Oregon Debt Lawsuit Answer Form: what to file, where, and by when
Last verified against official court sources: 2026-07-13
Oregon gives you 30 days from service to appear and defend a circuit court case (ORCP 7) — and unlike most states, the answer must be filed "along with the required filing fee": $170 for claims up to $10,000, $283 for $10,000–$50,000 (ORS 21.160). Small claims now also allows 30 days (raised from 14 by a 2025 amendment to ORS 46.455) using the official Small Claims Defendant's Response form, with a $57–$102 hearing fee. Fee waivers exist for low-income defendants.
Official forms for small claims — drafted answers for regular civil
The Oregon Judicial Department publishes an official statewide "Small Claims — Defendant's Response" form and instruction sheet (January 2026 revisions). For regular circuit-court civil cases there is no statewide answer form — you draft an Answer (or motion) and file it with the first-appearance fee. Oregon's small claims materials also reference the consumer debt disclosure debt buyers must file under ORS 646A.670 — a compliance checkpoint worth looking for in your case file.
The Oregon twist
Oregon charges $170–$283 just to answer — and rejects answers without it
The summons itself warns that your motion or answer "must be given to the court clerk or administrator within 30 days along with the required filing fee." For the typical debt claim between $10,000 and $50,000 that fee is $283; up to $10,000 it is $170 (ORS 21.160 first-appearance tiers). The official small claims instructions add that a response without proper fee payment "may be rejected and a default judgment entered against you." The pressure valve is the OJD fee deferral/waiver application — file it with the answer. Also new: the small claims response window doubled from 14 to 30 days in 2025, so older guides understate your time.
Deadlines, filing, fees, and service
- Deadline: 30 days from service to appear and defend in circuit court (ORCP 7 C); 30 days for the small claims response (ORS 46.455, as amended 2025).
- Filing: OJD eFile is open to self-represented defendants but mandatory only for attorneys (UTCR 21.140); paper filing with the circuit court clerk remains available.
- Fee: first appearance — $170 (claim ≤$10,000), $283 ($10,000–$50,000) under ORS 21.160; small claims hearing demand — $57 (claim ≤$2,500) or $102 (ORS 46.570). Fee deferral/waiver available.
- Venue: claims of $750 or less must be small claims; up to $10,000 may be (ORS 46.405). Most claims of $50,000 or less go to mandatory court-annexed arbitration after the answer.
Common questions
Why is Oregon asking me to pay hundreds of dollars to respond?
ORS 21.160 charges every defendant a first-appearance fee scaled to the claim: $170 up to $10,000 and $283 from $10,000 to $50,000. It is due with the answer, and a response without it can be rejected. Low-income defendants should file the OJD fee deferral/waiver application with the answer.
How long do I have to respond to an Oregon small claim?
30 days from service — the window doubled from 14 days by a 2025 amendment to ORS 46.455, and the official January 2026 defendant instructions confirm it. Guides still citing 14 days are stale.
Is there an official Oregon answer form?
For small claims, yes — the OJD Small Claims Defendant's Response with official instructions. Regular circuit-court cases have no statewide form; you draft a written Answer and file it with the fee or a waiver application.
Primary sources
This page provides general legal information verified against the official sources linked above; it is not legal advice, and court rules change — confirm current requirements with your clerk of court. Answered is self-help software, not a law firm. If you can afford a lawyer, hire one.