State desk
Ranks 41st of 50 on the Liberty Index.
Where Oregon stands on 12 policies, sourced from our 50-state trackers, with the latest headlines from 30 Oregon outlets.
12 policies · each strip is all 50 states, grouped by rule · Oregon in red. Free to cite with attribution.
A license is required; sheriffs must issue a concealed-handgun license to qualified applicants who complete training.
Oregon is 1 of 15 states with this rule
29 · Constitutional (Permitless) Carry6 · Restrictive: Permit Required
Oregon taxes individual income at graduated rates rising to 9.90 percent across 4 brackets, the fifth-highest top rate of the 41 states that tax income.
Oregon is 1 of 26 states with this rule
8 · No Income Tax1 · Capital Gains Only15 · Single Flat Rate
Oregon charges 40.00 cents per gallon in state tax, ranking 13 of 50, which is among the highest in the country. With the federal 18.40 cents added, a driver pays 58.40 cents per gallon in tax. Diesel is taxed at 40.00 cents.
Oregon is 1 of 17 states with this rule
16 · Near the Middle17 · Among the Lowest
Retains the death penalty; a governor's hold on executions has continued since 2011.
Oregon is 1 of 4 states with this rule
23 · Retains the death penalty23 · Abolished
Not a right-to-work state; union-security agreements are permitted.
Oregon is 1 of 24 states with this rule
26 · Right-to-Work
State minimum wage is $15.55, above the federal $7.25 floor.
Oregon is 1 of 30 states with this rule
12 · Matches the Federal Floor3 · Below Federal, So Federal Applies5 · No State Minimum Wage Law
Vote-by-mail state; no poll ID is required, and identity is verified by signature on the returned ballot.
Oregon is 1 of 14 states with this rule
10 · Strict Photo ID14 · Photo ID Requested4 · Strict Non-Photo ID8 · ID Requested (No Photo)
No ESA, voucher, or tax-credit scholarship program.
Oregon is 1 of 17 states with this rule
17 · Universal / Near-Universal16 · Limited Program
Oregon permits the use of deadly force in self-defense through judicial decisions or jury instructions rather than a stand-your-ground statute.
Oregon is 1 of 7 states with this rule
31 · No Duty to Retreat12 · Not Listed by NCSL
Every registered voter is automatically mailed a ballot for all elections; no request is required.
Oregon is 1 of 8 states with this rule
29 · No-Excuse Absentee13 · Excuse Required
Oregon's unemployment rate was 5.0% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, down 0.1 percentage points from 5.1% in August. It ranks 47th lowest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), up from 48th. A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 5.3%. The U.S. rate was 4.2%.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 30, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Elected statewide to a four-year term.
Oregon is 1 of 43 states with this rule
5 · Appointed by the governor1 · Chosen by the legislature1 · Appointed by the state supreme court