Oregon
Weird Laws in Oregon: Which Are Still on the Books?
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited October 21, 2026). · 4 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
Most of these Oregon claims are real, and one has changed. We checked four claims from popular lists against the Oregon Revised Statutes as of October 21, 2026. Three are current law, and one was repealed by the legislature in 2023. For every other state, see our guide to weird laws by state.
Weird laws in Oregon: the verdicts
Each claim below was checked against the Oregon code and, where it names a town, the local code. 4 claims checked.
The claim: You may not pump your own gas (except rural self-serve).
What the law says: Oregon's long-standing bar on customers pumping their own gas was ended by House Bill 2426 (2023 Or Laws ch. 607), which repealed ORS 480.315, 480.320 and 480.330 and removed the ban on self-service dispensing devices from ORS 480.340. Stations may now offer self-service, but no more self-service pumps than attended pumps, and only during hours an attendant is available (ORS 480.332); the Fire Marshal's civil penalties apply to conduct from March 1, 2024. Rural-county stations keep a wider exception (ORS 480.341).
“Except as provided in ORS 480.341 and subsection (7) of this section, a filling station, service station, garage or other dispensary may allow self-service dispensing of Class 1 flammable liquids at retail only during hours that the dispensary makes an owner, operator or employee of the dispensary available for the dispensing of Class 1 flammable liquids.”
Penalty: ORS 480.387: "Notwithstanding ORS 480.385, the State Fire Marshal may only impose civil penalties for conduct violating ORS 480.332 or the amendments to ORS 479.180, 480.340, 480.341, 480.344, 480.345 and 480.347 by sections 3 to 8, chapter 607, Oregon Laws 2023, if the conduct occurs on or after March 1, 2024."
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Disposing of urine/feces containers from a car or placing them by a highway is illegal.
What the law says: In Oregon it is a Class A misdemeanor for a person operating or riding in a motor vehicle to throw, put or leave a container of urine or other human waste on or beside a highway.
“A person commits the offense of improperly disposing of human waste if the person is operating or riding in a motor vehicle and the person throws, puts or otherwise leaves a container of urine or other human waste on or beside the highway.”
Penalty: Class A misdemeanor
No court opinion in our database cites this section.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Leaving a car door open too long can bring a fine.
What the law says: Oregon makes it a Class D traffic violation to open a vehicle door when it is not reasonably safe, or to leave a door open on the traffic side longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.
“Leaves a door open on the side of a vehicle available to traffic, or to pedestrians or bicycles on sidewalks or shoulders for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.”
Penalty: "The offense described in this section, improper opening or leaving open a vehicle door, is a Class D traffic violation." (ORS 811.490(2))
Last cited by a court: State v. Ledbetter (1989)
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Hunting in cemeteries is banned.
What the law says: Oregon law prohibits hunting in cemeteries, and a violation is a misdemeanor (ORS 166.645).
“Hunting in cemeteries is prohibited. ... Violation of subsection (1) of this section is a misdemeanor.”
Penalty: "Violation of subsection (1) of this section is a misdemeanor." (ORS 166.645(3))
Last cited by a court: Board of Cty. Comm. of Columbia Cty. v. Rosenblum (2023)
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
Checked October 21, 2026. This is legal history and information, not legal advice. Laws change; the linked official text is the authority.
The end of attendant-only gas
Oregon had a long-standing bar on customers pumping their own gas. That rule is gone. House Bill 2426, enacted as chapter 607 of the 2023 Oregon Laws, repealed ORS 480.315, 480.320 and 480.330 and took the ban on self-service dispensing devices out of ORS 480.340.
What replaced it is not a free-for-all. ORS 480.332(4) ties self-service to staffing:
Except as provided in ORS 480.341 and subsection (7) of this section, a filling station, service station, garage or other dispensary may allow self-service dispensing of Class 1 flammable liquids at retail only during hours that the dispensary makes an owner, operator or employee of the dispensary available for the dispensing of Class 1 flammable liquids.
A station also may not run more self-service pumps than attended pumps. Stations in rural counties keep a wider exception under ORS 480.341. On enforcement, ORS 480.387 lets the State Fire Marshal impose civil penalties under the new rules only for conduct on or after March 1, 2024.
Rules for the road, written for real situations
Two of the claims come from Oregon's vehicle code, and both read almost exactly as the lists say. ORS 811.172 creates the offense of improperly disposing of human waste:
A person commits the offense of improperly disposing of human waste if the person is operating or riding in a motor vehicle and the person throws, puts or otherwise leaves a container of urine or other human waste on or beside the highway.
It reaches passengers as well as drivers, and it is a Class A misdemeanor. The car door rule, ORS 811.490, covers two things: opening a door when it is not reasonably safe, and leaving a door open on the side exposed to traffic, pedestrians or bicycles "for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers." Under ORS 811.490(2), that is a Class D traffic violation.
No hunting among the graves
The cemetery claim is the shortest statute of the four. ORS 166.645 says, "Hunting in cemeteries is prohibited," and subsection (3) makes a violation a misdemeanor. There is no twist here; the lists have it right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it still illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon?
No. House Bill 2426 (2023 Or Laws ch. 607) repealed the old attendant-only statutes. Under ORS 480.332, a station may allow self-service only during hours it has an owner, operator or employee available to dispense fuel, and it may not have more self-service pumps than attended pumps. Rural-county stations have a wider exception under ORS 480.341.
Is it illegal to throw a pee bottle out of a car in Oregon?
ORS 811.172 makes it an offense for a person operating or riding in a motor vehicle to throw, put or otherwise leave a container of urine or other human waste on or beside the highway. It is a Class A misdemeanor.
Can you be fined for leaving a car door open in Oregon?
ORS 811.490 makes it a Class D traffic violation to open a vehicle door when it is not reasonably safe, or to leave a door open on the side available to traffic, pedestrians or bicycles longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.
Is hunting in a cemetery illegal in Oregon?
Yes. ORS 166.645 provides that hunting in cemeteries is prohibited, and a violation of that subsection is a misdemeanor.
What are some weird laws in Oregon?
Of the 4 claims checked, three are current law: the misdemeanor for leaving a container of human waste beside a highway, the traffic violation for leaving a car door open too long, and the ban on hunting in cemeteries. The ban on pumping your own gas was repealed in 2023.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
Sources and References
- ORS 480.332, 480.341 and 480.387, self-service dispensing of fuel (Oregon Legislature)(www.oregonlegislature.gov).gov
- House Bill 2426, enrolled (2023 Or Laws ch. 607) (Oregon Legislature)(olis.oregonlegislature.gov).gov
- ORS 811.172 and 811.490, improper disposal of human waste and improper opening of a vehicle door (Oregon Legislature)(www.oregonlegislature.gov).gov
- ORS 166.645, hunting in cemeteries (Oregon Legislature)(www.oregonlegislature.gov).gov
- State v. Ledbetter (1989)(courtlistener.com)
- Board of Cty. Comm. of Columbia Cty. v. Rosenblum (2023)(courtlistener.com)