You would need to speak with your current auto insurance carrier to determine if you would be covered since you have moved to Oregon. Likely your provider will tell you that you need to obtain Oregon car insurance since that is where you and your vehicle are now located. Depending upon the terms of your California car insurance policy, your insurer may be able to deny claims if you moved out of state and failed to inform them.

You should be able to purchase Oregon car insurance with a CA driver's license however California requires you to have auto insurance from a CA licensed and authorized insurance carrier so that the insurance company can electronically transmit information about your policy to the state. This is one way CA tries to keep tabs on uninsured motorist. So if your car is still registered in California then you would normally need California insurance on it.

Since you are living and working in Oregon then you typically would be required by OR law to register and insure your car there as well as obtain an Oregon driver's license. According to the OR Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division (DMV), a branch of the Oregon Department of Transportation, once you have become a resident of Oregon, you are required by Oregon law to obtain Oregon vehicle title and registration and to obtain an Oregon Driver License or Instruction Permit.

Failure to register a vehicle once residency has been established is a Class D traffic violation. Failure to obtain an Oregon Driver License or Instruction Permit once residency has been established is a Class B traffic violation.

If you are uncertain whether you qualify for an Oregon Driver License, ID Card, or Oregon Vehicle Registration, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I remain in Oregon for a consecutive period of six months or more each year?
• Have I enrolled my children in an Oregon public school without payment of nonresident tuition fees?
• Do I pay Oregon resident tuition fees at an educational institution maintained by public funds?
• Have I made a declaration to be a resident of Oregon for the purpose of obtaining, at resident rates, a state license (other than an Oregon Driver License)?
• Is Oregon listed as my home of record in my military records?
• Do I pay resident income taxes to the state of Oregon?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you may be eligible to register your vehicle in Oregon and/or obtain an Oregon driving privilege or Identification Card according the OR DMV. Residency may be established by a number of actions which you may read further about by researching Oregon Revised Statues, specifically ORS 803.200 and ORS 807.062.

If you are only temporarily in Oregon and do not consider yourself a resident then you should contact the Oregon DMV about if you have to register and insure you vehicle in OR and get a driver's license there. Also be sure to discuss your current situation with your current CA insurance provider as soon as possible to make sure you are covered if you are in an accident.