Oregon Youth Sports Concussion Law
What Oregon law requires when a young athlete takes a hit to the head — in plain English, with the statute underneath it.
Checked against the official Oregon statutory text on 2 August 2026. Re-verified every year.
What this actually means for your family
The statutory detail is further down, and it is all sourced. But if you are here because your child got hit this week, these are the six things you came to find out.
My child took a hit to the head. Does the coach have to take them out?
Yes. If your child shows signs of a concussion, or is suspected of having one, they have to come out of that practice or game right away. This is the part of the law that is nearly identical everywhere, and it does not require anyone to be certain — a suspicion is enough, and the coach is not supposed to wait for a diagnosis before acting.
Can they go back in the same day?
In practice, no. Oregon law does not use the words 'same day,' but it bars a return until a provider has examined your child and put a clearance in writing. That is not something that realistically happens between the third and fourth quarter, so the effect is the same.
Whose note does the school have to accept?
Oregon names specific professions in the law, so this one is worth checking before you book — if your provider is not one of them, the school does not have to take their note.
A physician (MD or DO) can sign. So can a chiropractor, naturopath, psychologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, physician assistant or nurse practitioner — but only while holding a current OHSU concussion certificate. That is a real, checkable credential, and it is worth asking about before the appointment.
The exact wording, if you need to show it to a school
- licensed physician (MD or DO) licensed under ORS chapter 677
- chiropractic physician holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- naturopathic physician holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- psychologist holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- physical therapist holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- occupational therapist holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- physician assistant holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- nurse practitioner holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- registered athletic trainer — not a clearance authority, but may determine that no concussion occurred so that the athlete may continue participating
That list comes straight from Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 336.485, 336.490, 336.495 (oregonlegislature.gov). This is the text a school, a coach or an athletic director is bound by, so it is the page to print or forward if anyone tells you the rule is something other than what you have read here. Where a state's law runs across several sections, the rest of them are in the sources at the foot of this page.
Is there a minimum number of days out?
Not in the law. This surprises people, but the statute sets no minimum number of days — it just requires a provider to sign off. How long your child sits out is a clinical decision, not a legal one, and a provider who returns a child quickly is not breaking any law. This is the single biggest gap between what these statutes require and what current concussion medicine actually recommends.
Does the school have to help with schoolwork while they recover?
Yes. Oregon is in the minority here — it requires a plan for getting back to the classroom, not just back to the field, and it does so in the statute itself. You can ask the school for it by name rather than as a favor.
What if the team is not run by their school?
Yes. This is worth knowing, because it is not true everywhere: Oregon wrote its law to cover organised youth sport generally, not just the teams a school runs. A club, a travel team, a municipal rec league — the same removal rule and the same clearance requirement apply. If a club coach tells you the concussion law is a school thing, they are wrong, and you can say so. Oregon wrote a second law specifically for this. Max's Law covers public school teams; Jenna's Law (ORS 417.875) covers non-school teams with members under 18, and binds the league's governing body, its coaches and its referees. Private schools are treated as Jenna's Law teams too.
Read the law itself, in full: Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 336.485, 336.490, 336.495 (oregonlegislature.gov). This is the text a school, a coach or an athletic director is bound by, so it is the page to print or forward if anyone tells you the rule is something other than what you have read here. Where a state's law runs across several sections, the rest of them are in the sources at the foot of this page.
If this happened in the last few days
Rule out the emergencies first.
A concussion is not usually a medical emergency, but a small number of head injuries are. Go to an emergency department now for a headache that keeps getting worse, repeated vomiting, seizures, slurred speech, weakness or numbness, one pupil larger than the other, or a child who cannot be woken or is unusually confused or drowsy. None of this is what the concussion statute is about, and none of it should wait for a clearance appointment.
Get the evaluation booked, and book the right kind.
The clearance your school needs has to come from a provider the law recognizes, and that list is different in every state — it is the third question above. Confirming that before the appointment saves families a wasted visit and a second co-pay more often than you would think.
Write down what happened while it is fresh.
The date and time, what the hit looked like, who saw it, what symptoms appeared and when, and who was told. This helps the clinician far more than a general 'he got hit at practice,' and if there is ever a dispute with the school about what was reported, it is the only contemporaneous record anyone will have.
Finding a provider who can sign it
Knowing what the law requires is one half of it; finding someone who can actually do the evaluation is the other. Our directory lists 71 verified concussion providers in Oregon across 16 cities, and you can filter by the kind of clinician the answer above calls for.
