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On September X, 2026, the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) issued Bulletin No. DFR 2026-X clarifying that owners and operators of cryptocurrency automated teller machines (Crypto ATMs), also known as Bitcoin ATMs or crypto kiosks, must obtain money transmitter licenses under Oregon law. The bulletin establishes that Crypto ATM operators conduct money transmission businesses as defined under the Oregon Money Transmitter Act (OMTA), codified in Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) chapter 717. Under ORS 717.200, "money" includes both government-issued currency and virtual currency. Because Crypto ATMs allow consumers to use financial transaction cards to purchase, sell, and transfer cryptocurrencies—converting fiat currency into digital assets for a fee—these activities constitute money transmission. The DFR determined that receiving money from consumers and transmitting cryptocurrency on their behalf both satisfy the statutory definition of money transmission under ORS 717.200(11) and ORS 717.200(13)(a). ORS 717.205 prohibits any person from conducting a money transmission business without a license. The DFR's guidance clarifies that this requirement applies regardless of whether the cryptocurrency originates from the operator's inventory or a third-party cryptocurrency exchange. The bulletin notes that Crypto ATM operators engage in economic activity established and maintained for profit, meeting the definition of "business" under Oregon law and Webster's Third New International Dictionary. Operators must apply for Oregon money transmitter licenses through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), which streamlines the licensing process across state regulators. The bulletin takes effect upon publication. Operators can access Oregon's licensing portal at https://dfr.oregon.gov/business/licensing/financial/pages/money-transmitters.aspx for application procedures and requirements.

In September 2026, the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) issued a proposed bulletin advising owners and operators of cryptocurrency automated teller machines (crypto ATMs) that they must use the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) to obtain a money transmitter license under Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) Chapter 717, the Oregon Money Transmitter Act . The proposed bulletin reiterated that crypto ATM owners and operators must comply with Oregon's money transmission licensing requirements. ORS 717.205 prohibits a person from conducting a money transmission business without a license, and applications may be submitted through NMLS. The proposed bulletin provides that ORS 717.200(10) defines "money" to include a medium of exchange authorized by a government or one that represents value substituting for currency, which captures virtual currency. Money transmission includes receiving money for transmission and transmitting money. Because crypto ATMs allow consumers to use a credit or debit card to buy, sell, or transfer cryptocurrency for a fee, and to send cryptocurrency to another electronic wallet or party, they fall within these definitions. Since "business" is undefined in ORS Chapter 717, Oregon law applies its plain meaning, including "dealings or transactions especially of an economic nature." The proposed bulletin concluded that crypto ATM operators are engaged in a money transmission business because their activities are economic in nature since they are conducted for profit. Therefore, the proposed bulletin states a license is required regardless of whether the cryptocurrency is drawn from the operator's own inventory or from a third-party cryptocurrency exchange. If adopted, the bulletin takes effect upon publication.

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Oregon Division of Financial Regulation Issues Money Transmission Licensing Guidance for Cryptocurrency Automated Teller Machine Operators

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Oregon Division of Financial Regulation Issues Proposed Bulletin on Money Transmission Licensing for Crypto ATMs