The following lines of evidence establish that oxime formation from 4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde and 4-trimethylammoniobenzaldehyde iodide occurs with a simple twostep mechanism. The pH-rate profile for the reaction of 4-trimethylammoniobenzaldehyde iodide exhibits, in order of decreasing pH, a negative deviation at pH near 2.0, corresponding to a transition from rate-determining step carbinolamine dehydration with acid catalysis to the uncatalyzed carbinolamine formation. In the case of the reaction of 4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde, the pH-profile exhibits, in order of decreasing pH, a positive deviation at pH near 3.5 and then a negative deviation at pH near 2.0. These deviations have been interpreted in terms of i) transition of the rate-determining step, and ii) protolytic equilibrium of the substrate.