How to Establish Paternity in Oregon
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Oregon · Last updated 2026-09-12
In Oregon, establishing paternity means legally identifying a child's father so the child gains rights to support, custody and parenting time, health coverage, inheritance, and benefits. Unmarried parents who agree can establish paternity by a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, which the parents sign and file with the State Registrar of the Center for Health Statistics (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070). A party may rescind the acknowledgment within the earlier of 60 days after filing it, or the date of a proceeding relating to the child in which that party is involved; the 60-day floor reflects the federal rescission rule (42 U.S.C. 666(a)(5)). Two Oregon rules are load-bearing. First, a man is presumed to be the father if he was married to the child's mother when the child was born, or the child was born within 300 days after the marriage ended, and that marital presumption is rebuttable in court (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070). Second, genetic testing carries a defined threshold: a disputable presumption of paternity is created when blood tests result in a cumulative paternity index of 99 or greater (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.258). Where parents do not agree, paternity can be established through the Oregon Child Support Program by administrative process or through a court filiation proceeding, generally brought during the child's minority. Attorney review of your situation is available through DocDraft.
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Where are you in establishing paternity?
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What are the ways to establish paternity in Oregon?
Unmarried parents who agree can sign a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity and file it with the State Registrar of the Center for Health Statistics (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070). If parents disagree, paternity can be established through the Oregon Child Support Program administratively or through a court filiation proceeding, often after genetic testing.
How long do I have to establish paternity in Oregon?
A court filiation proceeding to establish paternity is generally brought during the child's minority, before the child turns 18. A voluntary acknowledgment can be signed at the hospital after birth or later, and the Oregon Child Support Program can help establish paternity administratively.
What is the marital presumption of paternity in Oregon?
Under Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070, a man is presumed to be the father if he was married to the child's mother when the child was born, or the child was born within 300 days after the marriage ended. This marital presumption is a starting point that can be rebutted in court.
What genetic-testing result establishes paternity in Oregon?
Under Or. Rev. Stat. 109.258, a disputable presumption of paternity is created when one or more blood tests result in a cumulative paternity index of 99 or greater. That presumption, together with other evidence, is generally a sufficient basis to establish paternity.
Oregon paternity law at a glance
Oregon offers several paths to legal fatherhood. Unmarried parents who agree sign a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity and file it with the State Registrar of the Center for Health Statistics (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070). A party may rescind within the earlier of 60 days after filing or a proceeding relating to the child. A man married to the mother when the child is born, or within 300 days after the marriage ends, is presumed the father, a rebuttable presumption. Oregon uses a distinctive benchmark expressed as a paternity index rather than a flat percentage: a disputable presumption of paternity arises when blood tests result in a cumulative paternity index of 99 or greater (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.258). Where parents do not agree, the Oregon Child Support Program can establish paternity administratively and arrange free genetic testing, or a court can decide a filiation proceeding during the child's minority.
Establishing Oregon paternity through the Child Support Program
Suppose a child is born in Oregon to unmarried parents who sign nothing at the hospital. The mother later applies for services, and the Oregon Child Support Program, part of the Department of Justice, arranges genetic testing. The blood tests produce a cumulative paternity index of 99 or greater, which creates a disputable presumption of paternity under Or. Rev. Stat. 109.258, and the program establishes paternity administratively. Had the parents agreed at the hospital, they could have signed a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity and filed it with the State Registrar of the Center for Health Statistics (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070), then rescinded it within the earlier of 60 days or a proceeding relating to the child. Had the child been born to a married woman, her husband would be a presumed father, a presumption rebuttable in court. Attorney review is available through DocDraft.
Relevant Laws
Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070 (establishment of paternity and marital presumption)
Sets out how paternity may be established, including by a voluntary acknowledgment filed with the State Registrar of the Center for Health Statistics, provides that a man is presumed the father if married to the mother at the child's birth or within 300 days after the marriage ends, and allows rescission of an acknowledgment within the earlier of 60 days after filing or a proceeding relating to the child.
Or. Rev. Stat. 109.258 (genetic-testing threshold)
Provides that a disputable presumption of paternity is created if one or more blood tests result in a cumulative paternity index of 99 or greater.
Or. Rev. Stat. 109.125 (initiating a filiation proceeding)
Sets out who may initiate a proceeding to establish paternity, including the mother, a person claiming to be the father, the child, and the state, and how such a filiation proceeding is commenced.
Oregon Child Support Program (Oregon Department of Justice, Division of Child Support)
The state child support program helps parents establish paternity, including the voluntary acknowledgment and free genetic testing, and can establish paternity administratively and obtain support orders.
42 U.S.C. 666(a)(5) (federal 60-day rescission window)
Requires each state to provide a 60-day period after a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity is signed during which a signer may rescind it, after which it may be challenged only on the basis of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact.
Regional Variances
Oregon paternity rules at a glance
Voluntary path and filing
Unmarried parents establish paternity by signing a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity and filing it with the State Registrar of the Center for Health Statistics (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070), often at the hospital after birth.
Rescission window
A party may rescind within the earlier of 60 days after filing or the date of a proceeding relating to the child in which that party is involved, by filing a written rescission with the State Registrar.
Administrative and court paths
Where parents do not agree, the Oregon Child Support Program can establish paternity administratively, or a court can decide a filiation proceeding, generally brought during the child's minority.
