Free Orange County Records: Criminal, Court, Marital & Warrants

Free Orange County Publics Records Search
Access Orange County Records: marriage, divorce, warrants, arrests, probation, criminal, court, background checks, and all public records.

Access free Orange County public records which include marriage, divorce, warrants, arrests, criminal, property, probation, and court records through official agencies today.

Once you know what type of records are available and where to look, all of this information can be found thanks to the California Public Records Act (CPRA).

The resource below outlines everything necessary to find public records in Orange County, California, making the process quick and efficient — begin your search to learn about someone’s past or current situation.

How To Find Free Arrest Records & Mugshots Through Orange County Public Records

Californians who are looking for Orange County arrest records and police reports in the county have multiple avenues to begin their search—but before searching they will need to ascertain a number of variables such as:

  • The name of the inmate.
  • Jurisdiction that they may be located which includes either the county or city.

There are two types of jails that hold prisoners in Orange County namely, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and local city police departments.

Run an Orange County Inmate Search Through the Sheriff’s Office

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSHERIFF) is one of the largest sheriff’s departments in the nation and are in charge of county inmates or arrests—the OCSHERIFF has a central’s men and women’s jail that houses 1428 inmates and 386 inmates respectively.1

Additionally, there are two more facilities: James A. Musick and Theo Lacy facilities.

OCSHERIFF makes it very convenient to locate inmates in their custody by providing the public with an Orange County Arrest Roster. This tool which is free to use by the public can be searched using a number of criteria including: last name, first name and middle name.

A screenshot from the website of the Orange County Sheriff's Department showing the who's in jail - search by name results page that includes information such as inmate name, date of birth, booking number and custody status.
Source: Orange County Sheriff’s Department12

A free arrest history search of jail records result will return the following information:

  • Inmate name
  • Date of birth (DOB)
  • Orange County booking number
  • Custody status (released or in custody)

Citizens who may be looking to find someone’s mugshot are advised that mugshots (photographs) of inmates that are taken at booking are not displayed in the search results. In addition, the OCSHERIFF states that it has stopped posting personal information of inmates in this roster.

However, in pursuit of section 6254(f) (1) of the California Public Records Act, more information can be obtained in-person at any of the 4 Orange County jail facilities.2

The Contact Information for the OCSHERIFF can be found here and the headquarters information is below:

550 N Flower St,
Santa Ana, CA 92703
(714)647-7000

Check Arrest Logs via Local Police Departments & Municipal Jails

If the search for an inmate in the county jails does not yield any results, then the next place to find out if someone is in jail would be the city jails that are maintained by city police departments.

There are 21 city jails in Orange County. Some do have websites that maintain online roosters similar to the sheriff’s office that can be used to find daily arrests for free and without any requirement to register.

A screenshot from the City of Huntington Beach website showing the adult arrest log with information such as case ID, date, time, full name, race, sex, age, and residence.
Source: City of Huntington Beach13

City police departments that do not have either online rosters for inmates containing arrest logs or any online presence for that matter can either be called or visited in person.

The table below provides information on city jails in the county and their contact information. Any links in the list will point to an inmate roster.

City Jail or Municipal jails Run by Local Police Departments Address Phone Number
Anaheim Jail 425 S. Harbor Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805
(714)765-1900
Buena Park Jail 6650 Beach Blvd.
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714)562-3939
Brea Jail 1 Civic Center Circle
Brea, CA 92821
(714)990-7626
Carson Jail 21356 S. Avalon Blvd.
Carson, CA 90745
(310)830-1123
Costa Mesa Jail 99 Fair Dr.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714)754-5113
Cypress Jail 5275 Orange Ave
Cypress, CA 90630
(714)229-6652
Fountain Valley Jail 10200 Slate Avenue
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714)593-4485
Fullerton Jail 237 W. Commonwealth
Fullerton, CA  92832
(714)738-6722
Garden Grove Jail 11301 Acacia Parkway
Garden Grove, CA 92840
(714)741-5704
Huntington Beach Jail 2000 Main St.
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
(714)536-5691
Irvine Police Department 1 Civic Center Plaza
Irvine, CA  92606
(949)724-7000
La Habra Jail 201 E. La Habra Blvd.
La Habra, CA 90631
(562)697-4378
La Palma Jail 7792 Walker St.
La Palma, CA 90623
(714)523-4552
Laguna Beach Jail 505 Forest Ave.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949)497-0701
Newport Beach Jail 870 Santa Barbara Dr.
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949)644-3672
Orange Jail 1107 N. Batavia
Orange, CA 92867
(714)744-7444
Placentia Police Department 401 E. Chapman Ave
Placentia, CA 92870
(714)993-8146
Santa Ana Jail 60 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714)245-8100
Seal Beach Jail 911 Seal Beach Blvd
Seal Beach, CA 90740
(562)799-4100
Tustin Police Department 300 Centennial Way
Tustin, CA 92780
(714)573-3240
Westminster Police Department 8200 Westminster Boulevard
Westminster, CA 92683
(714)898-3315

