Oregon Revised Statutes

Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.545 (2026)

Issuance of search warrant; where executable; form of application

✓ current as of May 2026
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      133.545 Issuance of search warrant; where executable; form of application. (1) A search warrant may be issued only by a judge. A search warrant issued by a judge of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals may be executed anywhere in the state. Except as otherwise provided in subsections (2), (3) and (4) of this section, a search warrant issued by a judge of a circuit court may be executed only within the judicial district in which the court is located. A search warrant issued by a justice of the peace may be executed only within the county in which the justice court is located. A search warrant issued by a municipal judge authorized to exercise the powers and perform the duties of a justice of the peace may be executed only in the municipality in which the court is located.

      (2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, a circuit court judge may authorize execution of a search warrant outside the judicial district in which the court is located, if the judge finds from the application that one or more of the objects of the search relate to an offense committed or triable within the judicial district in which the court is located or that the search involves both conduct that occurred in the judicial district in which the court is located and interrelated conduct that occurred in one or more other judicial districts in this state. If a judge denies a search warrant for interrelated conduct that occurred in more than one judicial district, an application for the same search warrant may not be presented to a judge in another judicial district unless the other judicial district is one in which one or more of the objects of the search relate to an offense committed or triable within the other judicial district. If the warrant authorizes the installation or tracking of a mobile tracking device, the officer may track the device in any county to which it is transported.

      (3) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, a circuit court judge duly assigned pursuant to ORS 1.615 to serve as a judge pro tempore in a circuit court, or a senior judge duly assigned to serve in a circuit court under ORS 1.300 and who has authorization from the presiding judge of that judicial district, may authorize execution of a search warrant in any judicial district in which the judge is assigned to serve as judge pro tempore or as senior judge.

      (4) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, a circuit court judge may authorize execution of a search warrant outside the judicial district in which the court is located if the judge finds that:

      (a) The search relates to one of the following offenses involving a victim who was 65 years of age or older at the time of the offense:

      (A) Criminal mistreatment in the first degree as described in ORS 163.205 (1)(b)(D) or (E);

      (B) Identity theft;

      (C) Aggravated identity theft;

      (D) Computer crime;

      (E) Fraudulent use of a credit card;

      (F) Forgery in any degree;

      (G) Criminal possession of a forged instrument in any degree;

      (H) Theft in any degree; or

      (I) Aggravated theft in the first degree;

      (b) The objects of the search consist of financial records; and

      (c) The person making application for the search warrant is not able to ascertain at the time of the application the proper place of trial for the offense described in paragraph (a) of this subsection.

      (5) Application for a search warrant may be made only by a district attorney, a police officer or a special agent employed under ORS 131.805.

      (6) The application shall consist of a proposed warrant in conformance with ORS 133.565, and shall be supported by one or more affidavits particularly setting forth the facts and circumstances tending to show that the objects of the search are in the places, or in the possession of the individuals, to be searched. If an affidavit is based in whole or in part on hearsay, the affiant shall set forth facts bearing on any unnamed informant’s reliability and shall disclose, as far as possible, the means by which the information was obtained.

      (7) Instead of the written affidavit described in subsection (6) of this section, the judge may take an oral statement under oath. The oral statement shall be recorded and a copy of the recording submitted to the judge who took the oral statement. In such cases, the judge shall certify that the recording of the sworn oral statement is a true recording of the oral statement under oath and shall retain the recording as part of the record of proceedings for the issuance of the warrant. The recording shall constitute an affidavit for the purposes of this section. The applicant shall retain a copy of the recording and shall provide a copy of the recording to the district attorney if the district attorney is not the applicant.

      (8)(a) In addition to the procedure set out in subsection (7) of this section, the proposed warrant and the affidavit may be sent to the court by facsimile transmission or any similar electronic transmission that delivers a complete printable image of the signed affidavit and proposed warrant. The affidavit may have a notarized acknowledgment, or the affiant may swear to the affidavit by telephone. If the affiant swears to the affidavit by telephone, the affidavit may be signed electronically. A judge administering an oath telephonically under this subsection must execute a declaration that recites the manner and time of the oath’s administration. The declaration must be filed with the return.

      (b) When a court issues a warrant upon an application made under paragraph (a) of this subsection:

      (A) The court may transmit the signed warrant to the person making application under subsection (5) of this section by means of facsimile transmission or similar electronic transmission, as described in paragraph (a) of this subsection. The court shall file the original signed warrant and a printed image of the application with the return.

