161.570 Felony treated as misdemeanor. (1) As used in this section, “nonperson felony” has the meaning given that term in the rules of the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission.
(2) A district attorney may elect to treat a Class C nonperson felony or a violation of ORS 475.752 (7)(b), 475.854 (2)(c) or 475.874 (2)(c) as a Class A misdemeanor. The election must be made by the district attorney orally or in writing. If a district attorney elects to treat a Class C felony or a violation of ORS 475.752 (7)(b), 475.854 (2)(c) or 475.874 (2)(c) as a Class A misdemeanor under this subsection, the court shall amend the accusatory instrument to reflect the charged offense as a Class A misdemeanor.
(3) If a Class C felony or a violation of ORS 475.752 (7)(b), 475.854 (2)(c) or 475.874 (2)(c) is treated as a Class A misdemeanor under this section, the court shall clearly denominate the offense as a Class A misdemeanor in any judgment entered in the matter.
(4) If no election is made under this section, the case proceeds as a felony.
(5) Before a district attorney may make an election under subsection (2) of this section, the district attorney shall adopt written guidelines for determining when and under what circumstances the election may be made. The district attorney shall apply the guidelines uniformly.
(6) Notwithstanding ORS 161.635, the fine that a court may impose upon conviction of a misdemeanor under this section may not:
(a) Be less than the minimum fine established by ORS 137.286 for a felony; or
(b) Exceed the amount provided in ORS 161.625 for the class of felony receiving Class A misdemeanor treatment. [2003 c.645 §2; 2005 c.708 §47; 2007 c.286 §1; 2011 c.597 §18; 2013 c.591 §4; 2017 c.706 §25; 2021 c.591 §43; 2025 c.375 §6]
Stored review status: 2025_edition_later_amendments_unresolved. A text match is a research starting point; applicability is not established.
Official chapter context and edition notices
TITLE 16
CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS
Chapter 161. General Provisions
162. Offenses Against the State and Public Justice
163. Offenses Against Persons
163A. Sex Offender Reporting and Classification
164. Offenses Against Property
165. Offenses Involving Fraud or Deception
166. Offenses Against Public Order; Firearms and Other Weapons; Racketeering
167. Offenses Against General Welfare and Animals
169. Local and Regional Correctional Facilities; Prisoners; Juvenile Facilities
_______________
Chapter 161 — General Provisions
Uncodified sections printed in this chapter were amended or repealed by the Legislative Assembly during its 2026 regular session. See the table of uncodified sections amended or repealed during the 2026 regular session: 2026 A&R Tables
2025 EDITION
GENERAL PROVISIONS
CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS
PRINCIPLES
CRIMINAL LIABILITY
PARTIES TO CRIME
JUSTIFICATION
RESPONSIBILITY
(Temporary provisions relating to maximum periods of commitment and community restoration are compiled as notes following ORS 161.371)
INCHOATE CRIMES
CLASSES OF OFFENSES
DISPOSITION OF OFFENDERS
AUTHORITY OF SENTENCING COURT
PRINCIPLES
File SHA-256: 8773685681f1bf26a63d62a05c338a6e76c17f6dd1b69da0a77625951fdf2fe5. The original may include catalog metadata, neighboring provisions, or embedded records outside this collection's scope. This page displays the selected Oregon section record with its printed versions and adjoining notes. Historical editions and unverified snapshots are not a statement of current law.
Authority boundary: official snapshot extraction not current law verified.
Stable record: oregon_criminal_law:legal_authorities:161.570 Source file: ors161.html Pages: Not recorded – Not recorded Passage SHA-256: 05c0569110cd8b2e4fc2ec55d724a582e040e7c5431e523ea2019adb0b46c1ee Retained source evidence SHA-256: 8773685681f1bf26a63d62a05c338a6e76c17f6dd1b69da0a77625951fdf2fe5
Source location: ORS 161.570 (all printed versions and notes)
Stored source content
161.570 Felony treated as misdemeanor. (1) As used in this section, “nonperson felony” has the meaning given that term in the rules of the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission.
