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Request a circuit-court fee waiver or deferral
Oregon Judicial Department · Shared Oregon or applicable federal route
Apply for relief from a specified civil-court fee.
Where and how to proceed: prepare, file and follow up
Start here: Use OJD's circuit-court Fee Deferral/Waiver Packet. Identify the case and the particular fee needing relief.
1. Is this for me?
Low-income people seeking relief under the circuit-court packet; the court decides eligibility.
Service area: Oregon or applicable federal route; confirm venue and agency jurisdiction.
2. What should I prepare?
Some documents may be conditional. Ask about alternatives. Checkmarks are temporary and are not saved or sent.
3. Where and how do I submit?
Submit the completed Application and Declaration plus proposed Order to the circuit court handling the case. Self-represented parties may file by mail, in person, or OJD eFile. Use the court's official contact page for its filing address and local instructions; this is not an application to the statewide court administration office.
- Identify the case and fee.
- Complete the Application and Declaration.
- Fill the proposed Order's case and fee sections; leave the court's findings blank.
- File with the circuit court and read its order.
Timing: Coordinate with the fee-bearing filing; follow the court's order.
4. What will it cost?
Application fee: $0 under the 2026 circuit-court fee schedule. A deferral postpones payment; it does not eliminate the underlying fee.
5. What happens after I submit?
Obtain and read the court's order. Follow any payment plan or later ruling; relief applies only to the specified fees in that case.
6. What if something goes wrong?
If denied or payment is ordered, follow the order and contact that court about payment instructions. Do not assume another case's waiver applies.
Language, disability and offline help
The forms page offers Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese translations, but filed forms must be in English. Request disability accommodations from the local court's ADA Coordinator; use OJD's interpreter-request route for language assistance.
Deferral means payment remains due. Relief is case- and fee-specific. Appellate applications use a separate packet.
Sources for the added submission and follow-up details
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Read current publisher instructions before acting.
Retained evidence SHA-256: c2487022b87ad302d645a62f597d5831162fe96a2fb6d205a2a275e989ca9b62
OJD Fee Deferral/Waiver Packet, January 2026
Retained evidence SHA-256: 05ec9104f0598aa665330b6c2bf98c6a5989bca02d4f925c921354758503ac31
Retained evidence SHA-256: 9e8781e8000f2b3baf4638b3e76a84794330afc9182a978fe3fc99387ef62fe0
2026 Circuit Court Fee Schedule
Retained evidence SHA-256: 9db4d3e2071c295077ceeac035b5b3f84225422c89349f2d37d3e9bb4db34f4a
OJD Accessibility and ADA Coordinators
Retained evidence SHA-256: 2feceff44b61bfaf84308ea8ec8b01af5a6ee4b71c36997e98de7eda66bf6e3a
Sources and review date
Guidance reviewed 2026-10-11. Read the current publisher instructions before acting.
OJD Fee Deferral/Waiver Packet, January 2026 · publisher pdf
Captured evidence SHA-256: 05ec9104f0598aa665330b6c2bf98c6a5989bca02d4f925c921354758503ac31
OJD Fee Deferral and Waiver · publisher html snapshot
Captured evidence SHA-256: c2487022b87ad302d645a62f597d5831162fe96a2fb6d205a2a275e989ca9b62
OJD Appellate Fee Waiver and Deferral Applications · publisher html snapshot
Captured evidence SHA-256: ad8daef34a89f8fe773aedaafbabc0403782997b6ed0dbdd9070f5034b5c5a05
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