Clatsop County Court Records

Clatsop County court records are documented details of criminal and civil proceedings held within the county. They include party names, case numbers, case types, case statuses, events, and hearings. Clatsop County court records facilitate due process and public transparency, guaranteeing the judiciary's accountability. These records are also crucial for:

• Preserving evidence
• Legal research
• Legal education
• Appeals
• Policy formulation

Are Court Records Public in Clatsop County?

Yes. The Oregon Public Records Law guarantees public accessibility to Clatsop County court records. Under this law, any member of the public, regardless of their nationality, can inspect a court record generated in Clatsop County, as long as the desired record does not fall under one of the exceptions provided by law.

Such exceptions include:

• Trade secrets
• Criminal investigative information
• Personal information whose disclosure leads to an unreasonable invasion of privacy
• Unfair labor practice investigations
• Adoptions
• Juvenile cases
• Mental health cases
• Cases filed under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

Requesters can submit their requests in any recommended manner they find convenient. However, they should clearly identify the records sought and be ready to resubmit requests when necessary. Legal custodians of court records are obliged by law to respond to requests for public court documents without unreasonable delay.

Clatsop County Court Records Search

Interested persons may look up Clatsop County court records by:

• Visiting the Clatsop County courthouse in person
• Accessing case search systems provided by the Oregon Judicial Department
• Conducting a search on a third-party website

Clatsop County Courts

The court system in Clatsop County comprises a circuit court and several municipal courts. The Clatsop County Circuit Court is a state trial court of general jurisdiction responsible for determining various cases, including civil, criminal, domestic relations, and juvenile matters. On the other hand, Clatsop municipal courts primarily hear cases related to traffic crimes and other minor violations.

The addresses of the courts in Clatsop County are highlighted below:

Clatsop County Circuit Court
Clatsop Courthouse
749 Commercial Street
Astoria, OR 97103
Phone: (503) 325-8555

Municipal Courts in Clatsop County

Astoria Municipal Court
1095 Duane Street
Astoria, OR 97103
Phone: (503) 325-3939

Cannon Beach Municipal Court
163 East Gower Street
P.O. Box 368
Cannon Beach, OR 97110
Phone: (503) 436-2046

Gearhart Municipal Court
698 Pacific Way
P.O. Box 2510
Gearhart, OR 97138
Phone: (503) 738-5501

Seaside Municipal Court
989 Broadway
Seaside, OR 97138
Phone: (503) 738-5511

Clatsop County Criminal and Civil Records

Clatsop County criminal court records detail criminal proceedings, such as those involving murder, assault, burglary, or theft. On the other hand, Clatsop County civil court records are created from non-criminal legal disputes between two or more entities. Examples of civil matters include personal injury and contractual disagreements.

Members of the public can request Clatsop County criminal and civil court case records in person at the courthouse during regular business hours. Requesters must visit the courthouse with a filled-out records request form if they are requesting personal copies of documents or documents from cases older than 2011. They will also be required to provide some information about the requested records, such as an accurate case number.

Clatsop County Courthouse maintains a public computer terminal in the courthouse lobby that interested parties may use to access public court case records for free. However, this option is limited to cases older than 2011.

Members of the public may also access Clatsop County court case information remotely using these online platforms:

The Oregon Judicial Case Information Network

Individuals may obtain Clatsop County criminal and civil court case information through the Oregon Judicial Case Information Network (OJCIN) Online. OJCIN Online is a low-cost subscription-based service for obtaining case information from state trial courts such as the Clatsop County Circuit Court. Active subscribers can narrow search results to Clatsop County court records by selecting "Clatsop" on the drop-down menu. The OJCIN FAQs manual provides more details about the OJCIN Online platform.

The Oregon Judicial Department Free Case Search Platform

The Oregon Judicial Department maintains a free case search platform for limited court case information. Interested members of the public may utilize this option to view the register of actions for any public legal proceeding in Clatsop County Circuit Court and tax records. Individuals can conduct a Smart Search for records by record number or party name. They can also leverage an advanced filtering option for more specific results. Free circuit court and tax court calendars are available from the Oregon eCourt Circuit Court Calendars page.

