Portland, Oregon · PPB police records + Multnomah County jail + Oregon criminal court cases
Trace a Portland Arrest From Police Contact to Jail Booking and Court Outcome
Portland arrest information is split across agencies. Portland Police Bureau creates city arrest and incident reports, Multnomah County Sheriff operates the jail and booking system, and Oregon Judicial Department maintains the criminal court record.
This guide shows which system to use for a recent arrest, older police contact, custody status, warrant, court outcome, security release, statewide Oregon criminal history, record correction and criminal set aside.
PORTLAND RECORD ROUTER
VERIFYING
MULTNOMAH CRIMINAL CASE
DISPOSITION
ARREST + CASE VERIFIED
A Portland Police arrest is not automatically a jail booking—and a booking is not a conviction.
PPB’s arrest data includes some citations in lieu of physical arrest. Always verify custody separately through Multnomah County Sheriff and final charges through the court.
Police name record
PPB local report-contact search: $2/person.
Current custody
Multnomah County adult-in-custody search.
Free court lookup
OJD basic case and calendar search.
Security release
Generally 10% of ordered security.
Oregon history
OSP criminal-history request: $33.
Choose the right record
Five Portland records answer five different arrest questions
PORTLAND POLICE
What did PPB document?
Request the police arrest, incident or offense report and related releasable records.
Best for the officer-created narrative.
MCSO BOOKING
Is the person in jail?
Use Multnomah County Sheriff for booking, custody, charges, housing and SWIS information.
MCDC is the county booking/release location.
OJD COURT CASE
What did prosecutors file?
Search Oregon courts for the criminal case, register of actions, hearing dates and outcome.
The court record is the key disposition source.
PPB NAME RECORD
Need local PPB contacts?
The $2 PPB name record lists contacts for which Portland Police created a police report.
It is not statewide criminal history.
OREGON STATE POLICE
Need statewide history?
OSP operates Oregon’s central criminal-history repository.
Public access is limited by Oregon law.
Multnomah County custody
Search for someone booked after a Portland arrest
Multnomah County Sheriff operates two correctional facilities. The Multnomah County Detention Center downtown is the county’s booking and release location; an adult in custody may later be housed at Inverness Jail.
Search the legal booking name
Check spelling, middle name and suffix carefully.
Open every plausible result
Do not rely on a common name by itself.
Save the SWIS ID
Multnomah County uses the SWIS identifier for jail mail and other custody tasks.
Record the booking charges
Treat them as allegations tied to custody, not as final convictions.
Check the current housing facility
The person may be downtown at MCDC or at Inverness.
Check release/security information
One case or hold can affect release even if another charge has security available.
Finish with the Oregon court case
Search OJD to determine the formal filed charges and later disposition.
Multnomah County Detention Center
1120 SW Third Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
Phone:
503-988-3689
Local Portland history
Know what the $2 Portland Police name-record search actually covers
This is not a criminal-history report. PPB says its name record only lists contacts between the individual and Portland Police for which a police report was created.
Current fee
$2 per individual.
Coverage
Portland Police report contacts.
Does not replace
Oregon State Police statewide criminal-history check.
Submit through Portland’s Public Records Request Center
The PPB Records Division no longer maintains a public counter for ordinary records service.
Include valid picture identification for your own name record
A hardcopy, scan or digital photograph is accepted with the request.
Third-party requests also use the records portal
Give enough identifying information to distinguish the subject.
Request certification when needed
PPB can certify the record as a true copy upon request.
Booking decoder
Read the Multnomah jail result without misreading the case
Booking information is different from a court disposition
| Field |
What it tells you |
What it does not prove |
Next check |
| SWIS ID |
Sheriff identity number for custody purposes. |
Final criminal outcome. |
Save for jail services and identity matching. |
| Booking name |
Name used when the person entered custody. |
That it is the person’s preferred or true name. |
Compare DOB and court record. |
| Charge |
Allegation or hold attached to booking. |
What prosecutors ultimately filed. |
Search OJD case. |
| Housing |
Current jail facility. |
That the person will remain there. |
Recheck before visiting. |
| Security/bail |
Court-ordered release security when applicable. |
That another hold cannot prevent release. |
Verify every case. |
| Released |
County custody ended. |
That the prosecution ended. |
Find final disposition. |
Identity verification
Make sure the Portland record belongs to the correct person
Full legal name matches
Middle name or suffix is consistent
Date of birth matches
SWIS ID is recorded
Booking/arrest date matches
Portland Police report number matches
Court case belongs to same defendant
Disposition matches the same charge/case
Never identify someone by name alone. Use at least two independent identifiers before publishing an allegation, sending money or making a consequential decision.
