Chapter 51 — Chapter 51

ORS 51.010 Justice court defined; no terms of court; court always open for business. A justice court is a court held by a justice of the peace within the justice of the peace district for which the justice of the peace may be chosen. There are no particular terms of such court, but the same is always open for the transaction of business, according to the mode of proceeding prescribed for it

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ORS 51.020 Justice of the peace districts; establishing and modifying boundaries; maximum number of districts. (1) The county court or board of county commissioners of every county may set off and establish, or modify the boundaries of, justice of the peace districts within the county. No more than six justice of the peace districts shall be set off or established or permitted to remain in existence within any county

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ORS 51.025 Justice court as court of record. (1) Except as provided in subsection (7) of this section, any justice court may become a court of record by

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ORS 51.028 Justice court ceasing operation as court of record. (1) Any justice court that has become a court of record under ORS 51.025 may cease to operate as a court of record only if the governing body of the county in which the court is located files a declaration with the Supreme Court identifying the date on which the justice court will cease operation as a court of record. The date identified in the declaration may not be less than 31 days after the date the declaration is filed

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ORS 51.030 [Amended by 1963 c.614 §3; repealed by 1997 c.487 §2 and 1997 c.801 §106]

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ORS 51.035 Justice of peace as municipal judge. Except as provided in ORS 3.136, any city situated wholly or in largest part within the boundaries of a justice of the peace district may enter into an agreement pursuant to ORS 190.010 with the county in which the justice of the peace district is located providing that the justice court for the district shall have all judicial jurisdiction, authority, powers, functions and duties of the municipal court of the city and the judges thereof with respect to all or any violations of the charter or ordinances of the city. [1975 c.713 §1]

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ORS 51.037 Agreement between city and county for provision of judicial services. Any city may enter into an agreement pursuant to ORS 190.010 with the county in which a justice of the peace district is located for the provision of judicial services. A justice of the peace providing services to a city pursuant to such an agreement shall have all judicial jurisdiction, authority, powers, functions and duties of the municipal court of the city and the judges thereof with respect to all and any violations of the charter or ordinances of the city. Unless the agreement provides otherwise, and subject to the provisions of ORS 153.640 to 153.680, all fines, costs and forfeited security deposits collected shall be paid to the prosecuting city, and the city shall reimburse the county providing judicial services for expenses incurred under the agreement. The exercise of jurisdiction under such an agreement by a justice of the peace shall not constitute the holding of more than one office. [1989 c.679 §2; 1999 c.1051 §243; 2011 c.597 §120]

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ORS 51.040 [Amended by 1971 c.743 §312; 1979 c.777 §43; 1987 c.907 §13; repealed by 1999 c.605 §8 and 1999 c.1051 §42]

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ORS 51.050 Criminal jurisdiction. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, in addition to the criminal jurisdiction of justice courts already conferred upon and exercised by them, justice courts have jurisdiction of all offenses committed or triable in their respective counties. The jurisdiction conveyed by this section is concurrent with any jurisdiction that may be exercised by a circuit court or municipal court

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ORS 51.053 Transfer to circuit court. (1) In any justice court that has not become a court of record under ORS 51.025, a defendant charged with a misdemeanor shall be notified immediately after entering a plea of not guilty of the right of the defendant to have the case transferred to the circuit court for the county in which the justice court is located. The election must be made within 10 days after the plea of not guilty is entered, and upon the election the justice court shall immediately transfer the case to the circuit court

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ORS 51.055 Notice to Department of State Police of conviction; rules. (1) A justice or municipal court shall notify the Department of State Police when the justice or municipal court enters a judgment of conviction for a Class A misdemeanor

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ORS 51.060 [Amended by 1957 c.644 §27; 1971 c.743 §314; repealed by 1999 c.605 §8 and 1999 c.1051 §42]

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ORS 51.070 [Amended by 1973 c.836 §328; repealed by 2025 c.268 §35]

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ORS 51.075 Civil jurisdiction. (1) A justice court has jurisdiction, but not exclusive jurisdiction, of the following civil actions

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ORS 51.080 [Amended by 1973 c.625 §2; 1979 c.447 §1; 1983 c.149 §2; 1989 c.839 §34; 1993 c.735 §10; 1997 c.801 §107; 1999 c.84 §4; 2007 c.71 §13; 2007 c.125 §4; 2011 c.595 §52a; repealed by 2025 c.268 §35]

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ORS 51.090 [Amended by 1983 c.673 §9; 2003 c.14 §22; 2011 c.262 §5; 2019 c.213 §14; repealed by 2025 c.268 §35]

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ORS 51.100 Where action may be commenced in civil cases. (1) Except as provided in this section, a civil action subject to the jurisdiction of a justice court must be commenced in the county where one of the parties resides

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ORS 51.105 Recording and reporting of proceedings. (1) In any proceeding conducted in open court in a justice court, any party may arrange for audio recording or reporting of the proceeding by stenographic or other means. The court may not prohibit recording or reporting of the proceeding under this section

