Jefferson County Clerk Office
The Jefferson County Clerk is a separate county office from Jefferson County Circuit Court. Research identifies Katherine Zemke as the current Jefferson County Clerk. The county page says she was first elected in the November 2018 general election and that her current term expires December 31, 2026. The clerk is the official keeper of public county records for Jefferson County, Oregon.
The County Clerk maintains real property transaction records, commissioners' meeting records, ordinances, resolutions, miscellaneous commission documents, elections records, Board of Property Tax Appeals records, marriage licenses, passport application services, dog licensing information, recording document services, and property-value appeals information. Circuit Court case files, court dockets, divorce judgments, probate files, and criminal case records are not held by this county office.
Jefferson County Clerk
Clerk: Katherine Zemke
66 SE D Street, Suite C
Madras, OR 97741
541-475-4451
Fax: 541-325-5018
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The official Jefferson County Clerk source shows the clerk's office duties, contact details, and county record services.
That source is the main local reference for county clerk records, while Oregon Judicial Department pages remain the source for Circuit Court case files.
Jefferson County Clerk Duties
The Jefferson County Clerk's role is recordkeeping for county public records, not case management for the state trial court. This distinction prevents requests from going to the wrong counter. A deed copy, a commissioners' resolution, a marriage license, or a recorded document belongs with the County Clerk. A criminal judgment, divorce decree, probate order, or civil docket belongs with Jefferson County Circuit Court and the Circuit Court Clerk / Trial Court Administrator.
- Maintains official records for real property transactions.
- Maintains commissioners' meeting records, ordinances, resolutions, and miscellaneous county documents.
- Serves as chief elections official for Jefferson County.
- Plans, coordinates, and records Board of Property Tax Appeals hearings.
- Provides marriage license, dog licensing, passport, recording, and property-value appeal information.
Jefferson County Clerk Record Boundaries
Jefferson County has a split record structure that matters for searches. The County Clerk is the right office for county-created or county-recorded material, including land records, recorded instruments, commissioners' proceedings, property tax appeal records, marriage licensing, and local election administration. Oregon court case records are different. They are created by the state circuit court and accessed through OJD Smart Search, OJCIN, courthouse public terminals, or the Jefferson County Circuit Court copy request process.
The Digital Research Room can help identify a recorded county document, but the county disclaimer says the online index is a public service and may be corrected or updated. It also says images are not certified as true, complete, and exact as recorded with the county. That warning is important for people who need a deed, lien, or other recorded instrument for closing, court, title, or official proof. Certified copies should be requested from the clerk rather than printed from an online image.
| Record Need | Correct Jefferson County Office | Access Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Recorded deed or real property document | County Clerk | Digital Research Room, phone, fax, email, or in-person copy request |
| Marriage license or certified marriage copy | County Clerk | Online application plus in-person completion, or marriage copy request form |
| Commissioners' records and ordinances | County Clerk | County public records request or direct clerk contact |
| Circuit Court case file or docket | Jefferson County Circuit Court | OJD search, OJCIN, courthouse terminal, or court copy request |
Note: A clerk search for recorded documents does not replace a court records search for judgments, criminal cases, divorces, probate filings, or traffic cases.
Request Jefferson County Clerk Copies
County Clerk copy requests can be made by telephone, fax, email, or in person. The recording page says copy requests are subject to prepayment. If the total is not known, the office suggests sending a blank check payable to Jefferson County Clerk with a not-to-exceed statement so staff can fill in the actual amount and send a receipt with the records.
- Identify the recorded document, marriage record, commissioners' record, or other county record needed.
- Check the Digital Research Room or contact the clerk if the recording reference is not known.
- Ask whether a certified or uncertified copy is required for the intended use.
- Submit the request by the clerk's accepted channel with payment or prepayment instructions.
- Use the Circuit Court copy process instead if the needed record is a case file, judgment, docket, or probate filing.
The recording documents source shown below explains Jefferson County Clerk copy channels, fees, and recording limits.
Recorded-document copy fees differ from court case copy fees because the County Clerk and Circuit Court are separate custodians.
Jefferson County Clerk Request Details
The research found a public records request form, a recording cover sheet, and a marriage license copy request form linked from county clerk pages, but exact PDF field inventories could not be extracted by text fetch. The safe request approach is to provide enough identifiers for staff to locate the record and calculate the fee without guessing.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Requester contact information | Yes | Name, mailing address, phone, and email help the clerk return copies or fee questions. |
| Record type | Yes | Examples include recorded deed, commissioners' record, marriage record, or public county record. |
| Names or parties | When known | Use grantor, grantee, spouse names, or other names tied to the record. |
| Recording or document reference | When known | Book, page, instrument number, date, or Digital Research Room index detail can narrow the request. |
| Copy type | Yes | Specify certified or uncertified because fees and legal use differ. |
Jefferson County Clerk Fees
The County Clerk publishes separate fees for recorded documents and marriage services. Certified copies are needed when an official copy is required, while uncertified copies may be enough for research. The Digital Research Room is not a substitute for a certified copy because the county disclaimer says online images are not certified as true, complete, and exact as recorded.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certified copies of recorded documents | $7.75 first page, $0.25 each additional page |
| Uncertified copies of recorded documents | $4.00 first page, $0.25 each additional page |
| Non-standard document fee | $20 in addition to regular recording fees |
| Cover sheet page fee | $5 per page |
| NSF check fee | $35 |
| Marriage license | $60 plus 2.5 percent card fee if paid by debit or credit card |
| Certified marriage copy pre-order | $7.75 |
Jefferson County Clerk Forms
County Clerk forms are tied to county recording and marriage services. The recording documents page links a public records request form and recording cover sheet. The marriage license page links a marriage license copy request form and provides the online marriage application path, but applicants must still appear at the clerk's office to complete issuance.
- Public Records Request Form - request county records handled by the clerk.
- Recording Cover Sheet - provide first-page required information for recording.
- Marriage License Copy Request - request a certified marriage copy from the clerk.
Digital Research Room Access
The Jefferson County Clerk Digital Research Room is the public index for county clerk research. Its disclaimer says the site is provided as a public service, updates and corrections occur regularly, and neither the county nor staff are liable for errors or omissions. It also warns that online images are not certified copies.
The Digital Research Room source is shown below.
Use the online index to narrow a request, then contact the clerk for certified documents or copy questions.
Note: Court filings and Oregon circuit court e-filing are not county clerk filings; use OJD and Jefferson County Circuit Court for case records.