Rule 1.010.Scope of These Rules
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 1.010
Plain-English Summary
This is the reach of the ruleset. The UTCR took effect October 1, 1985, and they apply uniformly to all proceedings and actions in circuit court. Two things narrow that reach. Some rules announce a limited application on their face, and subsection (3) pulls whole categories of cases out of most of the ruleset. Everything else is covered.
The rule also tells a court how to read the rest of the rules. They are construed to fit the statutes rather than fight them, and to move a case toward a just result without needless delay or expense while using judicial time and resources well. When a rule could be read two ways, that instruction points toward the reading that keeps a case moving and keeps the rule consistent with statute.
Chapters 2 to 13 do not apply to small claims, violations, or parking violations. Two exceptions survive. UTCR 7.050, on cases that may be subject to a federal bankruptcy stay, reaches all cases, small claims included. And supplementary local rules on those subjects go in the chapters that UTCR 1.080(4) sets aside for them. Note the limit of the carve-out: it names chapters 2 to 13, so rules living in other chapters still reach those cases.
The last subsection matters to anyone without a lawyer. The rules apply to attorneys and to persons representing themselves on the same terms. A self-represented party gets no separate, gentler set of requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the Uniform Trial Court Rules apply in small claims court?
Chapters 2 to 13 do not apply to small claims, violations, or parking violations. The exclusion stops there, so rules in other chapters still reach those cases. One rule inside the excluded range is carved back in: UTCR 7.050, on cases that may be subject to a federal bankruptcy stay, applies to all cases including small claims.
Do I have to follow these rules if I do not have a lawyer?
Yes. The rule says the UTCR apply to attorneys and to persons representing themselves. The court holds a self-represented party to the same filing, format, and procedure requirements as counsel. If a particular rule creates real hardship in your case, the place to look is UTCR 1.100, which lets a judge grant relief on good cause shown.
When did the UTCR take effect?
October 1, 1985. The rules have been amended many times since, and UTCR 1.020 sets the annual cycle for those amendments. UTCR 1.030 handles what happens to a case that was already pending when a new rule or amendment arrived.
What happens when a court rule seems to conflict with an Oregon statute?
The rule directs that the UTCR be construed to achieve consistency with statutory provisions. A reading that puts a rule at odds with a statute is the wrong reading. The same instinct runs through the ruleset: UTCR 1.050 forbids a court from adopting a local rule that conflicts with the constitutions, statutes, or other governing rules.
How do I know whether a particular rule applies to my kind of case?
Read the rule itself. UTCR 1.010 makes the default universal application, and then excepts proceedings for which a limited application is specifically provided by the rules. So a rule that reaches only criminal cases, only domestic relations matters, or only arbitration says so in its own text, usually in its first subsection or in the chapter it sits in.