Firearm law reference

Oregon Gun Laws: Complete Guide

A practical overview of Oregon firearm laws affecting private transfers, purchases, carrying, transportation, storage, and ownership.

Oregon's current rules must be separated from Measure 114 provisions scheduled for 2028. Private-sale background checks, concealed handgun licensing, safe storage, loss reporting, ERPOs, local loaded-carry ordinances, and restricted public buildings already apply.

Oregon Gun Law Quick Facts

Start with the three rules most people need. The full comparison table covers the remaining purchase, carry, ownership, and restriction topics.

Minimum age to buy or carry: 18-21 depending on firearm and seller
A licensed dealer must sell a handgun to someone 21 or older but can sell a rifle or shotgun to someone 18 or older; a private, in-state transfer only requires the recipient to be 18, regardless of firearm type. See the handgun and rifle/shotgun comparison table below for the full breakdown. [1][15]
Permitless concealed carry: No
Carrying a concealed handgun in public generally requires an Oregon concealed handgun license or a narrow statutory exception. [1][3]
Private sale background check: Required for most transfers
Most transfers between unlicensed people must be processed through a gun dealer for an Oregon State Police background check, subject to family, temporary-use, and other statutory exceptions. [1]

Swipe horizontally to read the full table.

Law	Status	What it means
FFL required for private transfers	Generally yes	The parties generally must use a dealer to conduct the check and complete an ordinary private transfer; federal interstate rules also apply. [1][14]
Purchase permit	Not required until 2028	Oregon's Measure 114 permit-to-purchase requirement is delayed and does not apply to transfers before January 1, 2028. [2][1]
Waiting period	No fixed state waiting period	Oregon has no fixed cooling-off period, but a covered transfer must follow the current background-check completion and dealer-delivery rules. [1][16]
Firearm registration	No general owner registry	Oregon does not maintain a general registry of ordinary firearms, though dealers and Oregon State Police retain transfer records as authorized by law. [1]
Firearm owner license	No general requirement	No recurring license is generally required merely to possess an ordinary firearm; carry and future purchase-permit rules are separate. [1][2]
Concealed handgun license	Required for concealed carry	County sheriffs issue concealed handgun licenses to qualifying residents and certain contiguous-state residents after application, training, fingerprinting, and background review. [1][3]
Open carry	Generally legal; local loaded-carry limits	Open carry is generally lawful, but cities and counties may restrict loaded public carry for people without a concealed handgun license, and public-building rules apply. [1]
Vehicle carry	CHL or not readily accessible	A concealed handgun that is readily accessible in a vehicle generally requires a CHL; without one, the handgun should be stored in the locked or otherwise inaccessible manner specified by statute. [1][18]
Magazine capacity	No operative limit until 2028	The Measure 114 large-capacity-magazine restrictions are delayed until January 1, 2028 and are not currently operative as of August 2026. [2]
Assault weapons	No general state ban	Oregon currently has no general feature-based assault-weapon ban for commonly owned semiautomatic firearms. [1]
NFA firearms	Federal registration defense required	Oregon restricts machine guns, short-barreled firearms, and silencers, but federal registration can provide the statutory defense; full federal compliance remains mandatory. [1][17]
Extreme risk protection orders	Available	Family or household members and law enforcement may petition for an order temporarily barring weapon possession and requiring transfer or surrender. [5][6]
Safe storage	Required when not controlled	A firearm not carried by or under the control of its owner, possessor, or authorized person generally must be secured with a lock, in a locked container, or in a gun room. [4][1]
Lost or stolen reporting	Within 72 hours	An owner or possessor generally must report a lost or stolen firearm to law enforcement within seventy-two hours after discovering the loss or theft. [1]
State preemption	Broad with express local exceptions	Oregon generally preempts local firearm regulation but permits specified local rules involving loaded public carry, discharge, public buildings, and government property. [1]
Bill of sale	Dealer processing still required	A private bill of sale does not replace the required dealer background check and transfer process for a covered transaction. [1]
Castle doctrine / no duty to retreat	No duty to retreat, within limits	Oregon courts have held that ORS 161.219 does not require a person to retreat before using deadly force against an imminent deadly-force threat, but deadly force is justified only in specific circumstances such as an unlawful burglary of a dwelling or an imminent deadly-force attack, not a general presumption for any forced entry. [20]

