What is emancipation?
Emancipation means that a 16- or 17-year-old person can be given certain rights and responsibilities of an adult or 18-year-old person. This decision must be made by a judge.
What is the procedure for filing an emancipation application?
- Applicants complete the application for Emancipation, below or available at the Washington County Juvenile Department, 222 N First Avenue in Hillsboro. The application must be signed in front of a Notary Public, which is available at the Juvenile Department. You must provide a government issued identification with a photo, such as a Driver’s License, state issued ID or a passport to obtain notarization, a school issued identification is not sufficient.
- Upon submitting the application, a case number will be assigned. Applicants then pay a nonrefundable filing fee of $281 to the Court Accounting Department located at 150 N First Avenue in Hillsboro – in the first floor of the Justice Services Building. You will be given a receipt showing proof of payment.
- Applicants then return to the Juvenile Department and a preliminary hearing before the Court will be set within ten judicial days from the date the application is filed with the Court. You must bring the receipt showing payment of the fee or a hearing will not be scheduled.
- Applicants must notify parents of the preliminary hearing’s date and time.
- A decision may be made at the preliminary hearing if the applicant waives a final hearing and if the parents are present and agree to waive the final hearing.
- If a final hearing is required, the time from the filing of the application until decision will not exceed sixty days. The final hearing will occur even if parents do not appear.
Once the youth is emancipated by the Court, a new Oregon Identification card is required that indicates “emancipated” on the ID.