Search Multnomah County Court Records Online
The main online channel for Multnomah County court records is Oregon Judicial Department Records and Calendar Search, with case details in Oregon eCourt Case Information. The OJD Records and Calendar Search page explains that public users can reach basic case information and court calendars for Oregon circuit courts, the Tax Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Oregon Supreme Court. The OECI login page identifies the Register of Actions as the official ORS 7.020 register for Oregon circuit courts and the Tax Court.
For Multnomah County court records, choose Multnomah County when the portal allows location filtering. Search categories include criminal, traffic, parking, civil, family, probate, tax, calendars, and judgments with money awards. A broad name search may return too many results, so the official OECI guidance recommends narrowing by case type, date filed, party role, attorney, citation number, or case number when known.
- Open OJD Records and Calendar Search or OECI and select the case or calendar search option that fits the record type.
- Set the location to Multnomah County when a location field is available, rather than leaving a statewide search too broad.
- Search by case number, party name, defendant name, attorney, citation number, date filed, or calendar date, depending on the case category.
- Review the case style, filing date, status, parties, charges, events, hearing dates, and Register of Actions entries that appear.
- Order a copy from the Multnomah Circuit Court Records Department when a certified copy, exemplified copy, audio file, older file, or document not visible online is needed.
The OJCIN Online subscriber service can provide broader paid access for qualified users. Public users who only need basic case status or hearing information should start with the free public search before paying for subscriber access.
The manifest image for OJCIN Online subscriber access shows the state portal used for more detailed Oregon court record lookup.
That distinction matters in Multnomah County because a free search may locate the case, while copy orders or subscriber tools may be needed for document-level review.
Multnomah County Court Records Search Fields
OECI search fields vary by category. Criminal, traffic, and parking searches support case number, cross-reference number, defendant name, business, SID, citation number, attorney name or bar number, and date filed. Civil, family, probate, and tax searches support case number, cross-reference number, party name, business, SID, attorney, and date filed. Calendar searches can use attorney, case number, judicial officer, party or defendant name, and date range.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Dropdown | No | All Locations is the default; choose Multnomah County to narrow the search. |
| Search category | Menu | Yes | Criminal/Traffic/Parking, Civil/Family/Probate/Tax, Court Calendars, or Judgments with Money Awards. |
| Case Number | Text | When selected | Use the complete case number; dashes may be omitted. |
| Last Name | Text | For name search | Wildcard searching needs at least three characters in the last name. |
| First Name | Text | Sometimes | Wildcard searching needs at least one character in the first name. |
| Date of Birth | Date | No | Useful for criminal defendant identification when available. |
| Citation Number | Text | Traffic or parking only | Use the full citation number; dashes may be omitted. |
| Date Filed | Date range | No | Some date-filed calendar searches are limited to a 90-day window. |
| Use Soundex | Checkbox | No | Finds similar-sounding names, but cannot be combined with wildcard searching. |
The official quick-reference guidance also notes that names are not case-sensitive and that searches with spaces, hyphens, or uncertain separators may need more than one try. Search results are limited to the first 400 results, so common names should be narrowed before assuming no record exists.
Types of Multnomah County Court Records
Multnomah County Circuit Court is Oregon's Fourth Judicial District and the county's general jurisdiction trial court. It keeps criminal, civil, family, probate, landlord/tenant, small claims, traffic, TriMet, parking, juvenile, and protective-order records. Municipal citation channels may still matter for city ordinance issues, but the central trial-court case file is a Circuit Court record.
Court records are not the same as county recorder records. Marriage licenses, domestic partnership records, and official recorded documents are handled by the Multnomah County Clerk / Recorder through county recording systems, while Circuit Court case files are handled by the Trial Court Administrator and Circuit Court Records Department. A marriage record may therefore be found through the Multnomah County Clerk / Recorder, while a divorce judgment is a Circuit Court record.
- Criminal records include charging instruments, arraignment events, warrants tied to the case, pleas, judgments, sentences, and financial obligations.
- Civil records include complaints, answers, motions, orders, judgments, money awards, writs, and civil docket entries.
- Family records include divorce, custody, support, parenting time, protective orders, adoption, name changes, and related filings.
- Probate records include estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and protective proceedings handled by the Probate Department.
- Traffic, TriMet, and parking records include citations, appearance dates, trial requests, default judgments, payments, and appeal steps.
- Juvenile, adoption, guardianship, conservatorship, and civil commitment files may be confidential or specially routed.
