Court portal, certified copy fees, and expungement laws for Oregon
In Oregon, an eviction record is created the moment a landlord files an FED (Forcible Entry and Detainer) action in the Circuit Court, the trial court that hears every residential eviction in the state. Unlike states where you must drive to a county clerk, Oregon offers genuinely statewide reach: filings from all 36 counties flow into one searchable system, the Oregon eCourt Case Information portal, so you can look up a case without leaving your desk.
The expungement picture is favorable for tenants here: sealing is available. Under ORS 105.157 and Oregon HB 2001 (2023), certain pandemic-era eviction records are eligible for sealing, and a tenant can petition the court to seal some FED records. That matters for screening, because a record that has been sealed should no longer surface or be used. Below we walk through how to find a record, how to read it, and what sealing means for both sides.
Start with the Oregon eCourt Case Information portal, the state's online window into Circuit Court dockets. Because access is statewide, one search covers every county rather than 36 separate clerk systems. Search by the tenant's name or, if you have it, the case number; FED filings are typically captioned as Forcible Entry and Detainer actions.
For anything not yet imaged online, the Circuit Court clerk's office in the county where the case was filed can pull the physical file.
The single most common screening mistake is treating any hit as a loss. A filing is not a judgment. Many FED cases are dismissed, settled, or decided for the tenant, and the docket will tell you which. Go to the disposition line in the register of actions before drawing any conclusion.
The average rent in Oregon is about $1,268, so the stakes on a mistaken read are real for both a renter who gets wrongly denied and a landlord who skips a careful tenant. Always match the full name and verify the disposition.
Sealing of eviction records is available in Oregon. ORS 105.157 lets a tenant petition to seal some FED records, and Oregon HB 2001 (2023) makes certain pandemic-era eviction records eligible for sealing. For a landlord running screening, that is a compliance line, not a suggestion: do not act on a record that has been sealed.
Two rule sets govern you. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs how a consumer reporting agency may report eviction data and how you must handle adverse action if you deny based on a report. On top of that, Oregon's state sealing law means a sealed FED case should drop out of a compliant tenant screening report. If a stale record still appears, treat it cautiously, verify its current status on the Oregon eCourt portal, and document your decision.
If you are a renter in Oregon, you have a real path to a clean record. ORS 105.157 allows sealing of some FED records by petition, and Oregon HB 2001 (2023) opened sealing for certain pandemic-era eviction records.
Once a record is sealed, a landlord or screening company should no longer surface or rely on it, which is precisely why sealing is worth pursuing.
Landlords and screening companies may not use sealed or expunged eviction records as a basis for adverse tenant-screening decisions in Oregon. Tenants who believe their records have been improperly used may have a civil claim under the applicable statute. If a tenant discloses an expunged eviction, you may ask for context but cannot deny housing based solely on the expunged record.
This page was prepared by the Eviction Risk Map research team using the Oregon Judicial Department's Circuit Court records system (Oregon eCourt Case Information) and the state's eviction-record sealing statutes, ORS 105.157 and Oregon HB 2001 (2023). Last reviewed June 2026. It is general information, not legal advice; confirm current court procedures and your sealing eligibility with the relevant Circuit Court or a licensed Oregon attorney before acting.
Use the Oregon eCourt Case Information portal, the statewide online search for Circuit Court dockets. Search by the tenant's name or case number, confirm it is an FED (Forcible Entry and Detainer) case, and open the register of actions to see the filing date and disposition. For records not yet online, the Circuit Court clerk in the county of filing can pull the physical file.
Yes. FED cases are filed in the Circuit Court and, in Oregon, are searchable statewide through the Oregon eCourt Case Information portal rather than county by county. The exception is a record that has been sealed under ORS 105.157 or HB 2001 (2023), which should no longer appear in a search or in a compliant screening report.
Yes, sealing is available. Under ORS 105.157 a tenant can petition the Circuit Court to seal some FED records, and Oregon HB 2001 (2023) makes certain pandemic-era eviction records eligible for sealing. Cases that were dismissed or decided in the tenant's favor are typically the strongest candidates. File the petition in the county where the case was heard.
The Circuit Court charges $0.25 per page for copies. You can identify the case for free on the Oregon eCourt Case Information portal, then request certified copies from the clerk of the Circuit Court that handled the FED action when you need an official paper version.
Court portal information sourced from the Oregon court administrative office official website. Expungement laws from published Oregon statutes (see citations above). Last updated July 14, 2026. For informational purposes only, not legal advice.