Handgun and Rifle/Shotgun Rules in Oregon

Oregon law treats handguns differently from rifles and shotguns in a few specific places, mainly around the concealed handgun license and vehicle carry. Topics not listed here, such as private-sale background checks or safe-storage duties, apply the same way to both firearm types.

Topic	Handguns	Rifles & shotguns
Minimum age to buy from a licensed dealer	21 (federal floor; Oregon does not raise it)	18 (federal floor; Oregon does not raise it) [1][15]
Minimum age for a private, in-state transfer	18 under Oregon law	18 under Oregon lawOregon's private-transfer age bar does not differ by firearm type, and federal law adds no separate private-sale age floor for an in-state transfer. [1][15]
License required to carry concealed in public	Yes — a concealed handgun license is required under ORS 166.250 and 166.291 to 166.293	ORS 166.250(1)(a)'s general concealed-carry prohibition applies to "any firearm," not just handguns, so a rifle or shotgun concealed on the person also requires a license; open carry (in a belt holster or otherwise visible) of a rifle or shotgun does not require a licenseConcealing a rifle or shotgun on the person is unusual in practice, but the statute's own text does not limit the on-person concealment rule to handguns the way it limits the separate vehicle provision below. [1][10]
Carrying in a vehicle you own or control	A concealed handgun that is readily accessible in a vehicle requires a CHL under ORS 166.250(1)(b)	ORS 166.250(1)(b)'s vehicle-specific restriction applies to handguns only by its own terms; it does not separately restrict a rifle or shotgun carried in a vehicle [11][1]
Minimum age to buy ammunition from a dealer	21 for handgun ammunition (federal floor)	18 for rifle or shotgun ammunition (federal floor) [15]

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Private Sales and Transfers

Quick answer

Most private firearm transfers must be processed through a gun dealer for a state background check. [1]

Both parties generally appear before the dealer with the firearm. Family, temporary hunting or range use, emergencies, and other statutory exceptions are specific and should be read narrowly; interstate transfers remain federally regulated. [1][14]
The dealer-check requirement does not apply to transfers between specified family members, including spouses, domestic partners, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren, or the spouses or domestic partners of those relatives. It also does not apply to temporary transfers at a shooting range or during lawful hunting or trapping, transfers where the transferee and firearm stay in the transferor's presence, transfers to a gunsmith for repair, transfers made to prevent an imminent threat to safety, law-enforcement or buyback events, or estate transfers by a personal representative or trustee to a qualifying family member. [7]

Use a dealer unless a clearly applicable exception covers the transfer. [1]
Transfer the firearm with the lock or locked-container protection required by Oregon law. [4]
Do not rely on a family or temporary-transfer exception if the recipient is a prohibited person; the exemptions do not authorize an otherwise unlawful transfer. [7][1]

Important notice: A private bill of sale does not substitute for the required dealer background check when a transfer does not fall within a statutory exception. [1]

Buying a Firearm

Dealers conduct Oregon State Police checks and covered private sales use dealer processing. The Measure 114 purchase permit is delayed until January 1, 2028, so no permit is currently required; current transfer and age rules still apply. [1][2][15]
Oregon does not set a general purchase age above the federal floor: a transfer to someone under eighteen is generally barred, while a federally licensed dealer applies its own minimums, typically twenty-one for handguns and other non-long-gun firearms and eighteen for rifles and shotguns. Buyers complete the required background check through the dealer at the time of sale; there is no fixed state waiting period beyond however long that check takes to resolve. [1][15][16]

