Golf, fortune-telling and spitting in the street are all among odd laws in Oregon

Golf, car doors and fortune-telling are all topics of odd laws in Oregon. 

There are several state-wide and city-specific laws in Oregon that may seem quite bizarre. 

For example, did you know that you could face legal trouble for leaving a car door open in Oregon? 

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Additionally, there is a law specific to the city of Yamhill that prohibits fortune-telling. 

Read more about these odd Oregon laws and others below. 

1. No fortune-telling in Yamhill
2. Don’t leave your car door ajar for too long
3. No park golf in Marion County
4. While in Portland, don’t spit in the street

1. No fortune-telling in Yamhill

Don’t expect to get a look into your future while in Yamhill, Oregon, as the practice is outlawed in the city. 

Yamhill has a very specific law that details “occult arts” and how they are prohibited in the city. 

Occult arts, as described by the law, include fortune-telling but also “astrology, phrenology, palmistry, clairvoyance, mesmerism, spiritualism, or any other practice or practices generally recognized to be unsound and unscientific.” Using any of these methods in an attempt to achieve a variety of outcomes is against the law. 

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Attempting “to reveal or analyze past incidents or events,” “to analyze or define the character or personality of a person,” “to foretell or reveal the future,” “to locate by such means lost or stolen property” or “to give advice or information concerning any matter or event,” by means of using occult arts is illegal in Yamhill. 

Breaking this law is considered to be an unclassified misdemeanor. 

2. Don’t leave your door ajar for too long 

Avoid leaving your car door ajar for a very long while in Oregon, as there’s a law against doing so. 

The details of this particular law can be found outlined in Chapter 811 of the Oregon legislature’s Rules of the Road for Drivers. 

A person breaks the law when they leave their car door open when it is unsafe to do so, and/or interferes with the flow of traffic. 

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Individuals may not leave their door open “for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.”

Those offenders of this law are committing a Class D traffic violation. 

Another auto-related law that was present for many years in Oregon was one making it illegal for residents to pump their own gas. This law dated back to 1951. For many years, New Jersey and Oregon were the only two states with such a law. 

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In 2023, this ban was lifted, allowing motorists across the state to pump their own gas. 

3. No park golf in Marion County

If you want to practice your putting, don’t do so in any Marion County parks. 

There is a specific law in Marion County that prevents playing the game in public parks. 

“No person may hit any golf ball in any park except in an area designated for such use by the director,” the law states. 

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Therefore, it’s best to keep your game up to par by playing on the course.  

4. While in Portland, don’t spit in the street 

While in Portland, avoid spitting in the street, as there is a law against it. 

This law is laid out in Title 8, Chapter 8.36. 

“It is unlawful for any person to expectorate on the floor or any other part of any public conveyance, or on the floor or walls of any public hall, building or office, or upon any sidewalk within the limits of the City, or on the floor or walls of any room where foodstuffs are prepared or kept for sale,” the law states.