I own a home in Oregon
Assessed value limits, property taxes, deeds, and tax statements.
OREGON GUIDE
Life in Oregon comes
with its own rules.
Know what comes next.
From Measure 50 tax limits and vote-by-mail ballots to the County Clerk, wildfire season, and starting a business, CountyOffices gives you clear Oregon-specific guidance for the things that matter.
Reviewed against official Oregon government sources • Updated as laws and requirements change
What brings you here today?
I own a home in Oregon
Oregon has no general homestead exemption the way many states do - instead, its main protection comes from Measure 50 (1997), which caps how fast your home's taxable Maximum Assessed Value (MAV) can grow at 3% per year, regardless of how much true market value rises. Your actual tax bill is calculated on whichever is lower, MAV or Real Market Value (RMV), so in a hot market your capped MAV often runs well below what the home would actually sell for. If you're 62 or older, or disabled, and meet income limits ($70,000 household income for 2026) and a home value ceiling (real market value under $301,000, or up to 150% of your county's median for newer applicants), Oregon's Senior and Disabled Property Tax Deferral Program will pay your property taxes on your behalf - this isn't forgiveness, it's a loan: the state places a lien on the home, accruing 6% interest, repaid when the home is eventually sold, transferred, or refinanced. Apply through your county Assessor by April 15 (late filing through December 1 with a fee). Deeds, marriage licenses, and even passport applications typically run through the county Clerk in most Oregon counties.
Sources: Oregon Dept. of Revenue, county Assessor and Clerk offices
I'm buying or selling property
Closings, title searches, deeds, recording fees, and property records.
I'm buying or selling property
Oregon closings typically go through a title company, with deeds recorded by the county Clerk - the same office that also issues marriage licenses and, in most counties, handles passport applications. Oregon charges no state real estate transfer tax (Washington County is a rare county-level exception), a genuine simplification compared to most states. A title search through the Clerk's records confirms there are no outstanding liens before closing. Once you buy, understand that Oregon's Measure 50 caps your home's taxable Maximum Assessed Value growth at 3% annually going forward, but a change in ownership doesn't automatically reset that value to full market value the way some states' caps do - new construction, subdivision, or rezoning are the main triggers for a reset, not simply a sale. If you're building or significantly remodeling, check whether the property falls within your city's urban growth boundary, since Oregon's statewide land-use planning system restricts development outside these boundaries even on land you own outright.
Sources: county Clerk offices, Oregon Dept. of Revenue, Oregon Dept. of Land Conservation and Development
I'm preparing for fire season
Defensible space, evacuation levels, insurance documents, and county resources.
I'm preparing for fire season
Oregon wildfire season peaks in summer and fall, and both the high-desert east side and the forested Cascades and coast range carry genuine risk, though the specific concerns differ - eastern Oregon deals more with rangeland and juniper fires, while western Oregon's dense forests can produce the kind of severe, fast-moving fires seen in recent years. Know your county's evacuation level system (Levels 1-3, from "be ready" to "leave now") before fire season starts, since counties issue these levels differently and knowing your specific zone in advance matters when conditions change quickly. Defensible space around your home - clearing vegetation and flammable material within a set distance - is your single most effective preparation step; check with your county or local fire district for guidance specific to your area's fuel type. Smoke from distant fires is also a real seasonal health concern even when you're nowhere near active flame, so monitor regional air quality advisories throughout fire season. After a wildfire, your county Assessor can adjust valuations for damaged property, and the county Clerk holds the property records you'll need for insurance and any FEMA claims if a federal disaster is declared.
Sources: Oregon Dept. of Forestry, Oregon Office of Emergency Management, FEMA, county Emergency Management offices
Someone passed away
Probate in Circuit Court, wills, estates, and filing steps.
Someone passed away
Probate in Oregon is handled by Circuit Court, one per county, without a separate probate-only court. Oregon offers a simplified small estate affidavit process for estates under a statutory value threshold, letting heirs settle without opening full probate. Whether an estate needs full administration depends on its size, whether there's a will, and whether the heirs agree. If the deceased was participating in the Senior and Disabled Property Tax Deferral Program, this genuinely matters for the estate: the deferred taxes plus accrued 6% interest become a lien that typically must be repaid when the home is sold or transferred out of the deferral program, so the estate (or the heir inheriting the home) needs to account for this obligation, not just the property's face value. Property records for real estate in the estate are held by the county Clerk, separate from Circuit Court handling the case. Oregon also has its own state estate tax, separate from and with a lower exemption threshold than the federal estate tax, so even a modest Oregon estate could owe state tax where it wouldn't owe federal tax.
