ORS 227.500: Use of real property for religious activity; city regulation of real property used for religious activity.

(1) If a church, synagogue, temple, mosque, chapel, meeting house or other nonresidential place of worship is allowed on real property under state law and rules and local zoning ordinances and regulations, a city shall allow the reasonable use of the real property for activities customarily associated with the practices of the religious activity, including: (a) Worship services. (b) Religion classes. (c) Weddings. (d) Funerals. (e) Meal programs. (f) Child care or any preschool or prekindergarten education, but not private or parochial education for kindergarten through grade 12 or higher education. (2) A city may: (a) Subject real property described in subsection (1) of this section to reasonable regulations, including site review and design review, concerning the physical characteristics of the uses authorized under subsection (1) of this section; or (b) Prohibit or regulate the use of real property by a place of worship described in subsection (1) of this section if the city finds that the level of service of public facilities, including transportation, water supply, sewer and storm drain systems is not adequate to serve the place of worship described in subsection (1) of this section. (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a city may allow a private or parochial school for kindergarten through grade 12 or higher education to be sited under applicable state law and rules and local zoning ordinances and regulations. [2001 c.886 §4; 2017 c.745 §8; 2019 c.640 §20; 2021 c.385 §5; 2021 c.446 §5; 2025 c.267 §2]