166.220 Unlawful use of weapon. (1) A person commits the crime of unlawful use of a weapon if the person:
(a) Attempts to use unlawfully against another, or carries or possesses with intent to use unlawfully against another, any dangerous or deadly weapon as defined in ORS 161.015; or
(b) Intentionally discharges a firearm, blowgun, bow and arrow, crossbow or explosive device within the city limits of any city or within residential areas within urban growth boundaries at or in the direction of any person, building, structure or vehicle within the range of the weapon without having legal authority for such discharge.
(2) This section does not apply to:
(a) Police officers or military personnel in the lawful performance of their official duties;
(b) Persons lawfully defending life or property as provided in ORS 161.219;
(c) Persons discharging firearms, blowguns, bows and arrows, crossbows or explosive devices upon public or private shooting ranges, shooting galleries or other areas designated and built for the purpose of target shooting;
(d) Persons lawfully engaged in hunting in compliance with rules and regulations adopted by the State Department of Fish and Wildlife; or
(e) An employee of the United States Department of Agriculture, acting within the scope of employment, discharging a firearm in the course of the lawful taking of wildlife.
(3) Unlawful use of a weapon is a Class C felony. [Amended by 1975 c.700 §1; 1985 c.543 §1; 1991 c.797 §1; 2009 c.556 §5]
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
Chapter 166 — Offenses Against Public Order; Firearms and Other Weapons; Racketeering
Uncodified sections printed in this chapter were amended or repealed by the Legislative Assembly during its 2026 regular session. See the table of uncodified sections amended or repealed during the 2026 regular session: 2026 A&R Tables
New sections of law were enacted by the Legislative Assembly during its 2026 regular session and pertain to or are likely to be compiled in this ORS chapter. See sections in the following 2026 Oregon Laws chapters: 2026 Session Laws 0120
2025 EDITION
PUBLIC ORDER OFFENSES
CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS
RIOT, DISORDERLY CONDUCT, HARASSMENT AND RELATED OFFENSES
BIAS CRIME
AUTHORITY TO REGULATE FIREARMS
POSSESSION AND USE OF WEAPONS
(Generally)
(Possession of Weapons in Public Buildings or Court Facilities)
(Destructive Devices)
(Duties of Firearm Owners and Possessors)
SALE OR TRANSFER OF FIREARMS
EXTREME RISK PROTECTION ORDERS
DISCHARGING WEAPONS
POSSESSION OF BODY ARMOR
MISCELLANEOUS
RACKETEERING
RIOT, DISORDERLY CONDUCT, HARASSMENT AND RELATED OFFENSES
File SHA-256: dd35e0da63555ebef88cc11cd6ae4309a37c3b744978829c3b2f00d59c0c08b8. 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:166.220 Source file: ors166.html Pages: Not recorded – Not recorded Passage SHA-256: 8019e3ca7df022d1bef82517fb73c5cca70f88fe81e552134e8938b7bf1d1c54 Retained source evidence SHA-256: dd35e0da63555ebef88cc11cd6ae4309a37c3b744978829c3b2f00d59c0c08b8
Source location: ORS 166.220 (all printed versions and notes)
Stored source content
166.220 Unlawful use of weapon. (1) A person commits the crime of unlawful use of a weapon if the person:
(a) Attempts to use unlawfully against another, or carries or possesses with intent to use unlawfully against another, any dangerous or deadly weapon as defined in ORS 161.015; or
(b) Intentionally discharges a firearm, blowgun, bow and arrow, crossbow or explosive device within the city limits of any city or within residential areas within urban growth boundaries at or in the direction of any person, building, structure or vehicle within the range of the weapon without having legal authority for such discharge.
(2) This section does not apply to:
(a) Police officers or military personnel in the lawful performance of their official duties;
(b) Persons lawfully defending life or property as provided in ORS 161.219;
(c) Persons discharging firearms, blowguns, bows and arrows, crossbows or explosive devices upon public or private shooting ranges, shooting galleries or other areas designated and built for the purpose of target shooting;
(d) Persons lawfully engaged in hunting in compliance with rules and regulations adopted by the State Department of Fish and Wildlife; or
(e) An employee of the United States Department of Agriculture, acting within the scope of employment, discharging a firearm in the course of the lawful taking of wildlife.
