State Gun Laws

Oregon state law says that it is illegal for a person convicted of a felony or a “qualifying misdemeanor” to have a gun in his/her possession at any time.¹ A qualifying misdemeanor means physical force was used or attempted, or the person threatened use of a deadly weapon against the victim.²

Also, if the abuser applies for a license to carry a concealed handgun, that license will not be granted if s/he:

• is a convicted felon;
• has been convicted of a misdemeanor within the four years prior to the application for a gun license;
• has been convicted of a drug offense or participated in a court-supervised drug diversion program (although there can be an exception for a one-time misdemeanor conviction for marijuana);
• has an outstanding warrant for arrest;
• is on pretrial release (while awaiting a criminal trial for a felony); or
• is a registered sex offender in any state.³

If the abuser already has a concealed handgun permit, the permit can be canceled (revoked) by the sheriff for any of the reasons listed above.⁴ For contact information for your local sheriff’s department, go to our Oregon Sheriff Departments page.

Federal laws, which apply to all states, also restrict a person’s right to have a gun if s/he has been convicted of certain crimes. Go to Federal Gun Laws to get more information.

¹ Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 166.250(1)(c); 166.255(1)
² Or. Rev. Stat. § 166.255(1)(b)
³ Or. Rev. Stat. § 166.291
⁴ Or. Rev. Stat. § 166.293(3)