Oregon
Oregon: statutes read at the official source for people acting for themselves, each with its citation and the date it was read.
Acting for yourself
9.160 Bar license required to practice law; exceptions
ORS 9.160 · oregonlegislature.gov · read 2026-08-20 · official source
Renting and landlord-tenant
security deposit, accounting deadline
In order to claim all or part of any prepaid rent or security deposit, within 31 days after the tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possession the landlord shall give to the tenant a written accounting that states specifically the basis or bases of the claim.
Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300(12) · read 2026-08-21 · official source
self-help eviction, unlawful ouster
If a landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant from the premises, seriously attempts or seriously threatens unlawfully to remove or exclude the tenant from the premises or willfully diminishes or seriously attempts or seriously threatens unlawfully to diminish services to the tenant
Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.375 · read 2026-08-21 · official source
Not verified for Oregon: The nonpayment-of-rent notice (§ 90.394, 72/144 hours) and the month-to-month termination notice (§ 90.427) are referenced throughout the chapter file but their section bodies were not located in the retrieved HTML, so no deadline is recorded for them.
Small claims
The court that hears these in Oregon is the Small claims department of the circuit court.
$10,000
TWO THRESHOLDS. A claim of $750 or less MUST be brought in the small claims department (mandatory). A claim up to $10,000 MAY be brought there (permissive). Source is the 2025 Edition of the ORS.
Except as provided in this section, an action for the recovery of money, damages, specific personal property, or any penalty or forfeiture may be commenced and prosecuted in the small claims department if the amount or value claimed in the action does not exceed $10,000.
Or. Rev. Stat. § 46.405(3) · read 2026-08-21 · official source
Lawyers in small claims
No attorney at law or person other than the plaintiff and defendant and their witnesses shall appear on behalf of any party in litigation in the small claims department without the consent of the judge of the court.
Or. Rev. Stat. § 46.415(4) · read 2026-08-21 · official source
Oregon publishes its own self-help pages
Not verified: Class actions and adult-in-custody-vs-adult-in-custody actions are excluded by § 46.405(4); read but not modelled.
How long you have to bring a claim
| Kind of claim | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| written contract | 6 years | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.080(1) · read 2026-08-21 |
| oral contract | 6 years | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.080(1) · read 2026-08-21 |
| property damage | 6 years | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.080(3), (4) · read 2026-08-21 |
| personal injury | 2 years | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.110(1) · read 2026-08-21 |
Limitation periods have exceptions: when the clock starts (accrual), tolling, discovery rules, and claims against government bodies often differ. These entries record the general period as the statute states it, on the date read. They are not a calculation of any particular deadline.
Not verified: Wage claims and debt-on-account not read.
What this page is, and is not
Everything above was read at the source named next to it, on the date named next to it. Nothing is summarised from memory and nothing is carried over from a neighbouring state. Statutes are amended, so read the source before relying on it.
This is general legal information about Oregon. It is not advice about your situation, and it is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.