| Circuit Court | Yamhill County Circuit Court — Records Department |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Yamhill County Circuit Court, Yamhill County Courthouse, 535 NE 5th Street, McMinnville, OR 97128 (Records Department, Room 135, 1st floor) |
| Phone | 503-434-7530 |
| Hours | Court office counters: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-noon and 1:00-4:00 p.m. Phones answered 8:00 a.m.-noon and 1:00-5:00 p.m. Courthouse open 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Closed legal holidays. |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | $3.00 per copy request in a case, plus $0.25 per page |
| Certified copy fee | $5.00 per certified copy, plus $0.25 per page if provided on paper |
Yamhill County, in the wine country southwest of Portland, is Oregon's 25th Judicial District, served by a single Circuit Court with four elected judges at the 1964 Yamhill County Courthouse in historic downtown McMinnville. As in every Oregon county, that one court keeps the case file for criminal, civil, family-law, probate, and guardianship matters, so there is no separate district clerk, county court clerk, or probate clerk to find.
The court's Records Department is in Room 135 on the first floor of the courthouse. It posts a clear fee list that distinguishes paper copies (per page charges apply) from electronic copies (a flat fee per request), and it takes copy requests through the Oregon Judicial Department's statewide online Records Request Form. Note that the public counters close for lunch and shut at 4:00 p.m., an hour before the courthouse itself, though staff answer phones until 5:00.
Tickets written by city police in McMinnville, Newberg, and the county's other cities go to those cities' municipal courts, which keep their own records outside the state system. McMinnville Municipal Court, for example, handles parking and traffic tickets, city ordinance violations, and certain misdemeanors from its office at City Hall.
Search Yamhill County court records online
Circuit Court
Yamhill County Circuit Court — Records Department
- Cost
- Free index search; paper copies $3.00 plus $0.25 per page, certified $5.00 plus $0.25 per page; electronic copies $3.00 per request, certified $5.00 per request
- Coverage
- All Yamhill County Circuit Court case types — criminal, civil, family law, probate, guardianship, and small claims — for the 25th Judicial District
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
Records Department is Room 135, 1st floor of the courthouse. Copy requests go through the OJD statewide Records Request Form. Audio recordings of hearings are $10.00 per request in a case; mailed copies cost actual postage, a CD is $1.00, and email delivery is free. Payment in full is required before a request is processed.
Other courts
McMinnville Municipal Court
- Coverage
- Parking tickets, traffic tickets, city ordinance violations, and certain misdemeanors cited by McMinnville police
- Records
- Traffic
A city court, separate from the Circuit Court and not in the OJD online search. Office at City Hall, 230 NE 2nd Street, McMinnville, OR 97128; 503-434-7402; open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wednesday court sessions are held at Kent Taylor Civic Hall, 200 NE Second Street.
What is available online
Yamhill County Circuit Court cases appear in the free statewide OJD Online Records Search, which provides basic case information and calendars but not filed documents, and which excludes adoption, juvenile, mental-health, and VAWA-protected cases. The full register of actions is available at the courthouse or to OJCIN Online subscribers. Copies are requested through the statewide Records Request Form and can be delivered by email at no extra charge; certified and exemplified copies sent electronically must be printed in color to be accepted by most agencies. Municipal court cases are not in any state system.
Which clerk has your record
In Oregon, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Oregon page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon Tax Court | State and local tax disputes; Property valuation appeals; Income and corporate tax appeals | Tax Court Clerk |
| Circuit Courts (36, one per county) | Felony and misdemeanor criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other family-law cases; Civil suits of any amount | Trial Court Administrator / Circuit Court Records Department |
| Justice Courts (where they still exist) | Traffic citations issued by county officers; Small claims; Minor misdemeanors and violations in unincorporated areas | Justice of the peace's court clerk |
| Municipal Courts | City ordinance violations; Traffic tickets issued by city police; Some misdemeanors within city limits | City municipal court clerk |
Request records in person or by mail
Yamhill County clerk offices
Yamhill County Circuit Court, Yamhill County Courthouse, 535 NE 5th Street, McMinnville, OR 97128 (Records Department, Room 135, 1st floor)
Phone: 503-434-7530
Hours: Court office counters: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-noon and 1:00-4:00 p.m. Phones answered 8:00 a.m.-noon and 1:00-5:00 p.m. Courthouse open 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Closed legal holidays.
In person. Visit the Records Department, Room 135 on the first floor of the Yamhill County Courthouse, 535 NE 5th Street, McMinnville, Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-noon and 1:00-4:00 p.m. Staff can search the index, pull files, and make plain, certified, or exemplified copies.