Clatsop County Marriage Records

Clatsop County marriage records become public 50 years after the marriage date. Prior to this timeline, they can only be accessed by select individuals, including the couple and their immediate family members.

The Clatsop County Clerk is the official recorder of marriage records in the county. Consequently, eligible individuals may query the clerk's office for documents pertaining to a marital union. Requesters can do this physical at the location below:

Public Services Building
2nd Floor
820 Exchange Street
Astoria, OR 97103

Documents from 1995 to the present are available at the clerk's public terminals at no cost. Requesters can ask staff for help locating specific records.

Qualified requesters may also query the clerk's office via email to clerk@ClatsopCounty.gov or mail to:

Clatsop County Clerk
Suite 220
820 Exchange Street
Astoria, OR 97103

Searchers are expected to include the document year and date of recordation in their request. They may also request publicly available marriage documents from the clerk's office through an online form.

Note: Eligible individuals should visit the Oregon Vital Statistics Office for certified copies of marriage records. Clatsop County also maintains an online Record Search page where individuals can find marriage documents.

Clatsop County Divorce Records

Like marriage records, Clatsop County divorce records are available to the public after 50 years. Only a few qualified parties, such as those named in the document, immediate family members, and legal representatives, can access divorce documents under 50 years old. Individuals may obtain publicly accessible divorce information from the Clatsop County Circuit Court using the processes described in "Clatsop County Criminal and Civil Records" above. Eligible parties may also obtain certified copies of Clatsop County divorce records from the Oregon Vital Statistics Office.

Clatsop County Birth Records

Clatsop County birth documents are one of the county's core vital records. Public access to these records is limited; only the registrant, their immediate family members, or a legal representative can obtain them. Eligible parties can order Clatsop County birth certificates by filling out a Birth Order Form (also available in Spanish) and submitting it in person or via mail to the Clatsop County Vital Records. They should attach the following documents to their application:

• Their name, address, city, state, zip
• Current photo ID
• Payment method of choice (a birth certificate costs $25)
• Registrant's full name
• Date and place of birth
• Their relationship to the registrant
• Reason for requesting the record
• Their daytime phone number
• Their email address

Birth records have a 100-year access restriction. Certified copies of birth certificates for 6 months after birth in Clatsop County can be obtained from the Clatsop County Public Health Department. For certificates of local births over 6 months old or that occurred outside of the county, qualified individuals can query the State of Oregon Vital Records.

Clatsop County birth records are necessary for numerous reasons, including:

• Statistics
• Genealogy research
• Processing social security benefits, passport, driver's license, and other vital documents

Clatsop County Death Records

The processes and accessibility requirements for obtaining Clatsop County death records are similar to Clatsop County birth records above, except that:

• Clatsop County death records have a 50-year access restriction
• Individuals may complete a Death Order Form, which is also available in Spanish
• Apart from the family members and legal representatives, persons with valid legal reasons can access death records
• Requesters must indicate whether they need a Long or Short Death Certificate

Clatsop County Probate Court Records

Probate Court records in Clatsop County include proceedings regarding the administration of a decedent's estate, guardianship, conservatorship, and other protective processes. Like other Clatsop County civil court documents, the general public can access probate court records. However, specific probate records are restricted from public access, especially when they contain juvenile information.

Clatsop County Property Records

The Clatsop County Assessment and Taxation Department provides public access to property records in its possession. These records include information about current property ownership, value, inventory, and tax statements. Interested parties may request these records in person at the Department's location. Alternatively, they may visit the Department's Property Info page to search available property information online.

Members of the public can contact the Clatsop County Clerk in person for land documents such as deeds and mortgages. The clerk's staff can help search for documents by book/page number, recording date, or grantor/grantee. Requesters may also search documents via email or mail after completing a Records Research/Copy Request Form or by filling out and submitting the available online form. For GIS information, individuals are advised to utilize the Clatsop County Webmaps tool.

Clatsop County Court Records Online

Private aggregate websites like Oregoncourtrecords.us provide a one-stop platform for Clatsop County court records. They offer requesters the convenience of accessing court records in a single location instead of visiting multiple government websites and physical locations. However, interested parties often need to subscribe to their preferred service to look up extensive court information.