How to Search Multnomah County Court Records
State court cases in the county run through the Oregon Judicial Department. The main free tool is the Oregon Judicial Department web portal, which uses a Smart Search box for case numbers and party names. You can also use OJCIN Online, a paid subscription service that holds the official Register of Actions and judgment dockets. Free public access terminals sit inside each circuit court location for Oregon eCourt records. When a case or document is not online, the Multnomah County Circuit Court records department can pull a copy from the file.
Before you start, gather what you know. A full case number works best. If you only have a name, use the last name plus first name, or a business name. Some records are kept off the public portal by law, court rule, or policy, so an empty result does not always mean the case does not exist.
The screenshot below shows the Oregon Judicial Department public web portal, the front door for most online searches.
The portal returns case rows with the case number, party names, court, filing date, and status. Open a row to view the docket where the court allows public access.
- Open the Oregon Judicial Department web portal and choose Smart Search.
- Enter a full case number, or type a party last name and first name.
- Narrow common names by filing date, court location, or case type when those filters show.
- Review the result rows and open the case detail to read the Register of Actions.
- Ask the Multnomah County Circuit Court records department for a certified copy when you need one.
It helps to confirm first whether a record type is even posted online. The Oregon Judicial Department Find a Case or Court Record page explains what the public service shows and what stays restricted.
That page is a good first stop if your portal search comes back empty or shows a sealed flag.
Multnomah County Court Search Fields
The web portal keeps the search form short on purpose. You need at least one term, but more detail returns cleaner results. The table lists the fields you will see and how to use each one.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Search | Text | At least one term | Search by case number or party name in one box. |
| Record / Case Number | Text | No | Oregon cases use year, type letters, and a sequence, such as 26CR13991. |
| Last / Business Name | Text | No | Often the strongest public search term. |
| First Name | Text | No | Used with last name to narrow common names. |
| Date of Birth | Date | Conditional | Helps confirm a criminal defendant; may not display publicly. |
| Advanced Filters | Filter controls | No | Court location, case category, filing date, and party role where shown. |
Note: court staff cannot tell you whether the law requires a regular, certified, or exemplified copy. The agency that asked for the record must tell you which type to order.
The Multnomah County Judicial System
Oregon runs a unified, statewide court system. The Circuit Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction, and Multnomah County is the Fourth Judicial District. That one court hears felonies, misdemeanors, civil suits, family law, probate, juvenile cases, small claims, eviction (FED) cases, traffic matters, and protective orders. Most appeals go up to the Oregon Court of Appeals, with the Oregon Supreme Court at the top of the state judiciary.
The county court is large enough to keep separate functional areas for criminal, civil, family, juvenile, probate, and treatment cases. These are matters of court administration, not separate elected courts. Judicial assignments change, so the court's current directory is the best source for judges and departments.
Case flow: Municipal & Justice Courts › Multnomah County Circuit Court › Oregon Court of Appeals › Oregon Supreme Court
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon Supreme Court | Highest state court | Final review, discretionary appeals, lawyer and judge discipline. |
| Oregon Court of Appeals | Intermediate appeals | Most appeals from circuit courts and state agencies. |
| Multnomah County Circuit Court | General trial court | Criminal, civil, family, probate, juvenile, traffic, small claims. |
| Municipal / Justice Courts | Local lower courts | City code, parking, and some local traffic and violation cases. |
| Oregon Tax Court | Statewide specialty | State tax disputes, not county circuit records. |
The screenshot shows the official Multnomah County Circuit Court landing page, with court locations and local notices.
Use that page to check for closures, building rules, and the current judicial directory before any visit.
Multnomah County Courthouses
The Central Courthouse is the main home for circuit court records and most civil, family, and probate functions. The Justice Center ties to the downtown jail and first court appearances. The county also runs an East County Courthouse and a Juvenile Justice Center, where juvenile records stay restricted under Oregon law.