How To Order Marriage & Divorce Records in Orange County

Vital records which include marriage, divorce, birth and death records and certificates are considered Orange County public records and therefore accessible to the public—citizens can obtain them from the Orange County Clerk Recorder Department – Vital Records Office and the California Department of Health.

However, only authorized individuals can obtain authorized copies, but anyone can request informational copies of marriage and divorce records.3

The list of authorized persons includes but is not limited to:

  • Subject of the record
  • Close family of the owner of the record such as parent, spouse and grandparent
  • Attorney
  • Government agency representative
  • An individual entitled to the record due to a court order etc.

Authorized copies can be used as an identity, and while information copies will have the same information as an authorized copy, they will have a legend across their face denoting them as information and therefore cannot serve as valid ID.

In addition to the California Department of Health, divorce records may also be retrieved from the Orange County Courts which will be delved into below. Alternatively, individuals seeking marital information in other counties can refer to our resource on California public records to learn how to retrieve marital records and certificates–or any other types of publicly available records–anywhere throughout the state.

How To Order Marriage Records From the Orange County Clerk Recorder Department – Vital Records Office

Residents of Orange County can obtain marriage records by mail and in person from the Orange County Clerk Recorder Department – Vital Records Office. Individuals who are not among the authorized persons to obtain these records will receive them as informational copies.

Mail In Requests for Marriage Records From the Orange County Clerk Recorder Department – Vital Records Office:

To order marriage records, requesters should:

  1. Download and print the application for a marriage record (Spanish). These forms must also be notarized and signed to obtain certified copies.
  2. In some cases, the record may not be found using the information provided in which case the office will charge additional search fees.
  3. The cost for a copy for a marriage certificate copy is $17.00.
  4. Payments are made in either money order or check. Cash is not accepted.
  5. Mail the completed for to:
    • Orange County Clerk-Recorder
      Attention: Vitals Records
      PO BOX 238
      Santa Ana, CA 92702
  6. Processing time is mostly between 5-10 business days once the request is submitted.

In Person Requests for Marriage Records From the Orange County Clerk Recorder Department – Vital Records Office:

To order marriage records from the Orange County Clerk Recorder Department – Vital Records Office in person, the following steps should be taken:

  1. The marriage certificate application has to be completed online before making a visit to the office.
  2. Visit any of these locations during business hours with a government issued ID:
    • Central Office:
      • 601 North Ross Street
        Santa Ana, CA 92701
    • North County Branch Office:
      • 222 S. Harbor Boulevard
        Suite 110A
        Anaheim, CA 92805
    • South County Branch Office:
      • 24031 El Toro Road
        Suite 150
        Laguna Hills, CA 92653
  3. Payments can be made via cashier’s check, cash, debit/credit cards, money and checks.
  4. Certificates are issued the same day.

Requestors of vital records can call 714.834.2500 for any concerns and queries they may have.

How To Retrieve Divorce Records From the Superior Court of California – County of Orange

Divorce records can also be obtained from the courts in which the decree was granted—in Orange County, interested parties can obtain copies of these divorce decrees from the Superior Court of California – County of Orange either through:

  • Online request
  • Mail in request
  • Walk in request

Online Request for Divorce Certificates From the Superior Court of California – County of Orange:

Divorce decrees can be requested online by using the Family Law Case Access Tool for cases that were opened from 1990 to present, there are some limited cases that occurred before 1990 that are available. Divorce records may be found using case number if known or supplying a date range where the divorce decree was granted.

The records can either be downloaded or mailed. If records are not found, a request can be made to the clerk of court. The cost is $1.00 per copy. Processing time is 30-45 days from the submission of the request.

Mail Request for Divorce Certificates From the Superior Court of California – County of Orange:

To make requests for divorce certificates by mail, residents should take the following steps:

  1. Download and complete the application for a divorce certificate form.
  2. Include the payment which is $15.00 when being requested by an applicant. The fee schedule has more information on the costs.
  3. The request should include a self-addressed envelope. If additional postage fees are required, they will be charged to the credit/debit card information supplied.
  4. Mail the request to:
    • Lamoreaux Justice Center
      Attention: Family Law Records
      341 The City Dr.
      Orange, CA 92868
  5. Processing time is 30-45 days from the submission of the request.

