Oregon
Is it legal to point security camera at a neighbor’s house in Oregon?
Why privacy advocates are ringing the alarm on doorbell cameras
The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie and a Super Bowl advertisement for Ring are bringing new attention to doorbell cameras and privacy concerns.
There are millions of homes and businesses with security cameras and the number is only growing.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, surveillance camera installations in the U.S. were expected to grow from 47 million in 2015 to about 85 million by 2021.
An estimated 10 million Amazon’s Ring doorbell cameras are in use nationwide, according to a 2023 report from Politico, and dozens of other companies have made their own doorbell cameras to jump on the craze.
At the same time, concerns over surveillance are on the rise. Ring ended its partnership with Flock, a Georgia-based tech surveillance company, in February. Throughout 2025, Eugene and Springfield residents fought back against the installation of Flock license-plate reader cameras, which led to them being taken down seven months later.
On your private property, what laws exist around security cameras and where they can point? The Register-Guard looked at state and municipal laws to find out.
Can you point a security camera at the street or sidewalk?
Yes. You can absolutely point security cameras located on your property at the street.
There are no laws around recording video in “public view.”
“Public view” is classified as any area that can be readily seen by normal, unaided vision when viewed from a public place, including streets.
Can you point a security camera at your neighbor’s house?
Usually, yes, your surveillance cameras can be pointed toward others’ homes. While there are no specific Oregon laws against installing security cameras that are directed at your neighbor’s home, you may want to be careful where exactly it’s pointed.
If you have a doorbell camera, for example, that points directly from your front door to your neighbor’s front door across the street, that’s completely legal.
Anything visible in “public view” is permissible to video as long as you remain on public or your own property.
According to a city of Eugene spokesperson, there are no city laws against a private party having a security camera and what direction it is pointing.
However, it can get tricky, depending on where exactly you point your cameras. For example, if you have a two-story home and you point your security camera into your neighbor’s backyard, that might be harder to defend in court. It all hinges on ORS 163.700 — Invasion of personal privacy.
Can you point a surveillance camera into your neighbor’s bedroom or bathroom?
Effectively, no. You cannot point a camera into your neighbor’s bedroom or bathroom without risking breaking Oregon law.
This would likely be a violation of ORS 163.700, constituting an invasion of personal privacy in the second degree.
The law extends to any recording of another person’s “intimate area” without consent in places where the person recorded has a “reasonable expectation of privacy concerning the intimate area.” As defined by Oregon law, “intimate area” includes nudity and undergarments typically covered by other clothing.
Because people typically change their clothing in bedrooms and bathrooms, a security camera pointed into those rooms would more than likely capture them nude or in their undergarments, which would violate Oregon law.
Where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy extends beyond bedrooms and bathrooms. According to Oregon law, it also includes, but is not limited to, locker rooms, tanning booths and any area where a person undresses in an enclosed space that is not open to public view.
Invasion of personal privacy in the second degree is a Class A misdemeanor, which can result in a fine up to $6,250.
Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on X @mirandabcyr.
CENTRAL OREGON (KTVZ) — New rules approved by Oregon regulators aimed at how utilities charge large energy users are expected to have implications beyond Portland General Electric, including for Central Oregon customers served by Pacific Power.
The Oregon Public Utility Commission approved changes allowing Portland General Electric to charge higher rates to large energy users such as data centers. The goal is to ensure those customers pay for the cost of expanding the power grid, rather than shifting those costs onto smaller or household ratepayers.
The move comes after six consecutive years of rate increases for Oregon customers, driven in part by what PGE describes as an unprecedented rise in electricity demand, with data centers as a major factor.
Under the new rules, large energy use facilities must pay 100% of the cost to expand distribution systems needed to serve them. They must also use at least 90% of their contracted power capacity, with requirements for contract lengths and penalties for exceeding usage or exiting early.
The rules define large energy users as facilities capable of drawing more than 20 megawatts of power at a time. A separate category for “very large loads” — those exceeding 100 megawatts — includes a 1 cent per kilowatt-hour surcharge, with funds going toward reducing energy burden for vulnerable customers.
The order also includes a queue system to ensure new large users can only connect when enough zero-emission energy is available to meet demand under House Bill 2021.
While the decision directly applies to PGE, Pacific Power is proposing a similar approach for customers in Central Oregon.
PacifiCorp exclusively sent a statement to KTVZ News, saying utilities have seen a growing number of extremely large new load requests in recent years, requiring significant investments in transmission and generation infrastructure.
The company has filed a proposed tariff with the Oregon Public Utility Commission under House Bill 3546 to create a new rate schedule for “New Large Energy Use Facilities.” Under the proposal, large energy users such as data centers would be required to cover the costs of infrastructure upgrades needed to serve them.
PacifiCorp said the approach would allow the utility to meet the needs of large energy users while continuing to invest in infrastructure and protecting affordability for other customer classes.
PGE has until June 3 to file a new pricing system to implement the order, which would take effect June 10. The utility is also required to begin annual reporting on large energy users starting June 1, 2027.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — The Oregon Department of Forestry is asking Oregonians to be careful when disposing of yard debris this spring.
READ MORE | High pressure brings 48-hour warmup to western Oregon as temps near 90 Tuesday
“There have already been 23 escaped debris burns for a total of 83 acres reported on ODF-protected land in 2026,” the agency said.
The agency said that at this time last year, it had responded to 37 escaped burns.
“More than 70% of wildfires every year in Oregon are human-caused, with escaped debris burns topping the list,” ODF said. “With record-low snowpack and an abnormally warm winter, forecasters are anticipating a hotter and drier summer than usual.”
The Central Oregon District of ODF has already declared the start of fire season.
On May 14, fire restrictions will go into effect for all Bureau of Land Management lands in Oregon and Washington.
“We are increasingly concerned that 2026 could rival the most extreme years on record for heat and dryness in the Pacific Northwest,” said Jeff Fedrizzi, assistant chief of operations for the Pacific Northwest, U.S. Wildland Fire Service. “Every visitor must understand that even one small spark can lead to a costly and destructive fire in these high-impact conditions.”
Officials say the restrictions will help reduce the risk of human-caused fires. BLM officials say anyone who violates the prohibition could be fined up to $100,000 and/or face up to 12 months in prison.
More information on fire season is available on the ODF website.
The Bureau of Land Management website has additional information on fire restrictions and closures.
The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 10 drawing
1PM: 8-2-8-4
4PM: 5-1-2-6
7PM: 1-5-9-6
10PM: 8-6-5-1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
- Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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