Terms of Service

Last updated: June 13, 2026

Pothole Reporter ("the app," "we," "us") is a free tool that makes it easier to file pothole reports with the City of Portland's PDX Reporter service. It pulls a location from your photo's GPS (or your live location) so you don't have to drop a map pin by hand. By using the app, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, please don't use the app.

1. What this app actually does

The app helps you build and submit a report — a photo, a location, and a description — to PDX Reporter under your own City of Portland account. We are an independent tool. We are not the City of Portland, PDX Reporter, PortlandMaps, the Portland Bureau of Transportation, or anyone employed by, affiliated with, or endorsed by them. We do not fix potholes. We do not control whether, when, or how the City acts on any report you file.

2. You take photos at your own risk

Photographing potholes is done entirely at your own risk. Potholes live in roads, and roads have cars in them. You are solely responsible for your own safety and for obeying all traffic laws while using this app.

Do not photograph potholes while driving, cycling, or otherwise operating a vehicle. Pull over and stop first.
Do not stand, kneel, or lie in a roadway, bike lane, or intersection to get a better shot. No pothole is worth a hospital visit.
Watch for traffic, cyclists, weather, and your own footing at all times. Stay on the sidewalk or shoulder whenever possible.
Mind your surroundings and trespassing laws — get the shot from somewhere you're allowed to be.

You assume all risk of injury, property damage, or loss arising from taking, importing, or submitting photos.

3. Do not ride in potholes

Please do not ride in potholes. Potholes are not skate features, bike obstacles, BMX lines, scooter ramps, or splash pools. Riding, jumping, rolling, or otherwise traveling into a pothole on any vehicle — car, bike, scooter, skateboard, unicycle, or otherwise — is not the intended use of this app and is a great way to get hurt or wreck your equipment. Report the pothole. Do not ride it.

4. We do not recommend planting flowers in potholes

For the record: we do not recommend planting flowers, vegetables, gardens, or any other vegetation in potholes. We know it's a charming form of protest. We know it looks great on the internet. But a pothole with a marigold in it is still a pothole — it's a road hazard, it may obscure the danger from drivers and cyclists, and the City may treat a "decorated" hazard differently than a reported one. Use the app to report the pothole instead of landscaping it. Any gardening you do in a public roadway is entirely your own decision and your own risk, and has nothing to do with us.

5. Report honestly and lawfully

Only submit reports for genuine road conditions you actually observed.
Don't submit false, duplicate-spam, abusive, or junk reports. PDX Reporter is a real public service used by real people; don't waste their time.
Don't photograph people, license plates, or private property in a way that violates their privacy or the law. Photograph the pothole.
You are responsible for the accuracy of everything you submit, including the location and description.
You must have, and keep, a valid City of Portland / PDX Reporter account if you use the auto-submit feature. Follow their terms too.

6. Your account and the City's system

The app submits reports by replaying the same request the PDX Reporter website makes when you submit by hand, authenticated with your own login. We don't control PDX Reporter and can't guarantee it will be available, behave consistently, or accept any given report. The City may change or break its system at any time, which may stop the app from working. We may also stop, change, or remove features at any time.

7. No warranty

The app is provided "as is" and "as available," with no warranties of any kind, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose, reliability, accuracy, or that a report will be delivered, received, or acted upon. GPS data from photos can be wrong, missing, or imprecise — always check the location before you submit.

8. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss or injury, arising from your use of (or inability to use) the app — including, without limitation, physical injury from photographing potholes, damage from riding in potholes, regrettable roadway horticulture, vehicle or property damage, missed or ignored reports, or anything the City of Portland does or fails to do. Your sole remedy if you're unhappy with the app is to stop using it.

9. Indemnification

You agree to hold us harmless from any claims, damages, or expenses arising out of your use of the app or your violation of these terms.

10. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Continued use of the app after an update means you accept the revised terms. The "last updated" date above reflects the current version.

11. Contact

Questions? Email paulfrazier@gmail.com.