Legal Resource Navigator

ORS 165.116 — Definitions for ORS 165.116 to 165.124

Oregon criminal law — ORS Title 16 (2025 snapshot) · legal_authorities

ORS 165.116 — Definitions for ORS 165.116 to 165.124

165.116 Definitions for ORS 165.116 to 165.124. As used in ORS 165.116 to 165.124: (1) “Commercial account” means an agreement or arrangement between a commercial seller and a scrap metal business for regularly or periodically selling, delivering, purchasing or receiving metal property. (2) “Commercial metal property” means an item fabricated or containing parts made of metal or metal alloys that: (a) Is used as, used in or used as part of: (A) A utility access cover or a cover for a utility meter; (B) A pole, fixture or component of a street light or traffic light; (C) A sign or marker located, with the permission of a governmental entity, alongside a street, road or bridge for the purpose of directing or controlling traffic or providing information to motorists; (D) A traffic safety device, including a guardrail for a highway, road or bridge; (E) A vase, plaque, marker, tablet, plate or other sign or ornament affixed to or in proximity to a historic site, grave, statue, monument or similar property accessible to members of the public; (F) An agricultural implement, including an irrigation wheel, sprinkler head or pipe; (G) A forestry implement or structure, including silvicultural equipment, gates, culverts and servicing and maintenance parts or supplies; or (H) A logging operation implement, including mechanical equipment, rigging equipment and servicing and maintenance parts or supplies; (b) Bears the name of, or a serial or model number, logo or other device used by, a commercial seller to identify the commercial seller’s property including, but not limited to, implements or equipment used by railroads and utilities that provide telephone, commercial mobile radio, cable television, electricity, water, natural gas or similar services; (c) Consists of ma

Source: Oregon Legislature — ORS 2025 Edition, Chapter 165 · ORS 165.116

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Chapter 165 — Offenses Involving Fraud or Deception ORS sections in this chapter were amended or repealed by the Legislative Assembly during its 2026 regular session. See the table of ORS sections amended or repealed during the 2026 regular session: 2026 A&R Tables New sections of law were added by legislative action to this ORS chapter or to a series within this ORS chapter by the Legislative Assembly during its 2026 regular session. See sections in the following 2026 Oregon Laws chapters: 2026 Session Laws 0067 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 0067 2025 EDITION OFFENSES INVOLVING FRAUD OR DECEPTION CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS FORGERY AND RELATED OFFENSES BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL OFFENSES CRIMES INVOLVING COMMUNICATIONS CELLULAR TELEPHONES USE OF PEN REGISTERS AND TRAP AND TRACE DEVICES FALSE CLAIMS FOR HEALTH CARE PAYMENTS IDENTITY THEFT AND RELATED OFFENSES MISCELLANEOUS PENALTIES FORGERY AND RELATED OFFENSES
Original supplied file — preserved unchanged

Download original chapter HTML file

File SHA-256: 9fea7d88eb20c311fc9ee822d99fcb84f3a12a84e925c1144ae19fbc9a2a2b10. 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.

Open the recorded source website ↗

Record provenance

Stable record: oregon_criminal_law:legal_authorities:165.116
Source file: ors165.html
Pages: Not recorded – Not recorded
Passage SHA-256: 326b3d11534c34e9d44a73b89b0a51057a722c43487d8dbb474ed863a3b6c7ed
Retained source evidence SHA-256: 9fea7d88eb20c311fc9ee822d99fcb84f3a12a84e925c1144ae19fbc9a2a2b10

Source location: ORS 165.116 (all printed versions and notes)