Sources: Oregon Judicial Branch, Oregon Dept. of Revenue, Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 111-116
I'm getting married or divorced
Marriage licenses, divorce filing, name changes, and official records.
I'm getting married or divorced
Marriage licenses in Oregon come from the county Clerk - apply in any Oregon county, though the license only works within the state. Oregon requires a 3-day waiting period from the day you're issued the license until you can use it (waivable with a fee in some counties), and once valid, the license stays good for 60 days. As of January 1, 2026, 17-year-olds can no longer marry in Oregon even with parental consent - the minimum age is now 18 across the board. Divorce is filed in Circuit Court, and Oregon's residency rule depends on where you married: if you married in Oregon, either spouse just needs to be a current Oregon resident with no minimum duration; if you married elsewhere, one spouse needs 6 months of continuous Oregon residency before filing. Oregon repealed its 90-day waiting period in 2011, so there's no mandatory cooling-off period - an uncontested divorce can finalize in as little as 4-8 weeks. Oregon is a pure no-fault state, using only "irreconcilable differences" as grounds, and courts divide marital property under an equitable distribution standard with a rebuttable presumption of equal contribution.
Sources: Oregon Judicial Department, county Clerk offices, Oregon Revised Statutes §106 and §107
I'm caring for an aging parent
Senior services, tax deferral, benefits, and estate planning information.
I'm caring for an aging parent
If your parent is 62 or older, look into Oregon's Senior and Disabled Property Tax Deferral Program - it pays their property taxes on their behalf, provided their household income is under $70,000 (2026 limit) and their home's real market value is under $301,000 (or up to 150% of county median for newer applicants), and they've owned and lived in the home for 5 years. This isn't a gift: it's a loan against the home, accruing 6% interest, that becomes due when the home is eventually sold, transferred, or refinanced - genuinely worth understanding before applying, since it does reduce what heirs eventually inherit from the property's value. Apply through the county Assessor by April 15 each year, with recertification required every two years directly with the Dept. of Revenue (not the county). If your parent needs help managing property or finances, a durable power of attorney can avoid the need for court-supervised guardianship in many situations; guardianship itself, when necessary, goes through Circuit Court.
Sources: Oregon Dept. of Revenue, county Assessor offices, Oregon Dept. of Human Services Aging and People with Disabilities
I need an official record
Birth, death, marriage, court, property, and business records.
I need an official record
Birth and death certificates come from the Oregon Health Authority Center for Health Statistics, a state office, though some county offices can assist. Marriage records are held by whichever county Clerk issued the license. Property records - deeds, mortgages, liens - are recorded and searchable through the county Clerk, the same office that also issues marriage licenses and, in most counties, handles passport applications, generally free to search in person with a fee for certified copies. Court records for civil, criminal, and probate cases come from Circuit Court, one per county. Business entity records are filed with the Oregon Secretary of State, searchable statewide. Property valuation and Measure 50 assessment records go through your county Assessor, a separate office from the Clerk. If you're researching Senior and Disabled Property Tax Deferral Program participation, that's split between the county Assessor (initial application) and the state Dept. of Revenue directly (ongoing recertification and lien records).
Sources: Oregon Health Authority, county Clerk and Assessor offices, Oregon Secretary of State
I'm starting or running a business
Licenses, permits, EIN, payroll taxes, and local requirements.
I'm starting or running a business
Registering a business in Oregon starts with the Secretary of State, where you file to form an LLC or corporation and register a trade name. Because Oregon has no general sales tax, there's no sales tax permit most other states require, but Oregon does levy a Corporate Activity Tax on larger businesses and a state income tax, so don't assume "no sales tax" means a lighter overall tax picture. Get an EIN from the IRS if you're not a sole proprietor with no employees, and if you'll have employees, register with the Oregon Dept. of Revenue for state payroll withholding. Local business licenses and zoning approval vary by city and county, so check both levels for your specific location. If you're planning to build or expand facilities, confirm whether your property sits within your city's urban growth boundary, since Oregon's statewide land-use planning system genuinely restricts development outside these boundaries regardless of zoning elsewhere on paper. Business real estate is assessed by your county Assessor under the same Measure 50 rules (3% annual cap on Maximum Assessed Value) that apply to residential property.
