Crook County Clerk Office
The elected Crook County Clerk is Cheryl Seely. The county biography says she first took office in January 2015 after election in November 2014 and is serving her third four-year term. Her background includes more than 30 years with recording documents and property transactions and more than 10 years with elections. The county also lists certifications and roles that include Certified County Clerk, Certified Recording Administrator, Oregon Notary Public, and U.S. Passport Acceptance Agent.
The County Clerk is not the Circuit Court Clerk. In Crook County, court case records are held by the state Circuit Court at the Justice Center. The County Clerk remains at 300 NE Third Street, Room 23 and handles the county records listed on the Clerk page. This split is important for anyone seeking marriage records, recorded land records, or older historical records while also trying to find a divorce, probate, criminal, or civil court case.
Crook County Clerk
Clerk: Cheryl Seely
300 NE Third Street, Room 23
Prineville, OR 97754
541-447-6553
Fax: 541-416-2145
clerks@crookcountyor.gov
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Crook County Clerk Duties
The Clerk's Office processes real property transactions, plats, Commissioners' Journal documents, marriage records, and military discharges. It serves as Clerk for the Property Value Appeals Board and maintains County Court and Board of Commissioners meeting proceedings for the public record. The office is also the Chief Election Official for Crook County, registering voters, maintaining voter lists, accepting candidacy declarations, and coordinating county elections.
- Recorded land documents, plats, mortgage, lien, and miscellaneous record access.
- Marriage licenses and certified marriage record copies.
- Commissioners' Journal and Board of Commissioners public proceedings.
- Military discharges, notary services, and passport acceptance.
- Property Value Appeals Board records and county election administration.
- Property, genealogy, and historical records research support.
Requests involving divorce decrees, criminal judgments, probate appointments, civil case files, or traffic case judgments should be directed to the Circuit Court Clerk process instead.
Search Crook County Clerk Records
The Digital Research Room is the main online search channel for many Crook County Clerk records. The county says all other records except marriage records are indexed in the Digital Research Room from about mid-1971 through today. Mortgage, lien, and miscellaneous records before 1971 may or may not appear in search. Marriage records are indexed back to about 1990. If a user cannot locate a document, the office can search the historical index.
- Start with the Digital Research Room for recorded documents and newer marriage index coverage.
- Use the public terminal in Room 23 when in-person research is easier or staff help is needed to get started.
- Call or email the Clerk's Office for older marriage records, pre-1971 records, or documents not found online.
- Use the public records request route for other public records held by the Clerk's Office.
- Prepay when requesting copies by phone or email, as noted in the research summary.
Note: The Digital Research Room is a county records tool, not an Oregon Judicial Department court case database.
Crook County Marriage Records
Marriage licenses are issued by the Crook County Clerk. The county states that applications are processed weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A license issued by Crook County may be used anywhere in Oregon. Both applicants must be at least 18 years old, with no exceptions stated by the county. The license must be purchased at least three days before the ceremony and no sooner than 60 days before the ceremony.
The three-day waiting period begins the day the license is purchased. The Clerk may waive that period for medical, military, or out-of-state residency reasons, but the county says the Clerk decides acceptance or rejection. Applicants can complete the online application and then contact the office to arrange payment. The license packet with instructions is mailed.
| Marriage Item | Crook County Rule |
|---|---|
| Application hours | Weekdays, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Minimum age | 18 or older, with no exceptions stated by the county. |
| Waiting period | Three days from purchase, unless waived by the Clerk for an allowed reason. |
| Validity | Use anywhere in Oregon within 60 days once effective. |
| Older marriage records | Digital index about 1990 forward; older records require calling the Clerk. |
Crook County Clerk Fees
The Clerk publishes copy, search, research, and marriage fees for county records. These fees are separate from Circuit Court copy costs. They apply to clerk-held records such as recorded documents and marriage records, and they also govern staff research when a search takes more than the no-charge starting period.
| Item | Fee or Rule |
|---|---|
| Recorded document search or location | $3.75 per name or document |
| Printed or copied pages | $0.25 per page |
| Staff research over 15 minutes | $40 per hour |
| Certified marriage record copy | $7.75 |
| Marriage license | $60 |
| Public terminal research | No charge to research; prints are $0.25 per page |
| Cover sheet for inadequate first-page recording space | Adds $5 to recording cost |
Crook County Clerk Request Fields
County Clerk record requests work best when the requester identifies the exact record type and the search terms the office can use. The county documents different access channels, including online purchase, public terminal use, phone or email requests with prepayment, and public-records requests for other clerk-held records.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name or document number | Yes when known | Used for the $3.75 recorded document search or location fee. |
| Record type | Yes | Marriage record, deed, plat, Commissioners' Journal, military discharge, or other clerk record. |
| Date range | Helpful | Important for pre-1971 recorded documents and pre-1990 marriage records. |
| Copy type | Yes | Plain print, certified marriage copy, or online purchased copy. |
| Delivery and payment | Yes | Phone and email requests require prepayment before copies are sent. |
Crook County Recording Rules
Recording requirements are strict enough that submitters should check the county rules before sending a deed or other document. Recording hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. eRecording hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The submitted document must be an original, not a copy.
The first page must leave space for a recording certificate about 3.50 inches by 3.50 inches. If it does not, a cover sheet meeting ORS 205.234 requirements is needed and adds $5 to the recording cost. Paper must be at least 20-pound opaque paper, not larger than 14 inches long and 8.5 inches wide, with black text at least 10-point type. Documents that are not legible enough for a readable photographic record are returned unrecorded.
Crook County Clerk Hours
The Clerk's general office hours are not the same as every service window. Passport acceptance and marriage license processing have narrower times, and passports require an appointment. Recording and eRecording also have their own hours. Using the right time window helps avoid a wasted trip to Room 23.
| Service | Hours or Contact |
|---|---|
| General office | Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
| Marriage licenses | Weekdays, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Passport acceptance | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. by appointment only |
| Recording | Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. |
| eRecording | Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| General email | clerks@crookcountyor.gov |
| Elections email | elections@crookcountyor.gov |
Crook County Historical Clerk Records
Historical research is a major reason to distinguish the County Clerk from the Circuit Court Clerk. Crook County's historic records ecosystem includes older courthouse vault records, county court materials, commissioners' records, probate references, divorce references, writs, name changes, and other older materials. The Oregon Encyclopedia notes that the historic 1909 courthouse remains a county-government landmark, while current circuit court business moved to the 2024 Justice Center.
The County Clerk can help with property, historical, and genealogy research, including older marriage records that are not in the Digital Research Room. For active court cases, however, the user should use OJD systems and the Circuit Court copy process. The two offices are close in downtown Prineville, but they are not interchangeable record custodians.