Oregon salmon license plate gets new design
July 21, 2021
SALEM – DMV will start issuing a new design Sept. 1 for the Oregon salmon license plate for passenger cars. The sponsors of the plate sought the new design, a colorful upgrade showing spawning salmon in a clear, cool stream.
When and how Oregonians apply for the new plate will determine which plate design they will receive.
To guarantee landing the new salmon plate design, vehicle owners need to apply ON OR AFTER Sept. 1, 2021: online at DMV2U, by mail, or in person at a DMV office. Orders online or in a field office BEFORE Aug. 31, 2021, will receive the original plate design. You cannot order the new plate in advance.
Orders received from customers through the mail and from vehicle dealers (who file paperwork to DMV on behalf of customers) will be based on when DMV processes the transaction and issues the plates, not when the customer submitted their application themselves or through a dealer. Orders placed by mail now likely will receive the new design because DMV is still catching up with a backlog in title/plate work that built up during 15 months of COVID-19 restrictions.
If you have a current salmon plate, your current plate will remain valid for as long as you continue to renew registration.
The salmon plate is eligible for passenger vehicles only. You can order one when you apply for Oregon title and registration when buying a car or when you renew your existing registration.
DMV issues plates in order of manufacture, and the new salmon design will begin with SM00001. However, salmon plates are available in custom (vanity) and Ham radio options.
The salmon plate is Oregon’s oldest current specialty plate, authorized by the Oregon Legislature in 1997 and debuting in January 1998. Since its launch, Oregonians have ordered 101,790 sets of salmon plates through June 30, 2021.
The salmon plate’s surcharge of $30 for each two-year vehicle registration period and $60 for four years for new cars will remain the same. The $30 surcharge is in addition to regular title and registration fees, plate manufacturing or replacement fee, and county registration fees if the customer lives in Clackamas, Multnomah or Washington Counties.
More on plate options and fees
Revenue from the specialty plate protects and restores native salmon habitat. The surcharge is shared 50-50 by the plate’s two sponsors – Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
DMV has expanded services. Come on in!
DMV is continuing to expand services and increase choices for Oregonians who need services – online, by appointment and with a growing availability for standby service.
Demand for in-person DMV services remains high, so check DMV2U.Oregon.gov first to see if you can get what you need online.
DMV has added over 20 services online in the past couple years at DMV2U. Among the most recent:
- You probably can renew or replace your driver license, permit or ID card, and DMV will mail it to you.
- You can start a vehicle title and registration application online, which includes a fee calculator to help figure out how much to include when you mail your transaction to DMV.
- You can renew your vehicle registration, order replacement stickers, or report a change of address if you move inside Oregon.
- New to Oregon and have an out-of-state driver license? You can start your application online, learn what you need to bring with you and schedule an appointment at a DMV office.
DMV2U is part of ODOT’s commitment to put transformative technology to use to make Oregon’s transportation system more efficient and user friendly.
If you can’t get what you need online you can make an appointment using DMV2U. Or drop by your local DMV office and see if there’s an opening for standby service.
Renewing your driver license? Consider Real ID option.
If you travel by air or might in the future, consider getting the Real ID option when you renew your license, permit or ID card. You will need to visit a DMV office in person to apply for your first Real ID card.
Starting in May 2023, you will need a Real ID-compliant form of identification at airport security checkpoints for all flights.
More on the Real ID option in Oregon: Oregon.gov/RealID
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Newsrooms: For questions or images of both designs, email David House at david.j.house@odot.state.or.us or 503-945-5270.
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