ORS § 90 § 90.485

Restrictions on landlord removal of vehicle; exceptions.

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 10/7/2026OregonParking & Storage

Operative Text

ORS § 90 § 90.485
(1) A landlord may have a motor vehicle removed from the premises only in compliance with this section and either ORS 98.810 to 98.818 or ORS 98.830 and 98.840.

(2) Except as provided in ORS 90.425 regarding abandoned vehicles, a landlord may have a motor vehicle removed from the premises without notice to the owner or operator of the vehicle only if the vehicle:

(a) Blocks or prevents access by emergency vehicles;

(b) Blocks or prevents entry to the premises;

(c) Violates a prominently posted parking prohibition;

(d) Blocks or is unlawfully parked in a space reserved for persons with disabilities;

(e) Is parked in an area not intended for motor vehicles including, but not limited to, sidewalks, lawns and landscaping;

(f) Is parked in a space reserved for tenants but is not assigned to a tenant and does not display a parking tag or other device, as provided by subsection (3) of this section; or

(g) Is parked in a specific space assigned to a tenant, as provided by subsection (4) of this section.

(3) A landlord may have a motor vehicle removed from the premises under subsection (2)(f) of this section only if the landlord:

(a) Provides parking tags or other devices that identify vehicles that are authorized to be parked on the premises;

(b) Provides a tenant with parking tags or other devices to be used on a vehicle other than the tenant’s primary vehicle if the tenant wants to park a vehicle on the premises in lieu of the tenant’s primary vehicle; and

(c) Enters into written agreements with the owners or operators of vehicles authorized to park on the premises that:

(A) Authorize the landlord to have a vehicle removed from the premises without notice for failing to display the parking tag, sticker or other device;

(B) Unless the information is disclosed on prominent signs posted on the premises, disclose to the owners or operators of authorized vehicles the name, address and contact information of the tow company that is authorized to remove vehicles from the premises; and

(C) Specify whether guest parking is allowed and, if guest parking is allowed, describe methods for identifying guest parking spaces or identifying authorized guest vehicles.

(4) If a landlord assigns a specific parking space to a tenant, the landlord may have a vehicle towed under subsection (2)(g) of this section from the assigned parking space only with the agreement of the tenant at the time of the tow. The landlord may not require the tenant to agree to towing.

(5) If guest parking is allowed, the landlord shall post a sign in each designated guest parking space that is clearly readable by an operator of motor vehicle and that specifies any rules, restrictions or limitations on parking in the designated guest parking space.

(6) A landlord may have a motor vehicle that is inoperable, but otherwise parked in compliance with an agreement between the landlord and the owner or operator of the vehicle, removed from the premises if the landlord affixes a prominent notice to the vehicle stating that the vehicle will be towed if the vehicle is not removed or otherwise brought into compliance with the agreement. The landlord must affix the notice required by this subsection at least 72 hours before the vehicle may be removed.

(7) A landlord may not have a motor vehicle removed under this section because the vehicle’s registration has expired or is otherwise invalid.

(8) This section does not:

(a) Apply to a landlord of a facility.

(b) Affect the obligations imposed on a landlord under ORS 98.810 to 98.818 or under ORS 98.830 and 98.840.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

ORS § 90.485 governs when and how a landlord in Oregon may have a motor vehicle towed from rental premises. In most situations, a landlord must follow specific procedural requirements—such as providing parking tags, posting signs, or obtaining tenant agreement—before a vehicle can be removed. Only a narrow set of circumstances, like blocking emergency access or violating a prominently posted parking prohibition, allow removal without any prior notice to the vehicle's owner or operator. Expired or invalid vehicle registration alone is never a valid basis for towing under this section.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 7, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under ORS § 90.485, compliant operators generally maintain a clear system of written agreements, parking tags or devices, and posted signage to establish the conditions under which vehicles may be towed without notice. For tenant-assigned spaces, operators obtain the tenant's agreement at the time of any tow rather than requiring blanket pre-authorization. Landlords managing guest parking areas post clearly readable signs in each designated guest space describing applicable rules and restrictions, and provide at least 72 hours' notice before removing an inoperable vehicle that is otherwise parked in compliance with an existing agreement.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

ORS § 90.485 sets out specific conditions that must be met before a landlord can lawfully have a vehicle towed from rental premises, and tenants whose vehicles are removed outside those conditions may have grounds to challenge the tow. For example, if a vehicle was parked in a space assigned to you, the landlord was required to obtain your agreement at the time of the tow and could not have required you to pre-authorize it. Tenants who believe a vehicle was improperly removed may consider consulting a tenant-rights organization, reviewing Oregon's towing statutes (ORS 98.810–98.840), or raising the violation through available legal channels.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 7, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

ORS § 98.810
Not yet ingested
ORS § 98.818
Not yet ingested
ORS § 98.830
Not yet ingested
ORS § 90.425
Not yet ingested

References In

No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.

Related Rules

§ 47a-13b
Installation of electric vehicle charging station by tenant.
§ 136
Motor vehicle storage
§ 1940.41

Source Information

Snapshot SHA:
Fetched:Oct 26, 2026, 07:19 AM UTC