Deschutes County
Deschutes County, Oregon's youngest county, was created in 1916. It was named after the Deschutes River and has a land area of 3,018 square miles and 37 square miles of water. As of the 2020 census, Deschutes County had a population of 198,253. Bend is the county’s largest city and county seat.
The Deschutes County court system comprises the following:
- The Deschutes County Juvenile Court - hears juvenile matters, including juvenile delinquency, emancipation, and commitment of minors to mental institutions
- The Bend Municipal Court is the only municipal court in Deschutes County. It has jurisdiction over municipal ordinance violations and traffic infractions in the City of Bend
- The Deschutes County Justice Court - hears traffic and municipal ordinance violations in the county. It also handles some criminal cases and small claims civil cases involving less than $5,000
- The Deschutes County Circuit Court - handles cases beyond the jurisdiction of municipal and justice courts. It hears civil cases without financial limits as well as criminal cases. It also handles probate and domestic matters such as dissolution of marriage, separation, adoption, appointment of guardianship, and admission of wills
In Deschutes County, court filings, transcripts, court rulings, and other court information are documented as public court records, provided they are not confidential. The Deschutes County Clerk keeps these records up to date. The Clerk's Office arranges, indexes, presents, and keeps them safe in compliance with county and state laws and rules. Applications for public court records in Deschutes County must be made to the office of the county’s Clerk’s.
The Deschutes County Clerk’s Office makes the records generated from the following available:
- Criminal Cases
- Traffic Cases
- Probate Cases
- Civil Cases
- Family Law Cases
Individuals can request non-confidential court records from the Deschutes County Circuit Court via mail or in person. The request letter, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and appropriate fee should be mailed to:
Deschutes County Circuit Court
Attn: File Room Department
11000 NW Bond Street
Bend, Oregon 97703
Oregon law permits the court to charge up to $3 per page for original transcripts and $0.25 per page for additional copies of transcripts and other court records. The public can also search for Deschutes County Circuit Court public records online using the portal provided by the Oregon Judicial Department. Click on the "Advanced Filtering Option" and choose Deschutes County from the list of counties under the "Filter by Location" tab to restrict the search to only public court records in Deschutes County. The portal allows users to search by record number or name.