No-result troubleshooting
Why a Portland arrest might not appear in the jail search
PPB issued a citation in lieu of jail booking
Portland’s arrest statistics expressly include citations in lieu of arrest.
The person has already been released
Move to PPB records and Oregon court records.
The booking is still processing
Search again after intake information has been entered.
Another law-enforcement agency made the arrest
Port of Portland Police, Oregon State Police, Gresham Police or another agency may own the report.
The event occurred outside Multnomah County
Search the actual booking county.
The defendant was summoned rather than jailed
A criminal case may exist without a physical booking.
The name was entered differently
Check aliases, prior names and spelling variations.
The record is protected or set aside
Confidential or sealed records may not appear in ordinary public systems.
Custody verification script
I am trying to confirm whether [full legal name], date of birth [date], was booked into Multnomah County custody following an arrest on [date]. Can you confirm current custody, release or transfer status and the correct SWIS ID if publicly releasable?
Portland criminal-case path
Follow the arrest from PPB contact to the court disposition
Police arrest or citation
Portland Police or another law-enforcement agency creates the initial investigative record.
County booking when custodial
Multnomah County Detention Center handles county booking and release.
Release decision
Release can involve recognizance, conditions, security release or continued detention depending on the case and court order.
District Attorney review
Multnomah County prosecutors determine what state charges proceed.
Arraignment
The court advises the defendant of the filed charges and sets later proceedings and release conditions.
Criminal docket
Motions, hearings, amended charging decisions and plea activity appear in the court record.
Disposition
Each count may end differently—dismissal, acquittal, plea, conviction or another authorized result.
Correction or set aside
Inaccuracies can be corrected; eligible Oregon records may later qualify for a statutory set aside.
Portland Police records
Request the arrest or incident report from PPB
Portland Police Bureau Records Division
1111 SW 2nd Avenue, Room 1126
Portland, OR 97204
Public Records Unit:
503-823-0756
Automated records information:
503-823-0041
The Records Division no longer offers an ordinary in-person public counter. Portland generally requires public-record requests through the online portal or by mailed request rather than by phone or email.
Confirm PPB was the responding or arresting agency
The Multnomah court does not hold the original police investigative report.
Request specific documents
Ask for the arrest report, incident/offense report and identified supplements rather than “everything.”
Include precise identifiers
Provide subject name, date of birth if appropriate, event date, location and police report number when known.
Watch the request center for an invoice
The same online account is used to respond to questions, pay invoices and download completed records.
Ask for a fee estimate on a broad request
Portland can charge for locating, reviewing, redacting and reproducing public records.
Follow up after three weeks when necessary
PPB tells requesters who have had no response after more than three weeks to contact the Public Records Unit at 503-823-0756.
Police records can contain exempt material. PPB specifically identifies examples such as juvenile information, child or elder abuse information, physical or mental health information, certain personal information and material related to an ongoing investigation.
Copy-ready PPB request
I request an electronic copy of the releasable arrest report, incident/offense report and specifically identified supplements concerning [full legal name] for the incident on [date] at [location]. Known identifiers are PPB report number [number], Multnomah SWIS ID [number] and Oregon court case number [number]. Please contact me before processing if the estimated cost exceeds $[amount].
Oregon court records
Use the free Oregon case search before paying for court records
Free Online Records Search
Provides basic public case information and court dates for Oregon circuit courts.
Some confidential or legally restricted cases do not appear.
Open free Oregon Records Search
OJCIN OnLine
Paid subscription service with broader Register of Actions and judgment-record access across Oregon courts.
Not every subscriber receives document access.
Open OJCIN OnLine
Search the defendant’s name
Narrow by Multnomah County and criminal case information.
