Welcome Page

In 1999, the Oregon Legislature created the Office of Administrative Hearings (then the Hearing Officer Panel). Our role is to provide an independent and impartial forum for citizens and businesses to dispute state agency action against them. Previously, employees of the agencies themselves heard these cases.

With 65 professional administrative law judges, we hold over 30,000 hearings a year for approximately 70 state agencies. By statute, all administrative law judges are required to be "impartial in the performance of [their] duties and shall remain fair in all hearings." We are committed to doing that. We are equally committed to producing timely decisions of the highest quality. Oregon is now the 22nd state in the nation with an independent central panel of administrative law judges.

To read an article from former Chief Administrative Law Judge Thomas Ewing discussing the history of the OAH please click the link below. Please note that this article was written in 2005 and does not necessarily reflect current practices and procedures of the Office of Administrative Hearings.

Read Independence in Adjudication

In-Person Hearings

We are substantially limiting the number of in-person hearings being held by our office. Until further notice, the Office of Administrative Hearings will hold all scheduled hearings by telephone to the extent allowed by law.

In most cases, in-person hearings can be converted to phone hearings or postponed. If you are scheduled for an in-person hearing and wish to have the hearing postponed or held by phone please contact our office as soon as possible at the number listed on your notice of hearing.

Telephone Hearings

Telephone hearings will be held as scheduled. However, if there are exigent circumstances that prevent you from participating in a scheduled telephone hearing, please contact our office as soon as possible to request a postponement.

We are closely monitoring developments and will resume in-person hearings, subject to social distancing protocols when conditions warrant.

Guide for Virtual Hearings by Video Conference

Virtual hearings allow hearing participants to attend hearings remotely.  The OAH uses Cisco Webex as its virtual hearing platform. Webex meetings allow for the parties, their representatives, and the ALJ to engage interactively through video or audio conference technology. Detailed instructions for participating in a virtual hearing are included here. 

The Office of Administrative Hearings Oversight Committee

Committee Details

OAH Strategic Plan 2017

Office of Administrative Hearings

Main Phone Number

503-947-1353

Fax Numbers

Unemployment Hearings - 503-947-1531

DHS Hearings - 503-947-1503

DMV Hearings - 503-947-1923

Child Support Hearings - 503-947-1921

Agencies, Boards & Commissions - 503-947-1923

To request an Unemployment Insurance Hearing please contact the Employment Department:

Phone – 877-345-3484

Fax – 503-947-1335

Contact Us Form – select Request a hearing / file an appeal, then under “Issue Description"

•       provide the administrative decision number or issue you are appealing

•       the mailing date of the administrative decision you're appealing, and

•       a brief description of why you are appealing