Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 133 § 133.726 — Interception of oral communication without order; order for interception of
Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 133 ·
Oregon Code § 133.726·Enacted ·Last updated March 01, 2026
Statute Text
Interception of oral communication without order; order for interception of
oral communication; application; grounds for issuance; contents of order;
penalties.
(1)
Notwithstanding ORS 133.724, under the circumstances described in this section,
a law enforcement officer is authorized to intercept an oral communication to
which the officer or a person under the direct supervision of the officer is a
party, without obtaining an order for the interception of a wire, electronic or
oral communication under ORS 133.724.
(2) For purposes
of this section and ORS 133.736, a person is a party to an oral communication
if the oral communication is made in the persons immediate presence and is
audible to the person regardless of whether the communication is specifically
directed to the person.
(3) An ex parte
order for intercepting an oral communication in any county of this state under
this section may be issued by any judge as defined in ORS 133.525 upon written
application made upon oath or affirmation of the district attorney or a deputy
district attorney authorized by the district attorney for the county in which
the order is sought or upon the oath or affirmation of any peace officer as
defined in ORS 133.005. The application shall include:
(a) The name of
the applicant and the applicants authority to make the application;
(b) A statement
demonstrating that there is probable cause to believe that a person whose oral
communication is to be intercepted is engaged in committing, has committed or
is about to commit a particular felony, or a misdemeanor under ORS 167.007 or
167.008, and that intercepting the oral communication will yield evidence
thereof; and
(c) The identity
of the person, if known, suspected of committing the crime and whose oral
communication is to be intercepted.
(4) The judge may
require the applicant to furnish further testimony or documentary evidence in
support of the application.
(5) Upon
examination of the application and evidence, the judge may enter an ex parte
order, as requested or as modified, authorizing or approving the interception
of an oral communication within the state if the judge determines on the basis
of the facts submitted by the applicant that:
(a) There is
probable cause to believe that a person is engaged in committing, has committed
or is about to commit a particular felony, or a misdemeanor under ORS 167.007
or 167.008; and
(b) There is
probable cause to believe that the oral communication to be obtained will
contain evidence concerning that crime.
(6) An order
authorizing or approving the interception of an oral communication under this
section must specify:
(a) The identity
of the person, if known, whose oral communication is to be intercepted;
(b) A statement
identifying the particular crime to which the oral communication is expected to
relate;
(c) The agency
authorized under the order to intercept the oral communication;
(d) The name and
office of the applicant and the signature and title of the issuing judge;
(e) A period of
time after which the order shall expire; and
(f) A statement
that the order authorizes only the interception of an oral communication to
which a law enforcement officer or a person under the direct supervision of a
law enforcement officer is a party.
(7) An order
under ORS 133.724 or this section is not required when a law enforcement
officer intercepts an oral communication to which the officer or a person under
the direct supervision of the officer is a party if the oral communication is
made by a person whom the officer has probable cause to believe has committed,
is engaged in committing or is about to commit:
(a) A crime
punishable as a felony under ORS 475.752, 475.786 to 475.894, 475.906, 475C.005
to 475C.525 or 475C.770 to 475C.919 or as a misdemeanor under ORS 167.007 or
167.008; or
(b) Any other
crime punishable as a felony if the circumstances at the time the oral
communication is intercepted are of such exigency that it would be unreasonable
to obtain a court order under ORS 133.724 or this section.
(8) A law
enforcement officer who intercepts an oral communication pursuant to this
section may not intentionally fail to record and preserve the oral
communication in its entirety. A law enforcement officer, or a person under the
direct supervision of the officer, who is authorized under this section to
intercept an oral communication is not required to exclude from the
interception an oral communication made by a person for whom probable cause
does not exist if the officer or the person under the officers direct
supervision is a party to the oral communication.
(9) A law
enforcement officer may not divulge the contents of an oral communication
intercepted under this section before a preliminary hearing or trial in which
an oral communication is going to be introduced as evidence against a person
except:
(a) To a superior
officer or other official with whom the la
Plain English Explanation
This Oregon statute addresses Interception of oral communication without order; order for interception of
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Key Points
01Part of Oregon statutory law
02Referenced as Oregon Code § 133.726
03Subject to legislative amendments
04Consult a licensed attorney for application to specific cases
Frequently Asked Questions
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