      (B) The person making application shall deliver the original signed affidavit to the court with the return. If the affiant swore to the affidavit by telephone, the affiant must so note next to the affiant’s signature on the affidavit. [1973 c.836 §83; 1985 c.344 §1; 1989 c.983 §3; 1995 c.658 §73; 1999 c.56 §1; 2007 c.547 §1; 2009 c.334 §1; 2013 c.155 §11; 2013 c.225 §1; 2015 c.415 §1; 2019 c.399 §7; 2023 c.216 §2; 2023 c.302 §3]

 

      133.550 [Repealed by 1973 c.836 §358]

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 174 cases (22 in the last 5 years), 1975–2026 · leading case: State v. Worsham, 834 P.2d 1033 (Or. Ct. App. 1992).
State v. Worsham, 834 P.2d 1033 (Or. Ct. App. 1992). · cites it 44× “2d 161 (1990), only compounds the problem by holding that ORS 133.545 applies only to unnamed informants.”
State v. Lee, 532 P.3d 894 (Or. 2023). · cites it 26× “Before trial, defendant filed a motion to suppress evidence derived from the search warrant, relying on ORS 133.545 as well as the state and federal constitutions.”
State v. Pelster/Boyer, 21 P.3d 106 (Or. Ct. App. 2001). · cites it 14× “ORS 133.545(4) requires that an affidavit in support of an application for a search warrant "particularly set[ ] forth the facts and circumstances tending to show that the objects of the search are in the places, or in the possession of the individuals, to be searched.”
State v. Chamu-hernandez, 212 P.3d 514 (Or. Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 14× “The state also argued that ORS 133.545 did not require any express findings to be made on the face of the warrant.”
State v. Farrar, 786 P.2d 161 (Or. 1990). · cites it 7× “Defendant chal *144 lenges the affidavits’ sufficiency under ORS 133.545, under Article I, section 9, of the Oregon Constitution, and under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”
State v. McCarthy, 501 P.3d 478 (Or. 2021). · cites it 4× “When Brown was decided, ORS 133.545 authorized warrants based on oral statements, commonly referred to as “telephonic warrants,” but only when circumstances made it “impracticable for a district attorney or police offi- cer to obtain a warrant in person.”
State v. Russell, 650 P.2d 79 (Or. 1982). · cites it 9× “” Another subsection of ORS 133.545, not directly involved in this case, is nevertheless pertinent as it reflects the legislative design.”
State v. Evans, 822 P.2d 1198 (Or. Ct. App. 1991). · cites it 11× “The drafters also intended ORS 133.545 to reflect Fourth Amendment requirements “as expressed in existing and foreseeable decisions of the United States Supreme Court.”
State v. Johnson, 131 P.3d 173 (Or. 2006). · cites it 3× “Defendant argues, in fact, that the search warrant affidavit improperly relies on hearsay statements by certain unnamed informants, (identified only as persons living in the Fraser household) without establishing the informants’ reliability or basis of knowledge, as ORS…”
Clay, Sara Kathrine, 391 S.W.3d 94 (Tex. Crim. App. 2013). · cites it 4× “"); Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.545 (6)(a) ("[T]he proposed warrant and the affidavit may be sent to the court by facsimile transmission or any similar electronic transmission that delivers a complete printable image of the signed affidavit and proposed warrant.”
State v. Christen/Hankins, 720 P.2d 1303 (Or. Ct. App. 1986). · cites it 8× “They contend that the information provided by informants — described in paragraphs [1], [2] and [3] — cannot be *781 considered because the affidavit does not comply with former ORS 133.545(3) 2 and that the balance of the information does not constitute probable cause.”
State v. Dunning, 724 P.2d 924 (Or. Ct. App. 1986). · cites it 10× “) The drafters of ORS 133.545 only intended that the statutory requirement as to content of the allegations in an affidavit reflect the Fourth Amendment requirements as expressed in then existing and forseeable decisions of the United States Supreme Court.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.545(1) — 9 cases
State v. Lee, 532 P.3d 894 (Or. 2023). “Before trial, defendant filed a motion to suppress evidence derived from the search warrant, relying on ORS 133.545 as well as the state and federal constitutions.”
State v. Russell, 650 P.2d 79 (Or. 1982). “” Another subsection of ORS 133.545, not directly involved in this case, is nevertheless pertinent as it reflects the legislative design.”
State v. Chamu-hernandez, 212 P.3d 514 (Or. Ct. App. 2009). “The state also argued that ORS 133.545 did not require any express findings to be made on the face of the warrant.”
