Oregon Measure 114 is not in effect. Voters narrowly approved it in November 2022, but a state court injunction has blocked it from the start, and as of 2026 the case is pending before the Oregon Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in November 2025.1The Oregonian. Oregon Supreme Court Justices Question Gun Control Measure 114 Regulations You do not need a permit to buy a firearm in Oregon today, and large-capacity magazines remain legal to buy, sell, and own.
Why the Law Has Never Been Enforced
Harney County residents sued to block the measure almost as soon as it passed. Circuit Court Judge Robert Raschio issued an injunction, then ruled after a 2023 trial that Measure 114 violated the Oregon Constitution’s right to bear arms.2AP News. Oregon Appeals Court Says Voter-Approved Gun Law Is Constitutional, Reversing Lower Court Ruling
The Oregon Department of Justice appealed. In March 2025, a three-judge panel of the Oregon Court of Appeals unanimously reversed Raschio, finding the measure “facially constitutional” and concluding that the permit and magazine rules do not “unduly frustrate” the right to armed self-defense under the state constitution.3Oregon Public Broadcasting. Oregon Court of Appeals Says Voter-Approved Firearms Measure Is Constitutional
Opponents petitioned the Oregon Supreme Court, which accepted the case. Justices questioned both sides for over an hour during oral arguments in November 2025.1The Oregonian. Oregon Supreme Court Justices Question Gun Control Measure 114 Regulations The injunction stays in place while the court deliberates. A ruling is expected in 2026, but no date has been set.
The Parallel Federal Case
A separate federal challenge has already been decided at the trial level and is on appeal. In July 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut upheld Measure 114 under the U.S. Constitution in a 122-page opinion, finding the permit system and magazine restrictions “consistent with the Nation’s history and tradition of firearm regulation.”4OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting). Federal Judge Says Oregon’s New Gun Rules Don’t Violate US Constitution Gun rights groups appealed to the Ninth Circuit in August 2023. Either way, the state-court injunction keeps the law blocked. Both cases would have to be resolved in the state’s favor before the measure could actually be enforced.
HB 4145 Would Push Any Start Date to 2028
The Oregon legislature has passed HB 4145, a bill modifying several parts of Measure 114 and delaying its effective date. As of early 2026, the bill is enrolled and awaiting the governor’s signature. If signed, HB 4145 takes effect immediately, but the measure’s actual requirements would not kick in until January 1, 2028.5Oregon State Legislature. HB4145 2026 Regular Session
Key changes the bill would make:
- Higher permit fee caps, with renewals allowed up to $110 (the original measure capped renewals at $50).
- 60 days for permit agents to process an application, doubled from the original 30.
- Application and background check information exempt from public records disclosure.
- An explicit exemption for active law enforcement officers.
- A 180-day transition period for dealers and manufacturers to comply with the magazine restrictions once any injunction is lifted.
- No retroactive prosecution for possessing restricted magazines during any period when enforcement was enjoined.
HB 4145 does not affect the court cases. Even a signed bill cannot make the measure enforceable while the injunction stands.
What Measure 114 Would Require If It Ever Took Effect
If both the courts and the legislative process eventually clear the way, the measure imposes three main changes to Oregon firearms law.6State of Oregon. Ballot Measure 114 Full Text
A Permit to Purchase Any Firearm
Anyone buying a firearm in Oregon would first need a permit from a local permit agent, valid for five years. The application requires fingerprinting, photographing, a fee (originally capped at $65 initial and $50 renewal; HB 4145 raises those caps), an FBI fingerprint-based background check through the Oregon State Police, and completion of an approved firearm safety course. The course covers federal and state law, safe storage, and abuse prevention, and includes an in-person demonstration where the applicant loads, unloads, fires, and stores a firearm in front of an instructor. The classroom portion can be online; the hands-on portion cannot. Law enforcement officers acting in their official capacity are exempt.6State of Oregon. Ballot Measure 114 Full Text
A Ban on Magazines Over Ten Rounds
The measure prohibits the manufacture, import, possession, use, purchase, sale, or transfer of magazines holding more than ten rounds. The definition sweeps in fixed and detachable magazines, drums, belts, feed strips, and kits that can be assembled into any of those. Three exclusions apply: magazines permanently altered so they cannot accept more than ten rounds, attached tubular devices operable only with .22 caliber rimfire ammunition, and tubular feeding devices in lever-action firearms. Government officers, military members, and peace officers are exempt within the scope of official duties, and licensed dealers are exempt for dealer-to-dealer transactions.6State of Oregon. Ballot Measure 114 Full Text
An End to Default-Proceed Sales
Current Oregon law lets a dealer complete a sale if the background check is not finished within three business days. Measure 114 would eliminate that default and require a completed background check before any transfer.7Ceasefire Oregon. Measure 114: Permit to Purchase a Firearm, Limit High-Capacity Ammunition
What Oregon Gun Owners Should Do Now
Nothing changes about how you buy or own a firearm in Oregon while the injunction is in place. No permit, no new safety course, no magazine restrictions. The existing purchasing process still applies.
Two things determine what happens next. The Oregon Supreme Court has to rule; if it strikes the measure down, the law is dead regardless of HB 4145. If the court upholds it, the injunction lifts, and the second question becomes whether HB 4145 was signed. If the bill is signed, the requirements don’t take effect until January 1, 2028. If it isn’t, the original measure’s provisions apply once the injunction lifts, with the tighter fee caps and 30-day processing window written into the ballot text.5Oregon State Legislature. HB4145 2026 Regular Session Either path gives gun owners meaningful advance notice before anything they own or do becomes regulated.