Sources: Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Dept. of Revenue, Oregon Dept. of Land Conservation and Development, IRS
How-To Guides for Oregon
How do I access court records?
Read guide →How do I appeal my property tax assessment?
Read guide →How do I find an inmate or search a jail roster?
Read guide →How do I find and access senior services?
Read guide →How do I get a business license?
Read guide →How do I get a copy of a birth certificate?
Read guide →How do I get a copy of a death certificate?
Read guide →How do I get a marriage license?
Read guide →How do I pay my property taxes?
Read guide →How do I register to vote or check my registration?
Read guide →How to Research Your Family History in Oregon
Read guide →Open Records
Read guide →Oregon Statewide Probate Guide
Read guide →Oregon works differently. Here's what to know.
Probate in Circuit Court
Estates, wills, and guardianships run through the Circuit Court in your county.
Probate in Circuit Court
Oregon handles estates through Circuit Court, one per county, without a separate probate-only court. Oregon offers a simplified small estate affidavit process for estates under a statutory value threshold, letting heirs settle without opening full formal probate. Whether an estate needs full administration depends on its size, whether there's a will, and whether the heirs agree. If you're settling an Oregon estate, you're filing with Circuit Court in the county where the deceased lived, not a distinct "Probate Court," since that specialized structure doesn't exist in Oregon - Circuit Court handles civil, criminal, family, and probate matters all within the same court system. If the deceased was participating in Oregon's Senior and Disabled Property Tax Deferral Program, a real consideration in probate is that the deferred tax amount plus accrued interest is a genuine lien against the property, typically coming due when the home changes hands through the estate - factor this into how the estate's value and any distribution actually work out.
Sources: Oregon Judicial Department, Oregon Revised Statutes Chapters 111-116
No Sales Tax
Oregon charges no sales tax, so income and property taxes carry the public load.
No Sales Tax
Oregon is one of a handful of states with no general sales tax - the price on the shelf is what you pay, no percentage added at checkout, a genuinely defining feature of shopping in Oregon that residents of neighboring states (particularly Washington) sometimes cross the border specifically to take advantage of. With that major revenue source off the table, Oregon leans more heavily on state income tax and local property tax to fund government than most states do. This is part of why Oregon's Measure 50 property tax caps and its various senior relief programs draw so much public attention - property tax carries real weight in the state's overall tax structure. Oregon does levy a Corporate Activity Tax on larger businesses' gross receipts, which is sometimes mistaken for a sales tax since businesses can factor it into pricing, but it's structurally a business tax rather than a tax charged directly to consumers at the register. If you're relocating to Oregon from a state with sales tax, the absence of that line at checkout is real and immediate, but it's worth understanding that revenue is made up elsewhere in your overall tax picture.
Sources: Oregon Dept. of Revenue
Measure 50 Limits Your Value
Assessed value on most property can grow only 3% a year, apart from market swings.
Measure 50 Limits Your Value
Passed by Oregon voters in 1997, Measure 50 fundamentally changed how the state calculates property tax: instead of taxing homes on their full market value, every property gets a Maximum Assessed Value (MAV) that can grow no more than 3% per year, with limited exceptions (new construction, subdivision, rezoning, or a property losing a special assessment status). Your actual tax bill is then calculated on whichever is lower - MAV or current Real Market Value (RMV) - meaning in a rising market, your MAV typically runs increasingly behind true market value the longer you own the home, since 3% annual growth rarely keeps pace with real appreciation in a hot market. This creates real disparities: two nearly identical homes on the same street can carry meaningfully different tax bills if one owner has held the property for decades (with a deeply discounted MAV relative to market value) and the other bought recently (where MAV and RMV started closer together). Unlike some states' caps, Measure 50's MAV doesn't automatically reset to full market value on every sale - the reset triggers are specifically new construction, subdivision, rezoning, or disqualification from special assessment, not simply a change in ownership.
