How to answer a debt lawsuit in Oregon

Deadlines by court, filing, fees and defenses, with a calculator.

Checked against official sources: Oct 24, 2026.

Short answer

Circuit court civil action: 30 days. Small claims (Defendant's Response): 30 days. Give your answer or motion to the court clerk with the filing fee, in proper form, with proof that you served the plaintiff's lawyer (or the plaintiff).

Time to answer
30 days
Official answer form
Small claims: Defendant's Response (SC-Response). Circuit court civil actions: no statewide answer form; you file a written answer or motion.
Fee to answer
In circuit court, the first-appearance fee for a contract case is $170 if the claim is $10,000 or less and $283 if it is over $10,000 and under $50,000.

How long you have to answer in Oregon

  • Circuit court civil action: 30 days.
  • Small claims (Defendant's Response): 30 days.

Circuit court civil action: file a motion or answer within 30 days from the date you were served. Small claims: return the Defendant's Response within 30 calendar days after you received service (you can deny the claim, pay it, counterclaim, or ask for a jury trial if the claim is over $750).

Law: ORCP 7 C(2), C(3)(a); ORS 21.160(1); ORS 46.445; ORS 46.570

In nearby states

Count your exact deadline

The date is counted in your browser.

The court's name is at the top of your summons.

An estimate from our state data, not legal advice. Court holidays and local rules can change a deadline. File early, and ask the court clerk if you are not sure.

Fees and fee waivers in Oregon

Fee to answer

In circuit court, the first-appearance fee for a contract case is $170 if the claim is $10,000 or less and $283 if it is over $10,000 and under $50,000. In small claims, demanding a hearing costs $57 if the claim is $2,500 or less and $102 if it is more; paying the claim has no extra fee. You can apply for a fee deferral or waiver.

Law: ORS 21.160; ORS 46.570

If you can't pay the fees

Application for Fee Deferral or Waiver (ask the court or use the OJD Forms Center): https://www.courts.oregon.gov/forms/Pages/default.aspx

Fill in Oregon's official answer form: a helper

Start with the official form: Small claims: Defendant's Response (SC-Response). Circuit court civil actions: no statewide answer form; you file a written answer or motion.

This helper is not a court form and does not file anything. It lists what to copy onto the official form, in plain words.

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What to put on the official form

Service of the court papers in Oregon

Service means officially getting the court papers. Your deadline usually starts that day.

Circuit court: the summons and complaint can be handed to you, left at your home with someone 14 or older who lives there (and then mailed to you), or served by mail or other methods allowed by the rules. Small claims: the notice and claim are served like a summons, or by certified mail marked 'Deliver to Addressee Only, Return Receipt Requested.'

Law: ORCP 7 D(2); ORS 46.445(3)

Defenses you can raise in Oregon

The limit for contract suits is 6 years. Suing or threatening to sue on a debt after the limit has run is an unlawful collection practice. A judgment for a debt buyer that did not meet the pleading rules of ORS 646A.670 can be challenged by motion under ORCP 71.

Law: ORS 12.080(1); ORS 646.639(2)(r)

A written-contract debt in Oregon must be sued on within 6 years. Raise an older debt as a defense in your answer.

Debt buyer lawsuits in Oregon: the full rules

What an answer is and how to file it in Oregon

Give your answer or motion to the court clerk with the filing fee, in proper form, with proof that you served the plaintiff's lawyer (or the plaintiff). In small claims, mark your choice on the Defendant's Response form and return it with the fee to the court where the claim was filed; OJD iForms offers an online version.

Steps to answer in Oregon

  1. Read the papers

    The summons names the court, the case number and the lawyer suing you. Keep it safe.

  2. Mark your deadline

    In Oregon: Circuit court civil action: 30 days; Small claims (Defendant's Response): 30 days.

  4. Ask for the documents

    Use a documents request letter to see what they can prove.

Federal rules in every state

  • Where a collector must sue. A debt collector that sues you over a consumer debt must file where you signed the contract or where you live when the suit starts. Law: 15 U.S.C. 1692i(a)(2)
  • Old debts. A debt collector must not sue you, or threaten to sue you, on a debt that is too old to sue on. Law: 12 CFR 1006.26(b)

Free help in Oregon

Questions about answering in Oregon

What is the deadline to answer a debt suit in Oregon?

Circuit court civil action: file a motion or answer within 30 days from the date you were served. Small claims: return the Defendant's Response within 30 calendar days after you received service (you can deny the claim, pay it, counterclaim, or ask for a jury trial if the claim is over $750).

How do I file an answer in Oregon?

Give your answer or motion to the court clerk with the filing fee, in proper form, with proof that you served the plaintiff's lawyer (or the plaintiff). In small claims, mark your choice on the Defendant's Response form and return it with the fee to the court where the claim was filed; OJD iForms offers an online version.

Where is Oregon's answer form?

Small claims: Defendant's Response (SC-Response). Circuit court civil actions: no statewide answer form; you file a written answer or motion.: https://www.courts.oregon.gov/forms/Documents/SC-Response.pdf

Is there a fee to answer in Oregon?

In circuit court, the first-appearance fee for a contract case is $170 if the claim is $10,000 or less and $283 if it is over $10,000 and under $50,000. In small claims, demanding a hearing costs $57 if the claim is $2,500 or less and $102 if it is more; paying the claim has no extra fee. You can apply for a fee deferral or waiver.

How do I ask for a fee waiver in Oregon?

Application for Fee Deferral or Waiver (ask the court or use the OJD Forms Center): https://www.courts.oregon.gov/forms/Pages/default.aspx

Related Oregon pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources
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