DMV Facts and Statistics

DMV History

The first automobile arrived in Oregon in 1899. In 1905, Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV) began a process for registering vehicles. Oregon started requiring driver’s licenses in 1920, and Oregon DMV began drive tests for licensing in 1931. Learn more about ODOT and DMV history.

Who We Are

As a division of the Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon DMV is responsible for driver licensing, vehicle registration and titling, and many related administrative transactions. We play a role in transportation safety and collect substantial revenue for Oregon’s transportation system at the state, county and city level.

Oregon DMV has had roughly the same number of staff for the last 25 years, as set by the Legislature. Yet we are serving around 800,000 more people, the population increase since then. This chronic understaffing is worsened by ODOT's current funding challenges, including a hiring freeze.

Drop-in customers often experience long wait times with no guarantee of same-day service. Knowing Oregonians and businesses across the state rely on us, we are continually developing ways to better serve our customers. This includes offering:

More than 20 common transactions at DMV2U.Oregon.gov.
Online knowledge testing in eight languages.
Self-service Express Kiosks inside 10 Fred Meyer stores along the I-5 corridor and in Bend where customers can renew or replace their vehicle registration and stickers.
Online collision reporting, which includes pre-drawn diagrams and other user-friendly features.
Appointments for in-person visits, which can be scheduled on DMV2U. New slots are made available 30 days out on a rolling hour-by-hour basis, so check back frequently. Offices differ in the number and types of appointments available.
A lobby management machine where customers can check in and receive a ticket with an accurate wait time and, in many locations, receive appointment updates by text.
Updated same-day closure information for DMV offices.

What We Do

Serve 9,000 customers every day in field offices statewide.
Welcome more than 1 million customers every month on DMV2U.
Answer 1.1 million customer inquiries every year at three call centers.
Maintain 3.7 million driver’s licenses and ID cards, both standard issue and REAL ID compliant.
Manage 4.5 million total active vehicle registrations.
Process around 925,000 license, permit, and ID issuances, renewals and replacements every year.
Annually issue:

2.1 million vehicle registrations.
Over 1 million titles.
More than 517,000 license plates for vehicles from over 50 plate designs.

Regulate:

2,750 vehicle dealers, dismantlers, transporters, trip permit agents and vehicle appraisers.
79 CDL testers, Class C testers, and Commercial Driver Training Schools for Class C and non-drivers’ education through third-party programs.
55 teen driver education providers through our Transportation Safety Office.

Sanction offenders and conduct formal administrative hearings.

DMV Statistics

We publish the following annual statistics:

Key Performance Measures

Visit ODOT Key Performance Measures and view the DMV Service Index to see how DMV and ODOT are doing meeting performance goals.

Electronic Driving Records

Oregon DMV is required by state and federal public information laws to provide information to qualified entities making a request. Learn more about available records and fees.