Use the exact case number once found
Save it before moving between jail, court and records systems.
Read the Register of Actions chronologically
Do not treat the first charging entry as the final result.
Compare arrest charges with filed charges
They may differ after prosecutor review.
Check each count independently
One count can be dismissed while another is resolved differently.
Use the Records Department for formal copies
The official court record remains with the court where the case was filed.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Records
1200 SW 1st Avenue, Room 3315
Portland, OR 97204
Phone:
971-274-0570
Phone assistance: Monday–Friday, 8:30–10:30 a.m. and 1:30–4:00 p.m.
Walk-in records counter: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Email:
MUL.Records@ojd.state.or.us
Multnomah court copy costs
Choose regular, certified or exemplified copies
Current Multnomah County court-record copy fees
| Copy/service |
Current charge |
Best use |
| Regular copy by email |
$3 per case request |
Ordinary reference copy. |
| Regular printed copy |
$3/request + $0.25/page |
Paper court file copy. |
| Certified copy by email |
$5 per document |
Formal electronically certified court proof. |
| Certified printed copy |
$5 certification + $0.25/page |
Wet-seal/printed certification when required. |
| Exemplified copy by email |
$10 per document |
Higher-level certification when specifically required. |
| Exemplified printed copy |
$10 + $0.25/page |
Printed triple certification. |
| Court audio |
$10 per case/request |
Audio recording of a hearing; physical CD adds $1. |
Multnomah County’s current records fee sheet says that when the total copy order is under $5, there is no fee under the applicable Chief Justice Order.
Before ordering certification, ask the receiving employer, licensing body, court or agency whether it accepts an electronically certified document or requires a printed wet-seal copy.
Current warrant verification
Multnomah County does not require guessing from an old docket entry
For warrant information, Multnomah County Circuit Court directs people to call 971-274-0545, option 5.
Find the related criminal case first
Use Oregon’s free case search when possible.
Read the newest docket entries
An older warrant order can later be served, recalled or resolved.
Call the criminal court
Have the case number or the defendant’s first name, last name and possibly date of birth ready.
Call 971-274-0545
Check jail custody
A warrant may already have resulted in a Multnomah County booking.
If the warrant concerns you, contact your attorney
The court advises represented defendants to speak with counsel about their options.
Multnomah County states that a person choosing to turn themselves in may do so at the downtown jail or at a local police agency, but not every police location is staffed 24 hours a day.
Do not confront another person because you believe they have a warrant.
Oregon security release
Understand the 10% Multnomah County security-release system
When the judge orders monetary security release, Multnomah County generally requires 10% of the total security amount for release.
Example
$10,000 security → $1,000 security-release deposit.
Court retention
15% of the amount posted, minimum $5 and maximum $750.
Failure to appear
The court can forfeit the deposit and impose a judgment for the full security amount.
Confirm every current charge and hold
Do not pay based on a single booking line.
Confirm the latest court order
A judge can increase or decrease security.
For in-person posting, use the Justice Center
MCSO states bail may be posted at 1120 SW Third Avenue 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays.
Self-bail can use the Sheriff’s approved TouchPay route
MCSO facility number: 297204.
Inverness accepts self-bail during a limited daily window
The Sheriff currently lists 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Keep the bail receipt
Any refund is mailed after the case is closed or the security is exonerated, subject to deductions and court orders.
Refund warning: unless otherwise ordered, the court can apply security-release money toward financial obligations on that case and other Oregon court obligations, including child-support arrears.
Release scam warning: MCSO warns families not to pay people who claim they can obtain immediate jail release through a wire transfer, gift card, private payment link or other unofficial transfer.
First court appearance
Know what happens at Portland criminal arraignment
Multnomah County Justice Center
Third Floor
1120 SW Third Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
Arrive 30–45 minutes early
Oregon Judicial Department recommends allowing time for courthouse security and check-in.
Go to the third-floor Court Check-In window
The clerk will direct the defendant or observer to the appropriate courtroom.
Tell the clerk whether you need court-appointed counsel
Defendants may request appointed counsel, hire private counsel or represent themselves.