A concealed handgun license is not a purchase permit and does not replace the dealer's background check. [10][16]
Private-party buyers and sellers must still route a covered transfer through a dealer even though no purchase permit currently applies. [1][2]

Ownership and Prohibited Persons

Oregon has no general owner license. State and federal prohibited-person rules apply, and an extreme risk protection order can temporarily prohibit possession and require transfer or surrender. [1][5][16]
A felony conviction generally bars firearm possession as a Class C felony, and certain restricted-weapon or recent misdemeanor convictions carry separate limits. A narrow exception allows a person convicted of a single, non-violent felony that did not involve a firearm or a knife-type weapon to lawfully possess firearms again once fifteen years have passed since release from imprisonment, parole, or probation for that offense; this exception should not be assumed to apply without checking the underlying conviction. [8]
Outside that narrow exception, restoring firearm rights generally takes an affirmative court step: a petition for relief filed in circuit court under ORS 166.274, a motion to set aside the conviction under Oregon's expungement law, or a reduction of a Class C felony to a misdemeanor. A relief petition requires clear and convincing evidence that the petitioner is not a danger to public or personal safety, may be filed at most once per calendar year, and does not by itself remove a separate federal prohibited-person bar. [9]

Do not assume that completing probation or parole alone restores firearm rights; most convictions require a court order. [9][8]
State relief does not automatically resolve a separate federal prohibition; confirm both Oregon and federal status before purchasing or possessing a firearm. [9][16]

Concealed and Open Carry

Concealed handgun carry generally requires a CHL. Open carry is generally lawful, but local loaded-carry ordinances, public-building restrictions, private-property control, and prohibited-person rules can change the result; CHL holders receive some statutory exemptions. [1][3]
The sheriff of the applicant's county of residence issues Oregon concealed handgun licenses. An applicant must generally be at least twenty-one, a U.S. citizen or a qualifying long-term resident alien, free of disqualifying felony or recent misdemeanor convictions, and able to show handgun competence through an approved course, prior law-enforcement or military training, or an equivalent option. A sheriff may also waive the residency requirement for an applicant from a contiguous state who demonstrates a compelling business interest or other legitimate need. [10][3]
Oregon does not recognize a concealed handgun license issued by another state, so a visiting nonresident generally cannot rely on an out-of-state permit to carry concealed and should either qualify under the narrow contiguous-state provision or forgo concealed carry without an Oregon license. Many other states extend recognition to a valid Oregon license, but residents traveling out of state should confirm the destination state's own reciprocity rules first, since coverage is not universal. [10][3]

A sheriff may deny or revoke a license for specified disqualifying convictions or a documented pattern of unlawful violence or threats of violence. [10]

Self-Defense and the Castle Doctrine in Oregon

Quick answer

Oregon courts have held that a person facing an imminent deadly-force threat has no duty to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense, but Oregon's statute justifies deadly force only in specific circumstances, not a blanket presumption for any forced entry. A criminal-law justification is not a guarantee against a civil lawsuit. [20]

The Oregon Constitution, Article I, Section 27, protects the right of the people to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the State, subject to the Legislature's authority to regulate the wearing of arms to prevent crime. [19]
ORS 161.209 generally justifies using physical force in defense of a person when and to the extent the actor reasonably believes it necessary to defend against another's use or imminent use of unlawful physical force. ORS 161.219 limits deadly physical force in that defense to three circumstances: the other person is committing or attempting a felony involving the use or threatened imminent use of physical force against a person, committing or attempting a burglary in a dwelling, or using or about to use unlawful deadly physical force against a person. [20]
The Oregon Supreme Court held in State v. Sandoval (2007) that ORS 161.219 does not require a person to retreat before using deadly force to defend against an imminent deadly-force threat. Oregon's statute does not include a separate presumption-of-reasonableness clause for a forced entry into an occupied home, vehicle, or workplace comparable to some other states' castle-doctrine statutes; deadly force in that scenario is justified through the burglary-of-a-dwelling and imminent-deadly-force prongs of ORS 161.219 itself, which still requires the actor to hold the statutorily required reasonable belief. [20]
Separate provisions cover force used to protect property. ORS 161.225 justifies physical force, and in narrow circumstances deadly force, by a person lawfully in possession or control of premises to prevent or stop a criminal trespass; deadly force under that section is justified only when it would also be justified under ORS 161.219 or when necessary to prevent an arson or a violent felony by the trespasser. ORS 161.229 separately justifies only non-deadly physical force to prevent or stop a theft or criminal mischief against property. [21]

