• Recorder Services and Systems
• Clerk Services, Archives, and Administration

The Clerk-Recorder Department is responsible for examining and recording all documents presented for recording that deal with establishing ownership of land in the county, and maintains a permanent record and index of all documents for public access.

The department provides the public certified copies of birth, death, and marriage certificates. In addition, the department issues marriage licenses, performs civil wedding ceremonies, files fictitious business name statements, processes passport applications, files notary public oaths and bonds, and registers professional photocopiers, process servers and unlawful detainer assistants. The department also oversees the Orange County Archives.

There are 102 Clerk-Recorder Department staff members. When compared to similar sized departments in other large counties, Orange County has one of the lowest staff-to-population ratios in California. This is primarily due to the department’s focus on enhanced automation and employee cross-training program.