Department Of Justice in Oregon

How Oregon Organizes Its Department of Justice

The Oregon Department of Justice is the state government's law office. An Attorney General, elected statewide to a four-year term, leads it. Its authority comes mainly from ORS Chapter 180 and the Oregon Constitution. The headquarters is the Justice Building at 1162 Court Street NE in Salem, close to the State Capitol. Most residents, however, deal with the agency by phone, online, or through a regional office closer to home.

Our directory lists offices in Portland, Eugene, Roseburg, Albany, Bend, Corvallis, Klamath Falls, Medford, and Pendleton. Together they cover the I-5 corridor from Portland to the Rogue Valley, plus Central Oregon, the Klamath Basin, and the northeast. The coast and much of the southeast have no listing, so phone and web services matter a great deal in those areas.

The Attorney General also issues formal opinions on legal questions from state officials. The office publishes the Public Records and Meetings Manual, which explains Oregon's open government laws to agencies and the public.

State DOJ, Federal DOJ, and Your District Attorney

Three similar-sounding bodies cause most of the confusion. The U.S. Department of Justice is a federal agency that handles federal law, and it has no authority over Oregon's state offices. Your county district attorney is elected locally and prosecutes most crimes committed in that county. Oregon has 36 counties and 36 district attorneys.

The state DOJ sits between those two. It advises and represents state agencies, defends the state in court, and handles criminal appeals through its Appellate Division. It also enforces consumer protection law, runs the child support program, and supports crime victims. It does not prosecute your neighbor's traffic ticket, and it does not act as a private lawyer for individuals.

Services You Can Get Through Oregon DOJ Programs

The agency is split into divisions, and each one answers a different kind of question. Knowing which division fits your problem saves a lot of phone transfers.

• Consumer protection. The Consumer Protection section takes complaints about scams, deceptive advertising, and unfair business practices under the Unlawful Trade Practices Act, found in ORS 646.605 to 646.656. Its hotline, 1-877-877-9392, works from anywhere in the state. Staff can try informal resolution, but they cannot sue on your behalf.
• Child support. The Division of Child Support helps parents establish paternity, set orders, collect payments, and request changes to existing orders. In some counties, the local district attorney's office runs the day-to-day casework under an agreement with the state.
• Crime victim services. The Crime Victim and Survivor Services Division administers the Crime Victims' Compensation Program. It can help with costs such as counseling, medical bills, and funeral expenses after a violent crime.
• Public records appeals. If a state agency denies your public records request, you can petition the Attorney General to review the denial. Denials by local governments go to the district attorney instead.
• Charities and nonprofits. The Charitable Activities Section registers charities and oversees how they raise and spend donations. Checking a charity there before you give is simple.
• Criminal justice. The Criminal Justice Division supports investigations and prosecutions that cross county lines, including Medicaid provider fraud.

Each program has its own forms and deadlines. Check the specific division's page on the state DOJ website, or ask staff at the nearest listed office, before you start.

Metro Portland Versus Rural Oregon: What Changes by Region

Where you live shapes how you reach these services. Oregon is a large state, and the drive from Portland to Pendleton is more than 200 miles by road. A resident of the Portland area and a rancher in the northeast will not use the agency in the same way.

Portland and Multnomah County

Portland has the most listings in our database, with four in Multnomah County. The Portland Oregon Department of Justice listing is at 621 Southwest Morrison Street, phone 971-673-1677, in the downtown core where TriMet buses and MAX light rail run. Metro residents usually have the easiest access, since transit is close and several offices are within reach. You can browse everything in Multnomah County on our site.

The Willamette Valley: Eugene, Albany, and Corvallis

South of Portland, offices follow Interstate 5 and Highway 99. The Eugene Oregon Department of Justice listing is at 165 East 7th Avenue, phone 541-686-7834, in Lane County. The Albany listing is at 118 Southeast 2nd Avenue, phone 541-967-2028, in Linn County. Corvallis has one at 806 Northwest Buchanan Avenue, phone 541-757-4222, in Benton County. Albany and Corvallis are only about a dozen miles apart, so you can pick whichever is easier to reach.

