Oregon People Search

An Oregon search usually goes from the courts to business filings and then to the county assessor: these six offices cover each step. Many people move between Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties in the Portland area, so check all three.

• OJD Records and Calendar SearchFree court dates and basic case information for Oregon courts
• Oregon Business Registry searchLLCs, corporations, assumed business names and registered agents
• Oregon DOC Offender SearchState inmates and people on probation or parole
• Oregon State Police Sex Offender RegistrySearch by name, city or zip code
• ORMAPStatewide tax lot maps that show which county holds a parcel
• Oregon Health Authority, Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage, divorce and domestic partnership records

Oregon's public records law (ORS 192.311 to 192.478) opens most court, business, property and administrative records. Courts and many state records are statewide, while property and marriage records stay with the 36 counties.

Since 1998, when the district courts were merged into them, Oregon's circuit courts are the only general trial courts, so nearly all civil and criminal cases in the 36 counties are in one system. The Oregon eCourt project moved every county onto the same case system.

Court data is statewide, but property, marriage and local tax records are kept by the counties: the assessor and the county clerk.

The main state offices for records on people:

The Secretary of State keeps business, election and archive records, the Department of Justice keeps consumer protection and charity records, and the Judicial Department runs the courts.

• Oregon.govDirectory of state agencies, boards and services
• Oregon Secretary of StateCorporation Division, elections and the State Archives
• Oregon Department of JusticeConsumer protection, charities, child support and the Address Confidentiality Program
• Oregon Judicial DepartmentSupreme Court, Court of Appeals, Tax Court and the 36 circuit courts

Oregon courts use one case system, Oregon eCourt, for all 36 counties in 27 judicial districts. It replaced the old OJIN system.

The free OJD Records and Calendar Search, linked in Where to Look, shows court dates and basic case information. Each circuit court also has a free public access terminal.

OJCIN OnLine is a paid subscription that gives fuller case records through Oregon eCourt Case Information (OECI); document images are open only to certain users, such as Oregon State Bar members and government agencies.

• OJCIN OnLinePaid subscription for full case records (OECI) and documents

In Oregon, the responsibility for managing real estate records is split between two distinct county offices: the County Assessor and the County Clerk. The Assessor is responsible for maintaining property valuation data, tax lot maps, and ownership rolls for taxation purposes. The County Clerk acts as the official recorder of deeds, mortgages, liens, and other historical land instruments.

Measures 5 (1990) and 50 (1997) separated the Real Market Value (RMV) of property from its Maximum Assessed Value (MAV), so the assessed value is usually below market value. Assessor records still show the owner, mailing address (which may differ from the property address) and sales history.

ORMAP, linked in Where to Look, puts the tax lot maps of every county in one viewer, so you can find a parcel and its county before going to that county assessor.

• Multnomah County Assessment, Recording and TaxationOwnership, tax and recorded documents for Portland
• Washington County Assessment and TaxationProperty search for Hillsboro and Beaverton

The Secretary of State's Corporation Division keeps the Business Registry of LLCs, corporations, assumed business names and limited partnerships; its search is linked in Where to Look.

License records confirm credentials, often show a business address and list discipline. The Construction Contractors Board (CCB) licenses builders and trades, and the Health Licensing Office and the Oregon Medical Board license health professionals.

The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) keeps public lists of its alcohol and marijuana licensees.

• Construction Contractors Board license searchContractor licenses, bonds, insurance and complaints
• Health Licensing Office license searchCosmetology, midwifery and other licensed health professions

The Oregon Department of Corrections runs the state prisons, which hold felony offenders sentenced to more than 12 months; its Offender Search, linked in Where to Look, shows inmates and people on parole or probation.

People awaiting trial or serving shorter sentences are held in county jails run by the sheriffs. There is no statewide jail search, so check the roster of the sheriff of the county; Multnomah, Washington and Lane counties post theirs online.

The Oregon State Police keeps the sex offender registry, linked in Where to Look. The Oregon Youth Authority runs juvenile corrections, and juvenile records are generally closed.

