Oc County Recorder: Deeds & Records

Orange County records real estate documents through its Clerk-Recorder Department. This is the correct office for recorded land documents in Orange County, California.

Main Orange County Clerk-Recorder office: County Administration South, 601 N. Ross Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

Orange County offers a public recorded-document index through RecorderWorks.

The online database includes indexed property documents recorded from January 1982 onward.

Searches are free. The system displays document references and indexing information rather than unrestricted recorded document images.

Step-by-Step RecorderWorks Search

1. Open the official RecorderWorks portal.

   Start with the county’s Grantor/Grantee Search page.

2. Choose a search method.

   Search by name, document number, document type, recording date or another available option.

3. Enter the party’s name.

   For an individual, use last name followed by first name. Business names can be entered directly.

4. Narrow the results.

   Add a partial first name or recording-date range if the search returns too many documents.

5. Open the document reference.

   Click the document number to review the indexed parties, document type and recording information.

6. Save the document number.

   Keep this reference when ordering the recorded deed or another official document.

Search by Document Number

For documents recorded from 1982 onward, Orange County uses an instrument number containing the recording year and a six-digit number.

If you already know the document number, use the Document Number search instead of searching a common name.

A street address alone may not identify the correct deed in the Recorder’s name-based index.

Begin with a property or parcel search. Then use known transaction-party names or document references to search RecorderWorks.

Orange County Assessor Property Search

The Orange County Assessor provides online secured-property assessment information.

However, the Assessor does not display owner names in its public online results or allow searching those results by owner name.

Orange County Tax Map

The county tax map can help identify a parcel from an address or map location.

The Orange County Clerk-Recorder provides plain and certified copies of recorded property documents.

Before ordering, identify the correct document number through RecorderWorks.

The Recorder’s staff does not perform public deed searches over the phone, by mail or at the counter on behalf of customers.

Available Copy Request Methods

Mailing Address for Recorded Document Copies

The RecorderWorks shopping-cart system may provide separate mail-order instructions. If you generate an order through that portal, follow the mailing directions printed on the order.

Orange County Deed Copy Fees

Mailing and other applicable service expenses are separate.

A deed must meet California recording requirements before the county can accept it.

The Recorder records qualifying legal instruments but does not prepare deeds or provide legal advice.

1. Confirm the property’s county.

   Record the instrument in Orange County only if the property is located in Orange County, California.

2. Prepare the correct legal document.

   Include the correct grantor, grantee, legal description and other information required for the deed.

3. Check signatures and notarization.

   Ensure the document has the required signatures and acknowledgment.

4. Include the recording return information.

   Show the recording requestor’s name and the name and address for returning the document.

5. Complete the Preliminary Change of Ownership Report.

   Ownership-change documents generally require a completed PCOR.

6. Review applicable recording fees and taxes.

   Check standard fees, documentary transfer tax, SB 2 fees and any applicable exemptions.

7. Submit the instrument.

   Use an eligible counter location, mail submission or an authorized electronic recording process.

Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR)

The PCOR helps the county evaluate changes in ownership for property-tax assessment purposes.

Orange County’s published fee schedule lists an additional $20 charge when a required PCOR is missing.

Orange County’s official fee schedule, effective January 1, 2026, lists a $12 standard first-page recording fee.

Additional recording charges depend on the number of pages, document titles, statutory fees and exemptions.

Example: Three-Page Recording

This is only the standard page-based subtotal. The actual recording cost may be higher.

The document could also be subject to SB 2, the fraud fee, documentary transfer tax or other statutory charges.

Orange County’s published documentary transfer tax rate is $0.55 for each $500 of value or fraction thereof, when applicable.

Some transfers qualify for exemptions. Requirements depend on the transaction and the applicable law.

This example excludes recording charges and any additional municipal transfer tax that may apply.

What Is the SB 2 Fee?

California’s Building Homes and Jobs Act established an additional $75 recording fee for certain real property instruments.

There are statutory exemptions, including qualifying instruments subject to documentary transfer tax and certain owner-occupied residential transfers.

The Recorder’s instructions require the appropriate exemption statement on the recorded document or a cover page.

You do not always need to travel to Santa Ana for recorder services.

Orange County operates additional locations in Anaheim and Laguna Hills. Recording counter hours are shorter than general building hours at those branches.

The RecorderWorks online search begins in 1982. Older deeds may require historical index research.

For documents recorded before 1982, the county recommends having the book, page and instrument number, when available.

Older Deed Research Steps

1. Identify the earlier property owner.

   Start with available title documents, historical papers or known transaction names.

2. Estimate the recording year.

   Use purchase dates, settlement papers or other property records.

3. Visit the Recorder or ask about historical index access.

   The public online index does not cover the pre-1982 collection.

4. Find the book-and-page reference.

   Keep the exact reference needed to request the recorded document.

5. Order the complete copy.

   Provide the county’s requested identifying information.

Orange County Archives

Orange County Archives maintains historical government records and resources useful for land research, genealogy and local history.

The Archives notes that many of its records date from before 1960.

More recent property documents and deed-copy requests generally belong with the Clerk-Recorder.

Orange County provides a free property-fraud prevention courtesy notice service.

When certain documents affecting ownership are recorded, the county automatically mails a courtesy notice to the property owner.

What If You Receive a Notice for an Unknown Transaction?

1. Read the notice carefully.

   Identify the recording date, document type and any instrument reference.

2. Search the official Recorder index.

   Check whether the document appears under your name or property-related parties.

3. Request the recorded document.

   Obtain a complete copy if you need to understand what was filed.

4. Report suspected fraud.

   Contact local law enforcement and the Orange County District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit.

Orange County supports electronic real estate document recording through its SECURE system.

SECURE stands for Statewide Electronic Courier Universal Recording Environment.

The system supports authorized organizations, including title companies, escrow businesses, financial institutions and government submitters.

The Recorder’s index can help locate deeds of trust, recorded liens, reconveyances, trustee substitutions and other property-related instruments.

Search the names of the owners, borrowers, lenders or other parties involved in the recording.

After Paying Off a Mortgage

Paying off your mortgage does not usually result in the Recorder issuing a new deed.

Instead, a lender or trustee generally arranges the recording of a reconveyance or release to document that the deed of trust has been satisfied.

What If a Lien Appears Under Your Name?

A matching name does not always prove that the lien belongs to you or affects your property.

Review the recorded instrument and consider whether the parties, judgment or underlying transaction match your circumstances.

These county resources provide the official search tools, office information, forms and recording rules.