ORS 825.017: Nonapplicability of chapter to certain persons and vehicles.

Except as provided in this section and ORS 825.026 and 825.030, this chapter does not apply to the persons or vehicles described in this section. The exemption under this section applies to the following persons and vehicles: (1) Vehicles being used by, or under contract with, any school board, district or person responsible for the administration of elementary or secondary school activities, and engaged exclusively in transporting students or combinations of students and other persons to or from school, to or from authorized school activities or other activities sponsored by the governing board of a public university listed in ORS 352.002, or for purposes provided under ORS 332.427. This exemption shall not be affected by the charging of a fee to cover the costs of the transportation. (2) Vehicles being used in a taxicab operation if the vehicle: (a) Is a passenger vehicle with a passenger seating capacity that does not exceed five; (b) Carries passengers for hire where the destination and route traveled may be controlled by a passenger and the fare is calculated on the basis of any combination of an initial fee, distance traveled or waiting time; and (c) Is transporting persons or property, or both, between points in Oregon. (3) Vehicles being used for the transportation of property by private carrier by means of a single vehicle or combination of vehicles with a combined weight that does not exceed 8,000 pounds. (4) Vehicles being used in operating implements of husbandry. (5) Vehicles being used as a hearse or ambulance. (6) Vehicles being used over any private road or thoroughfare. (7) Vehicles being used on any road, thoroughfare or property, other than a state highway, county road or city street, for the removal of forest products as defined in ORS 321.005, or the product of forest products converted to a form other than logs at or near the harvesting site, or when used for the construction or maintenance of the road, thoroughfare or property, pursuant to a written agreement or permit authorizing the use, construction or maintenance of the road, thoroughfare or property, with: (a) An agency of the United States; (b) The State Board of Forestry; (c) The State Forester; or (d) A licensee of an agency named in this subsection. (8) Vehicles being used on any county road for the removal of forest products as defined in ORS 321.005, or the products of forest products converted to a form other than logs at or near the harvesting site, if: (a) The use is pursuant to a written agreement entered into with the State Board of Forestry, the State Forester or an agency of the United States, authorizing the owner of the motor vehicle to use the road and requiring the owner to pay for or to perform the construction or maintenance of the county road, including any operator of a motor vehicle retained to transport logs, poles and piling for the owners who are exempt under this section; (b) The board, officer or agency that entered into the agreement or granted the permit, by contract with the county court or board of county commissioners, has assumed the responsibility for the construction or maintenance of the county road; and (c) Copies of the agreements or permits required by this subsection are filed with the Director of Transportation. (9) Vehicles being used in transporting persons with disabilities, with or without their supervisors or assistants, to or from rehabilitation programs or child care services if the motor vehicle is a passenger motor vehicle with a seating capacity of not more than 12 passengers. The exemption provided by this subsection applies only when the motor vehicle is operated by or under contract with any person responsible for the administration of rehabilitation programs as defined in ORS 344.710 to 344.730 or child care services provided by a facility licensed under ORS 329A.250 to 329A.450. (10) Vehicles owned or operated by the United States or by any governmental jurisdiction within the United States except as provided in ORS 825.022. This chapter does apply to vehicles when owned or operated: (a) As a carrier of property for hire; (b) By a transportation district organized under ORS 267.510 to 267.650; (c) By a county service district authorized to provide public transportation under ORS 451.010; or (d) By an intergovernmental body formed by two or more public bodies, as defined in ORS 174.109, to provide public transportation. (11) Vehicles owned or operated by a mass transit district organized under ORS 267.010 to 267.394. (12) Vehicles owned or operated by, or under contract with, a person responsible for the construction or reconstruction of a highway under contract with the Department of Transportation or with an agency of the United States when operated within the immediate construction project as described in the governmental agency contract during the construction period. (13) Vehicles owned or operated by, or under contract with, a charitable organization when exclusively engaged in performing transportation, either one way or round trip, necessary to the operation of the charitable organization. As used in this subsection, “charitable organization” means an organization that has no capital stock and no provision for making dividends or profits, but derives its funds principally from public and private charity and holds them in trust for the promotion of the welfare of others and not for profit. Any organization claiming an exemption under this subsection shall file an affidavit with the department stating that it is organized and operated in accordance with the requirements of this subsection. Nothing in this subsection exempts a person or vehicle from federal motor carrier safety regulations. (14) Passenger vehicles with a passenger seating capacity that does not exceed five when used in the transportation of new telephone books. (15) A vehicle that is used in a limousine service operation in which the destination and route traveled may be controlled by the passenger and the fare is calculated on the basis of any combination of initial fee, distance traveled and waiting time if the vehicle: (a) Is a passenger vehicle with a passenger seating capacity that does not exceed eight; (b) Carries passengers for hire between points in Oregon; and (c) Operates on an irregular route basis. (16) Fire trucks and rescue vehicles that are designated as emergency vehicles by the Department of Transportation under ORS 801.260, while involved in emergency and related operations. (17) A person who provides services related to the packing or loading of household goods if the person does not: (a) Provide or operate a motor vehicle for the movement of the household goods; and (b) Act as an agent for any person who does provide or operate a motor vehicle for the movement of the household goods. [Formerly 767.025; 1997 c.275 §40; 1997 c.699 §1; 2003 c.589 §1; 2003 c.754 §6; 2005 c.228 §1; 