Oregon Revised Statutes
Oregon Administrative Rules
Statewide Planning Goals
A wide range of statutes, rules and ordinances impact governments, developers, property owners and others with an interest in land use planning and property rights. Only a portion of those laws have a direct tie to the Department of Land Conservation and Development and the work it does to conserve, protect and develop Oregon's land-related resources.
The laws and rules most directly linked to DLCD or to land use planning are linked here by type. The statewide planning goals, along with legislative, rulemaking, and policy activity for the agency are also linked below.
Oregon Revised Statues
Maintained by the Oregon State Legislature, Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) are published every two years. Each edition incorporates all laws, and changes to laws, enacted by the Legislative Assembly through the off-numbered year regular (long) session. Statutes can only be modified or changed through a legislative process. Only some chapters of law are related to DLCD work.
View State Statutes
Oregon Administrative Rules
Administrative rules are adopted to carry out laws and have the force of law in Oregon. At DLCD administrative rules are created by the commissions to implement and interpret the agency's statutory authority. DLCD may adopt, amend, repeal or renumber rules, permanently or temporarily (for up to 180 days). The agency can perform rulemaking whenever necessary. Only some divisions of administrative rule are subject to DLCD rulemaking authority.
View Administrative Rules
Statewide Planning Goals
The foundation of statewide program for land use planning in Oregon is a set of 19 Statewide Land Use Planning Goals. The goals express the state's policies on land us and related topics, like citizen involvement, housing, and natural resources. Most goals are accompanied by guidelines, which are suggestions about how a goal may be applied. Guidelines are not mandatory. The statewide goals are achieved through local comprehensive planning.
View Statewide Planning Goals
Current Rulemaking
DLCD undertakes rulemaking when a new law directs the agency to develop new rules or change existing rules. It also performs rulemaking to interpret the agency's governing statutes, prescribe agency procedures, or articulate agency policy decisions. Rulemaking activities for the coming biennium are described in the
DLCD Policy Agenda. After being adopted, current Administrative Rules are published on the Secretary of State's website. Any person may comment on the rulemaking process in writing.
View Current Rulemaking
Legislative Updates and Land Use Bills
Updates to ORS are made in each legislative session. DLCD tracks legislation that will impact the land use system during a legislative session. At the end of a legislative session, DLCD creates a Land Use Legislation report, directed to interested persons, local governments, and state agencies. Some legislation that passes during a legislative session will require the department to update its rules, to conform to the changes made the legislation.
View Legislative Updates
DLCD Policy Agenda
Each biennium, after the long legislative session concludes, DLCD creates a policy agenda. In the policy agenda the department identifies and prioritizes the policy items they will pursue over the coming two years. Work in the policy agenda can be legislatively directed, identified as a need by specialists within the department, or in response to a need identified by local governments to help them carry out their land use planning activities. The policy agenda is revised annually, to reflect legislative changes made during the short session, but major revisions are made every two years.
View the 2023-25 Policy Agenda