Oregon Statutes - Chapter 40 - Evidence Code - Section 40.510 - Rule 902. Self-authentication.

(1) Extrinsic evidence of authenticity as a condition precedent to admissibility is not required with respect to the following:

(a) A document bearing a seal purporting to be that of the United States, or of any state, district, commonwealth, territory, or insular possession thereof, or the Panama Canal Zone, or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or of a political subdivision, department, officer, or agency thereof, and a signature purporting to be an attestation or execution.

(b) A document purporting to bear the signature, in an official capacity, of an officer or employee of any entity included in subsection (1)(a) of this section, having no seal, if a public officer having a seal and having official duties in the district or political subdivision of the officer or employee certifies under seal that the signer has the official capacity and that the signature is genuine.

(c) A document purporting to be:

(A) Executed or attested in an official capacity by a person authorized by the laws of a foreign country to make the execution or attestation; and

(B) Accompanied by a final certification as provided in subsection (3) of this section as to the genuineness of the signature and official position of:

(i) The executing or attesting person; or

(ii) Any foreign official whose certificate of genuineness of signature and official position relates to the execution or attestation or is in a chain of certificates of genuineness of signature and official position relating to the execution or attestation.

(d) A copy of an official record or report or entry therein, or of a document authorized by law to be recorded or filed and actually recorded or filed in a public office, including data compilations in any form, certified as correct by the custodian or other person authorized to make the certification, by certificate complying with subsection (1)(a), (b) or (c) of this section or otherwise complying with any law or rule prescribed by the Supreme Court.

(e) Books, pamphlets or other publications purporting to be issued by public authority.

(f) Printed materials purporting to be newspapers or periodicals.

(g) Inscriptions, signs, tags or labels purporting to have been affixed in the course of business and indicating ownership, control or origin.

(h) Documents accompanied by a certificate of acknowledgment executed in the manner provided by law by a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments.

(i) Commercial paper, signatures thereon and documents relating thereto to the extent provided by the Uniform Commercial Code or ORS chapter 83.

(j) Any signature, documents or other matter declared by law to be presumptively or prima facie genuine or authentic.

(k)(A) A document bearing a seal purporting to be that of a federally recognized Indian tribal government or of a political subdivision, department, officer, or agency thereof, and a signature purporting to be an attestation or execution.

(B) A document purporting to bear the signature, in an official capacity, of an officer or employee of any entity included in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, having no seal, if a public officer having a seal and having official duties in the district or political subdivision or the officer or employee certifies under seal that the signer has the official capacity and that the signature is genuine.

(L)(A) Any document containing data prepared or recorded by the Oregon State Police pursuant to ORS 813.160 (1)(b)(C) or (E), or pursuant to ORS 475.235 (4), if the document is produced by data retrieval from the Law Enforcement Data System or other computer system maintained and operated by the Oregon State Police, and the person retrieving the data attests that the information was retrieved directly from the system and that the document accurately reflects the data retrieved.

(B) Any document containing data prepared or recorded by the Oregon State Police that is produced by data retrieval from the Law Enforcement Data System or other computer system maintained and operated by the Oregon State Police and that is electronically transmitted through public or private computer networks under an electronic signature adopted by the Oregon State Police if the person receiving the data attests that the document accurately reflects the data received.

(m) A report prepared by a forensic scientist that contains the results of a presumptive test conducted by the forensic scientist as described in ORS 475.235, if the forensic scientist attests that the report accurately reflects the results of the presumptive test.

(2) For the purposes of this section, “signature” includes any symbol executed or adopted by a party with present intention to authenticate a writing.

(3) A final certification for purposes of subsection (1)(c) of this section may be made by a secretary of embassy or legation, consul general, consul, vice consul, or consular agent of the United States, or a diplomatic or consular official of the foreign country assigned or accredited to the United States. If reasonable opportunity has been given to all parties to investigate the authenticity and accuracy of official documents, the court may, for good cause shown, order that they be treated as presumptively authentic without final certification or permit them to be evidenced by an attested summary with or without final certification. [1981 c.892 §69; 1995 c.200 §2; 1999 c.674 §2; 2001 c.104 §12; 2003 c.14 §21; 2003 c.538 §3; 2005 c.22 §31; 2005 c.118 §4]

Note: The amendments to 40.510 by section 4, chapter 636, Oregon Laws 2007, become operative January 2, 2010. See section 5, chapter 636, Oregon Laws 2007. The text that is operative on and after January 2, 2010, is set forth for the user’s convenience.

