Relating to gun dealer licenses; prescribing an effective date.
HB 3076 creates a new state firearms dealer licensing program in Oregon, administered by the Department of Justice. The bill requires most dealers who sell firearms, frames, receivers, and unfinished frames or receivers to obtain a state license, with the requirement phasing in first for higher-volume dealers on July 1, 2027, and then for all other dealers on July 1, 2028. It also covers gun-show transfers by requiring a state license for transferors at gun shows and amends existing gun-show background-check statutes to reflect the new licensing framework.
The bill gives DOJ authority to set application and renewal fees, inspect licensees, issue rules on training, storage, security, recordkeeping, and reporting, and suspend, revoke, or penalize licenses for violations. It also creates the Firearm Dealer License Fund, appropriates state funds to launch the program, and makes unlicensed dealer sales a Class C felony. In addition to dealer licensing, the bill imposes employee background checks and training requirements, security alarm and video surveillance standards, liability insurance requirements, and detailed record-retention and reporting obligations for licensees.
HB 3076 would add a new layer of state regulation on firearm commerce by requiring a separate Oregon license for covered gun dealers in addition to the federal firearms license already required under federal law. It would amend ORS 166.433, 166.436, 166.438, and 166.441 to tie gun-show transfers to the new state licensing system and to update background-check and transfer procedures. The bill also creates new enforcement authority for DOJ, including inspections, civil penalties, license revocation, and criminal penalties for unlicensed sales, while establishing a dedicated fund and appropriating money for implementation.
The available vote history suggests the bill had meaningful but not unanimous support in committee. It passed the House committee first on a 5-3 vote with amendments and later on a 13-10 vote with further amendments, indicating that the measure advanced but remained controversial. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, so the record here shows support sufficient to move the bill forward, but with a substantial minority opposed.
The main points of contention are likely the scope and burden of the new licensing regime, especially for smaller dealers and gun-show transferors, and the bill’s extensive compliance requirements. Opponents would likely object to state licensing layered on top of federal licensing, mandatory inspections, employee fingerprinting and training, security and surveillance mandates, liability insurance, recordkeeping, and felony penalties for noncompliance. Supporters appear to view the bill as a public-safety measure aimed at reducing unlawful firearm transfers, improving dealer accountability, and preventing theft, trafficking, and straw purchasing.