Oregon Firearm Laws
Understanding the legal framework for responsible firearm ownership in Oregon.
Important Disclaimer
This page provides general information only and is NOT legal advice. Laws change frequently. Always verify current laws with official sources or consult a qualified attorney. Last updated: October 2026.
Purchasing & Transfers
Background Checks
Oregon requires a background check for most firearm transfers, including private sales between individuals (ORS 166.435).
- • Transfers must go through a licensed dealer (FFL)
- • Dealer may charge a fee for the transfer
- • Exemptions exist for certain family members (ORS 166.435)
- • Temporary transfers for hunting/target shooting allowed
Permit to Purchase (Not in Effect)
Oregon's Measure 114 would require a permit to purchase firearms, but it has never taken effect. It is under Oregon Supreme Court review (argued November 2025) and a 2026 law (HB 4145) delayed its earliest start to January 1, 2028. No permit is required today. If it ever takes effect it would involve:
- • Completion of an approved safety course
- • In-person application with local law enforcement
- • and fingerprinting
- • A permit-to-purchase valid for five years (ORS 166.505(7)(a))
Age Requirements
- 21+: Handguns from licensed dealers
- 18+: Any rifle or shotgun from a licensed dealer, whether or not it is (18 U.S.C. 922(b)(1)). SB 243 (2025) did not change purchase ages.
- Any transfer: Oregon's own minimum is 18 (ORS 166.470)
Rapid-Fire Devices (SB 243)
Bump stocks, binary triggers, and similar rapid-fire activators are banned under SB 243, the Community Safety Firearms Act (Oregon Laws 2025, chapter 594), which took effect on September 26, 2025.
- • Possession is a Class A misdemeanor
- • Manufacture or transport is a Class B felony
Waiting Period
Oregon does not have a mandatory waiting period. A 72-hour wait was added to SB 243 (2025) by amendment and removed before the bill passed. You may take possession as soon as your background check clears, though a check can be delayed beyond the instant response.
Concealed Handgun License (CHL)
Requirements for Oregon CHL
Eligibility
- • At least 21 years old
- • US citizen, or legal resident with a declaration of intent to become a citizen
- • Resident of the county where you apply
- • No felony convictions
- • No recent misdemeanor convictions
- • No outstanding warrants
- • Not subject to protective orders
Application Process
- • Complete approved firearms safety course
- • Apply at county sheriff's office
- • Provide proof of training
- • Pay application fee
- • Pass background check
- • License valid for 4 years
My training courses can fulfill the safety course requirement for your CHL application!
Contact me for details on which courses meet Oregon's requirements.
Prohibited Locations
Even with a CHL, firearms are prohibited in certain locations:
Always Prohibited
- • Federal buildings & courthouses
- • Passenger terminal of a commercial airport with over one million boardings a year (such as Portland International), even before security and even with a CHL (ORS 166.360(9)(b), 166.370). The exception is an unloaded firearm in a locked hard-sided case on its way to be checked
- • Oregon State Capitol, even with a CHL (ORS 166.370(1)(b))
- • State courthouses and the part of any other building used by a state court or its staff (ORS 166.360(2), 166.370(2))
Posted Signs and Owner Rules
- • Public buildings (SB 243, 2025): a city, county, or special district may bar CHL carry inside a building it owns or controls and uses for official meetings, if it posts a sign at every normal entrance and lists the building on its website (ORS 166.377). The state is not one of these bodies, and adjacent grounds are not covered
- • Schools, colleges & universities (SB 554): may prohibit CHL carry with posted signage and website notice
- • K-12 schools: a CHL holder may carry on school grounds unless the school board has adopted and posted a policy against it (ORS 166.377(1)); many have, so check the district. Without a CHL, a firearm on school grounds is a felony (ORS 166.370)
- • Private property, including places of worship, bars and restaurants: Oregon firearm law does not list these as prohibited places. The owner or person in charge decides. If you are told not to enter or to leave and you do not comply, that is criminal trespass, and trespass while in possession of a firearm is a Class A misdemeanor (ORS 164.205, 164.265)
- • Tribal land: each tribe sets its own firearm rules, and an Oregon CHL may not be recognized there. Ask the tribal police or tribal government before you carry on a reservation
Safe Storage
Oregon's secure storage law (SB 554): when a firearm is not under your control, it must be secured with an engaged trigger or cable lock, in a locked container, or in a gun room (ORS 166.395(1)). If you leave a firearm unsecured and someone who gets it as a result uses it to injure a person or property within two years, the violation is negligence per se in a lawsuit against you, and showing you acted reasonably does not rebut it. This does not apply to lawful self-defense or to a firearm taken by someone unlawfully inside a dwelling (ORS 166.395(3)-(4)).
Best Practices:
- • Use a gun safe or lock box
- • Use locks or cable locks when not in use
- • Store separately from firearms
- • Keep keys/combinations secure from unauthorized persons
- • Educate family members on firearm safety
- • Report a lost or stolen firearm within 72 hours (48 hours in Portland and Multnomah County; check with the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office or your city)
Have Questions About Oregon Gun Laws?
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