166.279 Forfeiture of deadly weapons. (1) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, ORS 131.550 to 131.600 do not apply to the forfeiture of a firearm or other deadly weapon that was possessed, used or available for use to facilitate a criminal offense.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, at the time of sentencing for any criminal offense in which a firearm or other deadly weapon was possessed, used or available for use to facilitate the offense, the court shall declare the weapon to be contraband and order that the weapon be forfeited.
(3) If a firearm or other deadly weapon that was possessed, used or available for use to facilitate a criminal offense was stolen from its lawful owner and was recovered from a person other than the lawful owner, the court may not order that the weapon be forfeited but shall order that the weapon be restored to the lawful owner as soon as the weapon is no longer needed for evidentiary purposes.
(4) The court shall release a firearm or other deadly weapon forfeited under subsection (2) of this section to the law enforcement agency that seized the weapon. The law enforcement agency may destroy or sell the weapon, use the weapon as a service weapon or use the weapon for training, identification or demonstration purposes. When a weapon is sold pursuant to this subsection, the law enforcement agency shall pay the proceeds from the sale, less the costs of the sale, as provided in ORS 131.594 and 131.597.
(5) As used in this section, “deadly weapon” has the meaning given that term in ORS 161.015. [2003 c.614 §4; 2005 c.830 §24]
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Uncodified sections printed in this chapter were amended or repealed by the Legislative Assembly during its 2026 regular session. See the table of uncodified sections amended or repealed during the 2026 regular session: 2026 A&R Tables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
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Authority boundary: official snapshot extraction not current law verified.
Stable record: oregon_criminal_law:legal_authorities:166.279 Source file: ors166.html Pages: Not recorded – Not recorded Passage SHA-256: 6d4942d3c6a04186a485dbc31a9b0736a0df466483aedb25438b89c51005486a Retained source evidence SHA-256: dd35e0da63555ebef88cc11cd6ae4309a37c3b744978829c3b2f00d59c0c08b8
Source location: ORS 166.279 (all printed versions and notes)
Stored source content
166.279 Forfeiture of deadly weapons. (1) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, ORS 131.550 to 131.600 do not apply to the forfeiture of a firearm or other deadly weapon that was possessed, used or available for use to facilitate a criminal offense.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, at the time of sentencing for any criminal offense in which a firearm or other deadly weapon was possessed, used or available for use to facilitate the offense, the court shall declare the weapon to be contraband and order that the weapon be forfeited.
(3) If a firearm or other deadly weapon that was possessed, used or available for use to facilitate a criminal offense was stolen from its lawful owner and was recovered from a person other than the lawful owner, the court may not order that the weapon be forfeited but shall order that the weapon be restored to the lawful owner as soon as the weapon is no longer needed for evidentiary purposes.
(4) The court shall release a firearm or other deadly weapon forfeited under subsection (2) of this section to the law enforcement agency that seized the weapon. The law enforcement agency may destroy or sell the weapon, use the weapon as a service weapon or use the weapon for training, identification or demonstration purposes. When a weapon is sold pursuant to this subsection, the law enforcement agency shall pay the proceeds from the sale, less the costs of the sale, as provided in ORS 131.594 and 131.597.
(5) As used in this section, “deadly weapon” has the meaning given that term in ORS 161.015. [2003 c.614 §4; 2005 c.830 §24]
Cross-references
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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
166.370 Possession of firearm or dangerous weapon in public building or court facility; exceptions; discharging firearm at school. (1)(a) Any person who intentionally possesses a loaded or unloaded firearm or any other instrument used as a dangerous weapon, while in or on a public building, shall upon conviction be guilty of a Class C felony.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection, in a prosecution under this section for the possession of a firearm within the Capitol, within the passenger terminal of a commercial service airport with over one million passenger boardings per year, within a building subject to a policy described in ORS 166.377 (3) or on school grounds subject to a policy described in ORS 166.377 (1), if the person proves by a preponderance of the evidence that, at the time of the possession, the person was licensed under ORS 166.291 and 166.292 to carry a concealed handgun, upon conviction the person is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
(2)(a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, a person who intentionally possesses:
(A) A firearm in a court facility is guilty, upon conviction, of a Class C felony. A person who intentionally possesses a firearm in a court facility shall surrender the firearm to a law enforcement officer.
(B) A weapon, other than a firearm, in a court facility may be required to surrender the weapon to a law enforcement officer or to immediately remove it from the court facility. A person who fails to comply with this subparagraph is guilty, upon conviction, of a Class C felony.
(C) A firearm in a local court facility is guilty, upon conviction, of a Class C felony if, prior to the offense, the presiding judge of the local court facility entered an order prohibiting firearms in the area in whi