Confirm your name and date of birth
The courtroom defense attorney reviews the filed criminal charges with the defendant.
Tell the defense attorney immediately if information is incorrect
Identity or charge-description errors should be raised at the earliest practical stage.
Take the next court date before leaving
The courtroom clerk provides the next appearance date and necessary paperwork.
Current Justice Center arraignment pattern
| Courtroom |
Case type |
Published schedule |
| JC1 |
Misdemeanor arraignments |
Monday 9:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.; Tuesday 9:00 a.m. |
| JC3 |
Felony arraignments |
Monday–Friday at 9:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. |
| JC4 |
Misdemeanor/felony arraignments |
Monday–Tuesday 9:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.; misdemeanor Wednesday–Friday 9:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. |
Court calendars can change. Verify the defendant’s actual hearing time through the Oregon court calendar or by calling
971-274-0545, option 5.
Multnomah jail visitation
Know the difference between social and video visits
Staffing can affect weekend social visitation. MCSO currently tells visitors to call
503-988-3689 before traveling to confirm that social visitation is available.
Social visit
- Visitor must be on the adult in custody’s visitor list.
- Maximum three social visitors per visit.
- Children count toward the limit.
- Maximum two visit periods per weekend.
- Each social visit is currently limited to 30 minutes.
- Visits are first come, first served.
Securus video visit
- Schedule at least 24 hours ahead.
- Available from home or jail-lobby kiosks.
- Video visits are recorded and monitored.
- Kiosk visitors bring valid government photo ID.
- You do not have to be on the inmate visitor list for video visits.
MCSO’s current visitation page contains inconsistent text describing the exact video-visit duration. Use the duration displayed in the live Securus scheduling system for the slot you book.
Confirm the current jail facility
Recheck custody before traveling.
For social visitation, arrive early
MCSO recommends arriving 30–60 minutes before the visiting session.
Bring current government-issued photo ID
Driver license, state ID, military ID and passport are listed as accepted adult identification.
For video visits, register through Securus
Use the provider linked from MCSO.
Inmate mail
All ordinary inmate mail routes through Inverness Jail
Required ordinary-mail format
Inmate Mail
[Booked First Name] [Booked Last Name] – SWIS ID [number]
11540 NE Inverness Drive
Portland, OR 97220
Use the name the person was booked under and include the SWIS ID—even when that booking name is not the person’s true or preferred name.
Write “Inmate Mail” at the top
Use exact booked first and last name
Include SWIS ID
Use Inverness address regardless of housing facility
Include complete return address
Ordinary incoming mail is opened and inspected
Private-party packages are rejected
Legal mail should be clearly marked LEGAL MAIL
Books, magazines, calendars and notebooks must generally come directly from a publisher or approved commercial retailer. MCSO limits those items by size, binding and quantity.
Phone and inmate funds
Use Securus for calls and TouchPay for Multnomah trust deposits
Phone calls
- Members of the public cannot call directly into a housing unit.
- Personal calls are monitored and recorded.
- Three-way calls are prohibited.
- Personal calls are programmed for no more than 15 minutes.
- Securus handles billing and jail-phone accounts.
Securus support: 800-844-6591
Trust deposits
- TouchPay kiosk at the Justice Center: 24 hours.
- TouchPay kiosk at Inverness during lobby hours.
- Online TouchPay deposits are allowed.
- Telephone deposits: 866-232-1899.
- MCSO facility number: 297204.
Do not mail cash, personal checks, cashier’s checks or money orders for an inmate trust account. MCSO states those mailed payment types will be refused and the entire letter returned.
Government-issued, transfer and payroll checks use a separate Fiscal Unit mailing process. All trust-account transactions may be subject to a processing fee.
Property release
An adult in custody must authorize the property release first
The adult in custody completes a property-release form
Jail staff will not initiate the request for someone in the community.
The release is for all personal property
MCSO does not ordinarily release selected individual items from stored property.
Go to the Detention Center lobby
Pickup is handled at 1120 SW Third Avenue.
Bring government-issued picture ID
The recipient must match the authorized person.
| Day |
Published property-pickup windows |
| Monday–Friday |
10:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. or 3:00–10:30 p.m. |
| Saturday–Sunday |
7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. or 3:00–10:30 p.m. |
Prescription eyeglasses are the only outside property MCSO says its facilities routinely accept for delivery to an adult in custody, subject to approval.
