Multnomah Public Records

Multnomah County was founded in 1854 and is home to the major city of Portland. The Multnomah Circuit Court maintains all court records, civil and criminal, which are available to the public unless sealed by a judge. Multnomah County vital records, like birth and death certificates, marriage and divorce records, are initially recorded by Multnomah County Vital Records, although after six months, these records must be obtained from the Oregon Department of Human Services.

The Multnomah County Recorder’s Office maintains both recent and historic Multnomah County public records, including some court records, probate records, marriage records and military discharge records, which are housed in the public research room. At present, public records for Multnomah County must be requested in person, by telephone or by mail, except for vital records that can be ordered online through VitalChek.

Multnomah County birth records are restricted to authorized individuals unless they are older than 100 years. These records may be requested online, in person or by mail.

Multnomah County death records, marriage and divorce records are restricted for 50 years. These may also be requested online, in person or by mail.

Multnomah County court records may be viewed and copied at the courthouse only. There is a public access terminal available to help you search for specific court records. There will be a small fee for any copies made.

Historic Multnomah public records can be accessed at the public research room in the Multnomah Building, at the Oregon State Archives, or through the Oregon Department of Human Services.

About Multnomah County Public Records

Military discharge records and vital records are protected in Oregon, meaning that only certain individuals may access these files. Authorized individuals for vital records include the person of record, a family member or guardian, or an individual with a legal reason. After a certain period of time has passed, however, these rules are lifted. Other Oregon public records are widely available to individuals, despite the vital records restrictions. Court documents are part of public records in Multnomah County available to anyone.

Perform a Multnomah County Free Public Records Search

A Multnomah County free public records search can be conducted at the courthouse through the public access terminal, at the Oregon State Archives, and at the Multnomah County public research room. The only Multnomah, OR public records that aren’t free are vital records.

Searching Multnomah County Public Records Online

Most of the records maintained by Multnomah County are not available online. However, the Oregon Department of Human Service, which holds vital records, allows online access through VitalChek. Otherwise, searching public records online for Multnomah County, Oregon is limited at this time. The Oregon State Archives allows online inventory searches by county so you will have an idea of the types of Multnomah County gov public records that are available before making a trip to Salem.