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

Updated September 22, 2026. Nothing has changed for buyers since our July update. The Oregon Supreme Court has not ruled, and the 2028 start date still stands.

The short version

• Measure 114 is not in effect. Its permit-to-purchase rules and its magazine limit do not start before January 1, 2028. The legislature set that date in HB 4145, which the Governor signed on April 7, 2026.
• The Oregon Supreme Court has not decided whether the measure is constitutional. HB 4145 itself says the legislature did not intend to affect "any proceedings pending before the Oregon Supreme Court." No decision appears in the court's published opinions through the September 3, 2026 advance sheets.
• Buying a gun today works the way it has for years: through a licensed dealer, with a state background check, and no permit.

If that's all you came for, you have your answer. The rest of this guide covers what the measure would require if it takes effect, what it means if you own magazines over 10 rounds, and what to do with the time before 2028.

Why does the date keep moving?

Measure 114 passed in November 2022 and has been in court ever since. The legislature first set a start date of March 15, 2026. During the 2026 session it passed HB 4145, which changed both key dates. Section 1 says the permit and transfer rules apply "to firearm transfers conducted on or after [March 15, 2026] January 1, 2028." Section 2 moves the magazine rules to the same date.

The bill that passed is much narrower than the one the House first approved. The House version, passed 33-19 on February 25, would have raised the permit fee from $65 to $150, raised renewal from $50 to $110, extended the permit decision window from 30 to 60 days, and exempted state and local law enforcement from the permit requirement, OPB reported. If you've seen those numbers elsewhere, that's where they came from.

The Senate stripped all of that out. The enrolled HB 4145 only changes the two dates and adds the note about the pending court case. The Senate passed the amended version 30-0 on March 5, and the House concurred 50-3 on March 6, according to the HB 4145 history page on OLIS linked in the summary.

Two tracks now decide what happens: the court case, and the calendar. A ruling that upholds the measure would not switch it on overnight. The 2028 date would still apply.

What does buying a gun look like right now?

A licensed dealer asks the Oregon State Police to run a criminal history check on you before the sale goes through (ORS 166.412). Private sales generally have to go through a dealer too. The same chapter says a transferor "may not transfer a firearm to a transferee unless the transfer is completed through a gun dealer" (ORS 166.435), with exceptions such as transfers to certain family members.

One thing that trips people up: the published text of ORS chapter 166 already includes the permit language, because the statute books print the amended version. That language only applies to transfers on or after the date HB 4145 set.

For the full step-by-step, see how to buy a gun in Oregon.

What would the permit require?

Under the measure's text, you would need a permit before buying from a dealer, in a private sale, or at a gun show. To get one:

• Take a firearm safety course. Parts of it can be online, but it must include an "in-person demonstration of the applicant's ability to lock, load, unload, fire and store a firearm before an instructor certified by a law enforcement agency" (§4(8)(c)).
• Be fingerprinted and photographed, and pass a background check that includes an FBI fingerprint check (§4(1)(e)).
• Pay a fee that "shall not exceed $65," fingerprinting and background check included (§4(3)(b)).
• Wait for a decision. The permit agent must issue the permit within 30 days of receiving the application, or you can seek review (§4(3)(a), §5(1)).

A permit would be valid for five years, and renewal would cost no more than $50 (§4(7)).

The measure also sets a judgment standard. To qualify, an applicant must not "present reasonable grounds for a permit agent to conclude that the applicant has been or is reasonably likely to be a danger to self or others, or to the community at large, as a result of the applicant's mental or psychological state or as demonstrated by the applicant's past pattern of behavior involving unlawful violence or threats of unlawful violence" (§4(1)(b)(C)).

It also changes what happens when a background check stalls. Under current Oregon law, a dealer can deliver the firearm if the state doesn't answer by the end of the next business day. Measure 114 deletes that rule. The dealer "may not transfer the firearm unless the dealer receives a unique approval number" (§6).

What if you've never owned a gun?

The course requires you to fire a firearm in front of an instructor, and you would need the permit before you could buy one. If you're a first-time buyer, ask any course provider up front whether they supply the firearm for the demonstration. That question will matter in 2028, and it's worth knowing the answer before you sign up.

It's also the reason we teach the way we do. Our pre-purchase training exists so you can learn to handle a firearm safely before you own one.

What about magazines over 10 rounds?

If the measure takes effect, it bans manufacturing, importing, buying, selling, or transferring a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds. It also bans possessing one, with an exception: an affirmative defense (§11).

An affirmative defense is not a grandfather clause. It doesn't stop you from being charged. It is something you prove in court. Under §11(5), you would have to show that:

• you owned the magazine "before the effective date of this 2022 Act" and kept it in your control, or you inherited it, and
• you kept it only on property you own or control, at a licensed dealer or gunsmith for service, at a shooting range or while hunting, at a competition or exhibition, or, in a vehicle, "not inserted into the firearm and ... locked in a separate container."

Read that first condition closely. The defense is tied to the effective date of the 2022 measure, while HB 4145 moved the ban itself to 2028. The text alone doesn't settle how a court would treat a magazine bought between those dates. If that describes you, talk to an Oregon attorney. Don't rely on an article, including this one.

Law enforcement gets a narrower exemption than you may have heard. The magazine limit doesn't apply to a peace officer when the acquisition, possession, or use "is related directly to activities within the scope of that person's official duties" (§11(4)(c)). The measure doesn't name retired officers, and it has no general law-enforcement exemption from the permit requirement.

Who would build the permit system?

The Oregon State Police. When the legislature reviewed the program in 2023, OSP estimated it would need $15.7 million and 42 positions for 2023–25, including $3.4 million to build the searchable permit database the measure requires. At the time, its background check unit was processing about 400,000 transactions a year with 26 staff, and OSP expected the new volume could "potentially double" that (Legislative Fiscal Office budget review).

What should you do before 2028?

If you're thinking about buying: you don't need to rush. The current process is the one in place, and it isn't scheduled to change before 2028. Use the time to get trained first. It's the step people most often skip, and it's the one that matters most once the gun is in your home. See our first-time gun owner guide.

If you own magazines over 10 rounds: nothing is banned today. The measure doesn't say what evidence proves you owned a magazine before the cutoff. Keeping your receipts and other dated records costs nothing. For anything beyond that, ask an Oregon attorney.

If you want to follow the case: watch the Oregon Supreme Court's published opinions. We'll update this article when the court rules or the date changes.

Frequently asked questions

Is Measure 114 in effect in Oregon?

No. It passed in 2022 but has never taken effect. HB 4145 (2026) moved its permit and magazine rules to January 1, 2028, and the Oregon Supreme Court has not ruled on whether it is constitutional.

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

No. Under HB 4145, the permit rules apply only to transfers on or after January 1, 2028. Buying today runs through a licensed dealer and a state background check. See how to buy a gun in Oregon.

When would the magazine limit take effect?

Not before January 1, 2028, under section 2 of HB 4145, and only if the measure survives the Oregon Supreme Court.

Can I still buy magazines over 10 rounds in Oregon?

Yes, as of this update. No magazine limit is in effect.

Are police exempt from Measure 114?

Only partly. The measure exempts peace officers from the magazine limit when the use is directly related to their official duties. It has no general law-enforcement exemption from the permit requirement.