Sources: Oregon Dept. of Revenue, Oregon Constitution Article XI §11 (Measure 50, 1997)
Every Election Is by Mail
Ballots arrive by mail for every election, run by your County Clerk or Elections office.
Every Election Is by Mail
Oregon was the first state in the nation to adopt universal vote-by-mail, and it remains the norm for every election here - federal, state, local, special district, all of it. Ballots are mailed automatically to every registered voter roughly two to three weeks before each election, with no need to request one separately the way many states require for absentee voting. You fill it out at home, sign the return envelope, and either mail it back (postage-paid, with a deadline tied to when it's received, not postmarked) or drop it at an official drop box, which Oregon counties maintain throughout the community - polling places in the traditional sense genuinely don't exist here. Your county Clerk or a dedicated county Elections office administers the entire process locally. This system has run for decades in Oregon, so it's a settled, routine part of civic life rather than a recent or experimental change - if you're new to the state, expect your ballot to simply arrive by mail before every election without any action needed on your part beyond staying registered at your current address.
Sources: Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division, county Clerk offices
Urban Growth Boundaries
Statewide land-use planning limits building outside each city's growth boundary.
Urban Growth Boundaries
Oregon operates a statewide land-use planning system unlike almost anywhere else in the country: every city is surrounded by a legally defined Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), and development - subdivisions, most new residential construction, significant commercial building - is genuinely restricted outside that boundary, even on land you own outright and even if local zoning on paper might otherwise seem to allow it. This system dates to Oregon's landmark 1973 statewide land-use planning law (Senate Bill 100) and was designed specifically to protect farmland and forestland from sprawl by concentrating growth within defined city boundaries, expanding them only through a formal, often lengthy review process. If you own rural land outside a UGB, expect meaningfully more restrictive building rules than land inside one, even for something as simple as adding a second home on family property - Oregon's rural land-use rules genuinely limit this in ways that surprise newcomers from states without similar statewide planning. Before assuming you can build on rural Oregon land, check with your county's planning department and the Dept. of Land Conservation and Development about whether your specific parcel falls inside or outside a UGB and what that means for what you can actually do with it.
Sources: Oregon Dept. of Land Conservation and Development, county Planning offices
The County Clerk's Counter
Deeds, marriage licenses, and passports run through the County Clerk in most counties.
The County Clerk's Counter
Oregon's county Clerk carries a genuinely broad set of responsibilities in most counties: deeds, mortgages, and liens (the core recording function), marriage license issuance, election administration (running the state's all-mail voting system locally), and, in most counties, accepting passport applications on behalf of the U.S. State Department. This combination means the same office you'd visit to record a property transaction is also where you'd go to get married, register to vote or check your ballot status, or apply for a passport - a genuinely wide-ranging single point of contact compared to states that split these functions across multiple separate offices. Because this office wears so many hats, it's worth knowing as a real first call for a range of otherwise unrelated pieces of business in Oregon. Each of Oregon's 36 counties maintains its own Clerk, an elected position, so procedures and specific hours can vary somewhat county to county even though the core functions stay consistent statewide.
Sources: county Clerk offices, Oregon Association of County Clerks
The questions Oregon residents actually ask
Oregon county records benefit from strong statewide digital infrastructure. The Oregon State Archives digital collections provide online access to historical county records from many counties going back to the territorial period. The Oregon eCourt system provides statewide Circuit Court case information. Many County Clerk offices provide online deed searching. The Oregon Secretary of State provides free online business entity searching and historical records. Vital records require ordering through the Oregon Center for Health Statistics. For Oregon county records not available online, the Public Records Law at Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 192 requires agencies to respond within five business days.
Oregon birth and death certificates from 1903 onward are maintained by the Oregon Health Authority, Center for Health Statistics in Portland. Certified copies can be ordered online through VitalChek, by mail, or in person at the Portland office. Birth records are restricted to the individual named, immediate family members, and legal representatives. Pre-1903 births and deaths are found in county registers and church records, with many collections held by the Oregon State Archives. Some Oregon county records for births before 1903 survive in county registers and church records at the local level, particularly in counties organized during the territorial period.
