Oregon Measure 114: Current Status and What Gun Buyers Need to Know (2026 Update)

Updated July 19, 2026. This article originally framed Measure 114 as days away from taking effect. That changed: in the 2026 session the legislature passed HB 4145, which moved the measure's implementation date to January 1, 2028, and the Oregon Supreme Court is still weighing its constitutionality. The urgency is lower than it was — but the details still matter, so here's where things actually stand.

If you live in Oregon and you've been thinking about buying your first firearm, here's the honest status: you can still buy one today under the same rules that have applied for years, and Measure 114's permit and magazine rules are not in effect — and aren't scheduled to be until 2028 at the earliest.

Oregon's Measure 114 has been tied up in courts and the legislature for over three years. It hasn't taken effect, and first-time buyers, lower-income Oregonians, and communities that already face barriers to accessing their rights are exactly who a permit system would burden most whenever it does.

What is Measure 114?

Oregon voters passed Measure 114 in November 2022 by a margin of 50.65%. It does two things: creates a permit-to-purchase system for all firearm sales, and bans magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

A Harney County judge blocked it in November 2023, ruling it unconstitutional under the Oregon Constitution. The Oregon Court of Appeals reversed that ruling in March 2025, finding the measure facially constitutional. Oregon's Supreme Court heard oral arguments on November 6, 2025, and was still deliberating as of this update. Even if the court ultimately lets the measure stand, the legislature's HB 4145 set its implementation date at January 1, 2028 — so a ruling would not flip the switch overnight.

The takeaway: there's no imminent deadline. The permit and magazine rules are not in effect today and are not scheduled to begin before 2028.

What changes when Measure 114 takes effect

The permit-to-purchase system

Under Measure 114, you cannot purchase a firearm in Oregon without first obtaining a permit. That permit requires:

• A certified safety course with live-fire training
• A background check
• Fingerprinting
• A fee (Measure 114 set it at $65; proposed legislation has floated higher amounts)
• Processing time of 30 to 60 days depending on which version of the law controls

Right now, buying a firearm in Oregon runs through a standard background check that takes days. Under Measure 114, you need a permit before you can even start that process. Stack the permitting timeline on top of the purchase timeline and you're looking at months, not days, from decision to ownership.

The catch-22 for first-time owners

This is where the system breaks down for the people it claims to affect least.

The permit requires live-fire training. Many ranges require you to own a firearm to use their facilities. You cannot buy a firearm without the permit. Borrowing one from a friend or family member is complicated by Oregon's existing transfer laws under SB 554.

This isn't a hypothetical edge case. This is the default experience for a first-time buyer with no prior access to firearms.

What it costs

Run the numbers on first-time permit compliance:

• Safety course (certified, live-fire): $55 to $200
• Permit fee: $65 under Measure 114, with higher amounts proposed in later legislation
• Renewal every four years: $110
• Time off work for fingerprinting and permitting appointments

That's real money before you've purchased anything. For a lot of first-time buyers, the total cost of getting the permit approaches what a budget handgun actually costs.

The system doesn't exist yet

Oregon State Police need $15.7 million and 42 to 44 new positions to build the permit processing infrastructure from scratch. That system does not exist. In 2024, there were 15,838 pended background check cases. More than 4,800 were carried into the following year without resolution.

The three-day transfer rule, which allows a sale to proceed if a background check isn't completed within three business days, gets eliminated under Measure 114. That rule exists because of processing delays. Without it, unresolved background checks don't result in a delayed purchase. They result in no purchase. Indefinitely.

The magazine ban is a hard cutoff

The permit system is complicated. The magazine ban is simpler. It's a hard deadline.

Measure 114 bans the manufacture, import, sale, and transfer of magazines holding more than 10 rounds. There is no grandfather clause. Instead, the law uses an "affirmative defense," meaning if you're charged with possessing a standard-capacity magazine, you can defend yourself in court by proving you owned it before the effective date.

A grandfather clause means you're protected. An affirmative defense means you have to prove it in court after the fact.

When would this take effect? Not before January 1, 2028 under HB 4145 — and only if the measure survives the Oregon Supreme Court.

