Oregon Public Records: How to Perform an Oregon Public Records Search

Public records in Oregon are accessible to all members of the public, including those who reside in the state and those who reside out of state. 

The Oregon Public Records Law makes the vast majority of government records available to the public. 

being said, some records may be exempted from public disclosure in full, or have some parts of them redacted.

Following this, Oregon public records may be accessed and obtained online, in person, or via mail. 

Since these records are typically maintained by multiple record custodians, the procedures for accessing them may differ. 

Oregon Public Records: Vital Records

Vital records in Oregon include birth records, death records, marriage records, and divorce records. 

These records are available for public scrutiny, although this is only after the state-specified period of confidentiality elapses. 

During this period, only certain people, such as those with familial ties to the record subjects, their legal representatives, or requesters who have been sanctioned by state courts to make the request may access these records.

Requesters of Oregon vital records typically need to present evidence of a relationship with the record subject or a valid, government-issued ID to the record custodian. 

Apart from establishing authority to access the vital record of interest, these documents help the record custodian search and find requested records more accurately. 

Oregon Public Records Search: Vital Records

Vital records in Oregon are maintained and disseminated by the Center for Health Statistics division of the Oregon Health Authority. 

Requests for Oregon vital records must be made in person or via mail; the Oregon Health Authority does not offer online vital records searches.

To request vital records in Oregon, interested parties must download and complete appropriate request forms from the Oregon Health Authority, which is the official custodian of vital records in the state. 

Then, the requester must seal the request form, along with a government-issued ID and payment for the service in a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Requesters must submit this application by mail or in-person to:

Oregon Vital Records Service
800 Northeast Oregon Street, Suite 205
P.O. Box 14050
Portland, OR 97293-0050.

Oregon Public Records: Criminal Records

Criminal records in Oregon detail a list of an individual's encounters with law enforcement in the state, including arrests, detentions, and convictions. 

Dropped charges and acquittals are not typically included in Oregon criminal records.

An individual's criminal history often includes data compiled from various governmental and criminal justice organizations in the state. Each county has its own requirements for the gathering and storage of criminal records. 

Nevertheless, the majority of criminal records in Oregon are arranged in online record repositories run by the Oregon State Police.

Following the Oregon Public Records Law, criminal records in the state are accessible to members of the public on request. 

Oregon Public Records Search: Criminal Records

Requesters of Oregon criminal records may petition the Criminal Justice Information Service (CJIS) Division of the Oregon State Police. Interested parties may make their request in person or by mail. 

Alternatively, people who want to access Oregon criminal records may perform an online criminal records search.

The CJIS provides an Open Records portal, an online database of criminal records in the state. 

Interested parties may perform name-based personal or third-party criminal records search on this portal. 

Personal checks attract a $33 charge, while third-party checks cost $10 for every search.

Requesters who want to submit their request in person or via mail must download and complete the appropriate request form from the CJIS. 

Next, they must enclose their application, along with payment in check or money order, in a stamped, self-addressed envelope. They may then submit their application in person or via mail to:

Oregon State Police - CJIS Division
Unit 11
P.O. Box 4395
Portland, OR 92708-4396

Oregon Public Records: Court Records

Although court records in Oregon are accessible to the public (following the Oregon Public Records Law), information in them is not as detailed as what is perhaps obtained elsewhere. 

Information that may potentially identify the record subject will be redacted. Beyond this, not all court records in Oregon may be accessed by the public. 

Court records that are considered confidential may not be available for public scrutiny. 

Oregon Public Records Search: Court Records

Through a paid membership for court case documents, the Oregon Judicial Case Information Network (OJCIN) offers access to non-confidential case dockets. Only open records are accessible through the OJCIN system. 

Interested parties must log in using their registered accounts or, if they do not already have one, must create one. A new account must be opened for $150.

Alternatively, interested individuals may submit a request in person or via mail to the records custodian (typically the court clerk) of the county court where the case was filed. 

A request form may be filled out and sent in person or by mail depending on the sort of court records being sought. Interested parties may also create written requests.

Oregon Public Records: Inmate Records

Inmate records are typically maintained by the state's Department of Corrections. 

They are documents that detail personal and administrative information about inmates incarcerated in state penitentiaries, or other correctional facilities in the state. 

Oregon Public Records Search: Inmate Records

Interested parties may find information pertaining to an inmate's current incarceration on the official website of the Oregon Department of Corrections. 

The department provides an offender locator tool with which interested parties may perform name-based inmate searches.