or-deadlines

Oregon Case Deadlines

This skill computes deadlines in Oregon civil cases — when to answer, when to file or respond to motions, when to claim exemptions, when to appeal, and the statutes of limitations that bound new actions.

NOT LEGAL ADVICE. Verify every deadline against the current rule and statute. The legislature can amend ORCP and ORS without notice.

How time is computed in Oregon (ORCP 10)

ORCP 10 A — Computation:

• Exclude the day of the triggering event (the day of service, the day of filing, the day of the order)
• Include the last day of the period
• If the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the period extends to the next business day

ORCP 10 B — Intermediate weekends and holidays:

• Periods less than 7 days: exclude weekends and holidays
• Periods of 7 days or longer: include weekends and holidays

ORCP 10 C — 3-day mail rule:

• When service is by mail, 3 additional days are added to any prescribed response period
• Applies only when the triggering act was service by mail; not if the triggering act was filing or order

Oregon legal holidays (ORS 187.010)

Holiday	Date
New Year's Day	January 1
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day	3rd Monday of January
Presidents' Day	3rd Monday of February
Memorial Day	Last Monday of May
Juneteenth	June 19
Independence Day	July 4
Labor Day	1st Monday of September
Veterans Day	November 11
Thanksgiving Day	4th Thursday of November
Christmas Day	December 25

Observed-day rule (ORS 187.020):

• Saturday holiday → observed on the preceding Friday
• Sunday holiday → observed on the following Monday

Note: Oregon does NOT recognize the day after Thanksgiving as a statewide holiday (unlike Washington). Some Oregon counties may treat it as a courthouse closure day; verify locally.

Deterministic computation

Use the bundled scripts/case-calendar.py for date arithmetic:

# Compute the answer deadline — 30 calendar days from service
# on 2025-04-15
python3 plugins/or-court-docs/scripts/case-calendar.py \
  --from 2025-04-15 --rule answer-due

# Compute a custom deadline — 14 court days after a given date
python3 plugins/or-court-docs/scripts/case-calendar.py \
  --from 2025-04-15 --days 14 --mode court

# List all known rules
python3 plugins/or-court-docs/scripts/case-calendar.py --rules

The script encodes ORCP 10 A/B/C and ORS 187.010/.020 exactly, so the computation is deterministic.

Deadlines by procedural posture

Initial response (defendant)

Trigger	Deadline	Authority
Personal service in Oregon	30 days from service	ORCP 7 C(2)
Service on Oregon resident outside Oregon	30 days	ORCP 7 C(2)
Service by publication	30 days from completed publication	ORCP 7 D(6)
Substituted service	30 days from completed mailing (mailing follows the substituted delivery)	ORCP 7 D(2)(b)
Motion under ORCP 21 in lieu of answer	30 days; tolls answer until court rules	ORCP 21 D

Motion practice timing

Event	Timing	Authority
Motion to compel — meet-and-confer prerequisite	Before filing	ORCP 46 A, local SLR
Motion to compel — response	14 days (typical); check local SLR	Local SLR; default
Motion to dismiss — response	14 days	Local SLR; default
Motion to dismiss — reply	7 days	Local SLR; default
Summary judgment — motion	At least 60 days before trial	ORCP 47 C
Summary judgment — response	20 days after service of motion	ORCP 47 C
Summary judgment — reply	5 days after service of response	ORCP 47 C
Summary judgment — hearing	At least 11 days after filing reply	ORCP 47 C
Motion to reconsider — filed	"Reasonable time" — typically 10 days	ORCP 64 / 71

Discovery

Event	Timing	Authority
RFP response	30 days (45 if served with summons)	ORCP 43 B
RFA response	30 days (45 if served with summons)	ORCP 45 B
Deposition notice — party	5 days	ORCP 39 B
Deposition notice — non-party	7 days (subpoena required)	ORCP 39 B / 55
Discovery cutoff (typical)	30 days before trial; case-schedule order may vary	Case schedule

Post-judgment

Event	Timing	Authority
Motion to set aside default	"Reasonable time"; not exceeding 1 year for ORCP 71 B(1)–(3)	ORCP 71 B
Motion to amend judgment	10 days after entry of judgment	ORCP 64
Notice of Appeal — circuit to Court of Appeals	30 days from judgment entry	ORS 19.255 / ORAP 5.30
Garnishment Challenge / Exemption	30 days from notice of writ	ORS 18.700 et seq.
Bank levy challenge	30 days from notice	ORS 18.700+
Statement of attorney fees and costs	14 days from judgment	ORCP 68 C(2)
Cost bill	14 days from judgment	ORCP 68 C
Writ of garnishment issuance	After judgment is final and writ issued	ORS 18.605

Arbitration

Event	Timing	Authority
Arbitration hearing	Typically 90 days from assignment	Per SLR / arbitrator
Trial de novo request	20 days from arbitration award	ORS 36.425
Trial de novo fee-shifting cutoff	At trial de novo conclusion	ORS 36.425(5)

Statutes of limitations — Oregon

Contract and debt

Claim type	SOL	Authority
Written contract	6 years	ORS 12.080(1)
Open account / credit card	6 years	ORS 12.080(2)–(4)
Oral contract	6 years	ORS 12.080(1)
Statutory liability (UTPA, ORS 697, etc.)	6 years (general)	ORS 12.080(2)

