Columbia County Clerk Office
The Columbia County Clerk is a county office, separate from the Oregon Judicial Department records counter. The county lists Debbie Klug as Columbia County Clerk. The office is at 230 Strand St., Columbia County Courthouse Annex, St. Helens, OR 97051. The phone number is 503-397-3796, fax is 503-397-7266, and email is clerk@columbiacountyOR.gov. Published office hours are Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
The office has narrower public-facing windows for some services. Recording of documents is listed as 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Passports are by appointment. Marriage licenses are also by appointment. The clerk may perform marriage ceremonies under Oregon authority, but the county page states that the clerk is not currently performing ceremonies. These service limits are important because a person may need an appointment even when the office is open for general business.
Columbia County Clerk
Clerk: Debbie Klug
230 Strand St., Columbia County Courthouse Annex
St. Helens, OR 97051
503-397-3796
clerk@columbiacountyOR.gov
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; recording 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Columbia County Clerk Records Duties
The Columbia County Clerk handles county clerk records and services, not Circuit Court case custody. The office handles marriage licenses, certified marriage copies for licenses issued in Columbia County, recorded instruments, e-recording coordination, passports by appointment, and county clerk records. County public records requests may also route through the county records custodian when a specific department or portal does not provide the record directly.
- Issue marriage licenses by appointment after the online application is completed.
- Provide certified marriage copies when the license was obtained in Columbia County.
- Record instruments and collect recording fees for eligible documents.
- Accept e-recording through Simplifile and CSC for recording customers.
- Coordinate county records requests through the official county request form when needed.
For state court case files, use the Columbia County Circuit Court records counter. That split prevents a common error: divorce judgments and probate orders are court records, while marriage licenses and recorded documents are county clerk records.
Columbia County Clerk Marriage Licenses
Marriage licenses are by appointment only. Applicants should complete the Columbia County Online Marriage Application before the appointment, then schedule online or call 503-397-3796. Both parties must be present to purchase the license, both need valid photo ID, and both must be at least 18. The license fee is $50.00, and the online application describes the fee as non-refundable.
- Complete the online marriage application before scheduling or appearing.
- Schedule the license appointment with the Columbia County Clerk.
- Both applicants appear with valid photo ID and prior-divorce date information if applicable.
- Pay the $50.00 license fee by an accepted payment method.
- Observe the three-day waiting period, use the license only in Oregon, and complete the ceremony within 60 days after the license becomes effective.
Columbia County states that no blood test or medical exam is required. Applicants cannot be first cousins or nearer kin. If a prior marriage ended, the application requires the exact divorce date, and the license can be issued one day after the final divorce date.
Columbia County Certified Marriage Copies
Certified marriage copies are not automatic with the license. They must be ordered from the Columbia County Clerk after the completed license has been returned and filed. The first certified copy costs $8.00. Additional copies ordered at the same time cost $4.00 each. The certified-copy request form accepts personal checks, money orders, and cash, but the PDF states no debit or credit cards for that request.
| Form Field | How It Is Used |
|---|---|
| Name of Party A | Identifies one spouse on the Columbia County marriage record. |
| Name of Party B | Identifies the second spouse on the Columbia County marriage record. |
| Marriage date | Helps locate the filed license if known. |
| License number | Optional if known, but useful for exact matching. |
| Phone number and email | Allows clerk staff to follow up about the request. |
| Number of copies and amount enclosed | Must match the first-copy and additional-copy fee schedule. |
| Mail copies back to | Required when the clerk returns certified copies by mail. |
Checks should be payable to Columbia County Clerk. Mail requests go to Columbia County Clerk, 230 Strand St., St. Helens, OR 97051.
Columbia County Clerk Recording
The recording division accepts recorded instruments and provides e-recording through Simplifile and CSC. Recording hours are 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. The county recording page lists fees and first-page requirements, and it also flags a nonstandard document fee when a document does not meet formatting rules. Recording is not the same as filing a court case. It is the county process for eligible recorded documents.
| Recording Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard recording first page | $91 |
| Each additional page | $5 |
| Each additional transaction in one document | $5 |
| Nonstandard document fee | $20 |
| Property judgment first page | $91 plus $5 each additional page |
| Satisfaction of judgment | $5 per page |
| DD214 | No charge |
| Lien document first page | $76 plus $5 each additional page |
Columbia County Records Requests
For non-court county documents that are not available through a specific clerk, sheriff, jail, district attorney, justice court, or department process, Columbia County uses a public records request route. Requests may be submitted through the online Columbia County Public Records Request form, by fax to 503-397-7243, by email to jacyn.normine@columbiacountyor.gov, or by mail to Custodian of the Records, 230 Strand, Room 331, St. Helens, OR 97051. The custodian phone route is 503-397-4322.
The custodian forwards the request to the correct department, and departments advise estimated costs. This route is a fallback for county administrative records, sheriff or jail administrative records, district attorney administrative records, justice court or county records, and clerk records not supplied by a specific portal or form.
| Public Records Form Field | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First and last name | Required | Requestor identity fields. |
| Company name | Marked required on form | May not apply to every private requester. |
| Phone, address, city, state, postal code | Required | Contact and mailing details. |
| Email and preferred contact method | Required | Phone, email, or U.S. mail. |
| County department | Required | Includes County Clerk, District Attorney, Justice Court, Sheriff's Office / Jail, and other departments. |
| Type of records requested | Central request field | Describe record type, time frame, property address, tax account, permit number, project name, or owner name. |
| Upload sections | Optional or conditional | Medical records requests require a signed release of information. |
Request a Columbia County Clerk Copy
A certified marriage copy and a recorded-document copy are different products. Start by identifying the record type. If it is a marriage record, use the certified marriage copy request and the party names. If it is a recorded instrument, use recording details such as names, property information, recording date, or document type. If the record is a county administrative file, use the public records request form and select the correct department.
- Identify whether the record is a marriage license, recorded instrument, or county administrative record.
- Collect names, dates, license number, recording information, or department details before requesting.
- Use the specific clerk form when one exists, or the county public records request form for fallback requests.
- Pay the listed fee or wait for the department's cost estimate when the amount depends on staff work or volume.
- Confirm whether pickup, mail, or another delivery method is available for the requested copy.
Columbia County Clerk vs Court Clerk
The name "clerk" can cause confusion in Oregon counties. Columbia County Clerk Debbie Klug is the county official tied to marriage, recording, county clerk records, and county records requests. The Trial Court Administrator and Columbia County Circuit Court records counter are the court case record channel. Divorce records, probate records, criminal case files, civil judgments, and certified court orders should not be requested as county clerk marriage or recording records.
When a record involves a court case number, hearing, judgment, decree, court order, sentence, or probate filing, use the Circuit Court records channel. When a record involves a Columbia County marriage license, certified marriage copy, recorded instrument, DD214 recording, lien recording, or county department file, use the Columbia County Clerk or county records request channel.
That boundary also affects fees and timing. Court copies follow the Circuit Court copy schedule and may require case-level information. County Clerk recording fees follow the recording schedule, and marriage certified-copy fees follow the marriage copy form. A county public records request may require staff review and a cost estimate before records are released.
When uncertain, start with the document's purpose: proof of marriage goes to the Clerk, while proof of a court judgment goes to Circuit Court.
Note: The county public records request form may route a request to Justice Court or another county department, but state Circuit Court files remain in the Oregon Judicial Department system.