The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on Thursday unanimously approved an ordinance that bans licensed concealed guns in certain County Buildings.
Commissioner Shannon Singleton and Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards brought forward the ordinance as the primary sponsors, which was approved by the Board today.
“The presence of firearms in public buildings, even when carried by individuals with a concealed handgun license can undermine trust and feelings of safety, as well as increase the risk of accidental discharge, intimidation, or escalation during conflicts,” said Commissioner Singleton.
“County buildings serve all our community, including seniors, families, vulnerable populations, survivors of violence, and individuals in crisis. Loaded and unloaded firearms are already prohibited in public buildings," said Commissioner Brim-Edwards, who also serves as Co-Chair of the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council. "This will extend the prohibition to licensed concealed firearms."
Commissioner Brim-Edwards added, “With nearly 37,000 concealed handgun licenses in Multnomah County, this is one additional step to make our County buildings more welcoming and safer.”
“Gun violence in public buildings is all too familiar in the United States,” said Commissioner Singleton. “This ordinance is focused on community safety. It is critical that the County works to establish policies that address community concerns and make our County buildings safer. We want to ensure that people can participate equally when engaging with their County officials.”
In June 2025, Oregon lawmakers passed Senate Bill 243, also known as the Community Safety Firearms Act, which took effect Sept. 1. The state legislation allows local governments to adopt ordinances that ban licensed concealed firearms in certain public buildings. Lawmakers had previously allowed those bans in other public buildings, local school districts, colleges and universities.
The County’s ordinance amends the current County gun safety ordinance to remove an exception that allows people to carry a concealed weapon if they are licensed to do so in certain County buildings. But other exceptions will remain in the larger County gun safety ordinance, including for individuals authorized by the Multnomah County Sheriff or other government employees authorized or required to carry firearms, as well as security guards employed at a financial institution insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
The new ordinance will require signs in County buildings declaring that concealed guns are not allowed and that violations may lead to someone’s exclusion from County buildings. Implementation of the ordinance will not begin until the signs are posted, County officials said.
Commissioner Meghan Moyer asked how long it will take to post the signage. Chief Operating Officer Christopher Neal explained that he thinks it will take the next 45 to 60 days to implement, including internal communications.
Chair Jessica Vega Pederson commended the amendment as a necessary common-sense gun safety measure that will make the community safer.
“I am really supportive of this action,” she said. “It allows us to take advantage of the new legislation to increase local public safety. As a county, I firmly believe we have too many guns that are causing too much violence.
“This is a small but important step that we can take as a board to create safer spaces in our County and to take advantage of the tools we have available to do that at the local government level.”
