Military Humvees could soon be street-legal in Oregon

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The Associated Press

A national guard humvee drives past a crowd watching a concert by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in Baltimore, Maryland on April 29, 2015. Riot police in the US city of Baltimore enforced a curfew into the early hours of Wednesday and called it a success, emptying streets scarred by a spasm of rioting and looting. AFP PHOTO/ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS (Photo credit should read Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)

PORTLAND, Ore. — A proposal to make Oregon among the few states where military surplus Humvees can share civilian roadways with minivans, hatchbacks and sedans cleared its first major hurdle in Salem this week.

Senate Bill 645 passed the Oregon Senate in a 27-2 vote Wednesday and now heads to the House.

Under the proposal, retired military Humvees could get legal status for the streets through a Department of Motor Vehicles registration that’s currently used for antique cars and street rods. For a one-time $81 fee, these vehicles would permanently be legal for limited street use, such as organized club rides, exhibitions and parades.

The U.S. military began selling its old Humvee fleet to civilians in late 2014 as “off-road only” vehicles, which is why many states like Oregon decline to register them.

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The Associated Press