Court-appointed counsel
Portland does not use one single county Public Defender intake office
Oregon’s public-defense system contracts with defense providers. The Multnomah court determines financial eligibility and assigns counsel to qualifying criminal defendants.
Ask for court-appointed counsel
A person charged with a crime who cannot afford an attorney may request appointment.
Complete the Affidavit of Eligibility
The court reviews income, expenses and ability to meet basic needs.
If not in custody, apply at the Justice Center Court Check-In window
It is on the third floor at 1120 SW Third Avenue.
Current walk-in application hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Court staff review the application under the court’s financial rules.
A fee or contribution may be ordered
The amount depends on the defendant’s financial circumstances and the court’s decision.
Victim assistance
Use the District Attorney for prosecution-side victim support
Multnomah County District Attorney – Victims Assistance
1200 SW 1st Avenue, Suite 5200
Portland, OR 97204
Victims Assistance:
503-988-3222
Main office:
503-988-3162
Case information
Victims receive information about rights, case status and disposition in prosecuted cases.
Victim advocate
Advocates are commonly assigned in felony and domestic-violence cases.
Restitution
Victims can submit loss information for restitution consideration.
Custody notification through VISOR
Oregon’s VISOR system can provide confidential notification when a registered adult in custody is released, transferred, escapes or dies.
Oregon state custody
Use Oregon DOC only after county custody moves into the state system
Use Oregon Offender Search for
- People sentenced to Oregon DOC custody
- State correctional location
- State offender information
- State supervision information where available
Do not use DOC alone for
- A new Portland arrest
- Multnomah County jail booking
- Portland Police incident report
- The certified Multnomah conviction record
- A complete Oregon criminal-history check
Oregon statewide criminal history
OSP provides two very different $33 criminal-history products
Copy of your own Oregon record
- Fingerprint based
- $33 OSP fee
- Results mailed only to the person whose record it is
- Generally processed in 7–10 business days, plus mailing
- Cannot reuse fingerprints already on file
Someone else’s Oregon Open Record
- Name based
- $33 per request
- Oregon only
- Subject is notified of the request and requester
- Statutory 14-day waiting period applies
What the public Open Record reports
Oregon’s public Open Record service is intentionally limited. It reports qualifying conviction information and arrests less than one year old when there has not been an acquittal or dismissal. It is not a universal list of every arrest ever associated with the person.
For another person’s record, collect required identity information
OSP requests full name, DOB, current/last-known address and Social Security number when available.
For your own record, obtain fingerprints
Use an FD-258 fingerprint card that meets OSP’s completeness requirements.
Mail your own-record packet to OSP
Include the form, fingerprint card and $33 fee.
Oregon State Police – CJIS
Unit 11
P.O. Box 4395
Portland, OR 97208-4395
Phone:
503-378-3070
OSP offers fingerprinting at its Salem headquarters for a separate current fee of $30, Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Correct an inaccurate record
Fix the database that actually contains the error
Compare the four core records
Review the PPB report, Multnomah custody data, Oregon court docket and OSP criminal history.
Identify the exact error
Wrong identity, DOB, charge, arrest date, duplicate event and missing disposition require different fixes.
Police-report error → originating law-enforcement agency
Court staff cannot rewrite the officer-created investigation.
Jail-data error → Multnomah County Sheriff
Save the SWIS ID and booking information.
Court error → Multnomah County Circuit Court
Ask for the correct or amended court document.
State criminal-history error → Oregon State Police
Use your fingerprint-based own-record process to verify what OSP has associated with you.
Recheck downstream systems
A source correction does not necessarily appear instantly everywhere else.
Correction is not a set aside. Correction fixes inaccurate information. An Oregon set aside seals an otherwise accurate qualifying criminal record after a court grants relief.
Oregon criminal set aside
Use Multnomah County’s local process to seal an eligible arrest or conviction
Oregon commonly calls this process an expungement, but the statutory procedure is a Motion to Set Aside. Not every arrest or conviction qualifies.
