Steadworthy

As of 2026-07-23 · verified against primary sources

Oregon charitable solicitation registration: requirements, fees, and deadlines

RegistrationRequired
AgencyOregon Attorney General — DOJ Charitable Activities Section
Initial feeNo fee
Renewal fee$20–$400, tiered on revenue
Renewal / report due4 months and 15 days after fiscal year end
Filing channelElectronic filing available

Who must register

Oregon generally requires charitable organizations to register with the Oregon Attorney General — DOJ Charitable Activities Section before soliciting contributions there, unless an exemption applies. Requirements attach to out-of-state charities soliciting Oregon residents as well as local ones.

ORS 128.660 · official source

How to register in Oregon

  1. 01Oregon's trigger is holding charitable assets, not soliciting: register with the DOJ's Charitable Activities Section upon receiving possession or control of property for charitable purposes — Form RF-C for corporations, RF-T for trusts, emailed to CharityRegistration@doj.oregon.gov. In practice that reaches foreign charities that solicit Oregonians too, since contributions received become held property. No initial fee is stated anywhere official.ORS 128.660 (registration upon receiving possession or control of charitable property); DOJ registration page (RF-C/RF-T; foreign nonprofits that solicit, ho…
  2. 02File the CT-12 annual report within 4 months and 15 days after year close — and it must be RECEIVED by then, not postmarked. The fee is two-part: a revenue fee from $20 (minimum, even at zero revenue) to $400 at $1,000,000+, plus a net-assets fee of 0.01% on non-operating net assets over $50,000, capped at $2,000. Extensions run to 180 days, but an IRS extension counts only if you send the Section a copy BY the due date. Oregon has no audit mandate — audited statements attach only if an audit was performed; the 990 rides along (Schedule B omitted except for 990-PF filers).ORS 128.670(5) (report at FYE + 4 months 15 days; receipt rule per CT-12 instructions), (7)(b) (two-part fee authority; current schedule per the 2025 CT-12: …

Form RF-C (initial registration)

Registration Form for Corporations (RF-C)

ORS 128.660 — registration statement filed with the Attorney General upon receiving possession or control of property for charitable purposes; DOJ Forms RF-C… · official form

Form CT-12 (annual renewal)

Annual Report (CT-12 / CT-12F foreign / CT-12S split-interest)

ORS 128.670(5) — annual report not later than four months and 15 days following the close of each calendar or fiscal year; CT-12 instructions (receipt rule; … · official form

Exemptions we check for

The state, not Steadworthy, decides whether an exemption applies.

If you use a paid fundraiser

Oregon's registration duty turns on holding charitable assets — how you fundraise doesn't change it, and the narrow ORS 128.640 exemptions (religious corporations, cemeteries, sole-beneficiary CRT trustees) carry no fundraising conditions. Professional fundraising firms have their own obligations to the DOJ under ORS 128.821 et seq.

ORS 128.660 (asset-holding trigger); ORS 128.640 (exemptions unconditioned on fundraising method, 2016 c.106).

If you haven't registered yet

Oregon's late fees are automatic and cannot be waived — $20, rising to $50 once the report is more than 13 months past the covered fiscal year end and $100 past 16 months — and the AG can add a civil penalty up to $2,000 and an order to cease soliciting.

ORS 128.670(8) (civil penalty up to $2,000; cease-solicitation order); CT-12 instructions (automatic non-waivable late fees: $20 / $50 >13 months / $100 >16 … · how to get current, calmly

Is your charity registered in Oregon? Check free.

Free. No account. Built from public records. Informational, not legal advice.

Oregon registration: common questions

Does a charity need to register to solicit donations in Oregon?
Yes. Oregon generally requires charitable organizations to register with the Oregon Attorney General — DOJ Charitable Activities Section before soliciting contributions in the state, unless an exemption applies. The requirement reaches out-of-state charities soliciting Oregon residents.
How much does charitable registration cost in Oregon?
The initial registration fee is No fee, and renewal is $20–$400, tiered on revenue. Fees are stated as the state sets them; where a fee varies with contributions, the tiers are cited on this page.
When is the Oregon charitable registration renewal due?
4 months and 15 days after fiscal year end. The date is computed from the organization's own fiscal year end under the rule this page cites, so it differs between charities.
Are any charities exempt from registering in Oregon?
Oregon recognizes exemptions, and this page lists each one we check for with its statutory citation. The state, not a third party, decides whether an exemption applies.

Related: registration fees by state · renewal deadlines by state · exemptions · all state registration requirements

Nearby states

Fundraising rarely stops at a border — where Oregon charities also commonly solicit:

Citations

Statuses and requirements reflect public records and cited sources as of the dates shown. Informational, not legal advice.