Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 166 § 166.397 — Reporting loss or theft of firearm; penalties; civil liability
Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 166 ·
Oregon Code § 166.397·Enacted ·Last updated March 01, 2026
Statute Text
Reporting loss or theft of firearm; penalties; civil liability.
(1)(a) A person who owns,
possesses or controls a firearm shall report the loss or theft of the firearm
to a law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction in which the loss or theft
occurred as soon as practicable but not later than within 72 hours of the time
the person knew or reasonably should have known of the loss or theft.
(b) If a means of
reporting a loss or theft of a firearm within 72 hours is not reasonably
available, the person who owned, possessed or controlled the firearm that was
lost or stolen must report the loss or theft within 24 hours of the means of
reporting becoming available.
(c) A person may
include the serial number of the firearm in a report under this subsection.
(2)(a) A
violation of subsection (1) of this section is a Class B violation.
(b) Each firearm
for which a person does not make the report within the time required by
subsection (1) of this section constitutes a separate violation.
(c) A person who
knowingly provides false information in a report required by subsection (1) of
this section commits the crime of initiating a false report under ORS 162.375.
(3) If a lost or
stolen firearm is used to injure a person or property and the person who owned,
possessed or controlled the firearm at the time of the loss or theft did not
report the loss or theft as required by subsection (1) of this section, in an
action against the person who owned, possessed or controlled the firearm at the
time of the loss or theft to recover damages for the injury, the violation
constitutes negligence per se for two years from the expiration of the time
limit for reporting or until the loss or theft report is made, whichever occurs
sooner. The presumption of negligence may not be overcome by a showing that the
person acted reasonably.
(4) Subsection
(3) of this section does not apply if the injury results from a lawful act of
self-defense or defense of another person.
(5)(a) Within 24
hours of receiving a report under subsection (1) of this section, a law
enforcement agency shall create a record concerning the lost or stolen firearm
in the Law Enforcement Data System or another electronic database as determined
by the Department of State Police.
(b) A law
enforcement agency is exempt from the obligation described in paragraph (a) of
this subsection if the agency is unable to create a record concerning the lost
or stolen firearm in the electronic database due to insufficient information.
(c) The
department may adopt rules to carry out the provisions of this subsection. [2021
c.146 §5]
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Plain English Explanation
This Oregon statute addresses Reporting loss or theft of firearm; penalties; civil liability. AI-powered analysis coming soon.
Key Points
01Part of Oregon statutory law
02Referenced as Oregon Code § 166.397
03Subject to legislative amendments
04Consult a licensed attorney for application to specific cases
Frequently Asked Questions
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