Multnomah County Arrest Records

In Multnomah County, arrests are legal steps to restraining an individual's right to freedom. The county's law enforcement officers can conduct arrests to prevent crimes or to restrict offenders who have committed crimes.

The county's officers create arrest records or reports after every arrest. These records are accessible to interested public members. Requesters may visit the county sheriff's office to view arrest records in Multnomah County. Alternatively, you can find Multnomah arrest records in other related public documents. For example, inmate records contain arrest details like the offender's arrest charges, mugshots, and personal information. Multnomah County court records may also feature arrest information. For instance, traffic court case records contain misdemeanor charges.

Note: Officers may arrest suspects with or without warrants, depending on the scenario.

Are Arrest Records Public in Multnomah County?

Under Oregon's Public Records Law, most Multnomah arrest records are public documents. This means all persons have the legal right to request and obtain the records from designated record custodians.

However, the law also restricts access to certain arrest records. These records may contain data that, if disclosed, will violate the record subject's right to security or privacy. For instance, the law prevents the release of crime victims’ information. Other exempt arrest records in Multnomah County include the following:

• Arrest charges and details in an ongoing criminal investigation
• Sealed or expunged arrest records
• Audio or video recordings from cameras worn by law enforcement officers

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Per ORS 192.345 (3), public arrest records in Multnomah County may contain the following details:

• The arrested person's name and physical identifying features like sex, age, weight, and height.
• The arrest charge and description
• The arresting agency
• Booking date
• Bail condition

Not all arrest information is open to the public. Law enforcement agencies may release confidential arrest information to legally eligible persons or entities. For example, eligible government agencies may view arrest details, such as the crime victims’ information and the circumstances surrounding the arrest.

Multnomah County Crime Rate

Per the FBI’s 2022 Crime Data Explorer, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office reported 1,917 crimes, consisting of 210 violent crimes and 1,707 property crimes. Per the report, larceny thefts and aggravated assaults were the most recurring crimes at 1,140 and 146, respectively. The report also provided information on homicides, rapes, burglaries, motor vehicle thefts, robbery, and arson.

Multnomah County Arrest Statistics

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office reported 1,940 arrests in 2022. While there is no county-specific inmate data, the National Institute of Corrections maintains a state-level inmate report. According to the agency, Oregon's inmate population was 12,753 in 2020. Furthermore, the inmate rate was 300 per 100,000 residents.

Find Multnomah County Arrest Records

There are multiple resources for finding arrest records in Multnomah County. For instance, you can find arrest records in inmate records. The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office maintains a searchable portal for inmates. You must input the inmate's name and select the booking time range to view inmate records.

The Oregon Department of Corrections is a state-level custodian of inmate records, and it maintains an inmate search portal. To access records on the portal, requesters must input the inmate's full name and SID number.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons also provides online access to inmate records. To get inmate records, requesters may search using the inmate's name or identifying serial number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Multnomah County

In Multnomah County, you can conduct free searches for arrest records via these official resources:

• Multnomah County sheriff's inmate data.
• Oregon Department of Corrections inmate search
• The Federal Bureau of Prisons’ inmate records portal.

You can also find Multnomah County arrest records on third-party search sites. However, they may contain inaccurate or incomplete arrest data.

Get Multnomah County Criminal Records

Criminal records are official files that contain an individual's conviction history. The records are also referred to as rap sheets or criminal background checks.

Record seekers can find Multnomah County criminal records at the state's Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS). The agency serves as the record custodian and issues the record to public members. That said, only the record subject can obtain full, confidential criminal records from the CJIS.