40.510. (1) Extrinsic evidence of authenticity as a condition precedent to admissibility is not required with respect to the following:

(a) A document bearing a seal purporting to be that of the United States, or of any state, district, commonwealth, territory, or insular possession thereof, or the Panama Canal Zone, or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or of a political subdivision, department, officer, or agency thereof, and a signature purporting to be an attestation or execution.

(b) A document purporting to bear the signature, in an official capacity, of an officer or employee of any entity included in subsection (1)(a) of this section, having no seal, if a public officer having a seal and having official duties in the district or political subdivision of the officer or employee certifies under seal that the signer has the official capacity and that the signature is genuine.

(c) A document purporting to be:

(A) Executed or attested in an official capacity by a person authorized by the laws of a foreign country to make the execution or attestation; and

(B) Accompanied by a final certification as provided in subsection (3) of this section as to the genuineness of the signature and official position of:

(i) The executing or attesting person; or

(ii) Any foreign official whose certificate of genuineness of signature and official position relates to the execution or attestation or is in a chain of certificates of genuineness of signature and official position relating to the execution or attestation.

(d) A copy of an official record or report or entry therein, or of a document authorized by law to be recorded or filed and actually recorded or filed in a public office, including data compilations in any form, certified as correct by the custodian or other person authorized to make the certification, by certificate complying with subsection (1)(a), (b) or (c) of this section or otherwise complying with any law or rule prescribed by the Supreme Court.

(e) Books, pamphlets or other publications purporting to be issued by public authority.

(f) Printed materials purporting to be newspapers or periodicals.

(g) Inscriptions, signs, tags or labels purporting to have been affixed in the course of business and indicating ownership, control or origin.

(h) Documents accompanied by a certificate of acknowledgment executed in the manner provided by law by a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments.

(i) Commercial paper, signatures thereon and documents relating thereto to the extent provided by the Uniform Commercial Code or ORS chapter 83.

(j) Any signature, documents or other matter declared by law to be presumptively or prima facie genuine or authentic.

(k)(A) A document bearing a seal purporting to be that of a federally recognized Indian tribal government or of a political subdivision, department, officer, or agency thereof, and a signature purporting to be an attestation or execution.

(B) A document purporting to bear the signature, in an official capacity, of an officer or employee of any entity included in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, having no seal, if a public officer having a seal and having official duties in the district or political subdivision or the officer or employee certifies under seal that the signer has the official capacity and that the signature is genuine.

(L)(A) Any document containing data prepared or recorded by the Oregon State Police pursuant to ORS 813.160 (1)(b)(C) or (E) if the document is produced by data retrieval from the Law Enforcement Data System or other computer system maintained and operated by the Oregon State Police, and the person retrieving the data attests that the information was retrieved directly from the system and that the document accurately reflects the data retrieved.

(B) Any document containing data prepared or recorded by the Oregon State Police that is produced by data retrieval from the Law Enforcement Data System or other computer system maintained and operated by the Oregon State Police and that is electronically transmitted through public or private computer networks under an electronic signature adopted by the Oregon State Police if the person receiving the data attests that the document accurately reflects the data received.

(m) A report prepared by a forensic scientist that contains the results of a presumptive test conducted by the forensic scientist as described in ORS 475.235, if the forensic scientist attests that the report accurately reflects the results of the presumptive test.

(2) For the purposes of this section, “signature” includes any symbol executed or adopted by a party with present intention to authenticate a writing.

(3) A final certification for purposes of subsection (1)(c) of this section may be made by a secretary of embassy or legation, consul general, consul, vice consul, or consular agent of the United States, or a diplomatic or consular official of the foreign country assigned or accredited to the United States. If reasonable opportunity has been given to all parties to investigate the authenticity and accuracy of official documents, the court may, for good cause shown, order that they be treated as presumptively authentic without final certification or permit them to be evidenced by an attested summary with or without final certification.

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Last modified: August 7, 2008