How to search Oregon court records

Oregon runs a single statewide case-lookup system, so one search — with the name spelled correctly — reaches courts across the entire state. Cost varies by record type — some searches are free, others require a paid account or a formal records request.

statewide varies criminal data

Open the official Oregon portal →

What's actually there

The old OECI page link returns 404. Oregon now offers a free Online Records Search with basic circuit and Tax Court case information and calendars, plus a free appellate search. The official register and documents need a courthouse terminal (free) or an OJCIN OnLine subscription ($170 setup plus fees).

Other official lookups for Oregon

• DOC offender search

How Oregon's courts are organized

Oregon's state-funded trial courts are the circuit courts, one serving each of the 36 counties. Circuit courts are the general trial courts for criminal, civil, small claims, family and probate cases. The Oregon Tax Court handles tax appeals statewide. Appeals go to the Oregon Court of Appeals and then the Oregon Supreme Court.

Oregon also has municipal, county and justice courts, but the Oregon Judicial Department says these are not part of the state-funded court system. Their records are not in the state's online systems, so a city traffic ticket or a justice court case has to be requested from that local court.

Using the official online searches

The Oregon Judicial Department runs a free Online Records Search for circuit court and Tax Court cases, a separate free Appellate Record Search for the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, and free calendar searches. No sign-in is needed to search. The free search gives basic case information and calendars only. The court system says it is not the official register of actions, should not be relied on as an official record, and should not be used for background checks. During this check the Judicial Department's page flagged the record search as temporarily unavailable, so expect occasional outages.

The official register, judgment dockets and documents are available two other ways: free public access terminals in every circuit courthouse, or OJCIN OnLine, a paid subscription that covers the circuit courts, Tax Court and appellate courts through the Oregon eCourt Case Information (OECI) and appellate systems. New OJCIN customers pay a $170 setup fee plus subscription charges set in the court's fee schedule.

• Not in the free search: adoption, juvenile and mental health cases, and cases covered by the federal Violence Against Women Act.
• Copies of documents are not part of the free case register.
• Some cases are confidential by statute and are not available even to subscribers.
• Municipal, county and justice court cases are not in any state system.

Getting copies and certified copies

Request copies from the circuit court in the county where the case was filed; contact details for each court are on the Judicial Department's Courts page. Copy fees are set statewide by Chief Justice Order 23-016 under ORS 21.258 and listed in the 2026 Circuit Court Fee Schedule. Paper copies are $3 per request in a case plus 25 cents per page, while electronic copies are $3 per request with no page charge. A certified copy is $5 plus 25 cents per page on paper, an exemplification is $10 plus 25 cents per page, and an official certificate is $5.

By statute the court cannot charge you simply to locate or inspect a court record, so looking at a public file at the courthouse is free. Copying an audio recording of a hearing is $10 per request.

Records that are not public

Oregon calls its record clearing process a set-aside, under ORS 137.225. A person who has fully completed the sentence and is off supervision can ask the convicting court to set aside a conviction after a waiting period counted from conviction or release from prison, whichever is later: seven years for a Class B felony, five years for a Class C felony, three years for a Class A misdemeanor, and one year for a Class B or C misdemeanor or a violation. Arrests that never led to charges can be set aside 60 days after the prosecutor declines to proceed, and acquittals and dismissals at any time. No court filing fee is charged for the motion, but some offenses, including certain sex crimes and most traffic offenses, are not eligible.

The prosecutor has 120 days to object. Once granted, the person is treated as not having been convicted and the official records are sealed. This describes the statute only; talk to a lawyer or use the Oregon Judicial Department's Self-Help Center for forms.

Oregon tip: use the courthouse terminal for the full record

If you need more than the basic summary the free search shows, the public access terminal in any Oregon circuit courthouse gives free access to the official case register, the same system subscribers pay for. That makes a trip to the nearest courthouse the cheapest way to read a full register of actions. For a city or justice court matter, call that court directly, since it keeps its own records outside the state system.

Sources

• Oregon Judicial Department — Records and Calendars Search
• Oregon Judicial Department — Online Records Search (circuit and Tax Court)
• Oregon Judicial Department — Appellate Record Search
• Oregon Judicial Department — OJCIN OnLine
• Oregon Judicial Department — Find a Case
• Oregon Judicial Department — Courts
• 2026 Circuit Court Fee Schedule
• ORS Chapter 21 (ORS 21.258, court service fees)
• ORS Chapter 137 (ORS 137.225, set-aside)
• Oregon Judicial Department — Self-Help

Checked against the official sources above in October 2026. Court rules and fees change; the court's own site is the final word. This is general information, not legal advice.

Federal cases filed in Oregon

State portals don't cover federal court. If the case you're looking for might be a federal criminal prosecution, civil suit, or bankruptcy, use CourtRecordsFree's live federal search — it queries CourtListener/RECAP directly and isn't limited to any one state.

Search tips

• Try both "Last, First" and "First Last" — courts index names inconsistently.
• Middle initials and suffixes (Jr., III) often matter for common names.
• A date of birth or case number is the only reliable way to confirm you found the right person.
• An arrest or charge shown in a docket is not a conviction — read the disposition.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to search Oregon court records online?

It depends on what you're looking for. Some record types on Oregon's portal are free; others require payment or a formal request.

Does this include criminal records?

Yes. Oregon's portal includes criminal case records alongside civil cases, though sealed and expunged cases are not shown.

Does one search cover the whole state?

Oregon runs one statewide system, so a single search covers the whole state.

Links move. If the Oregon portal link above is dead, tell us on the corrections page.