof.

[driftmonster]

I have lived in bend, its like a everyone comes there from california to retire by the mountain and start a small buisness, Its an OK town though lots of outdoor rec for sure. Beaverton is just as bad as far as real estate , where as aloha is a bit better.

[d962r]

heay... SE is where its at... down is Clackamas or OC.

[Luni]

Thats funny Dave.

Utahs owns oregon for snowboarding.

But Id rather live in Oregon prolly.

[mr2greasemonkey]

Interesting....

[PHOENIX]

Originally Posted by Luni

Utahs owns oregon for snowboarding.

I agree, i have snowboarded in both utah and oregon, and utah does have some great snow. But my 2 favorite spots to go snowboarding are Hakuba47 (japan) and Timberline (oregon).

Im not into open mountains where the groomed trails are 100 yards wide (like utah). I like backcountry style, groomed surfaces (when talking about a mountain and not real back country).

Trees for the win, no open space with 1000 people to dodge in front of you.

[UMjaxman]

fyi, i believe any 1990 and 1991 car can be imported after changing the glass etc., It's already been established that that year meets the DHSMV standards. I wish someone would prove that 1994-1999 cars (i.e. gen3 cars) meet the same safety standards as US models. What helps alot, is if the same vehicle was available in the usa at the time. Being able import and title gen3s would be awesome, lucky australians and brits get to do it