Record subjects can obtain copies of their criminal records by taking these steps:

1. Visit the local law enforcement agency to get fingerprinted. Note that the agency may request a valid ID for this process. You can also get fingerprinted by the Oregon State Police at:
   Oregon State Police -- CJIS Division Unit 11
   P.O. Box 4395
   Portland, OR 97208-4395
2. Fill out a criminal record request form.
3. Attach a $33 fee for the criminal record. For mail-based requests, you may attach the fee as money orders or checks made payable to the Oregon State Police

Send the documents and fees via mail or in person to:

Mailing Address
Oregon State Police – CJIS Division
Unit 11
P.O. Box 4395
Portland, OR 97208-4395

Physical Address Copy of Own Record Unit
Oregon State Police
3565 Trelstad Ave SE
Salem OR 97317-9614

On the other hand, third-party party requesters can obtain someone else's criminal record via these steps:

• Complete a third-party request form for criminal records
• Attach a $33 processing fee. For mail-based requests, use a money order or check payable to Oregon State Police.
• Send the fees via mail or in person to this address:

Mailing address
Oregon State Police
Criminal Justice Information Services Division
Attn: Open Records
3565 Trelstad Ave SE
Salem, OR 97317

Physical Address
Direct Payment Customers:
Oregon State Police
Unit 11
P.O. Box 4395
Portland, OR 97208-4395

Multnomah County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records are different from criminal records in these aspects:

The records differ in terms of content. Arrest records generally contain the arrested person's personal details, the arresting agency's information, and the arrest description. In contrast, criminal records contain both arrest information and court-generated data.

Both records have different record-creation processes. For instance, law enforcement entities are primarily responsible for creating arrest records. However, criminal records are a combination of information from the county court and law enforcement agencies.

Note: Arrest records do not indicate if the subject is guilty of the offense.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrest records in Multnomah County will stay on your record until you expunge them. Note that there are different procedures for expunging arrest records. For instance, you can immediately expunge if the arrest charge is dropped or dismissed.

Expunge Multnomah County Arrest Records

You can expunge arrest records by presenting a completed fingerprint card to the district attorney's office. Note that this only applies to dismissed arrest charges. In contrast, to expunge criminal records, you must present a $80 filing fee and a completed fingerprint card to the DA's office.

When can I expunge arrest records in Multnomah County?

You can immediately expunge dismissed arrest charges. However, you are eligible to expunge criminal convictions after set timeframes. For a class B felony, you must wait seven years after the conviction date or sentence completion. The expungement time frame for other offense types includes:

• Five years after a Class C felony conviction or sentence completion.
• Three years after a Class A misdemeanor conviction or sentence completion.
• One year after a Class B or C misdemeanor conviction or sentence completion.

Who is eligible to expunge arrest records?

In Multnomah County, you are eligible to expunge arrest records if:

• The dismissed charge or arrest record was for a class A, B, or C misdemeanor or a class B or C felony.
• You don't have a pending criminal case
• The waiting period for expungement has passed

How can I expunge arrest records in Multnomah County?

You can expunge arrest records through these guidelines:

1. Confirm if you are eligible to expunge your arrest record
2. You can get fingerprinted at the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office or the nearest local law enforcement agency. You must use the standard FD-258 fingerprint card.
3. If the charge was dismissed or didn't lead to a conviction, submit the card to the district attorney's office.

However, follow these steps if the arrest report leads to a conviction:

1. Mail an expungement request form, fingerprint card, and a $33 fee to the state police at:
   Oregon State Police - General Headquarters
   3565 Trelstad Avenue Southeast
   Salem, OR 97317
   Phone: (503) 378-3720
   Fax: (503) 378-8282
   Note: The fee must be a money order or check payable to Oregon State Police
2. Next, print and sign the Motion to Aside Form.
3. Create a copy of the completed form and send the original to the county district attorney's office at:

200 Southwest 1st Avenue
Suite 5200
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503) 988-3162

Per state laws, the district attorney's office must respond to the request within 120 days. Note that you are entitled to a hearing if the district attorney objects to your request.

Multnomah County Arrest Warrants

Multnomah County arrest warrants are legal directives that authorize law enforcement officers to bring an individual into custody. Court judges may issue arrest warrants upon receiving evidence of the subject's guilt. They may also issue warrants for these reasons:

• Violation of a restraining order
• Failure to appear in court

Arrest warrants in Multnomah County generally contain the record subject's name and aliases, crime description, and the court judge's name and signature.

Multnomah County Arrest Warrant Search

You can search for arrest warrants by contacting the county court at (971) 274-0545. Those with an active warrant must visit the Justice Center or the county sheriff's office.

Do Multnomah County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants do not expire in Multnomah County. They remain active until the court executes or withdraws them.