California · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Orange County, CA
Orange County (population 3,186,989) records real-property documents through the Orange County Clerk-Recorder Department (Hugh Nguyen, Clerk-Recorder). Below is what it costs and how to submit. Filing a memorandum of contract? We record it with the county for $199, notary included — no trip to the courthouse.
Orange County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Orange County Clerk-Recorder Department (Hugh Nguyen, Clerk-Recorder)
- Mailing address
- OC Clerk-Recorder, County Administration South (CAS), 601 N. Ross St., Santa Ana, CA 92701 (also Anaheim and Laguna Hills branch offices)
- Phone
- (714) 834-2500
- Website
- ocrecorder.com
- Checks payable to
- Orange County Clerk-Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile, CSC, ePN
Orange County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $12.00 (standard first page, 8.5x11, per title)
- Additional pages
- $3.00 per additional standard page
- Other fees
- $75.00 SB2 Building Homes and Jobs Act fee (unless exempt) + $10.00 DA fraud fee on real property instruments
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Orange County Clerk-Recorder Department (Hugh Nguyen, Clerk-Recorder) before you mail a check.
What Orange County requires
- Page formatting
- First page requires 2.5in top margin for recorder use, 0.5in side/bottom margins; document title required at top; APN recommended on first page
- Cover sheet
- Recording requirements per Gov Code 27361.6/27361.7: 8.5x11 white paper, 10pt+ font, top 2.5in and 0.5in margins on first page (0.5in all other margins); no cover sheet form required but a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR) is required with most real property transfer instruments
- Submission & return
- Mail (self-addressed stamped envelope) or in-person pickup; e-recorded documents returned electronically
- Hours & turnaround
- Same-day to 1-2 business days for e-recorded documents; mailed originals typically 2-4 weeks round trip
Can you e-record in Orange County?
Yes. Orange County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, ePN, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in Orange County, California
- Prepare the document so it meets Orange County's formatting rules (above): legal description, grantee address, signature block, and the blank space the recorder reserves for its stamp.
- Notarize it if the instrument requires acknowledgment. Most deeds and affidavits do.
- Submit electronically through Simplifile, CSC, ePN, or by mail to Orange County Clerk-Recorder Department (Hugh Nguyen, Clerk-Recorder).
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Orange County Clerk-Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Orange County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Orange County property are searchable at Orange County Assessor Department. A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
Filing with Jurably in California
California isn't available quite yet — it's coming soon. See the states we file in.