The 2024 Public Records and Meetings Manual (released under the previous Attorney General) is available in PDF ». If you are a public employee or board member using the manual for public business, or if you are using the manual in connection with for-profit-activity, we ask that you purchase a print version via our Publications Order Form ».

Introduction

At the Oregon Department of Justice, one of our core priorities is strengthening the foundations of our agency so we can serve Oregonians effectively and uphold the law with integrity.

Oregon’s public records and public meetings laws are built on a simple idea: government should be transparent and accountable to the people it serves. This manual reflects that principle. For more than 50 years, Attorneys General have interpreted these laws with the same guiding value — when in doubt, we lean toward openness.

Of course, the law also recognizes limited exceptions. Some information must stay confidential to protect other important interests—including people’s privacy, public safety, or ongoing investigations. But those exceptions are narrow, and the presumption is clear: Oregonians have a right to know what their government is doing.

We update this manual periodically to reflect new legislation, recent court decisions, and public records orders. The 2024-2025 edition includes important changes to the public meetings law, including expanded oversight by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission and new pathways for the public to seek advice or file complaints.

Transparency keeps our democracy healthy. It helps ensure that government works for the people — and that Oregonians can see and understand the decisions made in their name.

Special thanks to Assistant Attorneys General Andrew Foltz, Sean Brady, Daniel Gilbert, Johanna Riemenschneider, and Michael Kron; Paralegal Carmen Graham; and Legal Secretary Nancy Barrera, for their contributions.

Dan Rayfield
Attorney General

Preface

This Manual is organized in two parts: Part I discusses the Public Records Law; Part II discusses the Public Meetings Law. Each part is followed by its own set of appendices, which include answers to commonly asked questions about the law; sample forms; summaries of court decisions, Attorney General opinions and public records orders; and a reprint of the statutes.

The Manual cites to various types of sources in the footnotes:

• A cite to “ORS” refers to the Oregon Revised Statutes, which are available at https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/Pages/ORS.aspx ».
• A cite to “OAR” refers to a rule adopted by a state agency. Rules are available at https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/ruleSearch.action ».
• A cite to “Or” refers to an opinion by the Oregon Supreme Court, while a cite to “Or App” refers to an opinion by the Oregon Court of Appeals. Opinions issued since January 1998 are available at https://cdm17027.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/ », while older opinions may be found at sites like Google Scholar and at law libraries.
• A cite to “Op Atty Gen” refers to an opinion by the Oregon Attorney General, while a cite to “Letter of Advice” refers to an opinion by the Oregon Department of Justice’s Chief Counsel of the General Counsel Division. Opinions issued since January 1997 are available at https://www.doj.state.or.us/oregon-department-of-justice/office-of-the-attorney-general/attorney-general-opinions/, while older These opinions may be found at law libraries or by submitting a public records request to the Oregon Department of Justice.
• A cite to a “Public Records Order” refers to decisions by the Office of the Oregon Attorney General interpreting Oregon’s Public Records Law. Orders issued since 1981 are available at https://cdm17027.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17027coll2 ». Keep in mind that older orders may have been superseded by legislative action, opinions of Oregon’s appellate courts, or newer public records orders.

Renumbering of Public Record Law

In 2017, the Public Records Law was significantly renumbered the Oregon Revised Statutes. The below table provides a guide to that renumbering.