Walk In Request for Divorce Certificates From the Superior Court of California – County of Orange:

The Superior Court of Orange County Justice Center maintains electronic records of divorce decrees that can be accessed through computer terminals located at the courthouse—dissolution cases from 1997-current are available for viewing.

To order copies, applicants should:

  1. Complete and download the application for a divorce certificate form.
  2. The fee for copies is $0.50 per page.
  3. There are other additional fees that are required to certify these documents and these can be viewed using this fee schedule link.
  4. Records that were created before 1997 are not stored electronically but can be ordered by calling 657.622.8457 after which they will be available for viewing at the Lamoreaux Justice Center. Court staff will call to let requestors know they are available.
  5. Processing time is 30-45 days from the submission of the request.

How To Request Marriage Records From the California Department of Health

There are 2 ways to obtain marriage records or check if someone is married in Orange County through the California Department of Public Health—online through VitalChek which is an authorized vendor and through mail. Californians cannot obtain Orange County divorce records online from the California Department of Health – Vital Records office but can do so by mail or in person.

A screenshot from the official website of California Department of Public Health showing the application for certified copy of marriage record with information such as certificate type, checkboxes for relationship to person or registrant, and marriage record information.
Source: California Department of Public Health14

Online Requests for Marriage Certificates From VitalChek:

Residents of Orange County can use VitalChek to find Orange County marriage records online.

  1. Visit VitalChek.
  2. Select the type of copy required which for Orange County are:
    • Public Marriage Authorized Copy—The 1st copy costs $17.00 and the processing fee for VitalChek is $12.95. This does not include costs for shipping.
    • Confidential Marriage Authorized Copy— First copy costs $17.00 with an additional processing fee for VitalChek which is $12.95.
  3. Input bio data such as names, DOB and relationship to the subject of the record.
  4. Enter information about the certificate such as names of parties.
  5. Complete the request by making payment.

Mail Requests for Marriage & Divorce Certificates From the California Department of Health

Citizens can also request marriage records via mail by completing and submitting the application for a copy of a marriage record. This form can serve as a request for either:

  • Authorized copy in which a notarized sworn statement is required.
  • Informational copy.
  1. Divorce certificate requests will be done by completing the application for divorce certificate for each divorce record required.
  2. Marriage certificates and divorce decrees cost $17.00 and $16.00 per copy respectively. The request should be enclosed with a money order or check payable to CDPH-Vital Records. No cash is accepted.
  3. Mail all the documents to:
    • California Department of Public Health – Vital Records
      MS—5103
      P.O. Box 997410
      Sacramento, CA 95899
      (916)558-1784
  4. Please see Processing Times for record requests.4

The California Department of Public Health only provides the face sheet of the divorce record but not a divorce decree copy that is certified. Citizens of Orange County will need to visit the Orange County Superior Court of California court clerk to obtain this. The clerk will then inform interested parties the process and fees required to obtain a copy of a divorce decree.

How To Search Orange County Criminal Records Through Official Channels

Members of the publican can find criminal history in California through a number of government agencies and jurisdictions including:

  • Orange County Sheriff’s Office and city police departments in Orange County.
  • The Orange Superior Court of California – County of Orange.
  • The California Department of Justice (DOJ).

Find Criminal Records Through the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and City Police Departments

A free criminal record check can be performed through the sheriff’s office and city police departments as mentioned before. However, these will not be full blown criminal records but rather arrest records.

Arrest records are typically created when citizens are taken into custody due to being suspected of a crime for which they are charged and they will include bond information, arresting agency etc.

Inmates are booked and either held in jail or released on bail while awaiting trial—when they are convicted of the crime, criminal records are now created which detail their incarceration, release date, parole information etc.

The process of finding recent arrest reports was discussed in the earlier section.

Obtain Criminal Records Through the Orange Superior Court of California – County of Orange

Court records are part of Orange County public records and can be a source to find criminal data on citizens in the county.

The Orange County Superior Court of California has a convenient way to access case information without the need to visit the court house; whether they are criminal, civil, probate cases or small claims cases.

A screenshot from the Superior Court of California website showing the case search page with a search bar for case number, a menu for calendar search and tutorial.
Source: Superior Court of California15

To find criminal records, citizens should use the Orange County Criminal & Traffic Access search tool. This tool can searched by a number of criteria:

  • Case number.
  • By person or business name (this type of search requires an enrolment of an account which is free)
  • Calendar search which accepts details on the Justice Center, prosecutor and hearing date etc.