Multnomah County’s Set Asides Unit handles requests to seal criminal records under Oregon law. Eligibility depends on factors such as offense type, severity, required waiting period, pending matters and completion of obligations including probation, fines and restitution.
Determine whether the arrest or conviction is eligible
Review the current statewide instructions and ORS 137.225 before filing.
Find every case you want sealed
Multnomah County instructs applicants to list all arrests and convictions they want included.
Complete the Motion to Set Aside with Declaration of Eligibility
Use the current OJD statewide criminal-set-aside form.
File it with Multnomah County Circuit Court
Include the correct case number for each matter.
Serve a copy on the Multnomah County District Attorney
Prosecutors review the motion before the judge acts.
Submit fingerprints to Oregon State Police
Follow OSP’s separate set-aside fingerprint instructions.
For a conviction set aside, include the OSP criminal-record-check requirement
The current OSP fee is $33.
Wait for the District Attorney’s review
The time varies with the details of the case.
If the DA objects, the court schedules a hearing
The applicant receives notice to appear.
If the DA does not object, the court prepares an order for judicial review
A judge still decides whether to grant the motion.
Keep the certified signed order
Multnomah County mails a certified copy to the applicant or representative after an approved order is signed.
Allow partner agencies time to seal their records
Multnomah County cannot give an exact timeline for every agency’s update.
Multnomah County Set Asides Unit
Email:
Mul.Set.Asides@ojd.state.or.us
Include your name and court case number when asking about an existing set-aside matter.
A successful set aside causes the official court record to be sealed and partner agencies are directed to seal their corresponding records. The process is different for juvenile matters and certain other case types.
Fastest route by goal
Use this Portland decision board
Arrest happened today
MCSO custody search → save SWIS ID → Oregon court search.
No jail booking appears
Check PPB report/contact record → court search → consider citation in lieu of arrest.
Need police narrative
Confirm arresting agency → submit a targeted police public-record request.
Need formal proof
Find case number → order a certified Multnomah court document.
Need statewide Oregon history
Use Oregon State Police rather than combining county searches.
Want record sealed
Check eligibility → Motion to Set Aside → serve DA → fingerprints/OSP → judicial order.
Portland arrest-record FAQs
Portland police and court record questions answered
How do I search Portland Oregon arrest records?
For a recent custodial arrest, start with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s adult-in-custody search, then verify the case through Oregon Judicial Department. Use Portland Police Records when you need the police-created arrest or incident report.
How do I find someone arrested in Portland who is currently in jail?
Use the MCSO adult-in-custody search. Multnomah County Detention Center is the county booking and release location, but the person may later be housed at Inverness Jail.
Does every Portland Police arrest appear in the county jail search?
No. PPB’s arrest data includes citations in lieu of arrest. Some police arrest/citation events therefore do not produce a Multnomah County jail booking.
How much is a Portland Police name-record check?
PPB currently lists the Name Record/Background Check at $2 per individual. It covers PPB contacts for which a police report was created, not statewide Oregon criminal history.
How do I request a Portland Police arrest report?
Submit the request through Portland’s Public Records Request Center or by mail to PPB Records Division. Include the subject, incident date, location, police report number and precise records requested.
How do I find the final outcome of a Portland arrest?
Use Oregon’s free Online Records Search for the criminal case, review the Register of Actions and obtain a certified Multnomah County court document when formal proof is needed.
How do I check a Multnomah County warrant?
Call Multnomah County Circuit Court at 971-274-0545, option 5. Have the case number or the defendant’s first name, last name and possibly DOB ready.
How much security release must be posted?
When monetary security release is ordered, Multnomah County generally requires a 10% deposit of the total security amount. Another hold or court condition can still prevent release.
How much is an Oregon State Police criminal-history check?
OSP currently charges $33 for a fingerprint-based copy of your own Oregon criminal history and $33 for its limited Open Record search on another individual.
Can a Portland arrest or conviction be expunged?
Some qualifying Oregon criminal records can be sealed through a Motion to Set Aside under ORS 137.225. Multnomah County requires applicants to use the current statewide forms, file with the court, serve the District Attorney and complete the applicable Oregon State Police fingerprint/background process.