Important notice: ORS 161.045 states that Oregon's criminal code does not bar, suspend, or otherwise affect any civil right, liability, or remedy authorized by law, regardless of whether the underlying conduct is also an offense. Being legally justified in a criminal case does not guarantee protection from a civil lawsuit, and every self-defense situation is fact-specific and high-stakes. Get individualized legal advice before relying on any of this content in an actual confrontation. [22]

Transportation and Vehicles

Without a CHL, a handgun in a vehicle generally must not be concealed and readily accessible; Oregon defines compliant locked or inaccessible storage. Federal safe passage may protect qualifying interstate travel but does not authorize local carry. [1][18]
A handgun inside a vehicle is not treated as unlawfully concealed and readily accessible if it is kept in a closed and locked glove compartment, center console, or other closed and locked container, with the key or combination not immediately available to the occupant. On a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, or snowmobile, the handgun must be in a similarly locked container or fitted with an engaged trigger lock. A handgun carried openly in a belt holster is not concealed and falls outside this rule entirely. [11][1]

A CHL holder may generally carry a concealed, readily accessible handgun in a vehicle without using the locked-container method. [10][1]
Federal safe passage under 18 U.S.C. 926A can cover a qualifying interstate trip when the firearm is unloaded and inaccessible from the passenger compartment, but it does not authorize carry once a stop extends beyond what the trip reasonably requires. [18]

Restricted Firearms and Magazines

Oregon currently has no operative magazine limit or general assault-weapon ban. Measure 114's magazine provisions are delayed until 2028. Machine guns, short-barreled firearms, and silencers require federal registration and careful compliance with Oregon's statutory defense. [2][1][17]
For a machine gun, short-barreled rifle or shotgun, or firearms silencer, Oregon places the burden on the prosecution to disprove valid federal registration once the issue is raised, and an officer who is shown proof of registration generally may not arrest on that charge alone. This defense depends entirely on genuine, current National Firearms Act compliance; an unregistered item receives no protection and remains a Class B felony to possess. [17][1]

Confirm ATF approval and registration before taking possession of a suppressor, short-barreled firearm, or machine gun, and keep proof of registration with the item. [17]

Safe Storage and Reporting

Firearms generally must be locked when not carried by or under the control of an authorized person. Unattended vehicle handguns may not be visible, and lost or stolen firearms generally must be reported within seventy-two hours. [4][1]
The storage duty applies whenever a firearm is left unattended in a home, garage, or vehicle rather than carried by, or within reach and control of, its owner or another authorized person. Failing to secure a firearm can create civil liability if an unauthorized person, particularly a minor, gains access and causes injury, separate from any criminal charge tied to how the firearm was later used. [4]

A locking device, gun safe, or locked gun room that a minor or unauthorized person cannot readily bypass satisfies the general storage standard. [4]
Report a lost or stolen firearm to local law enforcement or the Oregon State Police within seventy-two hours of discovering the loss. [1]