Obtain Orange County & California Criminal Records Through the California Department of Justice

The California Department of Justice under the administration of the Attorney General of California is the primary repository of data in the state.5

These criminal records are typically sought by employers who are conducting criminal background checks on employees—the process for doing so will be discussed in the next section.

A screenshot from the California Department of Justice website showing a form of request for live scan service with empty fields for applicant submission information.
Source: California Department of Justice16

While criminal history records are restricted by laws to legitimate law enforcement agencies and purposes, citizens of California and Orange County have a right to request a review of their records for completeness and accuracy, although these cannot be used for immigration/visa or international transactions.

They can be done for:

  • California residents
  • Out of state residents

California Residents

To find criminal records in Orange County:

  1. Submit fingerprint images by using the live scan form:
  2. On the form, check “Record Review” as the “Type of Application.”
  3. On the “Reason for Application” line, enter “Record Review.”
  4. Fill out all the personal information such as name, driver’s license number, DOB etc.
  5. Proceed to take the completed form to any Public Live Scan Sites which includes police departments and sheriff’s offices. Fingerprint rolling fees will apply and methods of payment will vary by department.
  6. Print and fill out the Application to Obtain Copy of State Summary Criminal History Record form and follow its instructions. The Spanish version of this form is available here.
  7. Processing fee of $25 should be made by money order or check payable to the California Department of Justice. A request for a waiver for this fee can be requested due to economic hardship.
  8. Mail all the documents to:

California Department of Justice
Bureau of Criminal Identification and Analysis
Record Review and Challenge Section
PO BOX 160207
Sacramento, CA 95816-0207

Normal processing time for requests is 2-3 days, but it may take up to 2 weeks depending on the information contained.

Out of State Residents

The process is the same for out of state residents as it is for California residents but these applicants must submit manual fingerprint cards (Form FD258).

Requesters should contact local law enforcement agencies for fingerprinting services. If there are any challenges procuring a blank fingerprint card, contact the Record Review Unit—(916)227-3849.

Upon receipt of the record review response, it is possible to challenge the contents of the criminal record by completing Form BCIA 8706— “Claim of Alleged Inaccuracy or Incompleteness”.6 This should be mailed with the record review response to the address indicated on the form.

California Penal Code § 11142 makes it unlawful to give copies of criminal records to unauthorized persons including employers before a job offer.7

Additionally, Penal Code § 11125 prohibits individuals and/or agencies from requiring an individual to provide them a copy of criminal record history or proving whether or not a record exists. Violations of these two penal codes is a misdemeanor offense in California.

Lookup Criminal Records Through State and Federal Agencies’ Databases

Cook County citizens can also turn to federal and state resources when looking to find criminal records. These include the:

California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR)— The California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR) has a California State Criminal Records Search Tool which can be used to find criminal records of inmates incarcerated in California state prisons.

A screenshot from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website showing the search for inmate page with empty fields for CDCR number or by name, there is also a section for important site information and feedback form.
Source: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation17

California Sex Offender Registry—Persons convicted of sex offenses can be found at no cost using the California Sex Offender Search Tool.

A screenshot from the California Megan's Law website showing the sex offender name search page with search results that include information such as mugshots, names, violations, SVP, and address, and on the right side is the search criteria.
Source: California Megan’s Law Website18

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)—California has 6 federal prisons and Orange County citizens can find records of offenders who have federal criminal records through the BOP.

A screenshot from the Federal Bureau of Prisons website showing the inmate locator page, find by name search results with one result showing information such as name, register number, age, race, sex, and release date.
Source: Federal Bureau of Prisons19

The Federal Criminal Records Search Tool can find federal inmates that have been incarcerated since 1982 including those that have been released. This tool is free to use and requires no registration.

How To Perform Background Checks in Orange County California

There are generally two types of background checks that are performed in California and by extension, Orange County: personal and professional background checks.

Personal Checks

Orange County citizens will often want to perform background checks on themselves for a myriad of reasons including:

  • Ensure the completeness of the record or find information on themselves that they may not be aware of. This is especially true when someone is looking for a job and doesn’t want to be hit by a surprise after having consented to an employer background check.
  • Additionally, it’s possible that they may want to obtain information on others such as family members, neighbors or even when wanting to start a relationship with someone and need to check out their history.

Personal background checks can be performed only if details such as the names of the other person are known. These checks do not generally require consent to obtain and reasons as to why they are requested need not be stated. However, information from these background checks should not be used for sinister purposes such as stalking, harassing or intimidating others.

California does not have name based searches also known as level 1 searches but only fingerprint based searches, also known as level 2 background searches. This makes it impossible to perform checks for others through government agencies.

