Columbia County Clerk
About the Columbia County Clerk
Columbia County runs along the Columbia River northwest of Portland, and while it's Oregon's third-smallest county by land area, it still holds a working timber economy that feeds local lumber and paper mills. These days roughly half the county's workforce commutes into Portland, making St. Helens and the surrounding towns functionally part of the metro area even as the county keeps its small-town character. The County Clerk's office in St. Helens handles recording countywide, from riverfront parcels near Rainier to farmland out toward Mist.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Columbia County, this is the Clerk’s office that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Clatskanie, Columbia City, Prescott, Rainier, St. Helens (county seat), Scappoose, and Vernonia.
Unincorporated communities: Birkenfeld, Delena, Goble, Keasey, Marshland, Mayger, Mist, Pittsburg, Quincy, and Yankton.
Office Details
Address: 230 Strand Street, Columbia County Courthouse Annex, St. Helens, OR 97051
Phone: (503) 397-3796 | Fax: (503) 397-7266
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (document recording, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM)
Recording Fee: Oregon recording fees are set individually by each county and change periodically — check Columbia County's current fee schedule or call the office to confirm the exact amount before filing.
How to File a Document
- Prepare Your Document: Make sure your deed meets Oregon's formatting and content requirements before you file.
- Get It Notarized: Have the document signed in front of an Oregon notary public or other authorized official. No notary nearby in St. Helens? Oregon allows remote online notarization — you can have your Columbia County deed notarized online by an Oregon-commissioned notary instead.
- Meet Oregon's First-Page Requirements: Oregon law requires your deed's first page to show the title, grantor and grantee names, the true consideration, and an address for tax statements. If your document doesn't already include this, you'll need to attach a cover sheet, which adds $5 to the recording fee.
- Record It: You can file in person or by mail with the Columbia County Clerk's office.
- Pay the Recording Fee: Oregon recording fees are set individually by each county and change periodically — check the current fee schedule or call the office to confirm the exact amount before filing.
- Keep Your Receipt: Your recorded document (or a certified copy) is your proof of filing.
Filing? Get a Deed the Columbia County Clerk Will Accept
FREE generic forms are the most common reason Oregon deeds get rejected — usually over formatting, the legal description, or notary acknowledgment.
Two ways to avoid that:
Both are Oregon-compliant and built for the Columbia County Clerk’s exact requirements.
Disclosure: affiliate links to Standard Legal, our partner — no extra cost to you.
You are not on the official Columbia County government website. OregonQuitclaimDeed.com is a privately owned website and is not affiliated with any government agency.