Not legal advice
This guide explains the process and the rules as of October 2026. A CHL is not permission to carry everywhere, and some questions (prior convictions, restraining orders, immigration status, carrying in a specific building) depend on details. When in doubt, check the current ORS Chapter 166, ask the Sheriff’s Office, or talk to an Oregon attorney.
Quick answers
- Who issues it: the sheriff of the county where you live. In Bend that’s the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office at 63333 W Hwy 20.
- Age and status: 21 or older, a Deschutes County resident, and a U.S. citizen, or a legal resident with six months of county residency who has declared intent to become a citizen (such as a filed N-400).
- Training: proof of handgun safety training or equivalent experience. No shooting test is required.
- Carry it: you must have the license on you whenever you carry concealed. Not having it can be charged as a Class A misdemeanor.
Three ways to get your first CHL in Deschutes County
| Route | Total cost | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheriff’s Saturday class | $150 all-in | Register online, bring your paperwork to the Saturday class; you’re fingerprinted and photographed there. License mailed to you. | Fewest trips. Classes cap at 45 and fill up. |
| OSSA online course + appointment | $60 certificate + $115 | Take the free course at home, buy the certificate, then book a weekday appointment (9–12 or 1–3) to apply. | Weekday availability and learning at your own pace. |
| NRA or private class + appointment | Class price + $115 | Any NRA course or certified-instructor class that included handgun safety counts. Then book the appointment. | People who want live-fire range time before carrying. |
Military handgun training (documents must say handgun or pistol), law-enforcement firearms courses, organized shooting competition, and a previous Oregon license that wasn’t revoked also count as proof of training.
What to bring to your appointment
If anything is missing, the Sheriff’s Office won’t process the application and you’ll have to rebook. Tick these off as you pack:
Renewing, moving or replacing your license
Where a CHL doesn’t let you carry around Bend
Oregon bans firearms in public buildings, but a CHL has long been a defense to that charge. Recent laws let local governments and school boards remove that defense for their property, and Bend has used both:
| Place | The rule | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Bend City Hall, Municipal Court, Public Works campus | Bend Municipal Code chapter 3.120 (Ordinance NS-2547, adopted March 4, 2026) bans firearms, including for CHL holders, in city buildings used for public meetings. | Signs at the entrances and a list on bendoregon.gov. Lock it in your vehicle before you go in. |
| Bend-La Pine Schools property | The board closed the CHL exception in December 2021 under SB 554. Firearms are prohibited on district property. | Posted notice at school entrances; applies to events on district grounds too. |
| Courthouses | Court facilities are off-limits to firearms, CHL or not. | Security screening at the Deschutes County Courthouse entrance. |
| Federal buildings & post offices | Federal law, not Oregon law, applies. A state CHL doesn’t authorize carry inside federal facilities. | Signs at the door. This includes Forest Service offices. |
| Redmond Airport (RDM) | No firearms past TSA screening. To fly, guns go unloaded in a locked hard case in checked bags, declared to the airline. | Check the airline’s rules before you pack. |
| Other public bodies | Under SB 243, any city, county or special district can adopt the same rule for buildings it uses for official meetings, with signs and website notice. | Signs on the door before you walk into any government building. |
| Private businesses | Owners can ban firearms on their property. Ignoring a request to leave can become trespass. | Posted signs or staff asking you to leave. |
Vehicles and storage
Oregon’s vehicle rules depend on whether a handgun is concealed and readily accessible, and whether you have a CHL (ORS 166.250). Separately, Oregon’s secure-storage law applies to everyone, licensed or not. We don’t reduce either to a glovebox rule here; read the statute or ask the Sheriff’s Office if your setup is unusual.
What’s changing in 2027 and beyond
- Now – 2027The Oregon Supreme Court is still deciding whether Measure 114 is constitutional; it heard arguments in November 2025. A ruling could arrive any time and could change the dates below.
- January 2027The 2027 Oregon Legislature convenes for its long session. Firearm bills are likely; we’ll update this guide when anything passes. In Congress, unpassed bills like national reciprocity (H.R. 38) expire when the 119th Congress ends.
- 2027 renewalsLicenses issued in 2023 expire in 2027. Renew before yours lapses so you’re not without a license for the 45-day processing window.
- January 1, 2028Measure 114’s permit-to-purchase and large-capacity magazine provisions begin under HB 4145, unless a court or the Legislature changes that.
Measure 114 and your CHL
Measure 114 (2022) is about buying firearms and magazine capacity. The CHL is about carrying concealed. They are separate licenses, and as of October 2026 the permit-to-purchase isn’t in effect.
HB 4145 (Oregon Laws 2026, chapter 120) passed the House 33–19 and the Senate 30–0 in a stripped-down form in March 2026, moved the start date from March 15, 2026 to January 1, 2028, sends future challenges to Marion County Circuit Court, and says it isn’t meant to affect the case already in court. The OSSA online CHL course already covers the online training portion of a permit, so if you take it now you’re partway there.
Traveling with your Oregon CHL
- Coming into Oregon: Oregon doesn’t honor any other state’s carry license.
- Neighboring-state residents: people from California, Idaho, Nevada and Washington can ask an Oregon sheriff for a nonresident license, but it’s discretionary and requires a demonstrated need. Call before you pay for a class or travel.
- Leaving Oregon: some states recognize an Oregon CHL and many don’t, and those lists change. Check each state’s official site for every state you’ll drive through, not an old reciprocity map.
- National forests and parks: on most Deschutes National Forest land, state carry law applies, but federal buildings like ranger stations are off-limits. Fire-season restrictions limit target shooting, not carry.