Online. Submit the Oregon Judicial Department's statewide Records Request Form, linked from the court's Court Records and Contact Us pages. Include the case number, or the party names and approximate year, the specific documents or hearing dates, and how you want them delivered. Payment must be made in full before the request is processed; the court may take up to five court business days to respond and ten or more to complete some requests.
By phone. Call 503-434-7530 between 8:00 a.m. and noon or 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and follow the prompts to reach the Records Department. Hearing questions go to Yam.Calendaring@ojd.state.or.us.
Fees. Paper copies are $3.00 plus $0.25 per page; paper certified copies $5.00 plus $0.25 per page; paper exemplified copies $10.00 plus $0.25 per page. Electronic copies are a flat $3.00 per request (standard), $5.00 (certified), or $10.00 (exemplified). Audio recordings of hearings are $10.00 per request in a case. Delivery by email is free; a CD is $1.00; mailed copies cost actual postage.
Not held by the court. Police reports come from the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office, McMinnville Police, or the other arresting agency. Marriage, birth, and death records come from the state Center for Health Statistics, and deeds from the Yamhill County Recorder.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Oregon |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $3.00 per copy request in a case, plus $0.25 per page |
| Certified copy | $5.00 per certified copy, plus $0.25 per page if provided on paper |
Figures are from the Oregon Judicial Department's statewide Circuit Court Fee Schedule (public version), effective January 1, 2026, which also sets a $10.00-plus-per-page fee for exemplified copies. Fees are set by the Chief Justice under ORS 21.258 and related statutes and can change; confirm the current schedule or ask the specific court before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Oregon court records are open to the public unless a specific statute, court rule, or judge's order restricts them. Categories that will not show up in a routine search include:
The Oregon guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
How do I look up a Yamhill County, Oregon court case?
Use the free statewide OJD Online Records Search, filtered to Yamhill County Circuit Court, for basic case information. For documents, submit the statewide Records Request Form or visit the Records Department in Room 135 of the courthouse in McMinnville.
What does a certified copy cost at Yamhill County Circuit Court?
$5.00 plus $0.25 per page on paper, or a flat $5.00 per request delivered electronically. An electronically certified copy must be printed in color if you are giving it to another agency, so confirm the agency will accept it first.
When can I reach the Yamhill County Circuit Court Records Department?
The counters are open weekdays 8:00 a.m.-noon and 1:00-4:00 p.m., and phones are answered 8:00 a.m.- noon and 1:00-5:00 p.m. at 503-434-7530. The courthouse is closed on legal holidays.
Are McMinnville or Newberg traffic tickets in the Circuit Court records?
No. Tickets written by city police go to that city's municipal court. McMinnville Municipal Court at City Hall handles parking, traffic, and ordinance cases for McMinnville; its records are not in the state online search.
Sources
- Yamhill County Circuit Court (Oregon Judicial Department) — https://www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/yamhill/pages/default.aspx
- Yamhill County Circuit Court — Court Records — https://www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/yamhill/records/pages/default.aspx
- Yamhill County Circuit Court — Contact Us — https://www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/yamhill/go/pages/contact-us.aspx
- OJD — Court Records Requests (statewide form and fees) — https://www.courts.oregon.gov/forms/Pages/records-request.aspx
- City of McMinnville — Municipal Court — https://www.mcminnvilleoregon.gov/municipalcourt
- Oregon Judicial Department — Find a Court — https://www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/pages/default.aspx
- OJD Online Records Search (OJD Records and Calendar Search) — https://www.courts.oregon.gov/services/online/pages/records-calendars.aspx
- OJD — OJCIN Online — https://www.courts.oregon.gov/services/online/pages/ojcin.aspx
- OJD Appellate Courts — https://www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/appellate/pages/default.aspx
- Oregon State Police — Criminal History Record Checks (CJIS) — https://www.oregon.gov/osp/programs/cjis/pages/cch.aspx
- Oregon State Police Open Records Portal — https://openrecords.osp.oregon.gov/orportal/login
- United States District Court for the District of Oregon — https://www.ord.uscourts.gov/
- Oregon Revised Statutes, Chapter 137 (ORS 137.225 — Setting Aside a Conviction) — https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors137.html
- Oregon Uniform Trial Court Rules (current) — https://www.courts.oregon.gov/programs/utcr/pages/currentrules.aspx
- Oregon Judicial Department — 2026 Circuit Court Fee Schedule (Public Version) — https://www.courts.oregon.gov/Documents/2026_CircuitFeeSchedule_public_eff-2026-01-01.pdf
See also: all Oregon counties.