Marital presumption
A man married to the mother at birth, or within 300 days after the marriage ends, is a presumed father (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070); the presumption is rebuttable in court.
Genetic-testing threshold
A disputable presumption of paternity is created when blood tests result in a cumulative paternity index of 99 or greater (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.258).
Who administers it
The Oregon Child Support Program, a division of the Department of Justice, helps establish paternity and support; contested paternity can also be decided by a court.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Confirm whether a marital presumption applies
Before signing or filing anything days after startingDetermine whether a man was married to the mother when the child was born, or the child was born within 300 days after the marriage ended, which makes him a presumed father under Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070. This marital presumption is rebuttable in a court proceeding.
Get genetic testing if biological paternity is uncertain
Before signing an acknowledgment days after startingIf there is any doubt about biological paternity, arrange genetic testing first; the Oregon Child Support Program often provides it at no cost. Under Or. Rev. Stat. 109.258, a cumulative paternity index of 99 or greater creates a disputable presumption of paternity.
Sign and file the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity
At the hospital or later days after startingUnmarried parents who agree sign a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity and file it with the State Registrar of the Center for Health Statistics (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070). Keep a copy. Attorney review of your paternity matter is available through DocDraft.
Track the rescission window
Within the earlier of 60 days or a related proceeding days after startingIf you need to cancel a voluntary acknowledgment, file a written rescission with the State Registrar within the earlier of 60 days after filing or the date of a proceeding relating to the child in which you are involved. After that, a challenge is limited to fraud, duress, or material mistake.
Establish paternity through the Child Support Program or court if parents disagree
Generally during the child's minority days after startingIf parents do not agree, ask the Oregon Child Support Program to establish paternity administratively, or file a court filiation proceeding, generally during the child's minority. The order establishes the parent-child relationship and support duties.
Keep records of the acknowledgment, testing, and orders
Ongoing days after startingSave copies of the acknowledgment, any genetic-test results, and court or administrative orders, and calendar the rescission window under Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070 so you do not miss a right-forfeiting date.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm whether a marital presumption applies | Determine whether a man was married to the mother when the child was born, or the child was born within 300 days after the marriage ended, which makes him a presumed father under Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070. This marital presumption is rebuttable in a court proceeding. | - | Before signing or filing anything |
| Get genetic testing if biological paternity is uncertain | If there is any doubt about biological paternity, arrange genetic testing first; the Oregon Child Support Program often provides it at no cost. Under Or. Rev. Stat. 109.258, a cumulative paternity index of 99 or greater creates a disputable presumption of paternity. | - | Before signing an acknowledgment |
| Sign and file the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity | Unmarried parents who agree sign a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity and file it with the State Registrar of the Center for Health Statistics (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070). Keep a copy. Attorney review of your paternity matter is available through DocDraft. | - | At the hospital or later |
| Track the rescission window | If you need to cancel a voluntary acknowledgment, file a written rescission with the State Registrar within the earlier of 60 days after filing or the date of a proceeding relating to the child in which you are involved. After that, a challenge is limited to fraud, duress, or material mistake. | - | Within the earlier of 60 days or a related proceeding |
| Establish paternity through the Child Support Program or court if parents disagree | If parents do not agree, ask the Oregon Child Support Program to establish paternity administratively, or file a court filiation proceeding, generally during the child's minority. The order establishes the parent-child relationship and support duties. | - | Generally during the child's minority |
| Keep records of the acknowledgment, testing, and orders | Save copies of the acknowledgment, any genetic-test results, and court or administrative orders, and calendar the rescission window under Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070 so you do not miss a right-forfeiting date. | - | Ongoing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Establishing paternity in Oregon means legally identifying a child's father so the child can receive support, custody and parenting time, health coverage, inheritance, and benefits. It can be done by a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity or through an administrative or court determination of the parent-child relationship.
Unmarried parents who agree sign a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity and file it with the State Registrar of the Center for Health Statistics (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070). If parents disagree, the Oregon Child Support Program can establish paternity administratively, or a court can decide a filiation proceeding, often after genetic testing.
It is a form that unmarried parents sign and file with the State Registrar of the Center for Health Statistics to establish legal fatherhood without going to court (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070). It is often completed at the hospital after birth and legally establishes the man as the child's father.
A court filiation proceeding to establish paternity is generally brought during the child's minority, before the child turns 18. A voluntary acknowledgment can be signed at the hospital or later, and the Oregon Child Support Program can help establish paternity administratively.
Yes, within a limited window. A party may rescind a voluntary acknowledgment within the earlier of 60 days after filing it, or the date of a proceeding relating to the child in which that party is involved, by filing a written rescission with the State Registrar of the Center for Health Statistics.
A man married to the mother when the child is born, or within 300 days before the marriage ended, is a presumed father (Or. Rev. Stat. 109.070). This marital presumption is a rebuttable starting point, and a husband or wife may bring a proceeding in court to disprove the husband's paternity.
A DNA test is central but not automatically conclusive. Under Or. Rev. Stat. 109.258, a disputable presumption of paternity is created when one or more blood tests result in a cumulative paternity index of 99 or greater. That presumption, with other evidence, is generally a sufficient basis to establish legal paternity.
The Oregon Child Support Program, a division of the Department of Justice, helps parents establish paternity, including the voluntary acknowledgment and free genetic testing, and obtain support orders. Contested paternity can also be decided by a court in a filiation proceeding.
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