Common Mistake: Confusing State Prisons and County Jails

A common error is to search the DOC database, find nothing and assume the person is not in custody. DOC lists only people in state prison or under state supervision; someone arrested yesterday or serving a misdemeanor sentence is in a county jail, so search the roster of the county sheriff.

The Center for Health Statistics of the Oregon Health Authority keeps birth, death, marriage, divorce and domestic partnership records. Access is limited to eligible people, such as close family and legal representatives, for a set period.

Marriage licenses are issued and kept by the clerk of the county where the license was bought, not always where the wedding took place, with copies at the state. Divorces are court judgments kept by the circuit court of the county.

Privacy Note: Confidentiality of Oregon Vital Records

Birth certificates are restricted for 100 years and death, marriage and divorce certificates for 50 years. Until then only eligible family members, guardians and authorized agencies can order them.

Oregon has voted by mail statewide since 1998 and in 2015 passed the first automatic voter registration law, so most eligible adults are registered.

The voter file, kept by the Secretary of State Elections Division, can be bought by parties, campaigns and researchers but is not a public search. Anyone can check their own registration with My Vote, using their name and date of birth.

• My Vote, Oregon Secretary of StateCheck your own registration and ballot status

For historical and family research, the Oregon State Archives, part of the Secretary of State, holds territorial and state records, early court cases and early vital records.

The University of Oregon's Historic Oregon Newspapers site has millions of pages of old Oregon newspapers, free, for obituaries and public notices. The Oregon Historical Society also holds family history collections.

• Oregon State ArchivesTerritorial and state records, early court cases and vital indexes
• Historic Oregon NewspapersFree searchable Oregon newspapers from the University of Oregon

Property, local tax and marriage records are kept by the counties. Most Oregonians live in the Willamette Valley, and most searches land in these counties:

• Multnomah CountyPortland, the most populous county; property and recording
• Washington CountyHillsboro and Beaverton
• Clackamas CountyOregon City and the southern Portland suburbs
• Regional Land Information Database (RLID)Lane County property data, Eugene; free and subscription levels
• Marion CountySalem, the state capital
• Jackson CountyMedford in southern Oregon
• Deschutes County DIAL property searchBend and central Oregon

Mid-sized and coastal counties, including Linn, Yamhill, Benton (Corvallis), Douglas, Polk, Klamath, Coos, Umatilla, Josephine and Lincoln, have their own assessor sites, often reached through ORMAP, and their court cases are in the statewide system.

A few points that save time in Oregon:

Start free: use the OJD Records and Calendar Search before paying for OJCIN OnLine or a commercial check.

Understand Circuit vs. Federal: OECI only searches state Circuit Courts. If your subject was involved in federal litigation (bankruptcy, federal crimes, civil rights suits), you must search the US District Court for the District of Oregon (D.OR), which has courthouses in Portland, Eugene, Medford, and Pendleton, using the federal PACER system.

Check Both Confinement Systems: Always check both the ODOC Offender Search (for state prison) AND the specific county sheriff's jail roster (for local holds). Being absent from one does not guarantee they are not incarcerated in the other.

Use ORMAP for addresses: people often move between Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties; ORMAP shows which county holds a parcel before you search that assessor.

Acknowledge Tribal Jurisdictions: Oregon is home to 9 federally recognized Native American tribes (e.g., Warm Springs, Umatilla, Grand Ronde, Siletz). These sovereign nations maintain their own tribal courts and law enforcement agencies. Civil or minor criminal matters occurring on reservation land may be recorded in tribal court systems rather than the state Circuit Court.

The Oregon Public Records Law (ORS 192.311) makes government records public unless an exemption applies, which keeps court dockets and property tax rolls open.

The Oregon Consumer Privacy Act took effect on July 1, 2024. It gives Oregonians rights to see, correct and delete personal data held by businesses, and it does not close government public records. Since January 1, 2024, data brokers must also register with the Division of Financial Regulation.

• Oregon Data Broker RegistryData brokers registered with the Division of Financial Regulation

The Department of Justice runs the Address Confidentiality Program, which gives victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking a substitute address for public records. Crime victims' rights are in the Oregon Constitution (Article I, Section 42).