Oregon Court Records
How Oregon's courts are organized, where their records are kept and how to search them.
Oregon has a unified, state-funded court system. Circuit courts in all 36 counties share the Oregon eCourt system, so case information can be searched statewide.
Remote access to Oregon trial court records has traditionally required a paid subscription, while public terminals at every courthouse offer free access.
Because Oregon's state courts all share Oregon eCourt, a single search covers civil, criminal, family, probate, small claims and traffic cases in every county, although some justice and municipal courts are not on the state system.
How Oregon's courts are organized
Oregon's courts have three levels, plus a statewide Tax Court.
Oregon Supreme Court
Seven justices review Court of Appeals decisions and hear death penalty and some other cases directly.
Oregon Court of Appeals
One of the busiest appellate courts in the country; hears most appeals from the trial courts and state agencies.
Circuit courts
The general jurisdiction trial courts, hearing civil, criminal, family, juvenile, probate, traffic and small claims cases.
Oregon Tax Court
Hears appeals involving state tax laws.
Justice and municipal courts
Local courts in some areas that hear traffic, minor offenses and small claims.
Searching Oregon court records online
Oregon's online case information comes from the Oregon Judicial Department.
- OJD online records and case informationInformation about Oregon's online case search options, including OJCIN subscriptions.
- Appellate case informationInformation on cases in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.
- Oregon Judicial DepartmentCourt directories, opinions, forms and self-help.
Getting records from the clerk's office
Contact the circuit court in the county where the case was filed for copies of the case file. Courts provide copies and certified copies for set fees.
Deeds are kept by the county clerk.
Each circuit court has a records section that can provide copies and certified copies. Courts accept records requests online, by email, by mail or in person, and most documents filed since the move to eCourt can be sent electronically.
- Oregon circuit court locationsFind the circuit court in each county.
What is public, and what is not
Most Oregon court records are public, but juvenile, adoption, mental health and some family records are confidential.
Oregon allows people to set aside (seal) many arrests and convictions after a waiting period. Set-aside records are removed from public access.
Oregon's Uniform Trial Court Rules require filers to protect personal information such as Social Security numbers and financial account numbers. Juvenile, adoption, and mental health commitment records are confidential, and certain records of domestic relations cases can be confidential on request.
- Oregon Law Help: Setting aside recordsFree information about clearing a criminal record in Oregon.
Older and archived records
Historical court records are held by the Oregon State Archives, which has records from the territorial era onward.
Older Oregon circuit court records, including territorial and early statehood case files, are held by the Oregon State Archives and some county archives.
- Oregon State ArchivesHistorical state and county records.
Criminal history and background records
A court file tells you what happened in one case in one court. A criminal history record (often called a rap sheet) pulls together arrests, charges and outcomes reported from across the state, so it is a different product kept by a different agency.
The Oregon State Police keeps the state's criminal history records and offers public name-based searches for a fee.
- OSP criminal history recordsHow to request an Oregon criminal history record.
- Oregon sex offender registryPublic search of certain registered sex offenders.
- Oregon Department of Corrections offender searchFind people in Oregon state custody.
Federal court records in Oregon
Federal cases, including federal crimes, bankruptcies, and lawsuits over federal law or between citizens of different states, are not filed in Oregon's state courts. Oregon is a single federal judicial district, and each has its own clerk's office:
Federal case files are searched through PACER, the federal judiciary's records system. PACER charges a small fee per page, but you pay nothing if your charges stay under the quarterly fee-waiver threshold, court opinions are free, and every federal courthouse has public terminals you can use at no cost. Many PACER documents have also been copied into the free RECAP Archive on CourtListener. Appeals from Oregon's federal courts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Tips for a faster search
- Use a courthouse public terminal for free access to statewide case information.
- Oregon case numbers typically include the year, a case type code and a sequence number.
- Set-aside cases will not appear in public searches.
- Ask about free public terminals at any courthouse if you do not want to pay for an online subscription.
- Have the full names of the parties, the county and a rough date range ready. A case number is the fastest way in if you have one.
- Online indexes are not the official record. If a decision depends on it, get a copy (or a certified copy) from the clerk's office that holds the file.
Legal help and law libraries
Clerks and law librarians can explain how to find a record, but they cannot give legal advice. These organizations can point you in the right direction:
- State of Oregon Law LibraryPublic law library in Salem.
- Oregon Law HelpFree legal information and help finding legal aid.
This guide is general information about public records, not legal advice. Court websites, fees and rules change, so confirm details with the court before you rely on them. Civics-Online.org is not affiliated with any court or government agency.