Restricted Locations and Private Property

Courthouses, schools, federal facilities, certain public buildings, posted or controlled private property, and locations covered by local loaded-carry ordinances require special attention. CHL exceptions are not universal. [1][3]
Oregon separately makes it a Class C felony to knowingly possess a firearm in a public building or court facility, a category that reaches most government-owned or government-leased buildings open to the public. A valid CHL provides a general exception, but that exception does not extend to the State Capitol, the secured areas of a commercial airport, or a K-12 school building or school-sponsored event unless the school district has adopted a policy allowing it; even then, a firearm left in a vehicle on school property must stay unloaded and locked inside. [12]
A private property owner or business may exclude firearms, including from CHL holders, by posting notice or making a direct request to leave. Continuing to carry after being told to leave can support a criminal trespass charge independent of any firearm-specific statute. [1]

Confirm whether a specific public building posts notice restricting CHL carry before assuming the general exception applies. [12]

State Preemption and Local Rules

Oregon preempts many local firearm rules but expressly allows local regulation of loaded firearms in public places, discharge, and possession in certain government buildings or property. Portland-area rules are especially important. [1]
ORS 166.173 is the main express exception: it lets a city or county adopt an ordinance regulating, restricting, or prohibiting the possession of a loaded firearm in a public place. Any such ordinance cannot apply to a CHL holder, an on-duty peace officer, active military personnel, or specified retired officers, so a licensed carrier is generally unaffected by a local loaded-carry rule even where one is in effect. [13]
Because this exception is narrow, a city cannot use it to create its own purchase permit, registration system, or separate background-check process; those areas remain governed by state law. Portland and other larger jurisdictions have adopted loaded-carry ordinances under this authority, so travelers and new residents should check the rules for the specific city or county before carrying an unlicensed loaded firearm in public there. [13][1]

A CHL generally exempts the holder from a local loaded-firearm-in-public ordinance adopted under ORS 166.173. [13]

Before Completing a Private Firearm Sale in Oregon

Route a covered private transfer through a dealer and identify any exception before delivery. [1]
Do not treat the delayed 2028 permit and magazine provisions as currently operative. [2]
Obtain a CHL before carrying a concealed, readily accessible handgun. [1][3]
Check local loaded-carry and public-building rules at every destination. [1]
Secure firearms whenever they are not under authorized control. [4]
Report discovered loss or theft within seventy-two hours. [1]

Official Oregon Firearm Law Resources

Oregon Firearm Statutes

Transfers, carry, transport, storage, ERPO, and restricted weapons.

Oregon Legislative Assembly

Measure 114 Implementation Delay

Current 2028 dates for purchase permits and magazine provisions.

Oregon Legislative Assembly

Firearm Background Checks

State check and firearm-program information.

Oregon State Police

Concealed Handgun License Renewal

Renewal procedure, requirements, and grace period.

Oregon Legislative Assembly

Safe Storage Law

Locking, control, vehicle, and transfer requirements.

Oregon Legislative Assembly

Extreme Risk Protection Orders

Court forms and filing information.

Oregon Judicial Department

Oregon Constitution, Article I, Section 27

State constitutional right to bear arms for defense.

State of Oregon

Defense of a Person and Deadly Force Statutes

ORS 161.209 and 161.219, self-defense justification and deadly-force limits.

Oregon Legislative Assembly

Defense of Premises and Property Statutes

ORS 161.225 and 161.229, defense-of-property rules.

Oregon Legislative Assembly

Limits on Application (Civil Remedies)

ORS 161.045, criminal-code justification does not bar a civil remedy.

Oregon Legislative Assembly

National Firearms Act

Federal requirements for NFA firearms.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Oregon Gun Law FAQ

What is the minimum age to buy a gun in Oregon?

It depends on the seller and the firearm. A licensed dealer must sell a handgun to someone 21 or older but can sell a rifle or shotgun to someone 18 or older; a private, in-state transfer only requires the recipient to be 18, regardless of firearm type.

[1][15]

Are background checks required for private gun sales in Oregon?

Yes for most transfers. The parties generally must use a gun dealer, unless a specific statutory exception applies.

