820.300
Exemptions from traffic laws.
(1) Subject to conditions, limitations, prohibitions and penalties established
for emergency vehicle and ambulance drivers under ORS 820.320, the driver of an
emergency vehicle or ambulance may do any of the following:
(a) Park or stand
in disregard of a statute, regulation or ordinance prohibiting that parking or
standing.
(b) Proceed past
a red signal or stop sign.
(c) Exceed the
designated speed limits.
(d) Disregard
regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions.
(e) Proceed past
the flashing bus safety lights without violating ORS 811.155 if the driver
first stops the vehicle and then proceeds only when the driver:
(A) Determines
that no passengers of the bus remain on the roadway; and
(B) Proceeds with
caution.
(2) The
provisions of this section:
(a) Do not
relieve the driver of an emergency vehicle or ambulance from the duty to drive
with due regard for the safety of all other persons.
(b) Are not a
defense to the driver of an emergency vehicle or ambulance in an action brought
for criminal negligence or reckless conduct.
(c) Except as
specifically provided in this section, do not relieve the driver of an
emergency vehicle or ambulance from the duty to comply with ORS 811.155. [1983
c.338 §757; 1985 c.16 §362; 1995 c.209 §5]
Note: The amendments to 820.300 by
section 17, chapter 278, Oregon Laws 2025, become operative January 1, 2027.
See section 24, chapter 278, Oregon Laws 2025. The text that is operative on
and after January 1, 2027, is set forth for the user’s convenience.
820.300. (1) Subject to conditions,
limitations, prohibitions and penalties established for emergency vehicle,
organ transport vehicle and ambulance drivers under ORS 820.320, the driver of
an emergency vehicle, organ transport vehicle or ambulance may do any of the
following:
(a) Park or stand
in disregard of a statute, regulation or ordinance prohibiting that parking or
standing.
(b) Proceed past
a red signal or stop sign.
(c) Exceed the
designated speed limits.
(d) Disregard
regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions.
(e) Proceed past
the flashing bus safety lights without violating ORS 811.155 if the driver
first stops the vehicle and then proceeds only when the driver:
(A) Determines
that no passengers of the bus remain on the roadway; and
(B) Proceeds with
caution.
(2) The
provisions of this section:
(a) Do not
relieve the driver of an emergency vehicle, organ transport vehicle or
ambulance from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all other
persons.
(b) Are not a
defense to the driver of an emergency vehicle, organ transport vehicle or
ambulance in an action brought for criminal negligence or reckless conduct.
(c) Except as
specifically provided in this section, do not relieve the driver of an
emergency vehicle, organ transport vehicle or ambulance from the duty to comply
with ORS 811.155.
820.310 [1983 c.338 §758; 1985 c.16 §363;
1985 c.278 §2; repealed by 1995 c.209 §7]
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
7
cases (
1 in the last 5 years), 1989–2022 · leading case:
Ensign v. Marion Cnty., 914 P.2d 5 (Or. Ct. App. 1996).
Ensign v. Marion Cnty., 914 P.2d 5 (Or. Ct. App. 1996).
· cites it 8× “320[,] * * * the driver of an emergency vehicle * * * may do any of the following: "* * * * * "(b) Proceed past a red signal or stop sign.”
Lowrimore v. Dimmitt, 797 P.2d 1027 (Or. 1990).
· cites it 2× “3 ORS 820.300(1) authorizes drivers of emergency vehicles, among other things, to exceed speed limits, and to “proceed past a red signal or stop sign.”
Lowrimore v. Dimmitt, 781 P.2d 411 (Or. Ct. App. 1989).
· cites it 8× “ORS 820.300 does not control. ORS 820.300(1) permits a driver of an emergency vehicle to exceed designated speed limits and to ignore other traffic laws.”
Pomerenke v. Motor Vehs. Div., 896 P.2d 1214 (Or. Ct. App. 1995).
“145(1) provides: “A person commits the offense of failure to yield to an emergency vehicle or ambulance if an ambulance or emergency vehicle that is using a visual or audible signal in a manner described under ORS 820.300 to 820.320 approaches the vehicle the person is operating…”
Dee Ex Rel. McDonald v. Pomeroy, 818 P.2d 523 (Or. Ct. App. 1991).
“1 They *117 alleged that Kitto and the city were negligent in (1) initiating the high speed chase; (2) failing to break off the chase; (3) violating ORS 820.300 and ORS 820.320 2 by engaging in a chase that unreasonably placed persons at risk of injury; and (4) chasing the car…”
State v. Donaldson, 510 P.3d 943 (Or. Ct. App. 2022).
· cites it 13× “145 provides, in part: “(1) A person commits the offense of failure to yield to an emergency vehicle or ambulance if an ambulance or emergency vehicle that is using a visual or audible signal in a manner described under ORS 820.300 and 820.320 approaches the vehicle the person…”
State v. Adams, 359 P.3d 1259 (Or. Ct. App. 2015).
“In its view, a reasonable factfinder could find that defendant interfered with Newton’s duty to perform his duties with regard to another person when defendant disabled the patrol car’s siren, which prevented Newton from performing his duty under ORS 820.300(2) to drive his…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 820.300(1) — 2 cases
Lowrimore v. Dimmitt, 797 P.2d 1027 (Or. 1990).
“3 ORS 820.300(1) authorizes drivers of emergency vehicles, among other things, to exceed speed limits, and to “proceed past a red signal or stop sign.”
Lowrimore v. Dimmitt, 781 P.2d 411 (Or. Ct. App. 1989).
“ORS 820.300 does not control. ORS 820.300(1) permits a driver of an emergency vehicle to exceed designated speed limits and to ignore other traffic laws.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 820.300(1)(b) — 1 case
Ensign v. Marion Cnty., 914 P.2d 5 (Or. Ct. App. 1996).
“320[,] * * * the driver of an emergency vehicle * * * may do any of the following: "* * * * * "(b) Proceed past a red signal or stop sign.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 820.300(2) — 2 cases
Lowrimore v. Dimmitt, 781 P.2d 411 (Or. Ct. App. 1989).
“ORS 820.300 does not control. ORS 820.300(1) permits a driver of an emergency vehicle to exceed designated speed limits and to ignore other traffic laws.”
State v. Adams, 359 P.3d 1259 (Or. Ct. App. 2015).
“In its view, a reasonable factfinder could find that defendant interfered with Newton’s duty to perform his duties with regard to another person when defendant disabled the patrol car’s siren, which prevented Newton from performing his duty under ORS 820.300(2) to drive his…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 820.300(2)(a) — 2 cases
Lowrimore v. Dimmitt, 797 P.2d 1027 (Or. 1990).
“3 ORS 820.300(1) authorizes drivers of emergency vehicles, among other things, to exceed speed limits, and to “proceed past a red signal or stop sign.”
Lowrimore v. Dimmitt, 781 P.2d 411 (Or. Ct. App. 1989).
“ORS 820.300 does not control. ORS 820.300(1) permits a driver of an emergency vehicle to exceed designated speed limits and to ignore other traffic laws.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 820.300(l)(b) — 1 case
Ensign v. Marion Cnty., 914 P.2d 5 (Or. Ct. App. 1996).
“320[,] * * * the driver of an emergency vehicle * * * may do any of the following: "* * * * * "(b) Proceed past a red signal or stop sign.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
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treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.