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Oregon Revised Statutes

Or. Rev. Stat. § 701.015 (2026)

Business license requirements in cities and metropolitan service districts; fees; distribution of fees

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      701.015 Business license requirements in cities and metropolitan service districts; fees; distribution of fees. (1) A contractor shall pay directly to any city within the boundaries of a metropolitan service district any business license tax imposed by the city when:

      (a) The principal place of business of the contractor is within the city; or

      (b) The principal place of business of the contractor is not within the city but the contractor derives gross receipts of $250,000 or more from business conducted within the boundaries of the city during the calendar year for which the business license tax is owed.

      (2) A contractor who conducts business during any year in any city within the boundaries of the metropolitan service district other than a city to which the contractor has paid a business license tax for that year may apply for a business license from the metropolitan service district.

      (3) When a contractor obtains a business license from the metropolitan service district under subsection (2) of this section, if a city within the boundaries of the metropolitan service district other than a city to which the contractor is required to directly pay a business license tax under subsection (1) of this section demands payment of a business license tax by the contractor, the city shall waive such payment upon presentation of proof by the contractor that the contractor has a business license issued by the metropolitan service district. Possession by the contractor of a current business license issued by the metropolitan service district under subsection (2) of this section shall be proof sufficient to obtain the waiver described in this subsection.

      (4) The metropolitan service district shall issue a business license to a contractor when:

      (a) The contractor presents proof to the district that the contractor has paid the business license tax imposed by each city within the boundaries of the district to which the contractor must directly pay a business license tax under subsection (1) of this section; and

      (b) The contractor pays a license fee to the district. The license fee charged under this paragraph shall be twice the average business license tax charged contractors by cities located within the metropolitan service district plus an amount that is sufficient to reimburse the district for the administrative expenses of the district incurred in carrying out its duties under this section.

      (5) The metropolitan service district shall distribute the business license fees collected by the district under this section, less administrative expenses, to the cities that are located wholly or partly within the district and that collect a business license tax. In any year, each such city shall receive such share of the license fees as the number of residential building permits that it issued during that year bears to the total number of residential building permits that were issued during that year by all of the cities located wholly or partly within the district. Distribution of moneys under this subsection shall be made at least once in each year. The metropolitan service district shall determine the number of residential building permits issued by cities within the district from statistics.

      (6) As used in this section:

      (a) “Business license tax” means any fee paid by a person to a city or county for any form of license that is required by the city or county in order to conduct business in that city or county. The term does not include any franchise fee or privilege tax imposed by a city upon a public utility under ORS 221.420 or 221.450 or any provision of a city charter.

      (b) “Conducting business” means to engage in any activity in pursuit of gain including activities carried on by a person through officers, agents and employees as well as activities carried on by a person on that person’s own behalf.

      (c) “Principal place of business” means the location in this state of the central administrative office of a person conducting business in this state. [1987 c.581 §2; 1989 c.1064 §§1,2; 1991 c.79 §2; 1999 c.176 §1; 2007 c.541 §44; 2015 c.180 §49]

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3 cases, 2004–2015 · leading case: Proctor v. City of Portland, 263 P.3d 1099 (Or. Ct. App. 2011).
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Proctor v. City of Portland, 263 P.3d 1099 (Or. Ct. App. 2011). · cites it 31× ““(2) As used in this section, “business license tax’ has the meaning given that term in ORS 701.015.” Second, ORS 701.015(6)(a) provides: “ ‘Business license tax’ means any fee paid by a person to a city or county for any form of license that is required by the city or county in…”
Randall v. Ocean View Constr. Co., 100 P.3d 1088 (Or. Ct. App. 2004). · cites it 2× “ORS 701.015 and ORS 701.075 do. ORS 701.035 simply states that an applicant must qualify as an independent contractor and that, under certain circumstances, the CCB's determination that a person is such an independent contractor applies.”
Qwest Corp. v. City of Portland, 365 P.3d 1157 (Or. Ct. App. 2015). “” ORS 701.015(6)(a) (emphases added). In addition, the legislature had created an exemption for the business license tax at issue in another, related statutory provision, but it had not exempted that tax from the provision at issue in Proctor.”
Or. Rev. Stat. § 701.015(1): 1 case
Proctor v. City of Portland, 263 P.3d 1099 (Or. Ct. App. 2011). ““(2) As used in this section, “business license tax’ has the meaning given that term in ORS 701.015.” Second, ORS 701.015(6)(a) provides: “ ‘Business license tax’ means any fee paid by a person to a city or county for any form of license that is required by the city or county in…”
Or. Rev. Stat. § 701.015(6)(a): 2 cases
Proctor v. City of Portland, 263 P.3d 1099 (Or. Ct. App. 2011). ““(2) As used in this section, “business license tax’ has the meaning given that term in ORS 701.015.” Second, ORS 701.015(6)(a) provides: “ ‘Business license tax’ means any fee paid by a person to a city or county for any form of license that is required by the city or county in…”
Qwest Corp. v. City of Portland, 365 P.3d 1157 (Or. Ct. App. 2015). “” ORS 701.015(6)(a) (emphases added). In addition, the legislature had created an exemption for the business license tax at issue in another, related statutory provision, but it had not exempted that tax from the provision at issue in Proctor.”
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