Southern Oregon: Roseburg, Medford, and Klamath Falls

The Roseburg Oregon Department of Justice listing is at 723 Southeast Main Street, phone 541-440-3357, in Douglas County. Medford's listing is at 310 East 6th Street, phone 541-776-6043, in the Rogue Valley. Klamath Falls has one at 801 Oak Avenue, phone 541-883-5630, in Klamath County. Medford and Klamath Falls are linked by Highway 140 over the Cascade foothills, and winter weather can slow that trip. Call before you drive.

Central and Eastern Oregon: Bend and Pendleton

Bend's listing is at 1300 Northwest Wall Street, phone 541-388-6141, serving Deschutes County and the fast-growing Central Oregon region. Pendleton's listing is at 700 Southeast Emigrant Avenue, phone 541-276-6932, in Umatilla County, which anchors a wide farming and ranching area in the northeast. Counties east of the Cascades are large and thinly populated, so one office can be the nearest for a long way. In these areas, phone and online services often replace in-person visits.

Preparing for Contact With an Oregon DOJ Office

Our listings give addresses and phone numbers, but a listed office is not always set up for walk-in service. Call first to confirm the hours, what the office handles, and whether you need an appointment.

Bring a government-issued photo ID and any case or file number. For consumer complaints, add contracts, receipts, advertisements, and screenshots of emails or texts. For child support, bring court orders and payment records. For crime victim compensation, bring the police report number if you have one. A short written timeline with dates helps in every case.

A quick rule of thumb can point you to the right program. If a business wronged you, start with consumer protection. If a parent owes support, start with child support. If you were hurt in a crime, start with victim services. If a crime is happening now, call 911, because DOJ offices are not emergency services.

Many matters, such as consumer complaints and public records petitions, can be started online at any hour, which saves a trip. If you need a language interpreter or a disability accommodation, ask when you call.

Finally, remember what the office cannot do. State DOJ staff cannot give you personal legal advice. For that, contact a private attorney, the Oregon State Bar's lawyer referral service, or a legal aid organization.

Department of Justice resources in Oregon include U.S. Attorney's Office district operations, FBI field offices, and the Oregon Attorney General's Office, which enforces state law and consumer protection statutes at the state level while coordinating with federal DOJ components on major investigations.

Department Of Justice locations are available in 9 cities across Oregon. They are spread across 9 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Portland, Roseburg, Eugene, reflecting federal district headquarters and major cities where DOJ field offices, U.S. Attorneys, and federal law enforcement units are based.

Residents of Oregon who need to engage with the DOJ should identify the correct agency division for their matter — whether it involves civil rights, a federal crime, antitrust, or a FOIA request — before contacting the appropriate office.

Residents of Oregon who need to file a civil rights complaint, report federal fraud, or access victim assistance programs should visit justice.gov to identify the appropriate DOJ division or contact the U.S. Attorney's Office for the federal district covering their area.

Browse Department Of Justice by county across Oregon to find the nearest location.

Using State Justice Services Across Oregon's 36 Counties

Oregon's counties differ widely. Multnomah County is the most populous and holds Portland, while several eastern counties have only a few thousand residents spread over huge areas. That gap explains why so many state justice services run through hotlines, online forms, and mail rather than a storefront office.

Location matters most when your issue needs paperwork handled face to face, such as handing over original documents or meeting a victim advocate. For everything else, the statewide programs work the same whether you are in Portland, Bend, or Pendleton.

Three habits make any contact smoother. First, call the office before you go and ask exactly what to bring. Second, write down the name of each person you speak with and the date. Third, keep copies of everything you send. Listing details in our directory come from public sources and can change, so confirm hours and addresses directly with the office. That is especially true before a long drive across the Cascades or the Columbia Plateau.

Oregon Department of Justice: Common Questions