Check cashing businesses that cash a check, warrant, or draft for a fee or service charge must be licensed with the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS). There are also limits on the fees that licensees may charge (see Maximum fees). Licensees are required to conspicuously post their license and the fees they charge for cashing payment instruments. Licensees are also required to file this notice of fees charged with DCBS.
As of June 30, 2010, Oregon has 265 licensed check cashing businesses.
Forms
Check-cashing annual report 440-4803
last updated: 05/22/2008 |
PDF
| Word
|
Check-cashing business initial license application (for businesses with a current consumer finance or pawnbroker license) 440-4770
last updated: 06/02/2008 |
PDF
| Word
|
Check-cashing business initial license application (for businesses without a current consumer finance or pawnbroker license) 440-4771
last updated: 06/02/2008 |
PDF
| Word
|
Public Records Request 440-4871
last updated: 11/13/2009 |
PDF
|
If you have any problems completing the application, please contact DFCS staff at CheckCashing.DFCS@state.or.us or 503-378-4140.
NOTE: Please allow at least 2 weeks for your application to be processed and a license to be mailed to you.
Licensing exemptions
- Money Transmitters with a valid Oregon license do not have to be licensed. However, licensed Money Transmitters are required to comply with the limits on fees charged, fee posting requirements, record keeping, and other requirements of the law. This exemption does not apply to any authorized delegates of licensed money transmitters; these businesses must be licensed to cash checks. (ORS 697.502)
- Banks do not have to be licensed and are not subject to the fee limits or record-keeping requirements. (706.008)
- Credit unions do not have to be licensed as check-cashing businesses (706.008) but are subject to the check-cashing fee limits of ORS 697.520.
- Persons engaged in bona fide retail sale of goods or services, and not purporting to be a check-cashing business, and when check-cashing transactions represent less than 3 percent of their total retail transactions. NOTE: Retailers that do cash checks as incident of or independent of a retail sale or service and cannot charge more than the greater of $2 or 2 percent of the face value of the check.
Statutes and Administrative Rules
Proposed administrative rules |
| None at this time. |
Recent rules - permanent rules not yet posted to Secretary of State Web site: |
| None at this time. |
Temporary administrative rules: |
| None at this time. |