State v. Calderon, 678 P.2d 1245 (Or. Ct. App. 1984).
State v. Plankinton, 661 P.2d 1387 (Or. Ct. App. 1983).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.545(2) — 5 cases
State v. Chamu-hernandez, 212 P.3d 514 (Or. Ct. App. 2009). “The state also argued that ORS 133.545 did not require any express findings to be made on the face of the warrant.”
Zyst v. Kelly, 566 P.3d 1121 (Or. Ct. App. 2025).
State v. Clapper, 173 P.3d 1235 (Or. Ct. App. 2007).
State v. Berg, 652 P.2d 1272 (Or. Ct. App. 1982).
State v. Calderon, 678 P.2d 1245 (Or. Ct. App. 1984).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.545(3) — 30 cases
State v. Christen/Hankins, 720 P.2d 1303 (Or. Ct. App. 1986). “They contend that the information provided by informants — described in paragraphs [1], [2] and [3] — cannot be *781 considered because the affidavit does not comply with former ORS 133.545(3) 2 and that the balance of the information does not constitute probable cause.”
State v. Russell, 650 P.2d 79 (Or. 1982). “” Another subsection of ORS 133.545, not directly involved in this case, is nevertheless pertinent as it reflects the legislative design.”
State v. Montigue, 605 P.2d 656 (Or. 1980).
State v. Souders, 700 P.2d 1050 (Or. Ct. App. 1985).
State v. Horwedel, 674 P.2d 623 (Or. Ct. App. 1984).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.545(4) — 88 cases
State v. Worsham, 834 P.2d 1033 (Or. Ct. App. 1992). “2d 161 (1990), only compounds the problem by holding that ORS 133.545 applies only to unnamed informants.”
State v. Pelster/Boyer, 21 P.3d 106 (Or. Ct. App. 2001). “ORS 133.545(4) requires that an affidavit in support of an application for a search warrant "particularly set[ ] forth the facts and circumstances tending to show that the objects of the search are in the places, or in the possession of the individuals, to be searched.”
State v. Johnson, 131 P.3d 173 (Or. 2006). “Defendant argues, in fact, that the search warrant affidavit improperly relies on hearsay statements by certain unnamed informants, (identified only as persons living in the Fraser household) without establishing the informants’ reliability or basis of knowledge, as ORS…”
State v. Flores, 685 P.2d 999 (Or. Ct. App. 1984).
State v. Dunning, 724 P.2d 924 (Or. Ct. App. 1986). “) The drafters of ORS 133.545 only intended that the statutory requirement as to content of the allegations in an affidavit reflect the Fourth Amendment requirements as expressed in then existing and forseeable decisions of the United States Supreme Court.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.545(5) — 21 cases
Missouri v. McNeely, 133 S. Ct. 1552 (2013).
State v. Stevens, 806 P.2d 92 (Or. 1991).
State v. Brown, 721 P.2d 1357 (Or. 1986).
State v. Futch, 860 P.2d 264 (Or. Ct. App. 1993).
State v. Milligan, 748 P.2d 130 (Or. 1988).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.545(6) — 18 cases
State v. Lee, 532 P.3d 894 (Or. 2023). “Before trial, defendant filed a motion to suppress evidence derived from the search warrant, relying on ORS 133.545 as well as the state and federal constitutions.”
State v. Cannon, 450 P.3d 567 (Or. Ct. App. 2019).
State v. Perryman, 365 P.3d 628 (Or. Ct. App. 2015).
State v. Nelson, 476 P.3d 100 (Or. Ct. App. 2020).
State v. Lee, 373 Or. 555 (Or. 2025).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.545(6)(a) — 1 case
Clay, Sara Kathrine, 391 S.W.3d 94 (Tex. Crim. App. 2013). “"); Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.545 (6)(a) ("[T]he proposed warrant and the affidavit may be sent to the court by facsimile transmission or any similar electronic transmission that delivers a complete printable image of the signed affidavit and proposed warrant.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.545(7) — 5 cases
Commonwealth v. Almonor, 120 N.E.3d 1183 (Mass. 2019).
State v. Portulano, 514 P.3d 93 (Or. Ct. App. 2022).
State v. Martin, 321 Or. App. 361 (Or. Ct. App. 2022).
State v. Sanchez, 344 Or. App. 85 (Or. Ct. App. 2025).
State v. Sanchez, 344 Or. App. 85 (Or. Ct. App. 2025).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.545(8) — 2 cases
State v. Andersen, 390 P.3d 992 (Or. 2017).
State v. Andersen (Or. 2017).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.545(8)(b) — 1 case
State v. Lee, 532 P.3d 894 (Or. 2023). “Before trial, defendant filed a motion to suppress evidence derived from the search warrant, relying on ORS 133.545 as well as the state and federal constitutions.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.