Rule 21.010.Definitions
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 21.010
Plain-English Summary
The chapter starts by drawing the line between paper and electronic. Conventional filing means submitting a paper document to the court. Electronic filing means transmitting the document to the court in electronic form, either to start an action or to be included in the file of an action already open. Every later rule builds on that split.
The electronic filing system is the statewide system the Oregon Judicial Department runs for electronic filing and electronic service over the internet, reached through the department's website. The definition carries a carve-out: it excludes the electronic filing of a criminal citation under ORS 133.073. The electronic forms system is a companion tool for preparing completed form documents interactively and filing them through the same eFiling system.
A filer is a person registered with the system who submits a document for filing. Electronic service is the email the system sends to a party who has consented to it, carrying a hyperlink to the document that was filed. Who receives that email turns on the label the filer assigns. A service contact is a party to be served electronically through email notification. An other service contact is someone the filer wants copied — another attorney, an administrator, staff from the filer's place of business, or another person connected to the action — who gets the same notification without being served.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between conventional filing and electronic filing in Oregon?
Conventional filing is the paper route: the filer submits a paper document to the court. Electronic filing is the transmission of a document to the court in electronic form, either to start an action or to be included in an existing case file.
The distinction matters throughout the chapter, because some documents must go in on paper and some filers must file electronically.
Who counts as a filer under the UTCR eFiling rules?
A filer is a person registered with the electronic filing system who submits a document for filing with the court. Registration is what creates the status, not membership in any profession.
What does electronic service deliver?
The system transmits a notice of filing to the email address of a party who has consented to electronic service. That notice contains a hyperlink to the document that was filed electronically, and the transmission is what accomplishes service.
The party receives a link to the document rather than the document itself as an attachment.
What is the difference between a service contact and an other service contact?
A service contact is a party to be served electronically through email notification from the system. An other service contact is a person the filer associates with the action so they receive the same email notification — another attorney, an administrator, staff from the filer's place of business, or another person with a legitimate connection to the action.
The first is about service. The second is about keeping people in the loop.
What is the Oregon electronic forms system?
It is the Oregon Judicial Department's system for preparing completed form documents interactively and electronically, then filing them through the electronic filing system. Filers reach it through the department's website.