Oregon Revised Statutes

Or. Rev. Stat. § 174.100 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of May 2026
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      174.100 Definitions. As used in the statute laws of this state, unless the context or a specially applicable definition requires otherwise:

      (1) “Any other state” includes any state and the District of Columbia.

      (2) “City” includes any incorporated village or town.

      (3) “County court” includes board of county commissioners.

      (4) “Gender identity” means an individual’s gender-related identity, appearance, expression or behavior, regardless of whether the identity, appearance, expression or behavior differs from that associated with the gender assigned to the individual at birth.

      (5) “Husband and wife,” “husband or wife,” “husband” or “wife” means spouses or a spouse in a marriage.

      (6) “May not” and “shall not” are equivalent expressions of an absolute prohibition.

      (7) “Person” includes individuals, corporations, associations, firms, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint stock companies.

      (8) “Sexual orientation” means an individual’s actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality.

      (9) “State Treasury” includes those financial assets the lawful custody of which are vested in the State Treasurer and the office of the State Treasurer relating to the custody of those financial assets.

      (10) “To” means “to and including” when used in a reference to a series of statute sections, subsections or paragraphs.

      (11) “United States” includes territories, outlying possessions and the District of Columbia.

      (12) “Violate” includes failure to comply. [Amended by 1953 c.145 §2; 1957 c.360 §1; 1963 c.213 §1; 1965 c.518 §1; 1967 c.409 §1; 1983 c.327 §1; 1993 c.73 §1; 1995 c.93 §30; 2001 c.671 §1; 2007 c.100 §1; 2015 c.629 §33; 2021 c.367 §1]

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 28 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 1962–2023 · leading case: Hamilton v. Paynter, 149 P.3d 131 (Or. 2006).
Hamilton v. Paynter, 149 P.3d 131 (Or. 2006). · cites it 4× “” ORS 174.100. All the defendants are “persons” within that definition.”
State v. Rogers, 836 P.2d 1308 (Or. 1992). · cites it 2× “See ORS 174.100(4) (defining "person" broadly, but not so broadly as to include the state).”
Klein v. Or. Bureau of Labor & Indus., 410 P.3d 1051 (Or. Ct. App. 2017). · cites it 2× “Thus, by its plain terms, the statute requires only that the denial of full and equal accommodations be causally connected to the protected characteristic or status-in this case, "sexual orientation," which is defined to mean "an individual's actual or perceived heterosexuality,…”
Work v. Dept. of Rev., 22 Or. Tax 396 (Or. T.C. 2017). “See Preface to ORS; ORS 174.100(9) (“ ‘To’ means ‘to and including’ when used in a reference to a series of statute sections, subsections or paragraphs.”
Beaver v. Pelett, 705 P.2d 1149 (Or. 1985). · cites it 2× “440(1), because ORS 174.100 provides that in Oregon statutes, "unless the context or a specially applicable definition requires otherwise * * * `[p]erson' includes individuals, corporations, associations, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies.”
Walter v. Scherzinger, 121 P.3d 644 (Or. 2005). · cites it 2× “" ORS 174.100. [6] We acknowledge that ORS 242.”
Adelsperger v. Elkside Dev. LLC, 529 P.3d 230 (Or. 2023). “” ORS 174.100(7) (so providing unless context or specific statutory definition provides otherwise).”
Waterwatch of Oregon, Inc. v. Water Resources Comm'n, 88 P.3d 327 (Or. Ct. App. 2004). · cites it 2× “ORS 174.100(5). 4 Further, after a contested case hearing and the issuance of a final order under ORS 537.”
Jarvie v. State Tax Comm'n, 1 Or. Tax 1 (Or. T.C. 1962). · cites it 5× “A general definition of war veteran is set forth in ORS 174.100. It provides: “174.100. Definitions.”
State v. Rennells, 162 P.3d 1006 (Or. Ct. App. 2007). “” ORS 174.100(9) (emphasis added). That definition, by its terms, is not exclusive.”
Pendleton Sch. Dist. v. State of Oregon, 185 P.3d 471 (Or. Ct. App. 2008). “(emphases in original); see also ORS 174.100(4) (‘may not’ and ‘shall not’ are ‘equivalent expressions of an absolute prohibition’).”
Columbia River Salmon & Tuna Packers Ass'n v. Appling & Make Steelhead a Game Fish, Inc., 375 P.2d 71 (Or. 1962). · cites it 2× “910 *235 (election law) includes "corporation" as it does under ORS 174.100 (general definitions), because in the case at bar one of the plaintiffs was an individual.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 174.100(11) — 1 case
Allied Structural v. CCB, 492 P.3d 642 (Or. Ct. App. 2021).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 174.100(3) — 1 case
Just. v. Vercher, 518 P.3d 131 (Or. Ct. App. 2022).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 174.100(4) — 6 cases
State v. Rogers, 836 P.2d 1308 (Or. 1992). “See ORS 174.100(4) (defining "person" broadly, but not so broadly as to include the state).”
Pendleton Sch. Dist. v. State of Oregon, 185 P.3d 471 (Or. Ct. App. 2008). “(emphases in original); see also ORS 174.100(4) (‘may not’ and ‘shall not’ are ‘equivalent expressions of an absolute prohibition’).”
SIF Energy, LLC v. State ex rel. Dep't of Energy, 365 P.3d 664 (Or. Ct. App. 2015).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 174.100(5) — 4 cases
Waterwatch of Oregon, Inc. v. Water Resources Comm'n, 88 P.3d 327 (Or. Ct. App. 2004). “ORS 174.100(5). 4 Further, after a contested case hearing and the issuance of a final order under ORS 537.”
Hamilton v. Paynter, 129 P.3d 203 (Or. Ct. App. 2006).
State v. Ferguson, 323 P.3d 496 (Or. Ct. App. 2014).
Tran v. Bd. of Chiropractic Examiners, 300 P.3d 169 (Or. Ct. App. 2013).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 174.100(6) — 1 case
Klein v. Or. Bureau of Labor & Indus., 410 P.3d 1051 (Or. Ct. App. 2017). “Thus, by its plain terms, the statute requires only that the denial of full and equal accommodations be causally connected to the protected characteristic or status-in this case, "sexual orientation," which is defined to mean "an individual's actual or perceived heterosexuality,…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 174.100(7) — 4 cases
Klein v. Or. Bureau of Labor & Indus., 410 P.3d 1051 (Or. Ct. App. 2017). “Thus, by its plain terms, the statute requires only that the denial of full and equal accommodations be causally connected to the protected characteristic or status-in this case, "sexual orientation," which is defined to mean "an individual's actual or perceived heterosexuality,…”
Adelsperger v. Elkside Dev. LLC, 529 P.3d 230 (Or. 2023). “” ORS 174.100(7) (so providing unless context or specific statutory definition provides otherwise).”
Jarvie v. State Tax Comm'n, 1 Or. Tax 1 (Or. T.C. 1962). “A general definition of war veteran is set forth in ORS 174.100. It provides: “174.100. Definitions.”
Just. v. Vercher, 518 P.3d 131 (Or. Ct. App. 2022).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 174.100(9) — 2 cases
Work v. Dept. of Rev., 22 Or. Tax 396 (Or. T.C. 2017). “See Preface to ORS; ORS 174.100(9) (“ ‘To’ means ‘to and including’ when used in a reference to a series of statute sections, subsections or paragraphs.”
State v. Rennells, 162 P.3d 1006 (Or. Ct. App. 2007). “” ORS 174.100(9) (emphasis added). That definition, by its terms, is not exclusive.”
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