Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 51 § 51.240 — Qualifications for office

Qualifications for office. (1) As a qualification for the office: (a) A justice of the peace must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of this state. (b) A justice of the peace must be a resident of or have a principal office in the justice of the peace district in which the justice court is located. For purposes of this paragraph, a “principal office” is the primary location from which a person conducts the person’s business or profession. (c) A justice of the peace must have maintained the residence within this state required by paragraph (b) of this subsection for at least three years immediately prior to appointment or becoming a candidate for election to the office of justice of the peace. (d) A justice of the peace must have maintained the residence or principal office required by paragraph (b) of this subsection for at least one year immediately prior to appointment or becoming a candidate for election to the office of justice of the peace. (e) A justice of the peace must: (A) Be a licensee of the Oregon State Bar; (B) Have completed a course on courts of special jurisdiction offered by the National Judicial College, or complete the course within 12 months after appointment or election to the office of justice of the peace; or (C) Have completed, or complete within 12 months after appointment or election to the office of justice of the peace, a course that is equivalent to the course described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, proposed by the justice of the peace and approved by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. (2) If exigent circumstances prevent a justice of the peace from completing the course required under subsection (1)(e)(B) of this section within 12 months after appointment or election to the office of justice of the peace, the presiding judge of the judicial district in which the justice court is located may grant the justice of the peace one extension of time to complete the course. The extension may not exceed 12 months. The presiding judge may require the justice of the peace to complete additional educational requirements during an extension granted under this subsection. (3) Notwithstanding subsection (1)(e) of this section, a justice of the peace in a justice court that is a court of record under ORS 51.025 must be a licensee of the Oregon State Bar. [1991 c.458 §10; 1993 c.493 §88; 2015 c.570 §6; 2025 c.32 §75]