[1]

Do you need a permit to buy a gun in Oregon in 2026?

No. The Measure 114 permit-to-purchase requirement is delayed until January 1, 2028.

[2]

Do I need to register my firearms in Oregon?

No. Oregon does not maintain a general registry of ordinary firearms, though dealers and Oregon State Police retain transfer records as authorized by law.

[1]

Is there a waiting period to buy a gun in Oregon?

No fixed cooling-off period. A covered transfer still has to clear the dealer's background check before delivery, and how long that takes can vary.

[1][16]

Can you carry concealed without a permit in Oregon?

Not generally. A concealed handgun license is ordinarily required outside narrow statutory exceptions.

[1][3]

Is open carry legal in Oregon?

Generally yes, but local governments may restrict loaded public carry by unlicensed people and public-building rules apply.

[1]

How do I renew an Oregon concealed handgun license?

A CHL is valid for four years and is renewed with your county sheriff by repeating the original application process, minus a new fingerprint submission and character references. An expiring license stays valid for up to 45 days after you apply for renewal before it lapses, as long as you applied before the original expiration and the renewal hasn't been denied.

[23][10]

Can a nonresident buy a gun in Oregon?

It depends on the firearm. An Oregon dealer generally cannot sell a handgun to someone who does not reside in Oregon, but federal law lets a dealer sell a rifle or shotgun to a resident of any other state if the buyer appears in person and the sale complies with the law of both states.

[1][14]

Can you carry a handgun in a vehicle in Oregon?

A readily accessible concealed handgun generally requires a CHL. Without one, use the locked or inaccessible storage method specified by statute.

[1]

Does Oregon currently limit magazine capacity?

Not as of August 2026. Measure 114's magazine provisions are delayed until January 1, 2028.

[2]

Does Oregon ban assault weapons?

Oregon currently has no general feature-based assault-weapon ban for commonly owned semiautomatic firearms.

[1]

Are suppressors legal in Oregon?

They may be lawful when federally registered and possessed consistently with Oregon's statutory defense and all federal NFA requirements.

[1][17]

Does Oregon have a stand-your-ground or castle doctrine law?

Oregon courts have held that a person facing an imminent deadly-force threat has no duty to retreat before using deadly force, but Oregon's statute justifies deadly force only in specific circumstances (an imminent deadly-force attack, a violent felony, or a burglary of a dwelling), not a blanket presumption for any forced entry. Being justified in a criminal case does not guarantee protection from a civil lawsuit.

[20][22]

Does Oregon have a red flag law?

Yes. Family or household members and law enforcement may petition for an extreme risk protection order.

[5][6]

How quickly must a lost or stolen firearm be reported in Oregon?

Generally within seventy-two hours after discovering the loss or theft.

[1]

Does Oregon recognize concealed carry permits from other states?

No. Oregon does not recognize another state's concealed handgun license, though a sheriff may issue an Oregon license to a qualifying contiguous-state resident who shows a compelling need.

[10]

Can a felon get firearm rights restored in Oregon?

Only through a specific process: a fifteen-year non-violent-felony exception, a circuit court petition for relief under ORS 166.274, or a set-aside or reduction of the underlying conviction. Restoration is not automatic and state relief alone does not remove a separate federal prohibition.

[9][8]

Sources

Educational information only, not legal advice.

GunList does not provide legal advice and does not guarantee that this guide covers every law, exception, court ruling, or local ordinance. Laws and court orders can change quickly. Verify current requirements through official government sources or consult a qualified attorney before possessing, carrying, buying, selling, or transporting a firearm, or before relying on any self-defense or castle-doctrine provision.

Reading or using this guide does not create an attorney-client relationship with GunList, and GunList disclaims liability for any loss or harm arising from reliance on this content. A criminal-law justification for using force does not guarantee protection from civil liability; use-of-force outcomes are fact-specific and high-stakes, so consult a qualified attorney before acting.