Multnomah County Central Courthouse
1200 SW 1st Avenue, Room 3315
Portland, OR 97204
971-274-0570
Records counter Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Justice Center (MCDC)
1120 SW Third Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
503-988-3689
Jail intake and first appearances
Recording & Customer Service
501 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Suite 175
Portland, OR 97214
503-988-2273
Marriage licenses and recorded documents
Types of Court Records Available in Multnomah County
The Circuit Court produces a wide range of files. Most are open to the public, but some are sealed, redacted, or held by rule or statute. Divorce decrees are court records, while divorce certificates are vital records with separate state limits.
Different case types create different records. Criminal files start with a charging document; civil files start with a complaint. Each builds a docket as the case moves.
- Criminal records - charges, citations, release orders, pleas, judgments, and sentencing.
- Civil records - complaints, motions, orders, money awards, garnishments, and liens.
- Family records - dissolution, custody, parenting time, support, and restraining orders.
- Probate records - estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, and trusts.
- Traffic records - citations, fines, diversion, and failure-to-appear events.
The official Multnomah court records page lists request methods and the records email and phone hours.
That page is where you order regular, certified, and exemplified copies once you find a case number.
What Multnomah County Court Records Show
A case record holds more than a name and a charge. The Register of Actions lists each filing, hearing, order, and judgment in date order. Personal identifiers like Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and minor names are redacted from public views.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Year, case-type code, and sequence, such as 26CR13991. |
| Filing Date | When the case opened in Circuit Court. |
| Parties | State, plaintiff, or petitioner and the defendant or respondent. |
| Charges / Cause | The crime charged or the legal claim raised. |
| Register of Actions | The dated docket of filings, hearings, and orders. |
| Disposition | The outcome, such as dismissed, convicted, or judgment entered. |
Public Access Laws for Multnomah County Court Records
Oregon starts from a presumption of access. Administrative records of a public body are requested from that body, while court case files are requested from the court that holds them. Online access is narrower than counter access, because statutes, court rules, and policy keep some cases off the public portal. The key statutes below set the framework.
Key Statutes:
Oregon Revised Statutes § 192.314 - gives every person the right to inspect nonexempt public records of a public body.
Oregon Revised Statutes § 7.130 - governs court records and files, which separates court custody from general county records.
Oregon Revised Statutes § 137.225 - the set-aside law that can seal eligible arrests, charges, and convictions.
For records held by a local public body, a denied requester can petition the Multnomah County District Attorney under ORS 192.407. Court case disputes usually need a motion to the court instead of a normal records appeal.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Not every file is open. Some are sealed by law to protect children, victims, and private health details. Public views also strip out personal identifiers.
Juvenile delinquency and dependency records are limited under ORS 419A.255. Adoption records, mental-health commitment files, and grand jury matters are confidential. Sealed and set-aside criminal records under ORS 137.225 drop out of ordinary public access.
To view a sealed record, a person usually must be a party, an attorney, an authorized agency, or someone the court allows by order. The set-aside process itself is filed in the court where the case happened, with notice to the prosecutor.
Specialty Courts in Multnomah County
The county has a long history of problem-solving courts run through the Circuit Court and county partners. These dockets mix court review, treatment, and supervision instead of a standard case track.
The DUII intensive supervision docket targets repeat or high-risk impaired-driving defendants with treatment, monitoring, and graduated sanctions. The Mental Health Court serves defendants whose conduct ties to behavioral-health needs, using screening, treatment plans, and frequent reviews. The county has also run drug-treatment and deflection efforts after Oregon's drug-law changes. Eligibility shifts by program and judge, so check the current court page before you rely on any program detail.
Multnomah County Sheriff and Jail
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office runs the county jails, civil process, river patrol, and courthouse security. It serves Oregon's most populous county and safeguards 110 river miles, the largest water area of any Oregon county sheriff. The current sheriff is Nicole Morrisey O'Donnell.
The agency's official home page links to corrections, civil, and law-enforcement services.
For custody data, the office posts a free search tool. The MCSO Online Inmate Data portal lists bookings, releases, and charges by name.
For full roster details see the Multnomah County inmate records page, and check warrant records for how warrants appear in court and booking files.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
Marriage licenses are not handled by the court. They come from Multnomah County Recording and Customer Service, while divorce decrees stay in the Circuit Court file. See the marriage and divorce records page and the probate records page for the steps and fees.