Tort

Claim type	SOL	Authority
Personal injury (most)	2 years	ORS 12.110
Fraud / mistake	2 years from discovery; 10-year repose	ORS 12.110(1)
Defamation	1 year	ORS 12.120(2)
Malicious prosecution	1 year	ORS 12.140

Real property

Claim type	SOL	Authority
Real property	10 years	ORS 12.040
Quiet title	10 years	ORS 12.040

Judgments

Event	Limit	Authority
Judgment lifespan	10 years from entry, renewable	ORS 18.182
Judgment renewal	Before original 10-year period expires	ORS 18.182

Consumer protection

Claim type	SOL	Authority
UTPA private action	1 year from discovery; 6-year repose	ORS 646.638(6)
FDCPA private action	1 year from violation	15 USC § 1692k(d)
FCRA private action	2 years from discovery; 5-year repose	15 USC § 1681p
TILA private action	1 year from violation (rescission: 3 years)	15 USC § 1640(e); § 1635(f)

Collection agency / ORS 697

Claim type	SOL	Authority
ORS 697.058 prohibited practices	6 years (statutory)	ORS 12.080(2)
ORS 697.085 civil action	6 years	ORS 12.080(2)

The 3-day mail rule, in practice

ORCP 10 C adds 3 days to any response period when service was by mail. This rule trips up many practitioners. Examples:

• Discovery response served by mail on April 1: response due 30 + 3 = 33 days from April 1, i.e., May 4
• Discovery response served by eService on April 1: response due 30 days, i.e., May 1 (no mail-rule addition; eService is electronic, not mail)
• Motion served by mail on April 1: response due [local SLR period] + 3 days from April 1

eService through File and Serve does NOT trigger the 3-day mail rule. The 3-day rule applies only to actual paper mail under ORCP 9 B (USPS).

Computing examples

Example 1: Answer to complaint

Defendant is personally served on Wednesday, April 15, 2025.

ORCP 7 C(2) — 30 calendar days to answer.

Day 1 = April 16 (day after service). 30 days from April 15, counting day 1 = April 16, is May 15.

May 15 is a Thursday — a business day. Answer due May 15, 2025.

Example 2: Motion to compel with meet-and-confer

Discovery response served by eService on Friday, May 16, 2025. The response objects to RFPs 3, 5, 6.

ORCP 43 B — 30 days. No mail-rule addition (eService).

May 16 + 30 days = June 15. June 15 is a Sunday → next business day. Original response was timely; no extension to the requesting party.

Defendant decides to meet and confer. Meet-and-confer letter sent Monday, May 19, 2025. Reasonable response window of 14 days = Monday, June 2, 2025.

If opposing party fails to supplement by June 2, motion to compel can be filed.

Example 3: SJ schedule

Trial date: Monday, August 25, 2025.

ORCP 47 C — motion filed at least 60 days before trial.

60 days before August 25 = June 26 (Thursday). SJ motion must be filed by June 26, 2025.

Response due 20 days after service of motion. If motion was filed and served on June 26, response due July 16, 2025.

Reply due 5 days after service of response. If response was served on July 16, reply due July 21, 2025.

Hearing must be at least 11 days after filing of reply. If reply was filed July 21, hearing must be on or after August 1, 2025.

(Use the calendar script to verify and adjust for any intervening holidays.)

Example 4: Notice of Appeal

Judgment entered Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

ORS 19.255 — 30 days from entry of judgment to file Notice of Appeal.

June 3 + 30 days = July 3 (Thursday — Independence Day-1). July 3 is a business day; July 4 is a holiday.

Notice of Appeal due July 3, 2025. (If June 3 were a Friday, the deadline could fall on a weekend and extend.)

Common deadline-computation mistakes

Mistake	Consequence
Including the day of the triggering event	Off-by-one; missed deadline
Forgetting the 3-day mail rule	Short-served response is treated as timely; surprise
Adding 3 days for eService	Not required; can backfire if you over-rely
Counting weekends in periods < 7 days	Over-counts; ORCP 10 B excludes intermediate weekends for short periods
Forgetting to extend if last day is weekend/holiday	Off-by-one; missed deadline
Confusing court days and calendar days	"Days" in ORCP is calendar unless specified court
Confusing observe-day rule	Saturday Independence Day observed on prior Friday; Sunday observed on following Monday

When in doubt, file early

When the deadline is close, file early. Late filings can be fatal — ORCP 21 motions, Notice of Appeal, Motion to Vacate, etc., are all strict deadlines and missing them is not curable through the doctrine of substantial compliance.

For pro se filers: build a buffer. Aim for filings 5–7 days before the deadline; that leaves room for technology issues, clerk rejection, or last-minute corrections.

References

• scripts/case-calendar.py — deterministic date arithmetic
• or-law-references/references/civil-rules.md — ORCP 10 verbatim
• or-law-references/references/or-ors-debt/ORS-12.md (when populated) — verbatim ORS 12 text on SOLs
• or-law-references/references/or-ors-debt/ORS-187.md (when populated) — verbatim ORS 187 holiday list