Stored source content

165.116 Definitions for ORS 165.116 to 165.124. As used in ORS 165.116 to 165.124: (1) “Commercial account” means an agreement or arrangement between a commercial seller and a scrap metal business for regularly or periodically selling, delivering, purchasing or receiving metal property. (2) “Commercial metal property” means an item fabricated or containing parts made of metal or metal alloys that: (a) Is used as, used in or used as part of: (A) A utility access cover or a cover for a utility meter; (B) A pole, fixture or component of a street light or traffic light; (C) A sign or marker located, with the permission of a governmental entity, alongside a street, road or bridge for the purpose of directing or controlling traffic or providing information to motorists; (D) A traffic safety device, including a guardrail for a highway, road or bridge; (E) A vase, plaque, marker, tablet, plate or other sign or ornament affixed to or in proximity to a historic site, grave, statue, monument or similar property accessible to members of the public; (F) An agricultural implement, including an irrigation wheel, sprinkler head or pipe; (G) A forestry implement or structure, including silvicultural equipment, gates, culverts and servicing and maintenance parts or supplies; or (H) A logging operation implement, including mechanical equipment, rigging equipment and servicing and maintenance parts or supplies; (b) Bears the name of, or a serial or model number, logo or other device used by, a commercial seller to identify the commercial seller’s property including, but not limited to, implements or equipment used by railroads and utilities that provide telephone, commercial mobile radio, cable television, electricity, water, natural gas or similar services; (c) Consists of material used in building construction or other commercial construction, including: (A) Copper or aluminum pipe, tubing or wiring; (B) Aluminum gutters, downspouts, siding, decking, bleachers or risers; or (C) Aluminum or stainless steel fence panels made of one-inch tubing 42 inches long, with four-inch gaps; or (d) Constitutes wire of a gauge typically used by utilities to provide electrical or telecommunications service. (3) “Commercial seller” means: (a) A business entity, as defined in ORS 60.470, business enterprise with a fixed place of business, nonprofit corporation or governmental entity that regularly or periodically sells or delivers metal property to a scrap metal business as part of the entity’s business functions; or (b) A person with a court order authorizing the possession and sale of particular metal property. (4) “Dismantler” means the holder of a valid, current dismantler certificate issued under ORS 822.110. (5) “Electronic funds transfer” has the meaning given that term in ORS 293.525. (6) “Fixed place of business” means a location: (a) Where a business enterprise primarily and regularly conducts the enterprise’s business activity; (b) That includes a commercial building; and (c) That corresponds to the address shown on any licenses required by state law or local ordinance for all applicable business activity conducted at that location. (7) “Law enforcement agency” has the meaning given that term in ORS 131.550. (8) “Metal property” means commercial metal property, nonferrous metal property or private metal property. (9)(a) “Nonferrous metal property” means an item fabricated or containing parts made of or in an alloy with copper, brass, aluminum, bronze, lead, zinc or nickel. (b) “Nonferrous metal property” does not include gold, silver or platinum that is used in the manufacture, repair, sale or resale of jewelry. (10) “Nonprofit corporation” means a corporation to which the Secretary of State has issued a certificate of existence or a certificate of authorization under ORS 65.027. (11) “Private metal property” means a catalytic converter or a component of a catalytic converter that has been removed from a vehicle and is offered for sale as an independent item, whether individually or as part of a bundle, bale or in other bulk form. (12)(a) “Scrap metal business” means a person that: (A) Maintains a permanent or fixed place of business at which the person: (i) Engages in the business of purchasing or receiving metal property; (ii) Alters or prepares metal property the person receives for use in manufacturing other products; and (iii) Owns, leases, rents, maintains or uses a device used in metal recycling, including a hydraulic baler, metal shearer or metal shredder; (B) Maintains a permanent or fixed place of business at which the person engages in the business of purchasing or receiving metal property for the purpose of aggregation and sale to another scrap metal business; (C) Does not necessarily maintain a permanent or fixed place of business in this state but engages in the business of purchasing or receiving nonferrous metal property for the purpose of aggregation and sale to another scrap metal business and holds any licenses required by state law or local ordinance for conducting all applicable business activity; or (D) Engages in the business of purchasing or receiving private metal property at a fixed place of business and holds any licenses required by state law or local ordinance for all applicable business activity. (b) “Scrap metal business” does not include a governmental entity that accepts metal property for recycling. (13) “Stored value device” means a debit card or other device that draws funds from an account owned or operated by the user and that allows the user to obtain something of value from a merchant. (14)(a) “Transaction” means a sale, purchase, receipt or trade of, or a contract, agreement or pledge to sell, purchase, receive or trade, private metal property or nonferrous metal property that occurs or forms between an individual and a scrap metal business. (b) “Transaction” does not include: (A) A transfer of metal property made without consideration; or (B) A sale, purchase, receipt or trade of, or a contract, agreement or pledge to sell, purchase, receive or trade, private metal property or nonferrous metal property that occurs or forms between: (i) A commercial seller or an authorized employee or agent of the commercial seller; and (ii) A scrap metal business or an authorized employee or agent of the scrap metal business. [2009 c.811 §1; 2010 c.56 §1; 2011 c.450 §2; 2015 c.240 §1; 2021 c.412 §2]

