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Courthouse Security

Security at the Courthouse — What You Need to Know

security guard


Security at the Courthouse is provided by Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. Security equipment in use at the Courthouse includes magnetometers (walk-through metal detectors), x-ray scanners, and hand held metal detectors. If you have a pacemaker, tell the security officer about it before you enter the metal detector. The security screening process can create long lines of people waiting to enter the courthouse during peak hours, so please keep this in mind when you plan your visit.


Prohibited Items

The main objective of Courthouse security is to maintain a safe and secure environment for everyone in the building. Everyone’s cooperation is needed in order to achieve this very important goal. Weapons of any kind are strictly prohibited and may be confiscated. Among items prohibited from court facilities are guns, knives, ammunition, pepper spray, mace, razor blades, illegal drugs and any other type of dangerous or hazardous material or property. A variety of items may be prohibited because they are hazardous or could be used as potential weapons. These include any object that is sharp, pointed or with a cutting blade regardless of length.

Courthouse security will not hold unauthorized items for return later. Any prohibited item that is brought to the courthouse will be taken from you and permanently destroyed.

 If you are unsure if an item is allowed or not, the safest option is to not bring it into the courthouse.


The prohibited items listed below are not intended to be all-inclusive and will be updated as necessary.

Personal Items
  • Cameras/Audio recording devices
  • Glass to include bottles and jars
  • Handcuffs/Keys/Restraints
  • Lock picks
  • P-38 Can opener
  • Rope/Chain over 12'
  • All others fitting this category
Drugs/Controlled Substances
  • Drugs (including marijuana)
  • Drug paraphernalia
  • Syringes (non-medical reasons)
  • All others fitting this category
Flammables/Explosives
  • Aerosol Sprays
  • Explosives of any kind
  • Flammables of any kind
  • Hazardous materials of any kind
  • All others fitting this category
Actual Firearms
  • Actual firearms of any kind
  • Actual Ammunition of any kind
Replica Firearms - Including toy guns or ammunition
  • Replica or toy firearms
  • Replica or toy ammunition
  • All others fitting this category
Potential impact weapons
  • Baseball bats
  • Flashlights (3-cell or larger) 
  • Sporting sticks
  • Walking sticks
  • All others fitting this category
Designed impact weapons 
  • Billy Clubs
  • Kubatons
  • All others fitting this category
Edged/Sharp objects including tools
  • Box cutter/Utility knife/Razor Blade
  • Metal utensils
  • Hand/Power tools
  • All others fitting this category
Edged/Sharp weapons or items designed to be used as a weapon
  • Knives of any kind
  • Sharp weapons
  • All others fitting this category
Other
  • OC/Pepper spray 
  • Electronic stun devices/Tasers