Oregon Visitor Guide

Oregon Honors No Other State's License and Will Not Issue One to a New Yorker. Without an Oregon License, a Handgun in Your Car Must Be Out of Reach.

At a glance (checked Nov 1, 2026):

• Can a New Yorker get a permit? No. Oregon licenses are for county residents. A sheriff may make an exception only for residents of California, Idaho, Nevada or Washington who show a business need or other real need

• Does Oregon honor a NY license? No. Oregon does not honor any other state's license, including non-resident permits

• Permitless carry for visitors? No concealed carry. State law treats a gun carried openly in a belt holster as not concealed, but cities and counties may ban loaded guns in public, and Portland does

• Carry in a car without a permit? A handgun may not be both hidden and within reach. Anywhere in the passenger area counts as within reach: use the trunk

• Magazine limit: None in force today. Measure 114 (10-round limit and a permit to buy) is blocked in court and cannot start before January 1, 2028

• Duty to inform: No Oregon law requires it

• Oregon concealed handgun licenses (CHL) are issued by the county sheriff to a person who is 21 or older and "a resident of the county."

• The only exception: "The county sheriff may waive the residency requirement ... for a resident of a contiguous state who has a compelling business interest or other legitimate demonstrated need." Oregon law defines the contiguous states as California, Idaho, Nevada and Washington. For more information click here

• A New York resident cannot apply.

• None. A county sheriff's office: "Oregon does NOT recognize any other state's concealed handgun license/permit at this time." For more information click here

• That includes your NY or NYC carry license and any non-resident permit (Florida, Utah, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Connecticut).

• In Oregon you are treated like anyone without a license: no concealed carry on foot, and the car rules below.

• Without an Oregon license it is a crime to have "a handgun that is concealed and readily accessible to the person within any vehicle."

• Within reach means the passenger area. Oregon law: a handgun is readily accessible "if the handgun is within the passenger compartment of the vehicle." Put it in the trunk.

• No trunk (no storage outside the passenger area): the handgun must be in a closed and locked glove box, center console or other container, and the key must not be left in the lock.

• Motorcycles: in a locked container, or with a trigger lock. For more information click here

• Portland: city code makes it unlawful to have a loaded gun, or a gun with its loaded magazine, in a public place, "including while in a vehicle in a public place." The exception is for "a person licensed to carry a concealed handgun", which we read as an Oregon license. In Portland, keep the gun and the magazines unloaded. For more information click here

Because Oregon honors no other license, this is the rule that protects a New Yorker driving through Oregon to another state where the gun is legal.

• Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 926A, part of the Firearm Owners Protection Act) protects a traveler who drives through a state, as long as you are going from a place where you may legally have the gun to another place where you may legally have it.

• The gun must be unloaded. The gun and the ammunition must not be reachable from the passenger area: put them in the trunk. In a car with no trunk (SUV, van), lock them in a container that is not the glove box or the console.

• It protects travel, not a visit. The law does not say how long a stop may be. Keep stops short (gas, food, restroom) and do not take the gun out of the case. For more information click here

Without an Oregon license, it is a felony to have a gun (loaded or not) in a "public building" (ORS 166.370). That includes:

• Hospitals.

• Public and private schools, colleges and universities, and their grounds.

• The State Capitol buildings, city halls, and any part of a building used by the state, a city, a county or other public body.

• Court facilities (even Oregon license holders may not carry there).

• The passenger terminal of a large commercial airport. For more information click here

• Federal buildings and post offices (federal law).

• Private property where the owner says no.

• Open carry: state law says a gun carried openly in a belt holster is not concealed. But cities and counties may ban loaded guns in public places (ORS 166.173), and the exception in that law is for license holders. Portland bans it. Check the local rules for every town you visit. For more information click here

• Measure 114, status as of November 1, 2026: passed by voters in 2022 (permit to buy a gun, and a ban on magazines over 10 rounds). It has never taken effect; it is blocked by a state court and the Oregon Supreme Court has not ruled. A 2026 law (House Bill 4145) says the measure applies only to sales and magazine conduct on or after January 1, 2028. For more information click here

• Duty to inform: no Oregon law requires you to tell an officer you have a gun. Be calm, keep your hands visible and follow instructions.

Every state has different laws pertaining to carrying, restrictions etc. It is your responsibility to know these laws and be familiar with them before visiting that state.

This guide summarizes the state's published instructions as of November 1, 2026 and is not legal advice. Fees, forms and rules change; always check the official page before you travel. Tips from others' experience come from users on the chats; they are personal experiences, not official rules.

Checked November 1, 2026.

• Oregon State Legislature, ORS Chapter 166 (166.250 vehicle carry; 166.291 who can get a license; 166.360-166.370 public buildings; 166.173 local loaded-gun bans). For more information click here

• Columbia County Sheriff's Office, Concealed Handgun Licensing (Oregon honors no other state's license). For more information click here

• Oregon State Legislature, House Bill 4145 (2026) (Measure 114 applies on or after January 1, 2028). For more information click here

• City of Portland, City Code 14A.60.010 (loaded firearm in a public place). For more information click here

• United States Code, 18 U.S.C. § 926A (federal safe passage). For more information click here