Although the state court system has no administrative control over local courts, state law requires the State Court Administrator to establish a registry of municipal and justice courts. Cities and counties must provide information about their courts to the State Court Administrator.
Since March 31, 2002, ORS 1.855 has required all Oregon cities with municipal courts and all Oregon counties with justice courts to provide registry information to the State Court Administrator. The statute also requires updated information be promptly forwarded each time there is a change in the court (creation, dissolution, modification) or with the judges. The registry is posted and maintained on this website.
Please note that one form is for court registration information and the other form is for judge registration information. Please complete and submit a separate form for each of your courts and for each person who serves as a judge in your court(s). For any first registration, however, you may attach one list with all relevant information on all your judges to one judge form and certify that form. The statutory requirement to provide the names of municipal or justice court judges applies whether the judge is elected or appointed.
Completed forms must be submitted to this office so there may be an original signature for the official file. Secondly, each form must be either signed and certified by your city attorney or city manager/administrator (if municipal court) or county administrator or county attorney (if justice court). This is a step that, we hope, helps prevent submission of unauthorized or inaccurate information about your court, as we do not have resources to verify each and every submittal or change. The website registry includes a disclaimer that we are posting information as provided.
If you have questions about the forms or process, please contact the Office of the State Court Administrator (OJD.muni-justice.registry@ojd.state.or.us or 503-986-5500).