Records Held by the County:

Between 1864 and 1919, County judges were required to report all name changes and adoptions in a report filed with the State legislature to be published in the following year's statutes. You can find these reports in the Laws of the State of Oregon. This publication is available at most research libraries, including the Multnomah County Library and the Multnomah Law Library, located at the Multnomah County Courthouse. Titles of the Laws of the State of Oregon vary from year to year. Please consult a reference librarian for assistance.

Records Held by the State:

The Oregon Department of Human Services Adoption Services unit provides comprehensive information on adoption research, through the Oregon Adoption Search and Registry Program. The Adoption Services Unit is responsible for maintaining records on all adoptions going back to the early 1920's. 

Additional information on researching adoption records can be obtained from the Oregon State Archives.

Key Contacts:

Records 1920 to present

Department of Human Services Adoption Services
2nd Floor South
500 Summer Street N.E., E71
Salem, OR 97301-1068

Records prior to 1920

Multnomah County Library
4th Floor
801 SW 10th Ave
Portland, OR 97205
Phone: (503) 988-3394

Multnomah County Law Library
1021 SW Fourth Ave, 4th Floor
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503) 988-3394
Contact: Martha Renick
Email: librarian@multlawlib.org