Oregon county records for real property are held by the County Clerk in the county where the property is located. The County Clerk records deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, and plats. Many Oregon counties provide online deed searching through the County Clerk's website. Property tax assessment data is held by the County Assessor, which maintains both Real Market Value and Assessed Value for each parcel under Oregon's Measure 50 system. Tax collection records are maintained by the County Tax Collector. Researchers need to contact all three offices for a complete picture of a property's title history, assessed values, and tax payment record within Oregon county records.
The Oregon eCourt system at oregonecourt.org provides online access to Circuit Court case information for courts that have transitioned to the statewide system. Coverage has expanded significantly in recent years. Case details include party names, charges, hearing dates, and case dispositions. Actual case documents require contacting the Circuit Court Clerk in the county where the case was filed. Oregon county records for probate and estate matters are part of the Circuit Court's jurisdiction and are held at the county level. Fees for certified copies of court documents are set by Oregon court rules.
The Oregon State Archives in Salem is the primary repository for historical Oregon county records, with an extensive digital collections program making many records accessible online. The Oregon Historical Society in Portland holds additional manuscript collections and county histories. FamilySearch has digitized significant Oregon county records microfilm. County libraries and genealogical societies across the state hold local collections. For Oregon Trail pioneer research, the Oregon State Archives and the Oregon Historical Society both hold materials documenting the overland migration of the 1840s and 1850s. The Genealogical Forum of Oregon in Portland provides research assistance and holds additional Oregon collections.
Oregon's Public Records Law at Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 192 provides public access to government records held by all Oregon government agencies including county offices. Submit a written request to the designated public records officer at the relevant county agency. The agency must respond within five business days. No reason for the request is required. Fees are limited to actual costs of reproduction plus staff time in some cases. If a request is denied, the requester can appeal to the Oregon Public Records Advocate, a state official who can mediate disputes before litigation, or pursue the matter in circuit court. The Public Records Advocate is a distinctive feature that makes accessing Oregon county records more straightforward than in states without such an office.
The County Clerk in Oregon maintains a broad range of records combining property recording and election administration. Oregon county records held by the County Clerk include deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, plats, and liens affecting real property; marriage licenses and marriage record books; voter registration rolls; election records including mail ballot return envelopes and voting history; county commission minutes in some counties; and certain other administrative filings. The County Clerk does not maintain court case records, which are held by the Circuit Court Clerk, or property assessment records, which are held by the County Assessor. For researchers, the County Clerk is the starting point for property, marriage, and voter research in Oregon.
Marriage licenses in Oregon are issued by the County Clerk in the county where the couple applies. To obtain a copy, contact the County Clerk with the names of both parties and the approximate marriage date. The Oregon Center for Health Statistics holds statewide marriage records from 1907 onward and can provide certified copies. Historical marriage records before 1907 are found in County Clerk files and church records, with many collections held by the Oregon State Archives and accessible online through the digital archives portal. FamilySearch provides indexed Oregon marriage records from many counties. Early Oregon county records include territorial marriage registers from before statehood in 1859.
Oregon criminal history records are maintained by the Oregon State Police, Criminal Justice Information Services Division. The public can request a criminal background check through the OSP online portal for a fee. Individual county-level criminal case records within Oregon county records are accessible through the Oregon eCourt system for participating courts or by contacting the Circuit Court Clerk in the county where the case was filed. Certified criminal history information requires a formal OSP request. Some Oregon records may be set aside under Oregon's record sealing and expungement statutes upon petition to the Circuit Court in the county of conviction.
Many Oregon county records for land are available free online. The Oregon State Archives digital collections provide free access to historical county deed books and territorial records. Many County Clerk offices provide free or low-cost online deed searching. Searching in person at the County Clerk's office is generally free. The Oregon eCourt system provides free access to court case information. The BLM General Land Office records portal provides free access to federal land patents for early Oregon territorial and homestead entries. FamilySearch provides free online access to digitized Oregon land records and vital records from many counties.
Oregon has conducted all elections by mail since 2000, the first state to do so statewide. Every registered voter automatically receives a ballot by mail for each election. Oregon county records for post-2000 elections therefore consist of mail ballot records: return envelopes with voter signatures, voting history files showing who returned ballots, and signature verification logs. County Clerks maintain these records rather than the traditional polling place records, poll books, and precinct-level tallies used in other states. Researchers examining Oregon voter participation after 2000 should request mail ballot history records from the County Clerk rather than polling place records, which no longer exist for Oregon elections.
