Clackamas County, Oregon Court Filing
Fee Lookup

Court filing fees in Clackamas County, Oregon are collected by the Clackamas County Circuit Court in Oregon City according to Oregon's statutory fee schedule, plus any local surcharges authorized by county ordinance. With 421,401 residents and ranked one of Oregon's three largest jurisdictions by population, Clackamas County operates within the Circuit Court (civil/family/probate) / Justice Court / Small Claims Department and follows both the state's base fee requirements and its own local additions.

Clackamas County stretches from Portland's southern suburbs to the slopes of Mount Hood, offering an unusual blend of suburban commerce, historic Oregon Trail heritage at Oregon City, and world-class skiing at Timberline Lodge. These local economic characteristics shape the types of legal proceedings filed in Clackamas County — from probate of estates that include commercial property or business interests near Oregon City to civil disputes arising from the county's primary industries.

The Clackamas County Circuit Court handles the full range of case types for this community, with filing fees applying uniformly based on case type regardless of the underlying subject matter.

Clackamas County is known for landmarks including Mount Hood, Timberline Lodge, Clackamas Town Center. For residents and businesses in the areas surrounding these community anchors, knowing the applicable filing fees and court procedures in advance helps legal matters proceed efficiently at the Clackamas County Circuit Court in Oregon City.

• Filing fees in Clackamas County are based on Oregon's statutory schedule, which applies statewide, plus any local surcharges assessed by the county. For reference, the statewide base fees by case type are: probate and estate filings — $125–$252 (Circuit Court — Probate)
• civil complaints and appearances — $252–$437 (Circuit Court) / $55–$100 (Justice Court)
• family law matters (divorce, custody, support) — $252–$437 (Circuit Court — Family Law)
• small claims filings — $55–$100 (Small Claims Department / Justice Court). These figures represent the state-level base
• the total amount due at the Clackamas County Circuit Court in Oregon City may include additional local charges.

As one of Oregon's larger jurisdictions, Clackamas County may assess higher local surcharges than the state's rural counties, reflecting the greater administrative cost of operating a high-volume court in Oregon City.

• Beyond the initial filing fee, Clackamas County litigants and estate administrators should budget for recurring court costs throughout the proceeding: fees for filing subsequent motions and responses, charges for certified copies of letters testamentary or court orders (typically $5 to $25 per document in Oregon), jury demand deposits in civil cases, and in probate matters, fees associated with filing the inventory, accountings, and petition for discharge.
• For a complete picture of expected court costs in Clackamas County, request the full fee schedule from the Clackamas County Circuit Court clerk in Oregon City before initiating the proceeding.

Oregon has been expanding electronic filing (e-filing) capabilities across its court system. Clackamas County is among the jurisdictions where e-filing is more established.

For this major county, the Clackamas County Circuit Court in Oregon City likely participates in the state's e-filing system, and represented parties in civil and family matters may be required to file electronically. Contact the Clackamas County Circuit Court clerk directly to confirm the current e-filing requirements for your specific case type.

When e-filing is available in Clackamas County, the system charges a convenience fee per transaction — typically $2 to $8 — in addition to the applicable statutory court fees. This convenience fee is charged by the e-filing service provider rather than the court itself and is generally non-waivable even for litigants who have received a court fee waiver.

Self-represented litigants (pro se filers) are often exempt from mandatory e-filing requirements and may file in paper at the Clackamas County Circuit Court clerk's window in Oregon City during regular business hours.

For probate and estate matters in Clackamas County, e-filing availability may differ from civil cases. Some Oregon probate courts have been slower to adopt e-filing given the document-intensive nature of estate proceedings — original wills, certified death certificates, and original deeds often require in-person or mail submission regardless of whether other case types accept electronic filing.

Verify with the Clackamas County Circuit Court in Oregon City which documents can be e-filed and which require physical originals before planning your filing strategy.

• Clackamas County residents who cannot afford court filing fees may apply for a fee waiver under ORS § 21.685.
• To apply, file a declaration of financial condition with the Clackamas County Circuit Court clerk's office in Oregon City at the time of your initial filing.
• The declaration lists all household income sources, monthly expenses, assets, and liabilities.
• A judge or court commissioner reviews the application and issues an order granting or denying the waiver, typically within a few days of submission.

• Eligibility for a fee waiver in Clackamas County generally requires that household income fall at or below 125% to 200% of the federal poverty level, or that the applicant is receiving qualifying public benefits — commonly Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or public housing assistance.
• The specific income thresholds and qualifying programs are defined in ORS § 21.685 and may have been updated by recent legislation.
• Ask the Clackamas County Circuit Court clerk in Oregon City for the current income guidelines before completing your declaration.

• A granted fee waiver covers filing fees charged by the Clackamas County Circuit Court — including initial filing fees and subsequent filings in the same case — but does not cover costs owed to third parties.
• In Clackamas County probate proceedings, a fee waiver does not eliminate the cost of publishing a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation (a statutory requirement in most states), service of process fees paid to process servers or the sheriff's office, or costs for court-ordered appraisals.
• Budget for these additional costs separately even when a fee waiver is in effect.