What a title loan costs — before Oregon’s rules
A title loan is usually a single-payment loan due in 15–30 days at around 25% per month — roughly 300% APR — secured by your vehicle. The defining risk is not the rate but the collateral: miss a payment and the lender can repossess the car, and research finds about one in five borrowers eventually loses the vehicle. Where a state caps rates low, single-payment title lending is not offered and a loan above the cap is generally void.
The law in Oregon
- Rate cap
- 36% APR maximum (excluding one origination fee of the lesser of $10 per $100 or $30); minimum 31-day term; renewals limited (ORS 725A.062).
- Key law
- Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 725A (Title and Payday Loans); ORS 725A.062 (prohibited conduct for title loan lenders).
- Enforcement
- Enforced by the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DCBS). The 36% cap plus term and rollover rules sharply limit high-cost title lending.
Oregon caps title-loan interest at 36% APR (excluding a one-time origination fee) with a 31-day minimum term under ORS 725A.062.
What it means for a Oregon borrower
Oregon permits car title loans only under a 36% APR cap plus one small origination fee, and the term must be at least 31 days. This makes the classic high-cost single-payment title loan unprofitable, so terms are far more borrower-friendly than in permissive states.
If you already have a title loan in Oregon
A loan that violates Oregon’s rate limits may be partly or fully unenforceable — which changes your options with the lender and any collector. This is general information, not legal advice.
- Check whether the lender is licensed in Oregon — many high-cost online lenders are not.
- Revoke ACH authorization in writing to stop automatic withdrawals from your account.
- File a complaint with the Oregon attorney general and the CFPB.
- Ask whether the balance is even collectable under Oregon law before you pay a collector.
Cheaper first — try these before a title loan in Oregon
Title Loans and tribal lenders in Oregon
Many online lenders that market title loans to Oregon residents are tribal lenders arguing their sovereignty places them outside state rate caps — a separate legal question this site tracks in depth. For which tribal brands lend to Oregon residents and how state law applies to them, see the Oregon tribal-lending page.
Tribal loans in Oregon →Frequently asked questions
Are title loans legal in Oregon?
In Oregon, title loans are allowed only under limits — a rate cap, an installment structure, or consumer-finance licensing — so a legal title loan costs less and looks different from the ~300% single-payment norm, and any lender exceeding those limits is out of compliance.
What is the maximum title loan rate in Oregon?
36% APR maximum (excluding one origination fee of the lesser of $10 per $100 or $30); minimum 31-day term; renewals limited (ORS 725A.062).
What can I do about a title loan I already have in Oregon?
Because Oregon restricts high-cost title loans, a loan that exceeds the state limit may be partly or fully uncollectible. Check whether the lender is licensed in Oregon — many high-cost online lenders are not. This is general information, not legal advice.