Orange County Superior Court Clerk Functions
Government Code § 68151 lists what the clerk of every California Superior Court must keep: indexes, registers of actions, calendars, minutes, orders, judgments, and filed papers. The Orange County Clerk of the Superior Court applies that rule to every case category at the court, including civil, criminal, traffic, family, probate, juvenile, and small claims. Filing, certification, copy preparation, and records retention all pass through clerk staff at the right justice center.
Different case types have different clerk windows. Probate filings sit at the Costa Mesa Justice Complex. Family law filings sit at Lamoreaux Justice Center. Criminal, traffic, civil, and small-claims filings sit at Central Justice Center or the regional justice center listed on the case.
Orange County Clerk-Recorder Functions
The Clerk-Recorder is a separate elected county office. Hugh Nguyen is the current Clerk-Recorder. The office maintains official records for property, vital records, marriage licenses, fictitious business name filings, notary services, and passport services through branch offices in Anaheim, Laguna Hills, and Santa Ana. The official homepage at ocrecorder.com identifies the office and its services.
The Clerk-Recorder is not a court clerk and does not maintain court case files. A request for a sentencing minute order should go to the Superior Court records unit. A request for a recorded grant deed or a marriage license copy should go to the Clerk-Recorder.
Hugh Nguyen and Orange County Records
The Clerk-Recorder's official biography page at ocrecorder.zendesk.com states Hugh Nguyen was born in Vietnam in 1967 and highlights service improvements such as expansion of the South County branch office, the Hitched at Honda Center wedding program, passport photo fee reductions, and Apostille pop-up partnerships with the California Secretary of State. 
The office crossed the seven million e-recorded documents milestone in 2014.
Clerk-Recorder Marriage Services
The Clerk-Recorder handles marriage licenses and ceremonies under California Family Code rules. A public marriage license costs $61 and becomes a public record. A confidential marriage license costs $66 and requires the couple to be living together before marriage. Both license types can be used anywhere in California. The marriage details page at ocrecorder.com/services/marriage-services sets the rules, and the application portal at ocweddings.ocrecorder.com is required before visiting.
For the full marriage and divorce record process, see Orange County marriage and divorce records.
RecorderWorks Property Document Index
The Clerk-Recorder operates RecorderWorks at cr.occlerkrecorder.gov/RecorderWorksInternet. The index covers property documents recorded since 1982. Search by grantor name, grantee name, document number, recording date range, or document type. 
The cart system lets a user select documents and submit a printing or copy request by mail with payment.
| Field | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grantor | text | Party transferring an interest. |
| Grantee | text | Party receiving an interest. |
| Document Number | text | Recorded instrument number. |
| Recording Date / Date Range | date | Narrows the index search. |
| Document Type | dropdown | Real property document category. |
| Search | button | Runs the query. |
Orange County Court Copy Requests
Court copy requests sit with the Clerk of the Superior Court. Plain copies are $0.50 per page under Government Code § 70627(a). Certified copies are $40 under Government Code § 70626(a)(4). Searches longer than 10 minutes are $15 under Government Code § 70627(c). Exemplification is $50 under Government Code § 70628. The court accepts written requests at the right justice center, and the records unit at Central Justice Center provides public terminals for case review.
- Identify the case number through Case Access or the Case Name Search.
- Identify the justice center that holds the case.
- Bring valid identification and payment in a method the court accepts.
- Submit the request at the records unit or by mail.
- Receive the certified copy or paper file under the court's process.
Clerk of the Superior Court Fees
The Superior Court fee schedule lives at occourts.org/forms-filing/fee-schedule. Each fee cites a Government Code section. The court accepts payment under its published rules.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Certified copy of a record (GC § 70626(a)(4)) | $40 |
| Plain copy preparation per page (GC § 70627(a)) | $0.50 |
| Comparison with original per page (GC § 70627(b)) | $1.00 |
| Records search longer than 10 minutes (GC § 70627(c)) | $15 |
| Exemplification (GC § 70628) | $50 |
| Certified dissolution copy (GC § 70674) | $15; $10 public agency |
Clerk-Recorder Branch Offices and Mobile Services
The Clerk-Recorder operates branch offices in Anaheim, Laguna Hills, and Santa Ana. The Anaheim branch serves residents near the central county corridor. The Laguna Hills branch serves South County. The Santa Ana office serves the Civic Center area. On January 5, 2026, the Clerk-Recorder launched "Clerk-Recorder on Wheels," an innovative mobile service that brings official property record copies and other services closer to residents. The mobile service supplements but does not replace the branch offices.
Central Justice Center Records Unit
700 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(657) 622-6878
Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Orange County Clerk-Recorder
Anaheim, Laguna Hills, Santa Ana branches
Hugh Nguyen, Clerk-Recorder
Note: a court file request goes to the Superior Court records unit, not the Clerk-Recorder.