Probate covers how a person's property passes after death, plus guardianship and conservatorship cases. A few common terms help when reading these files.
- Testator
- The person who made a will.
- Executor
- The person named to carry out the will, also called a personal representative.
- Conservator
- A person the court appoints to manage another adult's finances.
Multnomah County Court Records Fees
Court copy fees are set by the court fee schedule, separate from the public-records law. The Circuit Court takes credit and debit cards by phone or in person. Research, audio, and historic-file requests may add staff-time charges.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Regular electronic copy, emailed | $3.00 per request |
| Regular printed copy | $3.00 per request plus $0.25 per page |
| Certified copy | $5.00 per document plus copy charges |
| Exemplified copy | $10.00 per document plus copy charges |
A certified copy carries the court seal and a clerk signature. An exemplified copy is triple certified by the clerk, the Trial Court Administrator, and the Presiding Judge.
How to Interpret Multnomah County Court Records
Dockets use shorthand that trips up first-time readers. A charge is not a conviction. An arrest only means a person was booked, while the disposition tells you how the case ended.
Watch the case-type code in the number. CR marks a criminal case; civil, family, probate, small claims, and traffic codes vary. A case "dismissed with prejudice" cannot be refiled, while "without prejudice" may return. "Set aside" is Oregon's term for clearing an eligible record, which most states call expungement.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
Online court data can lag the paper or electronic file. A new filing, a correction, or a sealed order may not show right away. The county splits records in ways that confuse people, so the locating-records page is worth a look.
The county's locating records page routes users to the right office for court, criminal-history, property, vital, and archive records.
Note: Always confirm a name, charge, or disposition with the court records office before you rely on an online result for any legal or official purpose.
Federal Court Records in Portland
Federal cases are not in the county system. The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon sits at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in downtown Portland. Federal crimes, civil-rights suits, and bankruptcy land there, not in Circuit Court.
The U.S. District Court for Oregon posts case information through PACER and CM/ECF.
For the full set of federal options, including bankruptcy and the Ninth Circuit, see the federal courts page.
Self-Help and Legal Aid Resources
People without a lawyer can still get help with forms and procedure. The Circuit Court runs a Legal Resource Center for self-represented litigants, and several nonprofits serve low-income residents. Staff can hand out forms but cannot give legal advice.
The county's elected District Attorney, Nathan Vasquez, prosecutes state crimes, while public defense runs through Oregon Public Defense Services and providers like Metropolitan Public Defender.
For referral lines, legal-aid groups, and pro se packets, see the legal help page.
History of Multnomah County Courts
Multnomah County was created in 1854, with Portland as the county seat and the main court center. The court story tracks downtown Portland's growth and Oregon's move to a unified state court system. Older territorial and historic files route through Multnomah County Archives and the Oregon State Archives.
The modern Central Courthouse at 1200 SW 1st Avenue replaced the old downtown landmark and pulled many court functions into one seismic, security-standard building. Court technology changed too, with Oregon eCourt, OJCIN Online, web-portal searches, and electronic certified copies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I search Multnomah County court records?
Start with the Oregon Judicial Department web portal for online searches. Use OJCIN Online for subscription access to the official Register of Actions. Free public access terminals sit in each circuit court. When a record is not online, request a copy from Multnomah County Circuit Court Records by form, email, phone, mail, or walk-in.
Does Multnomah County government keep court records?
No. The county's locating-records page states that court records are held by the Multnomah County Circuit Court, a division of the Oregon Judicial Department. The county handles marriage licenses and recorded documents, but not court case files. That split confuses many users, so check the routing before you visit an office.
Can I seal or expunge an Oregon criminal record?
Oregon uses "set aside" under ORS 137.225 for eligible arrests, charges, citations, and convictions. You file in the court where the case happened, with notice to the prosecutor. Waiting periods and eligibility rules apply, and unpaid restitution or a new pending case can block relief. A granted set-aside limits public access to the record.
More on the Multnomah County Court Records FAQ page.