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

ORS 164.095 — Theft by receiving

164.095 Theft by receiving. (1) A person commits theft by receiving if the person receives, retains, conceals or disposes of property of another knowing or having good reason to know that the property was the subject of theft. (2) It is a defense to a charge of violating subsection (1) of this section if: (a) The person is a scrap metal business as defined in ORS 165.116 or an agent or employee of a scrap metal business; (b) The person receives or retains metal property as defined in ORS 165.116; and (c) The person makes a report in accordance with ORS 165.118 (3)(e)(A). (3) “Receiving” means acquiring possession, control or title, or lending on the security of the property. [1971 c.743 §129; 2009 c.811 §9; 2021 c.412 §8]

Source: Oregon Legislature — ORS 2025 Edition, Chapter 164 · ORS 164.095

Stored review status: 2025_edition_later_amendments_unresolved. Incoming connection: Explicit ORS citation in the printed section; applicability is unreviewed.

Oregon criminal law — ORS Title 16 (2025 snapshot) · legal_authorities

ORS 164.857 — Unlawfully transporting metal property

164.857 Unlawfully transporting metal property. (1) A person commits the offense of unlawfully transporting metal property if the person transports metal property on a public highway or on premises open to the public with the intent to deliver the metal property to a scrap metal business and the person does not have a metal transportation certificate in the person’s possession. (2) A seller or transferor of metal property that has reason to believe that a buyer or transferee intends to obtain the metal property for delivery to a scrap metal business shall provide the buyer or transferee with a metal transportation certificate. (3) A metal transportation certificate must include: (a) The date the metal property was acquired and the amount and type of metal property that the person is transporting; (b) The location where the metal property was loaded and the destination of the metal property; (c) The name, address and telephone number of the seller or the transferor; (d) The signature of the seller or transferor or the authorized agent of the seller or transferor; and (e) The name, address and telephone number of the person transporting the metal property. (4) The Department of State Police shall create a form that may serve as a metal transportation certificate and shall make the form available on the department’s website. (5)(a) Subject to paragraph (b) of this subsection, it is a defense to a charge of unlawfully transporting metal property that the person transporting the metal property is the owner of the property or an agent or employee of the owner of the property. (b) A person who transports private metal property may not raise the defense described in this subsection unless at the time the person was transporting the private metal property: (A) The per

Source: Oregon Legislature — ORS 2025 Edition, Chapter 164 · ORS 164.857

Stored review status: 2025_edition_later_amendments_unresolved. Incoming connection: Explicit ORS citation in the printed section; applicability is unreviewed.

Oregon criminal law — ORS Title 16 (2025 snapshot) · legal_authorities

ORS 165.127 — County metal theft plan of action

165.127 County metal theft plan of action. (1) In each county in which a scrap metal business, as defined in ORS 165.116, has a place of business, the district attorney of the county shall, after consulting with representatives of the affected law enforcement agencies and the business community, create a written plan of action that ensures effective communication between law enforcement and the business community regarding the theft of metal property as defined in ORS 165.116. (2) The written plan of action must include, but need not be limited to, a procedure for law enforcement agencies to notify scrap metal businesses of a theft of metal property within 24 hours after the receipt of the report of the theft. (3) The district attorney shall provide a copy of the written plan of action to the local public safety coordinating council described in ORS 423.560. [2009 c.811 §11]

Source: Oregon Legislature — ORS 2025 Edition, Chapter 165 · ORS 165.127

Stored review status: 2025_edition_later_amendments_unresolved. Incoming connection: Explicit ORS citation in the printed section; applicability is unreviewed.