Oregon voters enacted a strong gun safety ballot initiative in 2022 and the state has meaningfully reformed its gun laws in recent years. Oregon’s laws are still generally weaker than its neighbors in CA and WA, however.
In recent years, Oregon has acted to strengthen its gun safety laws by enacting an extreme risk protection law, strengthening protections for victims of domestic violence, investing in community violence intervention programs, and requiring safe storage of firearms around children. In November 2022, Oregon voters also enacted a gun safety ballot initiative that strengthened background check and licensing processes, restricted large-capacity magazines, and promoted law enforcement efforts to investigate and recover firearms from people who become disqualified from owning them.
In 2021, Oregon had the 21st lowest gun death rate among the states. Oregon both supplied crime guns to other states and imported crime guns at rates similar to the national average. However, Oregon did export more crime guns than it imported.
What Oregon Does Well
- Universal background checks
- Licensing
- Extreme risk protection orders
- Certain domestic violence gun laws
- Large capacity magazine restrictions
- Investments in violence intervention programs
- Ghost gun law
What Oregon Is Missing
- Assault weapon restrictions
- Strong concealed carry standards
- Open carry regulations
- Victims’ access to justice law
- Minimum age
- Strong gun trafficking laws
SPOTLIGHT
GUN LAW SCORECARD
The data is clear: states with stronger gun laws have less gun violence. See how your state compares in our annual ranking.
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CHILD & CONSUMER SAFETY
GUNS IN PUBLIC
HARDWARE & AMMUNITION
OTHER LAWS & POLICIES
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We’re in this together. To build a safer America—one where children and parents in every neighborhood can learn, play, work, and worship without fear of gun violence—we need you standing beside us in this fight.