Fees for Oregon county records vary by record type and county. Oregon's Public Records Law limits copying fees to actual costs of reproduction plus reasonable staff time in some cases. Certified copies of deeds and recorded instruments carry per-page fees set by state statute. The Oregon Center for Health Statistics charges fixed fees for certified copies of birth, death, and marriage certificates. Circuit Court fees for copies of case documents are set by Oregon court rules. County Assessor fees for certified assessment records vary by county. Contacting the relevant office before submitting a request is the best way to confirm current fee schedules and available delivery options.
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Important Deadlines in Oregon
Oregon's Property Tax Deferral for Disabled and Senior Homeowners - a genuine, distinctive program where the state pays your property taxes on your behalf, secured by a lien, rather than exempting you from them - carries an April 15 application deadline each year, filed with your county Assessor (late filing remains possible through December 1 with a fee).
Important Deadlines in Oregon
Oregon's Property Tax Deferral for Disabled and Senior Homeowners - a genuine, distinctive program where the state pays your property taxes on your behalf, secured by a lien, rather than exempting you from them - carries an April 15 application deadline each year, filed with your county Assessor (late filing remains possible through December 1 with a fee). Seniors must be 62 by April 15 of the filing year; disabled applicants must be receiving Social Security disability benefits as of December 31 of the prior year. If approved, the Dept. of Revenue pays your county taxes on November 15 each year, with 6% annual interest accruing on the deferred amount until you move, sell, or pass away, at which point the full balance becomes due. Already-enrolled participants must recertify their active status annually, typically by early April, or the state won't pay that year's taxes. Property tax statements are mailed around October 25, and payment is due November 15 - pay in full by that date for a real 3% discount, or pay two-thirds by November 15 for a smaller discount. Because Oregon's Measure 50 caps most assessed value growth at 3% annually regardless of market swings, your tax bill's year-over-year increase is often more predictable here than in many states.
Sources: Oregon Dept. of Revenue, county Assessor and Tax Collector offices, ORS 311.666-311.701 and ORS 308.156
Value Appeals in Oregon
If you disagree with your property's assessed value, Oregon's appeal deadline is genuinely tied to when your annual tax statement is mailed - you generally have until December 31 to file a petition with your county's Board of Property Tax Appeals (BOPTA), a citizen panel distinct from the Assessor's office.
Value Appeals in Oregon
If you disagree with your property's assessed value, Oregon's appeal deadline is genuinely tied to when your annual tax statement is mailed - you generally have until December 31 to file a petition with your county's Board of Property Tax Appeals (BOPTA), a citizen panel distinct from the Assessor's office. Bring genuine supporting evidence: comparable sales, an independent appraisal, or documentation of a factual error in your property's characteristics. Because Oregon's Measure 50 caps most assessed value growth at 3% annually, your actual assessed value is often meaningfully lower than real market value - an appeal challenging "real market value" specifically may not change your tax bill at all if your assessed value is already well below the cap, so understand which figure you're actually disputing before filing. BOPTA hearings are typically held in January and February following the December 31 filing deadline. If BOPTA's decision doesn't resolve things in your favor, further appeal to the Oregon Tax Court's Magistrate Division, and beyond that to the Regular Division, remains available. Because property tax statements mail around late October, you genuinely have a real window (roughly two months) to review your statement and decide whether an appeal is worthwhile before the December 31 deadline arrives.
Read the full property tax appeal guide →
Sources: Oregon Dept. of Revenue, county Board of Property Tax Appeals offices, Oregon Tax Court, ORS 309.100
Public Records Access in Oregon
Oregon's Public Records Law presumes that records held by state and local government agencies are open to public inspection, and like most states' open-records laws, you generally don't need to explain your reason for a request or demonstrate a personal interest in the records.
