Union County Court Records
How To Find Court Records in Union County in 2026
Members of the public seeking court records in Union County, Oregon, may access publicly available case information through several official channels. UnionORRecords.us provides a directory of resources and publicly available information related to court records in the region. Records available through official sources may include case filings, docket entries, hearing schedules, judgments, and related court documents, subject to applicable access restrictions under Oregon law.
Court records that may be located through official channels include:
- Civil case filings and judgments
- Criminal case dockets and disposition records
- Family law matters, including dissolution and custody proceedings
- Probate filings and estate records
- Small claims case information
- Traffic and infraction records
- Appellate case information
Court records in Union County may be searched through the following methods:
1. Clerk of Court or Court Records Office The Union County Circuit Court Clerk's office maintains official case files and accepts in-person records requests. Requesters should provide the full case number, party name, or filing date to assist staff in locating records. Fees may apply for copies.
2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals Public access computer terminals are available at the Union County Courthouse during regular business hours. These terminals allow members of the public to search case information at no charge, though printed copies carry a per-page fee.
3. Online Court Search The Oregon Judicial Department's case search portal provides free online access to basic case information, court calendars, and docket entries for Oregon circuit courts, including Union County.
4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools The Oregon Judicial Department maintains a statewide tool to find a case or court record across all Oregon circuit courts, the Tax Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court.
5. Written or Mail Requests Members of the public may submit written requests to the Union County Circuit Court Records office. Requests must identify the case with sufficient specificity. Processing times and applicable fees vary based on the scope of the request.
Union County Circuit Court 1001 4th Street, Suite 26 La Grande, OR 97850 Phone: (541) 962-9500 Union County Circuit Court
Are Court Records Public In Union County
Court records in Union County are subject to public access under Oregon's Public Records Law, codified at ORS § 192.311 et seq., which establishes a general presumption that government records, including court records, are open to inspection by members of the public. The Oregon Judicial Department further governs access to court records through the Uniform Trial Court Rules and applicable Oregon Rules of Civil Procedure.
Records that are generally public include:
- Case docket entries and hearing schedules
- Party names and case numbers
- Filed complaints, petitions, and answers
- Court orders and final judgments
- Sentencing entries and probate decrees
- Civil and criminal case dispositions
Records that may be confidential, sealed, or restricted include:
- Juvenile court records, which are protected under ORS § 419A.255
- Adoption proceedings and related filings
- Mental health commitment records
- Records sealed by court order
- Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth in certain filings
- Expunged criminal records
A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While members of the public may inspect a broader range of records in person at the courthouse, online access through the Oregon Judicial Department's portal is limited to basic case information and docket summaries. Full document images are not available through the statewide online system for all case types.
What Are Court Records in Union County?
Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court in connection with judicial proceedings. In practical terms, a court record encompasses everything formally submitted to or generated by the court from the initial filing of a case through its final disposition and any subsequent appeal.
A docket entry is a chronological log of actions taken in a case, while a full case file contains the actual documents filed by parties and issued by the court. Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, whereas criminal court records document proceedings initiated by the state against an individual charged with a violation of law. Filed pleadings represent the initial and responsive documents submitted by parties, while final judgments are the court's authoritative resolution of the matter.
Public filings are those accessible to any member of the public under applicable law, while sealed or restricted filings have been removed from public access by court order or statute. Trial court records are maintained at the circuit court level, while appellate records are held by the Oregon Court of Appeals or the Oregon Supreme Court.
In Union County, the Circuit Court Clerk's office is the primary custodian of trial court records. The Oregon Judicial Department maintains statewide electronic systems that index case information across all Oregon circuit courts. Records are created at the time of filing, updated with each subsequent court action, and closed upon final disposition, though post-judgment filings may reopen a record.
What's Included in a Union County Court Record?
A court record in Union County may contain a range of documents and data entries depending on the case type and applicable public-access rules. The following categories of information may appear within a court record:
- Case identification: Case number, court name, division, and filing date
- Party information: Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and other named parties
- Case classification: Case type, such as civil, criminal, family, probate, or traffic, and current case status
- Docket entries: A chronological log of all filings, hearings, orders, and actions taken in the case
- Hearing information: Scheduled and past hearing dates, continuances, and courtroom assignments
- Filed documents: Motions, complaints, petitions, answers, notices, declarations, stipulations, and similar pleadings
- Court-issued documents: Orders, judgments, decrees, minute entries, and writs
- Outcome information: Dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
- Financial and administrative data: Filing fees, assessed costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly displayed
Certain categories of information are excluded or restricted from public court records. Sealed filings, expunged matters, juvenile case files, adoption records, and protected personal data such as financial account numbers and Social Security numbers are not available for public inspection. Some exhibits, particularly those containing sensitive personal information or subject to protective orders, may also be withheld from public access.
Types of Courts in Union County
Union County is served by the Union County Circuit Court, which is the court of general jurisdiction for the county under the Oregon unified trial court system. Oregon operates a single-level trial court system in which circuit courts handle the full range of civil, criminal, family, probate, juvenile, and small claims matters. There are no separate municipal or justice courts with independent record-keeping functions for most case types in Union County.