The manifest image for the Multnomah Circuit Court Records Department copy request page reflects the local office that handles document orders when online lookup is not enough.
That local records channel is important for certified copies, exemplified copies, FTR audio requests, and files that require staff review.
What Multnomah County Court Records Show
The Register of Actions is the running event list for a case. It can show the case number, case category, filing date, case status, party names, attorneys, charges or civil causes, hearings, judicial officer, courtroom or physical location, motions, orders, judgments, dispositions, sentence terms, financial obligations, restitution, FTR audio availability, and document links when available.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The unique identifier used for search, payment, copy request, calendar, and department routing. |
| Filing Date | The date the case or document entered the court record. |
| Case Type | The category, such as criminal, traffic, parking, civil, family, probate, or tax. |
| Parties | People or businesses involved, such as defendant, plaintiff, petitioner, or respondent. |
| Charges | Criminal, traffic, or parking allegations filed in the case, including later changes when entered. |
| Hearing | Hearing date, time, type, judicial officer, and physical location when posted. |
| Disposition | The outcome of a charge, claim, or case, such as dismissed, judgment entered, convicted, or set aside. |
| Documents | Pleadings, motions, orders, and judgments, although access may require login, fee payment, or a copy order. |
Redactions may remove Social Security numbers, protected personal identifiers, financial account data, minor identities, juvenile information, adoption material, and sealed information. A blank or limited online view does not always mean the case lacks documents.
Public Access to Multnomah County Court Records
Oregon law supports public access to many government and court records, but access is not one rule for every file. ORS 192.311 to 192.478 covers Oregon Public Records Law for public bodies. ORS 7.010 and ORS 7.020 address court records and the court register. In practical terms, basic case and calendar information starts online, while official copies come from the court records custodian.
The Multnomah Circuit Court Records Department accepts copy orders through an online records request form, email, mail, phone during posted records phone hours, and walk-in service in Room 3315 at the Central Courthouse. The department asks for the case number, approximate filing year or filing date, party names, criminal defendant date of birth when relevant, document title, copy type, and delivery method.
| Copy or Request Type | Posted Rule |
|---|---|
| Copy orders under $5 | Free under the Circuit Court Records Department's posted rule. |
| Multiple-case non-certified document requests | $3 per case. |
| FTR courtroom audio request | $10 per case. |
| OJD public-record photocopy | $0.25 per page. |
| Certified public-record copy | $5 per certificate plus page costs. |
The manifest image for OJD public-records request process connects statewide administrative records access with the local Multnomah County court records workflow.
Statewide public-record rules help set expectations, but a Circuit Court case copy still routes through the local records department when the file is a Multnomah County court case.
Note: OJD estimates costs over $25 and waits for written confirmation and advance payment before completing a request.
Restricted Multnomah County Court Records
Some Multnomah County court records are not ordinary public files. The Circuit Court identifies juvenile delinquency, dependency, termination of parental rights, adult adoption, minor adoption, guardianship, conservatorship, and civil commitment as confidential case categories. These requests are routed to Juvenile, Family Law, or Probate rather than a standard public copy workflow.
Oregon's set-aside process under ORS 137.225 can change public access to qualifying criminal convictions, contempt findings, arrests, charges, or citations. The motion is generally filed in the court where the record occurred. Eligibility depends on offense type, waiting period, sentence compliance, later record history, and statutory exclusions.
The manifest image for Oregon Public Records Law reinforces that Multnomah County court records access is shaped by both public access statutes and statutory exemptions.
Access limits should be read as part of the record search, not as an error in the online system.
Multnomah County Court Record Requests
In-person court record requests go to the Records Department at the Central Courthouse. Walk-in service is posted for weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Phone access for records staff is more limited, with posted morning and afternoon phone windows. Visitors should allow extra time for courthouse screening because the District Attorney's courthouse-security guidance warns that firearms, pocket knives, multi-tools, scissors, and similar pointed items are not allowed and will not be held for pickup.
Trial Court Administrator / Circuit Court Records Department
Multnomah County Courthouse, Room 3315
1200 SW 1st Ave
Portland, OR 97204
971-274-0570
Walk-in service: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Email requests may be sent to MUL.Records@ojd.state.or.us, and mailed requests may be addressed to Multnomah County Courthouse Records, 1200 SW 1st Ave Room 3315, Portland, OR 97204. Certified and exemplified copies should be requested by copy type because receiving agencies may require one form over another.