What makes Oregon's law different
Oregon is one of the few states with two distinct statutes — Max's Law for public school athletics and Jenna's Law for non-school youth teams under 18 — and the practical consequence is that Oregon private schools competing in OSAA are regulated under the non-school statute. Its most distinctive feature is ORS 336.490: non-physician providers (chiropractors, naturopaths, psychologists, PTs, OTs, PAs, NPs) may issue a return-to-play medical release only if they hold a current four-year certificate from an OHSU-run online concussion program, a credentialing gate no other state imposes. Oregon also allows a registered athletic trainer or physician to rule out a concussion on the spot and permit same-day continued play, softening the otherwise absolute same-day removal rule.
| Statute | Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 336.485, 336.490, 336.495 (Max's Law and related provisions); Or. Rev. Stat. § 417.875 (Jenna's Law) |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Max's Law (school athletics) and Jenna's Law (non-school youth athletics) |
| Enacted | 2009 |
| Amended | 2013, 2015, 2018, 2025 |
| Who may clear a return to play | Specific professions named |
| Return-to-learn protocol required | Yes — in the statute |
| Covers non-school club and rec leagues | Yes — directly |
The statute in detail
Everything above is the short version. This is what the law actually says, section by section, for anyone who needs the precise wording — a school administrator writing policy, a coach checking a duty, or a family that has hit a disagreement with a district.
Who the law covers
Max's Law (ORS 336.485) applies to school districts — i.e., Oregon public schools — and reaches coaches of school athletic teams. Jenna's Law (ORS 417.875) applies to non-school athletic teams that include members under 18 years of age and that are not affiliated with a public school, reaching league governing bodies, coaches and referees; OSAA treats its private member schools as governed by Jenna's Law rather than Max's Law and requires them to sign a separate private-school informed-consent form.
Education and acknowledgment
Under Jenna's Law, before a youth member may participate the league governing body must provide concussion guidelines and materials, and at least one parent or legal guardian must acknowledge receipt and review of them; a member who is 12 years of age or older must also sign the acknowledgment. Max's Law's central education mandate is annual training for all coaches of school athletic teams in recognizing concussion symptoms and seeking medical treatment, with State Board of Education rules setting the training standard; Jenna's Law imposes parallel annual training on coaches and referees.
Oregon Return-to-Play Law: Removal From Play
Both statutes are framed as a prohibition on the coach: a coach may not allow an athlete to participate on the same day the athlete exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion following an observed or suspected blow, or on the day the athlete is diagnosed with a concussion. There is a narrow exception — an athletic trainer registered by the Oregon Board of Athletic Trainers or a licensed physician may allow participation if that person determines the athlete did not sustain a concussion (consultation with another qualified professional is optional).
Oregon Return-to-Play Law: Getting Cleared to Return
Return requires both that the athlete no longer exhibit signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion and that the athlete receive a medical release from a qualified health care professional as defined in ORS 336.490. The statutes do not themselves script a graduated return-to-play protocol; OSAA policy and the Oregon Concussion Return-to-Play education program supply the stepwise progression.
Who the law lets sign the clearance
- licensed physician (MD or DO) licensed under ORS chapter 677
- chiropractic physician holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- naturopathic physician holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- psychologist holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- physical therapist holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- occupational therapist holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- physician assistant holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- nurse practitioner holding a current OHSU concussion certificate
- registered athletic trainer — not a clearance authority, but may determine that no concussion occurred so that the athlete may continue participating
Return to learn
Yes. ORS 336.495, as rewritten by HB 3007 (2025) and implemented through OAR 581-021-3007, requires public education providers to have procedures for immediate and temporary accommodation plans for students diagnosed with a concussion or other brain injury, including brain injury management teams, physical activity restrictions, implementation within 10 school days of receiving medical documentation, and periodic review. Before HB 3007, ORS 336.495 only required the Department of Education to publish an optional academic-accommodations form that schools were not obligated to follow.
How the law has changed
- 2013 — Jenna's Law (Or. Laws 2013, ch. 489) created ORS 417.875, extending concussion requirements to non-school athletic teams with members under 18.
- 2015 — SB 521 (Or. Laws 2015, ch. 392) amended both ORS 336.485 and 417.875 to let a registered athletic trainer or licensed physician determine that no concussion occurred, permitting continued participation, and made conforming changes to referee/coach duties.
- 2018 — Or. Laws 2018, ch. 121 built out ORS 336.490, creating the OHSU online concussion certification program and the four-year certificate that non-physician health care professionals must hold to issue a medical release.
- 2025 — HB 3007 (2025) rewrote ORS 336.495 to require public education providers to adopt procedures for mandatory immediate and temporary accommodation plans (ITAPs) after a diagnosed brain injury, implemented within 10 school days and reviewed roughly every two months; implemented by OAR 581-021-3007 beginning with the 2025-26 school year.
