Court records that are not confidential or sealed are available to the public. Court staff is responsible for maintaining all documents in the local court files and assists the public with requests for copies of court documents. Record requests are handled on a first come, first serve basis.
Documents in newer court cases can be reviewed using the kiosk computers in the court house lobby. Older case files that have not been digitized can be reviewed by requesting the file be retrieved.
Adoption and Juvenile cases are confidential. Access to these cases is limited. For information about requesting copies, please
contact the court.
What are the fees for Copies and when are they due?
- Hard Copies are .25 cents per page.
- Electronic copies are $3.00 per request, plus an additional .20 cents per page, if the file has not previously been scanned.
- Faxed copies are $2.00 for the first page, and $1.00 for each additional page.
- Certified copies are $5.00 per document plus .25 center per page.
- Exemplified copies are $10.00 per document plus .25 cents per page.
- Postage varies and will be calculated by the court clerk.
All fees must be paid in full before copies are made. Payment of the fees can be made by cash, check, cashier check, money order, Visa or Mastercard.
To request copies online
To request copies by mail
Send a completed Copy Request Form to:
Columbia County Circuit Court
230 Strand Street
Saint Helens, OR 97051
If you are unable to print the copy request form, please include the following information in your request:
- The complete name of the person or persons involved
- The case number
- The specific documents you are requesting (or entire case file)
- How you want to receive the documents (electronic/emailed copy, or hard copy)
- State whether or not you want each document certified, or just regular copies
- Your name, phone number, and address, so we may contact you for payment
What is the difference between regular, certified, and exemplified copies?
- Copies are a photocopy of any document in a file.
- Certified copies are photocopies of a filed document in its entirety (everything within a staple) that is sworn to be a true copy by a court clerk. The certified copy should not be taken apart, as once the staple is removed the certification becomes invalid.
- Exemplified copy, also called a 3-way certificate, is a photocopy of a pleading in its entirety that is sworn to by the Trial Court Administrator (TCA). The signature of the TCA is then sworn to by the presiding judge. The TCA then swears to the authenticity of the presiding judge’s signature.
When should I receive my copies?
Generally, copies are available for pick-up or are mailed within 10-17 business days after receipt of payment. Requests are processed in the order they are received. Payment in full must be received before the request is processed.