Someone died in Oregon. Start here.
The first 24 hours, in order, then the first week and the first month, with Oregon's actual rules for death certificates, cremation, and probate. This page is free. No account required.
Sources: official Oregon statutes and agencies, linked below. Last updated: October 2026.
Start with safety, the required local response, and the people who can help. The exact process depends on where and how the death occurred.
These figures come from the same data as our full Oregon guide, built from state statutes and official agencies.
Death certificate
Filed within 5 days
The window runs from the death. The funeral provider or another authorized filer usually handles it. Ask each institution whether it needs a certified copy, then order an initial quantity based on those actual needs. Confirm the current fee with the issuing office; the guide's last-reviewed first-copy or search fee starts at $25. Additional-copy, vendor, and expedited fees may differ.
Source: ORS § 432.133 (2025 edition) (opens in a new tab)Cremation
No fixed statutory wait
Oregon doesn’t set a fixed minimum wait in the source reviewed. Release, authorization, permit, death-record, or investigation requirements may still delay cremation. The person legally authorized under state law completes any required authorization; the provider handles its filing process.
Source: ORS Chapter 692 (Mortuary & Cemetery); ORS §§ 432.133, 432.158 (opens in a new tab)Probate
$75,000 listed amount
The amount alone doesn’t establish eligibility. Confirm which property counts, how it’s valued, the waiting period, ownership, any pending court case, and every other state condition.
Source: ORS §§ 114.505 to 114.560 (Simple Estates), ORS Chapter 113 (Formal Probate) (opens in a new tab)Estate tax
Yes, this state has one
Oregon's estate tax has state-specific exemptions, rates, filing rules, and responsible parties. Check the linked state tax authority.
Source 1: ORS Chapter 118 (Oregon Estate Tax, 2024) (opens in a new tab)Source 2: IRS: 2026 estate tax basic exclusion amount (opens in a new tab)Days 2 to 7 · 1 to 7 days
These tasks often begin during the first week, but local requirements and the family's circumstances may change the order.
Weeks 2 to 4 · 1 to 4 weeks
The immediate calls may slow down. Estate, account, benefit, property, and tax work often continues for months.
The Long Game · 1 month+
Estate administration may take months or longer. The timing depends on the assets, claims, disputes, tax work, court schedule, and state procedure.
Have the death officially pronounced. For an expected hospice death, call the hospice nurse and follow the hospice instructions. For an unexpected death, call 911 and don’t move the body until you’re told you can. Then notify the closest people and, after the body is released, contact the funeral, cremation, burial, or donation provider the person chose.
In Oregon, the death certificate must be filed within 5 days of the death. The funeral provider or another authorized filer usually handles it. Ask each institution whether it needs a certified copy, then order an initial quantity based on those actual needs.
Death records are restricted for 50 years. Eligible: a parent, stepparent or grandparent; a child, grandchild or sibling; the spouse or registered domestic partner; a legal guardian, attorney or authorized representative such as the estate administrator; the funeral establishment named on the record; the person in charge of disposition; a government agency; or someone protecting a property right, who gets the short form without the cause of death. Certified copies come from Oregon's Center for Health Statistics, Oregon Health Authority; county health departments issue copies too.
$25 for a certified copy from the state office, per the fee page linked on this page. $25 for the first certificate and $25 for every one after it, the same across all five ordering channels. Online and phone orders add an expedite fee and a vendor fee on top.
From Oregon's Center for Health Statistics, Oregon Health Authority; county health departments issue copies too, online or by phone through VitalChek, by mail, by drop box, or in person by appointment. The official order page is linked on this page. The funeral home usually orders the first copies for you.
Oregon doesn’t set a fixed minimum wait in the source reviewed. Release, authorization, permit, death-record, or investigation requirements may still delay cremation. The person legally authorized under state law completes any required authorization; the provider handles its filing process.
Oregon's stated small-estate threshold is $75,000. Value alone doesn’t establish eligibility. Ownership, asset type, timing, beneficiaries, debts, and other state requirements can affect whether a simplified procedure is available.
Yes. Oregon has a state estate tax. Exemptions, rates, filing rules, and responsible parties vary. Check the linked state tax authority. The federal basic exclusion amount is $15 million for deaths in 2026, and Form 706 may also be relevant for certain elections.
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