Public Records Access in Oregon
Oregon's Public Records Law presumes that records held by state and local government agencies are open to public inspection, and like most states' open-records laws, you generally don't need to explain your reason for a request or demonstrate a personal interest in the records. Agencies must acknowledge a request within 5 business days and provide a reasonable estimate of completion time, and cite a specific statutory exemption if a request is denied - common exemptions include certain law enforcement investigative records, personnel and medical information, and other categories the legislature has carved out. Real estate records - deeds, mortgages, liens - are recorded and searchable through the county Clerk, an office that in most Oregon counties also handles marriage licenses and, distinctively, passport applications. Estate and probate matters run through the Circuit Court in your county, part of Oregon's unified state court system. Business entity records are filed with the Oregon Secretary of State, searchable statewide. Property valuation and appeal records go through your county Assessor. Remember Oregon runs every election by mail - your County Clerk or Elections office administers this, and ballots (along with the voter registration records behind them) are managed at the county level even though Oregon's vote-by-mail system is statewide. If a Public Records Law request is denied, disputes can be appealed to the Oregon Public Records Advocate or the Attorney General, and ultimately to circuit court.
Read the full open records guide →
Sources: Oregon Dept. of Justice, ORS Chapter 192 (Public Records Law), county Clerk and Circuit Court offices
Fire & Storm Help in Oregon
Oregon faces genuine wildfire risk with peak season running summer through fall, particularly across the state's forested and rural interior, and the state has genuine, extensive recent experience with major wildfire events.
Fire & Storm Help in Oregon
Oregon faces genuine wildfire risk with peak season running summer through fall, particularly across the state's forested and rural interior, and the state has genuine, extensive recent experience with major wildfire events. Know your county's current evacuation level system before fire season starts - Oregon uses a standardized three-level system (Be Ready, Be Set, Go Now), and understanding what each level means for your specific area is real, practical preparation. Wildfire smoke is a genuinely significant public health concern in Oregon summers, even for residents well outside the direct fire perimeter, so monitor air quality advisories and have a plan for reducing indoor smoke exposure during bad air days. If you're in or near forested terrain, maintain real defensible space around structures per your county's guidance. Your county Emergency Management office coordinates local response and maintains current evacuation and warning information. After a wildfire or storm causes damage, your county Assessor can adjust your property's valuation to reflect the damage, and if a federal disaster is declared, FEMA assistance becomes available for both individuals and local governments. Insurance claims should be filed promptly with documentation (photos, a written inventory, receipts for emergency repairs). Building permits for repairs and rebuilds go through your county or city building department, and rules can differ meaningfully for rebuilding in a wildfire-prone area.
Sources: Oregon Dept. of Emergency Management, Oregon Dept. of Forestry, FEMA, county Emergency Management and Assessor offices
New to Oregon?
As a new Oregon resident, check with the Oregon DMV for the current specific window to transfer your out-of-state driver's license and register your vehicle.
New to Oregon?
As a new Oregon resident, check with the Oregon DMV for the current specific window to transfer your out-of-state driver's license and register your vehicle. If you've purchased a home and are 62+ or disabled, look into the Property Tax Deferral for Disabled and Senior Homeowners - the state pays your taxes on your behalf (secured by a lien with 6% interest) rather than exempting you outright, with an April 15 annual application deadline. Register to vote through your County Clerk or Elections office - remember Oregon runs every election entirely by mail, so update your address promptly to ensure your ballot arrives correctly. Property tax statements mail around late October, with payment due November 15 (pay in full for a real 3% discount). Remember Oregon's Measure 50 caps most assessed value growth at 3% annually, so your tax bill's increases are often more predictable than in many states, regardless of market swings. If you're buying rural land, understand Oregon's statewide land-use planning system and urban growth boundaries, which genuinely restrict building outside designated growth areas - a real, distinctive constraint compared to states with looser rural development rules. Property deeds, marriage licenses, and passport applications typically all run through your county Clerk's office.
Sources: Oregon DMV, Oregon Dept. of Revenue, county Assessor and Clerk offices, Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division
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Oregon laws apply statewide, but offices, services, procedures and local requirements can vary by county. Select your county for verified local offices, services and official resources.
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Sources and References
- Oregon Public Records Law, Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 192
- Oregon State Archives: oregon.gov/sos/archives
- Oregon Center for Health Statistics: oregon.gov/oha/PH/BIRTHDEATHCERTIFICATES
- Oregon eCourt: oregonecourt.org
- Oregon Secretary of State, Corporations: oregon.gov/sos/business
- Oregon Department of Revenue, Property Tax: oregon.gov/dor/programs/property
- Oregon State Police, Criminal Justice Information Services: oregon.gov/osp/programs/cjis
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