What happens if the rules are not followed
This is the part families ask about most and the part these statutes handle least. Almost every one of these laws sets out duties without setting out a penalty for ignoring them, and most go further and grant the school and its staff protection from being sued over concussion decisions. What that protection covers, and where it stops, is a state-specific question:
Jenna's Law (ORS 417.875) immunizes coaches and referees who comply with its requirements from civil and criminal liability except for gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct. ORS 336.490(5) gives OHSU and its personnel limited civil and criminal immunity in connection with medical releases issued by certified professionals, except for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or when OHSU personnel were themselves providing the health care.
Two things are worth being clear about. Immunity clauses of this kind generally stop short of conduct that is willful or reckless, so they are not unconditional. And a school district's or athletic association's own rules sit on top of the statute and can be enforced through the school or the association even where the law provides no remedy — that route is often faster than any legal one. If you believe the rules were not followed and your child was harmed as a result, that is a question for an attorney licensed in your state. It is not something this page can answer, and it is not something a directory should pretend to.
Common questions
Whose note does a school have to accept to clear a concussion in Oregon?
Oregon names specific professions in the law, so this one is worth checking before you book — if your provider is not one of them, the school does not have to take their note. licensed physician (MD or DO) licensed under ORS chapter 677; chiropractic physician holding a current OHSU concussion certificate; naturopathic physician holding a current OHSU concussion certificate; psychologist holding a current OHSU concussion certificate; physical therapist holding a current OHSU concussion certificate; occupational therapist holding a current OHSU concussion certificate; physician assistant holding a current OHSU concussion certificate; nurse practitioner holding a current OHSU concussion certificate; registered athletic trainer — not a clearance authority, but may determine that no concussion occurred so that the athlete may continue participating
Can a student go back in the same day after a head injury in Oregon?
In practice, no. Oregon law does not use the words 'same day,' but it bars a return until a provider has examined your child and put a clearance in writing. That is not something that realistically happens between the third and fourth quarter, so the effect is the same.
How long does a student have to sit out after a concussion in Oregon?
Not in the law. This surprises people, but the statute sets no minimum number of days — it just requires a provider to sign off. How long your child sits out is a clinical decision, not a legal one, and a provider who returns a child quickly is not breaking any law. This is the single biggest gap between what these statutes require and what current concussion medicine actually recommends.
Does Oregon require schools to help with schoolwork after a concussion?
Yes. Oregon is in the minority here — it requires a plan for getting back to the classroom, not just back to the field, and it does so in the statute itself. You can ask the school for it by name rather than as a favor.
Does Oregon's concussion law apply to club and rec league sports?
Yes. This is worth knowing, because it is not true everywhere: Oregon wrote its law to cover organised youth sport generally, not just the teams a school runs. A club, a travel team, a municipal rec league — the same removal rule and the same clearance requirement apply. If a club coach tells you the concussion law is a school thing, they are wrong, and you can say so. Oregon wrote a second law specifically for this. Max's Law covers public school teams; Jenna's Law (ORS 417.875) covers non-school teams with members under 18, and binds the league's governing body, its coaches and its referees. Private schools are treated as Jenna's Law teams too.
When did Oregon pass its youth concussion law?
2009. The statute is Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 336.485, 336.490, 336.495 (Max's Law and related provisions); Or. Rev. Stat. § 417.875 (Jenna's Law). It has been amended in 2013, 2015, 2018, 2025.
How this summary was written
Each summary was built from the statutory text and, where the statute delegates, the state rule or athletic association policy it delegates to. Where a detail could not be traced to a primary source it was left out rather than guessed at, so a section reading “not addressed in the statute” means the law is silent — not that nothing applies.
Not legal advice. This is a plain-language summary of a statute, not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for reading the law or asking a lawyer about a specific situation. Statutes are amended; school district and athletic association rules sit on top of them and are often stricter. Every source used for this page is linked below so you can check it against the text.
Sources
- ORS chapter 336 — §§ 336.485, 336.490, 336.495 (Oregon Legislature, official)
- ORS 336.490 — Qualified health care professional; OHSU certification
- ORS 417.875 — Jenna's Law, non-school athletic teams
- Oregon SB 521 (2015) enrolled
- Oregon HB 3007 (2025) enrolled
- Oregon Dept. of Education — Return to School after a Concussion or Other Brain Injury
- OSAA Concussion Management Best Practices
- OSAA Concussion — Private School Informed Consent form
What the law does not tell you
A statute sets the minimum a school has to do. It does not describe what recovery actually looks like, how long symptoms usually last, or which clinician treats which symptom — and on those questions the clinical consensus has moved a long way ahead of most of this legislation.
- The six-step return-to-play protocol — the graduated progression most of these laws point at without describing.
- Concussion symptoms and red flags — what warrants an emergency room rather than a sideline decision.
- The six stages of recovery — what the progression looks like in practice, and why the two-week figure misleads families.
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Compare with other states
Laws that look identical on paper often differ on the one point that matters to you.