Request Multnomah County Court Copies

Oregon's Clerk Structure for Court Records

Oregon does not split court records between a district clerk and a county clerk the way some states do. Court case files are held by the Oregon Judicial Department through the Multnomah County Circuit Court. The local Trial Court Administrator and the court records unit serve the clerk-of-court role for case files. When this site uses "Clerk of Court," it means that records function, not a separate elected officer.

A second county office handles a different set of records. Multnomah County Recording and Customer Service handles marriage licenses and recorded land documents. Those are not court case files. The split matters, because a request for a court file goes to the court, while a request for a recorded document goes to the county office.

This setup follows Oregon's move to a unified state court system. Years ago, counties ran their own court clerks with wide variation. Today the Oregon Judicial Department standardizes case records across the state, and the local Trial Court Administrator manages the Multnomah County records function. The result is one consistent process for court copies, whether the case is criminal, civil, family, or probate.

The Circuit Court Records Department

The records department is your point of contact for court copies. It pulls documents from case files, certifies them when needed, and answers copy questions. Staff can search for a case even when you lack every detail, though more information speeds the work. They cannot give legal advice or tell you which copy type the law requires. The records staff handle a high volume of requests for the busiest trial court in Oregon, so a clear, complete request helps your order move through faster.

The records counter sits on the third floor of the Central Courthouse in Room 3315. Walk-in service runs Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Records phone service is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The records email is MUL.Records@ojd.state.or.us.

The phone hours are split into a morning and an afternoon window, so plan your call. Email is often the easiest route for a copy request, since it gives staff a written record of exactly what you want. Mailed requests use the printed form. Whichever method you pick, the more case detail you include, the faster the office can find and certify the document.

How to Request a Certified Copy

Ordering a certified copy is a clear process. You gather the case details, choose the copy type, and pick a delivery method. The court contacts you for payment, which it takes by credit or debit card by phone or in person. The steps below walk through a typical order.

1. Find the case number through the online court portal.
2. Gather the party names, filing year, and document title.
3. Choose the copy type: regular, certified, or exemplified.
4. Submit the request online, by email, by mail, by phone, or in person.
5. Pay the fee when the court contacts you, then receive the copy.

For the portal search itself, the court records page covers how to find a case number.

One detail trips people up at this stage. The court cannot tell you whether the law requires a regular, certified, or exemplified copy. Only the agency that asked for the document can say which type it needs. So confirm the required copy type with that agency before you order, or you may pay for a copy that the receiver will not accept.

Records Request Form Fields

The court records request form asks for details that help staff find the case and deliver the copy. The table lists the fields and when each one matters.

Copy Types and Fees

The office offers three copy types at set fees. A regular copy is plain and non-certified. A certified copy carries the court seal and a clerk signature, and the court notes both wet-ink and electronic certification options. An exemplified copy is triple certified by the clerk, the Trial Court Administrator, and the Presiding Judge. The exemplified copy is the highest level of certification and is usually needed only when an out-of-state court or a foreign agency demands proof that the record is genuine. Most people need only a regular or certified copy.

Note: research, audio, and historic-file requests may add staff-time charges, so confirm the current amount before you order.

Clerk of Court Records Counter and Contact

You can reach the records office five ways: online, email, mail, phone, and walk-in. The contact card below holds the address, phone, and hours for the records counter at the Central Courthouse.

You can download and mail the court records request form or email it to the records address. The court contacts you for payment after it receives the request, and it accepts credit and debit cards by phone or at the counter. A mailed copy or a digital copy can then go out once the fee is paid.

Court Clerk vs County Recording Office

People often confuse the two offices. The Circuit Court records office handles court case files. The county Recording and Customer Service office handles marriage licenses, recorded land documents, and marriage copies. They are separate addresses with separate fees and separate request forms, and one cannot process the other's records.

If you want a marriage copy or a recorded deed, the court records office is not the place to ask. The County Clerk page covers the Recording and Customer Service office and what it handles. For divorce decrees, which are court records, you stay with the court records office.

Which office holds my record? If it is a court case, such as a criminal, civil, family, or probate matter, the Circuit Court records office holds it. If it is a marriage license, a marriage copy, or a recorded deed, the county Recording office holds it. A divorce decree is a court record, while a divorce certificate is a state vital record. When in doubt, start with the court for anything tied to a case number, since the case number is the clearest sign that a record is a court file.

Online Portals and the Clerk

Before you order a copy, the free portal often answers your question. The Oregon Judicial Department web portal lets you search cases and read the docket at no cost. Public access terminals at the courthouse show eCourt records for free, which is useful when a record is not posted to the home internet portal but is available on a court terminal. The paid OJCIN Online service holds the official Register of Actions for users who need it, mainly attorneys, title companies, and agencies that pull records all day.

The clerk's copy service fills the gap when a document is not online or when you need a certified version. So the portal and the records office work together: search first, then order what the portal cannot deliver. The court dockets page explains the docket side of that search.

Related Multnomah County Record Searches

For the full case search, use the court records page. For the trial court itself, see the Circuit Court page. For marriage and recorded documents, visit the County Clerk page. For hearing dates and the docket, the court dockets page can help before you order a copy.