(2) A district attorney may elect to treat a Class C nonperson felony or a violation of ORS 475.752 (7)(b), 475.854 (2)(c) or 475.874 (2)(c) as a Class A misdemeanor. The election must be made by the district attorney orally or in writing. If a district attorney elects to treat a Class C felony or a violation of ORS 475.752 (7)(b), 475.854 (2)(c) or 475.874 (2)(c) as a Class A misdemeanor under this subsection, the court shall amend the accusatory instrument to reflect the charged offense as a Class A misdemeanor.
(3) If a Class C felony or a violation of ORS 475.752 (7)(b), 475.854 (2)(c) or 475.874 (2)(c) is treated as a Class A misdemeanor under this section, the court shall clearly denominate the offense as a Class A misdemeanor in any judgment entered in the matter.
(4) If no election is made under this section, the case proceeds as a felony.
(5) Before a district attorney may make an election under subsection (2) of this section, the district attorney shall adopt written guidelines for determining when and under what circumstances the election may be made. The district attorney shall apply the guidelines uniformly.
(6) Notwithstanding ORS 161.635, the fine that a court may impose upon conviction of a misdemeanor under this section may not:
(a) Be less than the minimum fine established by ORS 137.286 for a felony; or
(b) Exceed the amount provided in ORS 161.625 for the class of felony receiving Class A misdemeanor treatment. [2003 c.645 §2; 2005 c.708 §47; 2007 c.286 §1; 2011 c.597 §18; 2013 c.591 §4; 2017 c.706 §25; 2021 c.591 §43; 2025 c.375 §6]
Cross-references
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Oregon criminal law — ORS Title 16 (2025 snapshot) · legal_authorities
161.625 Fines for felonies. (1) A sentence to pay a fine for a felony shall be a sentence to pay an amount, fixed by the court, not exceeding:
(a) $500,000 for murder or aggravated murder.
(b) $375,000 for a Class A felony.
(c) $250,000 for a Class B felony.
(d) $125,000 for a Class C felony.
(2) A sentence to pay a fine for an unclassified felony shall be a sentence to pay an amount, fixed by the court, as provided in the statute defining the crime.
(3)(a) If a person has gained money or property through the commission of a felony, then upon conviction thereof the court, in lieu of imposing the fine authorized for the crime under subsection (1) or (2) of this section, may sentence the defendant to pay an amount, fixed by the court, not exceeding double the amount of the defendant’s gain from the commission of the crime.
(b) The provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection do not apply to the felony theft of a companion animal, as defined in ORS 164.055, or a captive wild animal.
(4) As used in this section, “gain” means the amount of money or the value of property derived from the commission of the felony, less the amount of money or the value of property returned to the victim of the crime or seized by or surrendered to lawful authority before the time sentence is imposed. “Value” shall be determined by the standards established in ORS 164.115.
(5) When the court imposes a fine for a felony the court shall make a finding as to the amount of the defendant’s gain from the crime. If the record does not contain sufficient evidence to support a finding the court may conduct a hearing upon the issue.
(6) Except as provided in ORS 161.655, this section does not apply to a corporation. [1971 c.743 §76; 1981 c.390 §1; 1991 c.837 §11; 1993 c.680 §36; 2003 c.615 §1;
161.635 Fines for misdemeanors. (1) A sentence to pay a fine for a misdemeanor shall be a sentence to pay an amount, fixed by the court, not exceeding:
(a) $6,250 for a Class A misdemeanor.
(b) $2,500 for a Class B misdemeanor.
(c) $1,250 for a Class C misdemeanor.
(2) A sentence to pay a fine for an unclassified misdemeanor shall be a sentence to pay an amount, fixed by the court, as provided in the statute defining the crime.
(3) If a person has gained money or property through the commission of a misdemeanor, then upon conviction thereof the court, instead of imposing the fine authorized for the offense under this section, may sentence the defendant to pay an amount fixed by the court, not exceeding double the amount of the defendant’s gain from the commission of the offense. In that event, ORS 161.625 (4) and (5) apply.
(4) This section does not apply to corporations. [1971 c.743 §77; 1981 c.390 §2; 1993 c.680 §30; 1995 c.545 §2; 1999 c.1051 §44; 2003 c.737 §87]