(3) Unlawful use of a weapon is a Class C felony. [Amended by 1975 c.700 §1; 1985 c.543 §1; 1991 c.797 §1; 2009 c.556 §5]
Cross-references
Connections may be documented source relationships, shared citations or nearby passages. Each explains its basis; a connection alone does not establish applicability to your situation.
Oregon criminal law — ORS Title 16 (2025 snapshot) · legal_authorities
161.015 General definitions. As used in chapter 743, Oregon Laws 1971, and ORS 166.635, unless the context requires otherwise:
(1) “Dangerous weapon” means any weapon, device, instrument, material or substance which under the circumstances in which it is used, attempted to be used or threatened to be used, is readily capable of causing death or serious physical injury.
(2) “Deadly weapon” means any instrument, article or substance specifically designed for and presently capable of causing death or serious physical injury.
(3) “Deadly physical force” means physical force that under the circumstances in which it is used is readily capable of causing death or serious physical injury.
(4) “Peace officer” means:
(a) A member of the Oregon State Police;
(b) A sheriff, constable, marshal, municipal police officer or reserve officer as defined in ORS 133.005, or a police officer commissioned by a university under ORS 352.121 or 353.125;
(c) An investigator of the Criminal Justice Division of the Department of Justice or investigator of a district attorney’s office;
(d) A humane special agent as defined in ORS 181A.345;
(e) A regulatory specialist exercising authority described in ORS 471.775 (2);
(f) An authorized tribal police officer as defined in ORS 181A.940; and
(g) Any other person designated by law as a peace officer.
(5) “Person” means a human being and, where appropriate, a public or private corporation, an unincorporated association, a partnership, a government or a governmental instrumentality.
(6) “Physical force” includes, but is not limited to, the use of an electrical stun gun, tear gas or mace.
(7) “Physical injury” means impairment of physical condition or substantial pain.
(8) “Serious physical injury” means physical injury which creates a subst
161.219 Limitations on use of deadly physical force in defense of a person. Notwithstanding the provisions of ORS 161.209, a person is not justified in using deadly physical force upon another person unless the person reasonably believes that the other person is:
(1) Committing or attempting to commit a felony involving the use or threatened imminent use of physical force against a person; or
(2) Committing or attempting to commit a burglary in a dwelling; or
(3) Using or about to use unlawful deadly physical force against a person. [1971 c.743 §23]
166.630 Discharging weapon on or across highway, ocean shore recreation area or public utility facility. (1) Except as provided in ORS 166.220, any person is guilty of a violation who discharges or attempts to discharge any blowgun, bow and arrow, crossbow, air rifle or firearm:
(a) Upon or across any highway, railroad right of way or other public road in this state, or upon or across the ocean shore within the state recreation area as defined in ORS 390.605.
(b) At any public or railroad sign or signal or an electric power, communication, petroleum or natural gas transmission or distribution facility of a public utility, telecommunications utility or railroad within range of the weapon.
(2) Any blowgun, bow and arrow, crossbow, air rifle or firearm in the possession of the person that was used in committing a violation of this section may be confiscated and forfeited to the State of Oregon. This section does not prevent:
(a) The discharge of firearms by peace officers in the performance of their duty or by military personnel within the confines of a military reservation.
(b) The discharge of firearms by an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture acting within the scope of employment in the course of the lawful taking of wildlife.
(3) The hunting license revocation provided in ORS 497.415 is in addition to and not in lieu of the penalty and forfeiture provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
(4) As used in this section:
(a) “Public sign” includes all signs, signals and markings placed or erected by authority of a public body.
(b) “Public utility” has the meaning given that term in ORS 164.365 (2).
(c) “Railroad” has the meaning given that term in ORS 824.020. [Amended by 1963 c.94 §1; 1969 c.501 §2; 1969 c.511 §4; 1973 c.196 §1; 197