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ORS 51.107 Adverse party contact information. (1)(a) When entering a judgment in an action for a violation or a misdemeanor, a justice court shall, by including a notification in the judgment document or by another effective manner, notify the defendant that the defendant may request the name and contact information of the government official or entity upon which service of a notice of appeal is required under ORS 55.170, with instruction on how to make such a request

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ORS 51.110 [Repealed by 2025 c.268 §35]

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ORS 51.115 Case record. (1) The case record of a justice court consists of the docket as described in subsection (2) of this section and the case file as described in subsection (3) of this section

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ORS 51.120 [Amended by 1999 c.788 §43; 1999 c.1051 §244; repealed by 2025 c.268 §35]

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ORS 51.125 Keeping of case records. (1) The justice of the peace shall safely and securely keep all case records of the justice court described in ORS 51.115. The case records are public records for the purposes of ORS 192.311 to 192.478

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ORS 51.130 [Amended by 1995 c.658 §56; repealed by 2025 c.268 §35]

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ORS 51.140 Office, courtroom and clerical assistance; books, office equipment and supplies. The county court or board of county commissioners of the county in which the justice of the peace has been elected or appointed

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ORS 51.210 Each district to elect one justice. Each justice of the peace district shall elect one justice of the peace, who shall hold office for six years and until a successor is elected and qualified

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ORS 51.220 [Amended by 1961 c.724 §25; 1965 c.510 §21; repealed by 1997 c.487 §2 and 1997 c.801 §106]

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ORS 51.230 At what election justice to be elected. The election at which a justice of the peace shall be elected shall be the general election or, if applicable, the election specified in ORS 249.088 next preceding the expiration of the term of the incumbent of the office. [Amended by 1991 c.719 §3]

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ORS 51.240 Qualifications for office. (1) As a qualification for the office

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ORS 51.245 Continuing education. (1) Each justice of the peace who is not a licensee of the Oregon State Bar shall attend or participate in a minimum of 30 hours of educational programs every two calendar years. The programs shall be those conducted and supervised or approved by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or designee

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ORS 51.250 Time when term begins; filing certificate of election, oath of office and undertaking. The term of office of a justice of the peace shall commence on the first Monday in January next following election. Before entering upon the duties of office, the person elected thereto shall qualify by filing with the county clerk of the county wherein the person is elected

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ORS 51.260 Filling vacancy; temporary appointment; appointment during justice’s vacation. (1) If a vacancy occurs in the office of justice of the peace, the Governor immediately shall appoint some person possessing the qualifications for election to that office to fill the vacancy until the next general election and until such appointee’s successor is elected and qualified. The person appointed to fill the vacancy shall qualify in the same manner as a person elected to the office

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ORS 51.270 [Repealed by 2019 c.426 §1]

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ORS 51.280 [Repealed by 2019 c.426 §1]

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ORS 51.290 [Repealed by 1953 c.306 §18]

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ORS 51.300 Temporary service by circuit court judge or other justice of the peace. A judge of the circuit court for a county, or any justice of the peace for a justice court district located within the county, may exercise the powers and duties of justice of the peace of any justice court in the county

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ORS 51.310 Schedule of fees; payment of fees to county treasurer. (1) Except as provided in ORS 105.130, the justice of the peace shall collect, in advance except in criminal cases, and issue receipts for, the following fees

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ORS 51.340 Monthly report of fines collected. Justices of the peace in each county shall report to the county treasurer once in each month the amount of all fines collected by them, from whom collected, and what the fine was for, and at the same time pay to the county treasurer in money the full amount of the fines collected. If the justices of the peace have collected no fines, they shall report that fact to the county treasurer

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ORS 51.350 [Repealed by 1983 c.77 §1 and 1983 c.310 §21]

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ORS 51.360 [Repealed by 1983 c.77 §1 and 1983 c.310 §21]

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ORS 51.410 [Repealed by 1965 c.624 §12]

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ORS 51.440 [Amended by 1965 c.624 §1; 1971 c.136 §1; 1995 c.658 §59; repealed by 2015 c.212 §19]

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ORS 51.450 [Amended by 1965 c.624 §3; 1983 c.83 §3; 1995 c.658 §60; repealed by 2015 c.212 §19]

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ORS 51.460 [Amended by 1965 c.624 §4; 1995 c.658 §61; repealed by 2015 c.212 §19]

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ORS 51.470 [Amended by 1965 c.624 §5; 1995 c.658 §62; repealed by 2015 c.212 §19]

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ORS 51.480 [Repealed by 2015 c.212 §19]

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ORS 51.490 [Amended by 1965 c.624 §6; repealed by 2015 c.212 §19]

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ORS 51.500 [Amended by 1965 c.624 §7; repealed by 2015 c.212 §19]

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ORS 51.520 [Repealed by 1953 c.306 §18]

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ORS 51.530 [Amended by 1965 c.624 §8; repealed by 1973 c.393 §4]

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