Wallowa County Clerk Office
The Wallowa County Clerk is a county office in Room 100 of the courthouse in Enterprise. The office lists Sandy Lathrop as County Clerk and Tracey Madsen as Property Value Appeals Board Clerk. Its public role is different from the Wallowa County Circuit Court Clerk / Trial Court Administrator. The county clerk page states in all caps that the County Clerk is not part of the Oregon State Circuit Court and directs court calls to the circuit court phone number. That warning should be treated as controlling for records routing.
The Wallowa County Clerk handles marriage licenses, recording, domestic partnerships, elections, passports, county public records, commissioners' journals, and PVAB clerk work. It does not keep circuit court case files. A person looking for a divorce decree, criminal judgment, probate order, traffic citation file, or civil case register should use Wallowa County Circuit Court instead. A person looking for a marriage license, recorded deed, election filing, or county public records request starts with the county clerk.
Wallowa County Clerk
County Clerk: Sandy Lathrop
101 S River Street, Room 100
Enterprise, OR 97828
541-426-4543 ext. 1158
Office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Recording hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Wallowa County Clerk Duties
The county clerk's work is broad, but it is not the same as court case administration. The recording function covers documents the office is legally authorized to record under Oregon and federal law. The office also maintains county public records, helps with marriage license issuance, handles election work, and supports county-level boards and journals. The research file notes that the clerk records legal documents and maintains county public records, but not circuit court case files.
The recording page also sets boundaries for staff. The office cannot give legal advice, help fill out documents, suggest which document type to use, record documents outside the legal recording authority, or record photocopies. People submitting documents should make sure the document is recordable before sending it to the Wallowa County Clerk.
- Marriage licenses and certified marriage copies issued by the county clerk.
- Recording of eligible legal documents, including e-recording through Simplifile.
- Elections work, including local election notices, ballot processing, and public tests.
- Domestic partnerships, passports, commissioners' journals, and county records.
- Property Value Appeals Board clerk support through the listed PVAB clerk contact.
Request Wallowa Clerk Copies
County clerk copy requests should be tied to county clerk records, not to court case records. A certified marriage copy from the Wallowa County Clerk is listed at $4. A certified court judgment, divorce decree, probate order, or criminal case document must be requested from Wallowa County Circuit Court. Keeping those paths separate saves time because the two offices cannot issue each other's official records.
- Decide whether the record is a county clerk record or a circuit court record.
- For county clerk records, identify the document type, names, date range, and whether certification is needed.
- For recorded documents, check with the clerk before submitting if the document type or legal recording status is unclear.
- For county public records outside court files, submit a written request through the county clerk for forwarding.
- Pay copy, staff time, recording, or deposit costs when the clerk provides an estimate.
Note: Divorce certificates are handled through Oregon Vital Records, while divorce decrees come from Wallowa County Circuit Court.
County Public Request Fields
Wallowa County's public information and records request policy uses a written form for county records outside circuit court. The request should be specific enough for county staff to identify the department, record series, date range, and subject. The policy says written requests go to the Wallowa County Clerk for forwarding, and the county acknowledges receipt within five business days except in extraordinary circumstances.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Requestor name | Yes | Identity of the requester. |
| Date of request | Yes | Date the request is made. |
| Address, city, state, ZIP | Yes | Mailing or contact address. |
| Telephone | Yes | Phone number for follow-up. |
| Description of records requested | Yes | Must be specific enough to identify the department and content. |
| Purpose of request | Requested | Used for waiver, reduction, or public-interest analysis. |
| Signature | Yes | Written request signature unless the request is Level 1 and readily available. |
Inspection is by appointment during business hours. Original records remain in county custody, and staff must be present. If the estimated cost is $25 or more, the county may require a full deposit before work starts.
Wallowa County Clerk Fees
Wallowa County Clerk fee details depend on the record type. The research file confirms a certified marriage copy fee and explains that the county public-records policy uses actual staff time, copy charges, and deposit rules. It also notes a limited free-copy or staff-time allowance for some requesters and possible fee waiver or reduction review by the County Commission.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $50 |
| Certified Wallowa marriage copy | $4 |
| County public-records request estimate threshold | Deposit may be required at $25 or more |
| Some requesters' copy allowance | Up to 20 copies where the policy applies |
| Some requesters' staff-time allowance | First hour where the policy applies |
| Simplifile e-recording support | Vendor fees should be confirmed with Simplifile |
Common County Clerk Records
The county clerk's common records are local government records, not state court case files. Marriage licenses are issued in person. Both applicants must appear, bring identification, and meet Oregon age requirements. A license bought in any Oregon county may be used only in Oregon. Wallowa's marriage license is valid for 60 days after issuance, has a three-day waiting period unless waived by request, and must be returned to the Clerk's Office within five days after the ceremony.
- Marriage licenses for Wallowa County applicants and Oregon ceremonies.
- Recording for eligible legal documents and Simplifile e-recording.
- County public records request policy and form for non-court county records.
- County Clerk office page for elections, passports, PVAB, and office contacts.
Election work is a county clerk duty. The research notes county clerk election notices for the May 19, 2026 Primary Election, including public ballot tally system tests at the courthouse. That is clerk news, not court case news.
Recording and Online Access
The Wallowa County Clerk recording page says the office can record documents electronically through Simplifile. Users may call Simplifile at 1-800-460-5657 or visit simplifile.com. E-recording can help submit eligible recording documents without visiting Room 100, but it does not convert the county clerk into a court-record portal. Court filings and court case copies remain with Wallowa County Circuit Court and OJD systems.
County public records requests may be inspected by appointment, with county staff present, during business hours. Records cannot be removed from county custody. Public bodies may charge fees under Oregon public records law for copies, staff time, research, redaction, and supervision. The Wallowa policy adds local deposit and forwarding steps through the county clerk.
For a circuit court case file, go to the Wallowa County Circuit Court Clerk / Trial Court Administrator. For marriage, recording, elections, PVAB, or county records, the Wallowa County Clerk is the correct starting point.