(1) A person commits the offense of operating a snowmobile or an all-terrain vehicle while carrying a firearm or bow if the person operates any snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle with a firearm in the possession of the person, unless the firearm is unloaded, or with a bow, unless all arrows are in a quiver.
(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to:
(a) A person who is licensed under ORS 166.291 and 166.292 to carry a concealed handgun;
(b) A law enforcement officer; or
(c) An honorably retired law enforcement officer, unless the person who is a retired law enforcement officer has been convicted of an offense that would make the person ineligible to obtain a concealed handgun license under ORS 166.291 and 166.292.
(3) As used in this section, “unloaded” means:
(a) If the firearm is a revolver, that there is no live cartridge in the chamber that is aligned with the hammer of the revolver;
(b) If the firearm is a muzzle-loading firearm, that the firearm is not capped or primed; or
(c) If the firearm is other than a revolver or a muzzle-loading firearm, that there is no live cartridge in the chamber.
(4) The offense described in this section, operating a snowmobile or an all-terrain vehicle while carrying a firearm or bow, is a Class B traffic violation.