ORS 802.520: Authority to grant registration privileges or exemptions to vehicles registered in other jurisdictions; declaration; limitations.

The Director of Transportation may examine the laws and requirements of any jurisdiction that issues out-of-state registration and may grant a privilege or a registration exemption described in this section to vehicles or owners of vehicles registered in that jurisdiction. All of the following apply to the authority granted by this section: (1) The director may only grant privileges or registration exemptions under this section to vehicles that are registered in jurisdictions that do not have an agreement with this state for privileges or registration exemptions under ORS 802.500 or 826.005 or an agreement for proportional registration with this state under ORS 826.007. (2) All grants of privileges and registration exemptions under this section shall be by declaration, shall be in writing and shall be filed with the Department of Transportation within 10 days after execution or effective date, whichever is later. (3) A declaration may grant benefits, privileges and exemptions with respect to the operation of commercial or noncommercial vehicles in this state of the same type that may be established by agreement under ORS 802.500 or 826.005. (4) A declaration shall only grant the privileges, benefits and exemptions to a vehicle or the owner of a vehicle if the vehicle is any of the following: (a) Registered in the jurisdiction where the person registering the vehicle has a legal residence. (b) A commercial vehicle registered in a jurisdiction where the commercial enterprise in which the vehicle is used has a place of business. To qualify under this paragraph the vehicle must be assigned to the place of business and the place of business must be the place from which or in which the vehicle is most frequently dispatched, garaged, serviced, maintained, operated or otherwise controlled. (c) A commercial vehicle registered in a jurisdiction where the vehicle has been registered because of an agreement between two jurisdictions or a declaration issued by any jurisdiction. (5) The department shall make any final determination in any case of doubt or dispute as to the proper place of registration of a vehicle, but may confer with departments of other jurisdictions affected. (6) A declaration shall not provide for any benefit, exemption or privilege with respect to fuel taxes, use fuel taxes, weight mile taxes or other fees or taxes levied or assessed against the use of highways or use or ownership of vehicles except registration taxes, fees and requirements. (7) A declaration shall only grant benefits, exemptions or privileges that are, in the judgment of the director, in the best interest of this state and its citizens, fair and equitable to this state and its citizens and determined on the basis and with recognition of benefits that accrue to the economy of this state from the uninterrupted flow of commerce. (8) A declaration may authorize a vehicle that would otherwise be required to be registered in one jurisdiction to be registered in another jurisdiction without losing any benefit, exemption or privilege under the declaration if the vehicle is operated from a base located in the other jurisdiction. (9) A declaration may allow the lessee or lessor of a vehicle, subject to the terms and conditions of the lease, to receive benefits, exemptions and privileges under the declaration. (10) A declaration may authorize the department to suspend or cancel any exemptions, benefits or privileges granted to any person under the declaration if the person violates any of the terms or conditions of the declaration or violates any law or rule of this state relating to vehicles. [1983 c.338 §143; 1985 c.668 §4; 1989 c.43 §16]