Oregon Revised Statutes

Or. Rev. Stat. § 221.315 (2026)

Enforcement of charter provisions and ordinances; disposition of fines

✓ current as of May 2026

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221.315 Enforcement of charter provisions and ordinances; disposition of fines. (1) Prosecution of violations of the charter or ordinances of a city in circuit or justice court shall be by the city attorney and in the name of such city. An agreement may be made between any city and, on behalf of the state, the presiding judge for the judicial district in which all or part of such city is located, that such violations be prosecuted for such city in the circuit court by the district attorney in the name of the State of Oregon. An agreement may be made, pursuant to ORS 190.010, between any city and the county in which all or part of such city is located, that such violations be prosecuted for such city in the justice court by the district attorney in the name of the State of Oregon.

(2) Except as otherwise provided by an agreement made under subsection (1) of this section in respect to the court, all fines collected by the circuit or justice court having jurisdiction of a violation of a city charter or ordinance shall be paid as follows:

(a) Subject to subsection (3) of this section, one-half of the fine shall be credited and distributed to the treasurer of the city whose charter or ordinance was violated, as a monetary obligation payable to the city.

(b) If collected by the circuit court, and subject to subsection (3) of this section, one-half of the fine shall be credited and distributed as a monetary obligation payable to the state.

(c) If collected by the justice court, one-half of the fine shall be credited and distributed to the treasurer of the county in which the court is located as a monetary obligation payable to the county.

(3) If the full amount of the fine imposed by a circuit court under this section is collected and a surcharge is imposed on the fine under ORS 1.188, the last $5 of the amount collected shall be paid to the county for deposit in the county’s courthouse surcharge account established under ORS 1.189. If the full amount of the fine imposed is not collected, the $5 payment required by this subsection shall be reduced by one dollar for every dollar of the fine that is not collected. [1973 c.645 §3; 1975 c.713 §2; 1981 s.s. c.3 §114; 1983 c.763 §48; 1987 c.905 §19; 1995 c.781 §41; 1995 c.658 §92a; 1999 c.1051 §264; 2011 c.597 §128; 2016 c.78 §6]

221.320 [Repealed by 1967 c.195 §1]

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 4 cases, 1985–2000 · leading case: Sims v. Besaw's Café, 997 P.2d 201 (Or. Ct. App. 2000).

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Sims v. Besaw's Café, 997 P.2d 201 (Or. Ct. App. 2000). · cites it 12× “ORS 221.315, ORS 221.337, ORS 3.132 and ORS 3.”

Laine v. City of Rockaway Beach, 896 P.2d 1219 (Or. Ct. App. 1995). “See ORS 221.315; ORS 221.410. Those facts also weigh in favor of concluding that the fire department was part of the city government.”

City of Portland v. Smith, 705 P.2d 205 (Or. Ct. App. 1985). · cites it 4× “The appellant responded that, under ORS 221.315, the district attorney for Multnomah County had authority to prosecute violations of city ordinances in the name of the state.”

City of Portland v. Smith, 698 P.2d 990 (Or. Ct. App. 1985). · cites it 3× “The state responds that, under ORS 221.315, the district attorney for Multnomah County is authorized to prosecute violations of Portland city ordinances in the name of the state of Oregon.”

— Or. Rev. Stat. § 221.315(1) — 1 case

Sims v. Besaw's Café, 997 P.2d 201 (Or. Ct. App. 2000). “ORS 221.315, ORS 221.337, ORS 3.132 and ORS 3.”

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