2007 c.31 §3; 2007 c.70 §352; 2009 c.433 §2; 2015 c.283 §1; 2015 c.716 §16; 2015 c.767 §216; 2022 c.27 §20; 2025 c.17 §5; 2025 c.228 §14] 825.017. Except as provided in this section and ORS 825.026 and 825.030, this chapter does not apply to the persons or vehicles described in this section. The exemption under this section applies to the following persons and vehicles: (1) Vehicles being used by, or under contract with, any school board, district or person responsible for the administration of elementary or secondary school activities, and engaged exclusively in transporting students or combinations of students and other persons to or from school, to or from authorized school activities or other activities sponsored by the governing board of a public university listed in ORS 352.002, or for purposes provided under ORS 332.427. This exemption shall not be affected by the charging of a fee to cover the costs of the transportation. (2) Vehicles being used in a taxicab operation if the vehicle: (a) Is a passenger vehicle with a passenger seating capacity that does not exceed five; (b) Carries passengers for hire where the destination and route traveled may be controlled by a passenger and the fare is calculated on the basis of any combination of an initial fee, distance traveled or waiting time; and (c) Is transporting persons or property, or both, between points in Oregon. (3) Vehicles being used for the transportation of property by private carrier by means of a single vehicle or combination of vehicles with a combined weight that does not exceed 8,000 pounds. (4) Vehicles being used in operating implements of husbandry. (5) Vehicles being used as a hearse, organ transport vehicle or ambulance. (6) Vehicles being used over any private road or thoroughfare. (7) Vehicles being used on any road, thoroughfare or property, other than a state highway, county road or city street, for the removal of forest products as defined in ORS 321.005, or the product of forest products converted to a form other than logs at or near the harvesting site, or when used for the construction or maintenance of the road, thoroughfare or property, pursuant to a written agreement or permit authorizing the use, construction or maintenance of the road, thoroughfare or property, with: (a) An agency of the United States; (b) The State Board of Forestry; (c) The State Forester; or (d) A licensee of an agency named in this subsection. (8) Vehicles being used on any county road for the removal of forest products as defined in ORS 321.005, or the products of forest products converted to a form other than logs at or near the harvesting site, if: (a) The use is pursuant to a written agreement entered into with the State Board of Forestry, the State Forester or an agency of the United States, authorizing the owner of the motor vehicle to use the road and requiring the owner to pay for or to perform the construction or maintenance of the county road, including any operator of a motor vehicle retained to transport logs, poles and piling for the owners who are exempt under this section; (b) The board, officer or agency that entered into the agreement or granted the permit, by contract with the county court or board of county commissioners, has assumed the responsibility for the construction or maintenance of the county road; and (c) Copies of the agreements or permits required by this subsection are filed with the Director of Transportation. (9) Vehicles being used in transporting persons with disabilities, with or without their supervisors or assistants, to or from rehabilitation programs or child care services if the motor vehicle is a passenger motor vehicle with a seating capacity of not more than 12 passengers. The exemption provided by this subsection applies only when the motor vehicle is operated by or under contract with any person responsible for the administration of rehabilitation programs as defined in ORS 344.710 to 344.730 or child care services provided by a facility licensed under ORS 329A.250 to 329A.450. (10) Vehicles owned or operated by the United States or by any governmental jurisdiction within the United States except as provided in ORS 825.022. This chapter does apply to vehicles when owned or operated: (a) As a carrier of property for hire; (b) By a transportation district organized under ORS 267.510 to 267.650; (c) By a county service district authorized to provide public transportation under ORS 451.010; or (d) By an intergovernmental body formed by two or more public bodies, as defined in ORS 174.109, to provide public transportation. (11) Vehicles owned or operated by a mass transit district organized under ORS 267.010 to 267.394. (12) Vehicles owned or operated by, or under contract with, a person responsible for the construction or reconstruction of a highway under contract with the Department of Transportation or with an agency of the United States when operated within the immediate construction project as described in the governmental agency contract during the construction period. (13) Vehicles owned or operated by, or under contract with, a charitable organization when exclusively engaged in performing transportation, either one way or round trip, necessary to the operation of the charitable organization. As used in this subsection, “charitable organization” means an organization that has no capital stock and no provision for making dividends or profits, but derives its funds principally from public and private charity and holds them in trust for the promotion of the welfare of others and not for profit. Any organization claiming an exemption under this subsection shall file an affidavit with the department stating that it is organized and operated in accordance with the requirements of this subsection. Nothing in this subsection exempts a person or vehicle from federal motor carrier safety regulations. (14) Passenger vehicles with a passenger seating capacity that does not exceed five when used in the transportation of new telephone books. (15) A vehicle that is used in a limousine service operation in which the destination and route traveled may be controlled by the passenger and the fare is calculated on the basis of any combination of initial fee, distance traveled and waiting time if the vehicle: (a) Is a passenger vehicle with a passenger seating capacity that does not exceed eight; (b) Carries passengers for hire between points in Oregon; and (c) Operates on an irregular route basis. (16) Fire trucks and rescue vehicles that are designated as emergency vehicles by the Department of Transportation under ORS 801.260, while involved in emergency and related operations. (17) A person who provides services related to the packing or loading of household goods if the person does not: (a) Provide or operate a motor vehicle for the movement of the household goods; and (b) Act as an agent for any person who does provide or operate a motor vehicle for the movement of the household goods.