What HB 4145 changed in 2026

Earlier versions of this article described HB 4145 as stalled by a Republican walkout. That's no longer the case. During the 2026 session the Oregon Legislature passed HB 4145 — the House approved it 33-19 on February 25, the Senate passed an amended version 30-0 on March 5, and the House concurred 50-3 on March 6.

The key effect for buyers: HB 4145 moved Measure 114's implementation date to January 1, 2028. The bill also stated it wasn't intended to interfere with the ongoing court case over whether the measure is constitutional in the first place.

So the two tracks — courts and calendar — now point the same direction: nothing changes for buyers in the near term. The permit system and magazine limits are not in effect, and the earliest they could begin is 2028.

Who's exempt

Measure 114 includes a full exemption for law enforcement, both active and retired officers. They are exempt from the permit requirement and from the magazine capacity limits.

Sit with that for a second. The law creates one set of rules for people who carry firearms professionally and a different, more expensive, more time-consuming set of rules for everyone else. If you're LGBTQ+, a person of color, a first-time buyer, or someone on a fixed income trying to access the same right that a retired detective accesses without restriction, that disparity is the policy. Not a side effect.

The permit system also includes a "reasonable grounds" standard that lets permit agents use their discretion in approvals. Subjective standards in permitting systems create room for bias. Political views, social media activity, personal judgment calls by individual agents.

We're not making an argument for or against the law. We're describing how it works.

What to do right now

If you're considering a firearm purchase

Current Oregon law is straightforward: a standard background check through a licensed dealer, no permit requirement. That's the system in place today, and with implementation delayed to 2028, there's no need to panic-buy. For the full walkthrough, see our guide on how to buy a gun in Oregon.

The better use of the time you have: get trained before you buy, not after. Talk to a licensed dealer, understand what you're purchasing and why, and learn to handle it safely.

If you own magazines over 10 rounds

There's no magazine ban in effect today, and none scheduled before 2028. But if you want to be prepared in case one eventually lands, documenting what you already own is cheap insurance:

• Photograph your magazines alongside a current piece of ID and today's newspaper or a timestamped device
• Email those photos to yourself from a dated, archived account
• Get photos notarized if you want a stronger paper trail
• Store copies on a dated SD card in a safe deposit box

This documentation supports an affirmative defense if you ever need one. It's not airtight protection, but it's far better than nothing.

If you've been on the fence

Whatever your position on the policy itself, the practical effect of Measure 114 for first-time buyers in Oregon would be more expense, more time, more bureaucracy, and a catch-22 that makes the permit process hardest for the people with the fewest existing resources.

For now, the simpler system is still running, and it isn't changing before 2028. That's time to do this thoughtfully — get educated, get trained, and make a decision you're confident in.

Bottom line

Measure 114 passed, but it has never taken effect. HB 4145 pushed its implementation to January 1, 2028, and the Oregon Supreme Court is still deciding whether it's constitutional at all. For anyone buying a gun in Oregon today, nothing has changed: standard background check, no permit required.

There's no ticking clock right now — which makes this a good time to do it right. Get trained, understand the current law, and if you own standard-capacity magazines, documenting them now is easy peace of mind. We'll keep this updated as the case and the calendar develop.

Frequently asked questions

Is Measure 114 in effect in Oregon?

No. It passed in 2022 but has never taken effect. HB 4145 (2026) delayed implementation to January 1, 2028, and the Oregon Supreme Court is still weighing its constitutionality.

Do I need a permit to buy a gun in Oregon right now?

No. Measure 114's permit-to-purchase system is not in effect. Buying today runs through a standard background check with a licensed dealer. See how to buy a gun in Oregon.

When would Measure 114's magazine ban take effect?

Not before January 1, 2028 under HB 4145 — and only if the measure survives the Supreme Court.

Can I still buy standard-capacity magazines in Oregon?

As of this update, there is no magazine ban in effect.

Sources

• Ballotpedia, "Oregon Measure 114, Changes to Firearm Ownership and Purchase Requirements Initiative (2022)" — litigation timeline and HB 4145 (2026): https://ballotpedia.org/Oregon_Measure_114,_Changes_to_Firearm_Ownership_and_Purchase_Requirements_Initiative_(2022)
• Oregon Revised Statutes, Chapter 166 — current firearm purchase and transfer law: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors166.html