In the state of Oregon, criminal records are one of the most important documents for business and the public in situations where they plan to enter into business arrangements, working relationships or contracts. The good news is that Oregon is an open records state. This means that all public related information is available to anyone who wishes to search it. However, it is important to consider options related to gathering these records since it is not always easy to do so.

Oregon criminal records are created at the time of arrest. When a person is arrested at any of the town, city, county or state offices, an arrest record is opened on the individual. These details are then sent to the state for management. Most records will contain information regarding the arrest, the charges faced, the court appearances and the outcome. This will include all misdemeanors and felony charges. The information included can be very comprehensive or it can be very limited, each situation is different.

The Police Public Records division maintains the Oregon criminal records available to the public for search. This agency creates and maintains these records. The Identification Services Section supervises this action. All of these agencies fall under the Attorney General's office. The agency does have the requirement of ensuring all data is accurate. Individuals who feel there is inaccurate information presented on his or her criminal record can request this information to be removed. To do so, individuals should contact the jurisdiction reporting the information to request a change.

There are many situations in which gathering criminal records are important. When it is necessary, individuals and businesses can do so by contacting the following address:

Open Records Section

Identification Services Section

3772 Portland Rd. NE

Salem, Oregon 97303

It is possible to make this request over the phone as well by calling 503 378-3070. There is a cost of $20 for each fingerprint card requested. Name searches are considered less accurate, but there is a fee for these of $10. If conducting a request for criminal records for an individual that a business is considered hiring, the applicant must first sign a waiver providing the business with consent to obtain these records. This is done by the potential employer and then the waiver is presented to the agency prior to obtaining the record.

Oregon public records are open to the public, but some information remains protected. Specifically, information related to juveniles (those under the age of 18) are unavailable. In addition, any type of record sealed by a court cannot be made accessible through this type of search. Individuals must gain permission from others prior to conducting some types of background checks that contain criminal records.

The state of Oregon does allow for general inquiries and name searches, but states these records may not be as complete as a fingerprint scan. Individuals who need information on others or wish to verify their own criminal record can submit a fingerprint sample at any law enforcement agency. Oregon criminal records can be very accurate in this case.

• Oregon Crime Reports & Statistics

• Oregon Sex Offender Registry Search