The Union County Circuit Court currently has two elected judges: Thomas B. Powers, Presiding Judge, and Jared D. Boyd, Circuit Court Judge. The court is located within the Union County Courthouse in La Grande, Oregon. The Circuit Court Clerk's office maintains the official record for all cases filed in the court.
What Types of Cases Do Union County Courts Hear
The Union County Circuit Court hears the following categories of cases:
- Criminal matters: Felonies, misdemeanors, and violations prosecuted by the state
- Civil matters: Contract disputes, personal injury claims, property disputes, and other civil litigation
- Family law: Dissolution of marriage, legal separation, custody, support, and domestic relations matters
- Probate: Estate administration, guardianship, and conservatorship proceedings
- Juvenile matters: Dependency, delinquency, and termination of parental rights cases, which are subject to confidentiality protections under ORS § 419A.255
- Small claims: Disputes involving limited monetary amounts resolved through a simplified process
- Traffic: Infractions, violations, and traffic-related criminal charges
- Appeals: The court also handles certain appeals from administrative agencies
For appellate matters beyond the circuit court level, cases proceed to the Oregon Court of Appeals and, where applicable, the Oregon Supreme Court.
How to Search Union County Court Records for Free?
Several methods for searching Union County court records are available at no cost to members of the public.
| Method | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| In-person inspection at courthouse | Free | No charge to view records |
| Public access terminals at courthouse | Free | Printing fees apply |
| OJD online case search | Free | Basic case info and dockets |
| Written request (inspection only) | Free | Copies carry a fee |
| Certified copies | Fee applies | Per-page and certification fee |
| Standard copies | Fee applies | Per-page fee |
Members of the public may inspect court records in person at the Union County Circuit Court Clerk's office without charge. The OJD Records and Calendar Search tool provides free online access to basic case information and court calendars. Public access terminals at the courthouse are also available at no cost for viewing records, though printed copies are subject to a per-page fee established under the Oregon Judicial Department's fee schedule.
Certified copies of court documents carry both a per-page copy fee and a certification fee. Under current Oregon Judicial Department fee schedules, copy fees are assessed on a per-page basis. Requesters seeking certified copies for legal purposes should contact the Circuit Court Clerk's office directly to confirm current fee amounts prior to submitting a request.
The Union County public records request procedure, maintained by Union County, provides additional guidance on submitting written requests for county-held records.
How Long Does Union County Keep Court Records?
The retention of court records in Oregon is governed by the Oregon Judicial Department's records retention schedules, which establish minimum retention periods by case type and record category. Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the proceeding and the type of document involved.
Under current Oregon judicial records retention policy:
- Felony criminal case files are retained permanently or for extended periods given the severity of the underlying matters
- Misdemeanor and violation case files are subject to shorter retention schedules, though specific periods vary
- Civil case files are retained based on the nature of the judgment and applicable statutory periods
- Probate records involving final decrees and estate matters are retained for extended periods
- Juvenile records are subject to separate retention and confidentiality rules under ORS § 419A.255
- Docket books and minute records may be retained permanently as part of the official court record
- Judgment records are retained for periods sufficient to satisfy applicable statutes of limitations on enforcement
Paper files may be destroyed after imaging, microfilming, or transfer to archival storage, provided the content is preserved in an accessible format. Older records may exist in paper files, microfilm, or county and state archives rather than in electronic systems. The distinction between destruction, archival retention, sealing, and expungement is significant: destruction removes the physical record, archival retention preserves it in a non-active repository, sealing restricts access without destroying the record, and expungement removes the record from public access pursuant to a court order under applicable Oregon law.
How To Find a Court Docket in Union County
A court docket is the official chronological index of all actions, filings, and proceedings in a specific case. It differs from a full case file in that it records what happened and when, rather than containing the full text of each filed document. A docket serves as the authoritative timeline of a case from initial filing through final disposition.
Dockets for Union County Circuit Court cases may be accessed through the following channels:
- OJD online case search: The Oregon Judicial Department's case search tool provides free access to basic docket information, including hearing dates, case status, and docket entries, for cases filed in Oregon circuit courts
- OJD Records and Calendar Search portal: The OJD Records and Calendar Search system provides access to court calendars and scheduled hearing information
- Courthouse public access terminals: Terminals located at the Union County Courthouse allow in-person docket searches
- Clerk's office: Members of the public may request docket information directly from the Circuit Court Clerk's office
To locate a docket through the OJD online system, a requester should navigate to the case search portal, select the Union County Circuit Court, and enter the case number, party name, or attorney name. The system returns a list of matching cases with associated docket entries.
A court docket typically contains hearing dates and times, continuances, motion filings, minute entries, order entries, and case status updates. A docket does not include the full text of filed documents, sealed entries, confidential attachments, or exhibits that have been restricted from public access. Motion calendars and daily hearing rosters may be separately available through the Union County Circuit Court records page or by contacting the Clerk's office directly.