How to Search Multnomah County Court Records
The Oregon Judicial Department web portal is the main free search tool for case records in the county. It uses a Smart Search box that accepts a case number or a party name. For the official Register of Actions and judgment dockets, OJCIN Online is a paid subscription service. Free public access terminals also sit inside each circuit court for Oregon eCourt records. When a document is not online, the Multnomah County Circuit Court records department can pull it from the file. Older cases, sealed files, and documents not posted to the public portal almost always require a direct request to the court.
Have your details ready before you search. A full case number is best, but a last name and first name will work. For common names, add a filing date or court location to trim the list.
- Open the Oregon Judicial Department web portal and pick Smart Search.
- Type a full case number, or enter a party last name and first name.
- Filter by court location, case type, or filing date when those options appear.
- Open the case detail and read the Register of Actions for filings and hearings.
- Request a regular, certified, or exemplified copy from court records if you need one.
The Oregon Judicial Department posts its public-records policy for court case and administrative records on its records page.
That policy explains how court custody differs from a general county records request, which matters when you decide where to file.
Multnomah County Court Records Search Fields
The portal form is short, but each field changes your results. You need at least one search term. The table breaks down what the fields do.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Search | Text | One term | Search by record number or party name in one box. |
| Record / Case Number | Text | No | Year plus case-type letters plus sequence, such as 26CR13991. |
| Last / Business Name | Text | No | Often the strongest public search term. |
| First Name | Text | No | Pairs with last name for party searches. |
| Date of Birth | Date | Conditional | Useful for criminal identity; may not display. |
| Advanced Filters | Filter controls | No | Court, case category, filing date, and party role. |
| Court Calendar | Date / filter | No | Used for hearing dates rather than copies. |
Types of Multnomah County Court Records
The Circuit Court is a court of general jurisdiction, so it makes many kinds of records. Most are public. Some are sealed, redacted, or limited by statute. Divorce decrees are court records, while divorce certificates are vital records with their own state limits.
Which court area handles a matter shapes the file you find. Criminal cases start with a charging document; civil cases start with a complaint.
- Civil cases, including money claims, contracts, garnishments, and liens.
- Criminal cases, from charging documents through judgments and sentencing.
- Family cases, such as dissolution, custody, support, and restraining orders.
- Probate cases, including estates, guardianships, and conservatorships.
- Small claims, eviction (FED), traffic, and protective-order cases.
The official OJCIN Online service holds the formal Register of Actions and judgment dockets used by attorneys and agencies.
You can read the OJCIN Online page to compare the free portal with the paid subscription before you sign up.
What Multnomah County Court Records Show
A case file is more than a charge or a claim. The Register of Actions lists each event in date order. The table shows the common fields you will read in a Multnomah County court record.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Year, case-type code, and sequence, such as 23CR28844. |
| Court | Multnomah County Circuit Court, Fourth Judicial District. |
| Parties | State, plaintiff, or petitioner and the defendant or respondent. |
| Attorneys | Counsel names and the party each represents. |
| Register of Actions | Filings, hearings, orders, judgments, and notices by date. |
| Hearings | Event type, date, time, courtroom, and judge where public. |
| Disposition | The outcome of each charge, claim, or case. |
Note: personal identifiers like Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and minor names are redacted from public views.
A single case detail view can pull together many of these fields at once. A sample Multnomah County court record commonly returns the items below.
- Case number, court, and case type code.
- Party names, with personal identifiers redacted.
- Attorney names and the party each represents.
- Register of Actions entries with dates.
- Hearing dates, times, and assigned courtroom.
- Financial entries such as fines, fees, and restitution in some case types.
Copy Types and Fees for Multnomah County Court Records
Once you find a case, you may want a copy. The court offers three copy types. A regular copy is a plain, non-certified copy. 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, and it is used when an out-of-state court or agency demands it.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| 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 |
The court takes credit and debit cards by phone or in person. Research, audio, and historic-file pulls can add staff-time charges, so confirm the current rate before you order. Court staff cannot tell you which copy type the law requires; the agency that asked for the record must tell you that.
Public Access Framework for Multnomah County Court Records
Oregon law begins with a right of access. Under ORS 192.314, every person may inspect nonexempt public records of a public body. Court case files are a special case, governed by ORS 7.130 and Oregon Judicial Department rules. Routine inspection of a court file can happen at the clerk's counter, and eCourt records are free at public terminals.
Anyone can request a copy. The court may charge fees set by its fee schedule, and it takes credit or debit cards by phone or in person. Online access is narrower than counter access, because some cases are kept off the public portal.
Note: An online search that returns nothing does not prove a case never existed; the record may be sealed, restricted, or only available at the courthouse counter.
Who can appeal a records denial? For records held by a local public body, a person turned down can petition the Multnomah County District Attorney under ORS 192.407. State agency denials route to the Oregon Attorney General. A dispute over a court case file is different. It usually needs a motion to the court or review by the Presiding Judge, not a standard records appeal. The path depends on who holds the record, so identify the custodian first.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential in Multnomah County
Some files are closed to protect children, victims, and private health details. Juvenile delinquency and dependency records are limited under ORS 419A.255. Adoption files are confidential. Mental-health commitment records and grand jury matters are not open. Set-aside criminal records under ORS 137.225 drop out of public access.
To view a sealed file, you usually must be a party, an attorney, an agency, or a person the court allows by order. To clear an eligible record, you file a set-aside petition in the court where the case happened, with notice to the prosecutor. A judge decides whether the record qualifies.
In-Person Court Record Requests
You can order copies at the records counter on the third floor of the Central Courthouse. Bring the case number, party names, and the document title if you have them. Staff can still try to find a case with partial details. To order a copy you can provide the case number, approximate filing year, party names, a criminal defendant's date of birth, the document title, the copy type, and the delivery method.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Records
1200 SW 1st Ave, Room 3315
Portland, OR 97204
971-274-0570
Counter Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; phone 8:30-10:30 a.m. and 1:30-4:00 p.m.
You can also email a completed records request form or mail it to the same address.
Records Held Outside the Circuit Court
Not every "court record" search belongs at the courthouse. The county splits records across several offices, and sending a request to the wrong one wastes days. A general criminal-history background check is not a court case file. The county routes those to the Oregon State Police, not the Circuit Court.
Bankruptcy is federal. Those files sit with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon and appear through PACER, not the state portal. Marriage licenses and recorded land documents are county records handled by Recording and Customer Service. Jail custody data lives with the Sheriff's Office. When you know which office holds a file, you skip the runaround.