Oregon Code § 496.992·Enacted ·Last updated March 01, 2026
Statute Text
Penalties; revocation; forfeiture.
(1) Except as otherwise provided by this section or other law, a violation of
any provision of the wildlife laws, or any rule adopted pursuant to the
wildlife laws, is a Class A misdemeanor if the offense is committed with a
culpable mental state.
(2) Except as
otherwise provided by this section or other law, a violation of a provision of
the wildlife laws, or a rule adopted pursuant to the wildlife laws, that does
not involve the taking of wildlife is a Class D violation if the offense is
committed without a culpable mental state.
(3) A violation
of a provision of the wildlife laws, or a rule adopted pursuant to the wildlife
laws, that involves the taking of wildlife, other than nongame mammals and game
birds, is a Class A violation if the offense is committed without a culpable mental
state.
(4) A violation
of a provision of the wildlife laws, or a rule adopted pursuant to the wildlife
laws, that involves the taking of nongame mammals or game birds is a Class C
violation if the offense is committed without a culpable mental state.
(5) A violation
of a provision of the wildlife laws, or a rule adopted pursuant to the wildlife
laws, that involves the size or quantity limits for salmon, steelhead trout and
sturgeon is a Class A violation if the offense is committed without a culpable
mental state.
(6) A violation
of a provision of the wildlife laws, or a rule adopted pursuant to the wildlife
laws, relating to the size or quantity limits for fish or shellfish, other than
size and quantity limits for salmon, steelhead trout and sturgeon, is a Class C
violation if the offense is committed without a culpable mental state.
(7) A violation
of the nonresident licensing provisions of ORS 497.102 or 497.121 is a Class A
violation if the offense is committed without a culpable mental state.
(8) A violation
of ORS 496.994 is a Class A violation if the offense is committed without a
culpable mental state.
(9) A violation
of ORS 498.136, 498.142 or 498.146 is a Class A violation if the offense is
committed without a culpable mental state.
(10) The second
and each subsequent conviction within a 10-year period for the taking of a
raptor or the taking of game fish with a total value of $200 or more or the
taking of antelope, black bear, cougar, deer, elk, moose, mountain goat or
mountain sheep in violation of any provision of the wildlife laws, or any rule
adopted pursuant thereto, that occurs more than one hour prior to, or more than
one hour subsequent to, a season established for the lawful taking of such game
mammals or game fish is a Class C felony if the offense is committed with a
culpable mental state.
(11) A violation
of a provision of the wildlife laws, or a rule adopted pursuant to the wildlife
laws, is a Class C felony if the offense involves any of the following and is
committed intentionally, knowingly or recklessly:
(a) The unlawful
taking of wildlife with the intent to sell or to barter, trade, import, export
or otherwise exchange the wildlife or a part of the wildlife.
(b) Except as
provided in this paragraph, the second and each subsequent unlawful taking of a
game mammal during a 12-month period. This paragraph does not apply to the
taking of silver gray squirrel.
(c) The unlawful
taking of a moose, mountain sheep, Rocky Mountain goat or wolf.
(d) The third and
each subsequent taking of a game fish in excess of a bag limit during a
12-month period.
(e) The second
and each subsequent unlawful taking of nonadipose clipped steelhead during a
12-month period.
(f) The unlawful
taking of members of the family Acipenseridae that are commonly known as green
sturgeon or that are oversized and commonly known as white sturgeon.
(g) The unlawful
taking of wildlife that is a threatened species or endangered species.
(12) If a person
is convicted of a Class A misdemeanor under subsection (1) of this section, in
addition to any other penalty authorized by law, the court shall impose a fine
that is:
(a) Equal to the
maximum fine described in ORS 161.635 (1)(a), if the person has two or more
previous convictions for a Class A misdemeanor under subsection (1) of this
section or if the offense involves taking three or more times the daily bag
limit of any wildlife.
(b) Not less than
one-half of the maximum fine described in ORS 161.635 (1)(a), if the offense
involves:
(A) Failing to
release a sturgeon more than six feet in length;
(B) Unlawfully
taking wildlife to sell, barter, trade, import or export the wildlife, or parts
thereof, or selling, bartering, trading, importing or exporting unlawfully
taken wildlife, or parts thereof; or
(C) Taking a
raptor and the person has a previous conviction for taking a raptor.
(c) Not less than
one-fourth of the maximum fine described in ORS 161.635 (1)(a), if the offense
involves taking a raptor and the person does not have a previous conviction for
taking a raptor.
(13) If more than