Rule 1.160.Submitting Documents for Filing with Courts; Local SLR
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 1.160
Plain-English Summary
Handing a document to someone at the courthouse is not filing it. Under this rule a document submitted for filing, including one given to a judge or to judicial staff, is not considered filed until it is accepted by the court staff the trial court administrator has designated to accept filings. Acceptance is the moment that counts, so a document left with chambers is not on file no matter who received it.
Where to submit a filing can vary by district, and the rule leaves room for that. A local court may adopt a supplementary local rule designating where documents may be submitted, and SLR 1.161 is reserved for the purpose. If you practice in an unfamiliar district, that number is the first place to look.
One category moves differently. Proposed orders and judgments submitted for judicial signature may be delivered to a judge or judicial staff as otherwise permitted or required under these rules. That is delivery for signature, not filing, and the rules on submitting proposed orders and judgments say how it works in a given kind of case.
The last subsection protects people using the statewide forms. A court must accept a document submitted for filing that is substantially in the form of the corresponding document made available to the public on the Oregon Judicial Department forms page, provided the proper fee is tendered where one is required and the document is submitted in compliance with all applicable statutes and rules. Substantially in the form means a filing does not fail over cosmetic differences from the published version.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is my document officially filed?
When court staff designated by the trial court administrator to accept filings accept it. Submitting it is not enough, and neither is delivering it to a judge or judicial staff. If a deadline is close, confirm acceptance rather than assuming delivery finished the job.
Can I hand my motion directly to the judge?
Not as a way of filing it. A document given to a judge or judicial staff is not filed until designated court staff accept it. Proposed orders and judgments for judicial signature are the exception the rule recognizes, and those may be delivered to a judge or judicial staff where the rules otherwise permit or require it.
Where do I submit documents for filing?
Check the district's supplementary local rules. SLR 1.161 is reserved for a local rule designating where a document may be submitted for filing, so if the district has adopted one, that is where the answer lives.
Can a court reject a filing made on a statewide form?
Not for its form, if it is substantially in the form of the corresponding document published for the public on the Oregon Judicial Department forms page. The court must accept it, so long as the proper fee is tendered when one is required and the filing complies with the applicable statutes and rules.
Do I have to use the published form exactly as written?
The rule protects a document that is substantially in the form of the published one, which leaves room for minor differences. It does not excuse anything else: the fee still has to be tendered when required, and the filing still has to comply with every applicable statute and rule.