Oregon Code § 163.537·Enacted ·Last updated March 01, 2026
Statute Text
Buying
or selling a person under 18 years of age.
(1) A person commits the crime of buying or selling a
person under 18 years of age if the person buys, sells, barters, trades or
offers to buy or sell the legal or physical custody of a person under 18 years
of age.
(2) Subsection
(1) of this section does not:
(a) Prohibit a
person in the process of adopting a child from paying the fees, costs and
expenses related to the adoption as allowed in ORS 109.281.
(b) Prohibit a
negotiated satisfaction of child support arrearages or other settlement in
favor of a parent of a child in exchange for consent of the parent to the
adoption of the child by the current spouse of the childs other parent.
(c) Apply to fees
for services charged by the Department of Human Services or adoption agencies
licensed under ORS chapter 418.
(d) Apply to fees
for services in an adoption pursuant to a surrogacy agreement.
(e) Apply to fees
for services pursuant to a gestational surrogacy agreement.
(f) Prohibit
discussion or settlement of disputed issues between parties in a domestic
relations proceeding.
(3) Buying or
selling a person under 18 years of age is a Class B felony. [1997 c.561 §2;
2025 c.592 §78]
Plain English Explanation
This Oregon statute addresses Buying
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Key Points
01Part of Oregon statutory law
02Referenced as Oregon Code § 163.537
03Subject to legislative amendments
04Consult a licensed attorney for application to specific cases
Frequently Asked Questions
This section of Oregon law addresses Buying
. Read the full statute text above for details.
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