Therefore, citizens looking to conduct name based background checks for other people should turn to 3rd party sites that allow a search to be conducted in multiple counties and states for a fee. Third party sites are also useful when the requester is not sure where the record originated.

Professional Checks

Professional background checks in Orange County are typically performed as a prerequisite to a job offer when there is a need to look up someone’s criminal record—just like personal checks, these are carried out through the California Department of Justice.

Nevertheless, as mentioned before, employers cannot ask for this information during the application in California.

This is because California is a ban-the-box law state due to the Fair Chance Act—this law makes it unlawful for employees with 5 or more employees from inquiring about a conviction history from a job candidate before making a job offer.8

Certain federal agency laws such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s (FCRA) Summary of Rights and the Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Employee Rights do protect Orange County citizens as it pertain to background checks.

For example, in addition to state laws, FCRA mandates employers to obtain written consent from job applicants before performing a background check. They also control the steps that employers must take before they proceed not to hire an applicant due to results from a check.

The EEOC provides employers with guidelines on how to assess an applicant’s criminal record as it pertains to the role of the job.

Professional background checks for employment purposes are conducted for several reasons including:

  • Allows employers to make better informed decisions when hiring.
  • Ensures that qualified candidates are hired since it verifies their credentials.
  • These checks help protect a company’s assets and secrets by hiring trustworthy individuals.
  • Some jobs entail driving, these checks will ensure that applicants are suitable for their role.
  • Establishes that job applicants’ work history is verified as this is an important quality required in employees.

The process for employee background checks is similar to that of personal checks with a few variations. They often include FBI checks as well.

To obtain a background check for employment purposes, the following steps are taken:

  1. An employer is mandated to provide the potential employee with a BCIA 8016—Request for Live Scan Service form.
  2. The candidate will then visit with a Live Scan operator from these Public Live Scan Sites with valid government issued ID to submit their fingerprints.
  3. If no match is found, the agency (employer) will receive a response within 48-72 hours.
  4. If a match is found, the technician must make a manual review of the police records (rap sheets) before responding to the agency which can take an indefinite amount of time.
A screenshot from the State of California Department of Justice website showing the live scan locations for Orange County including information such as hours, rolling fee and acceptable forms of payment.
Source: State of California Department of Justice20

The technician applies an analysis of criteria statutorily mandated for the applicant, for example the type of employment, license etc. in order to prepare a background check response pursuant to Penal Code § 11105 (k-p).9 This response is sent electronically or via mail.

For FBI background checks, if the applicant’s prints match fingerprints in the national database for criminal history, the FBI sends the DOJ the rap sheet from any states or federal agencies that reported the data to the FBI.

As mentioned, due diligence is performed by the DOJ technician to review the updated rap sheet and prepare the response as pursuant to statutory dissemination criterion.

A screenshot from the California Department of Justice website showing the applicant background check status page with search fields for ATI number and date of birth.
Source: California Department of Justice21

It is possible to check for a status on a background check using this Applicant Background Check Status Tool.

How To Look Up Warrants in Orange County CA

Warrants are issued in Orange County by the courts for several reasons such as when an offender does not appear for court, which is known as a bench warrant. Citizens of Orange County have two main avenues in which they can accomplish this—through the County Sheriff’s Office and the Superior Court of Orange County.

Find Warrants Through Orange County Sheriff’s Office

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has a dedicated link that will allow interested individuals to quickly find if someone has a warrant for free using the Orange County Warrant Search Tool.

A screenshot from the Orange County Sheriff's Department website showing the arrest warrants search page with results information that includes name, date of birth, sex, height, weight, and hair and eye color.
Source: Orange County Sheriff’s Department22

This can be searched using several criteria:

  • Last name
  • Middle name
  • First name
  • DOB

Use the Superior Court of California to Run an Orange County Warrant Search

Citizens can use the same tool that they would to locate criminal records from the courts as discussed earlier. Upon locating the case overview using the Superior Court of Orange County Warrant Search tool, citizens can make a determination whether a warrant has been issued—in these cases, the overview states “Fugitive.”

A warrant search can be done through the clerk of the court by visiting any of the Superior Court of Orange County Locations.

How To Find Probationers in Orange County California

Obtaining probation record requests in Orange County is a simple and straightforward process that involves contacting the Orange County Probation Department which has adult and juvenile operations serving clients that have been released from state prison and county facilities for their post-release supervision.10

The department does not have a database that be searched for these Orange County public records; instead, citizens of the county that are looking for probation information should Contact Orange County Probation Department:

Attention : Custodian of Records
PO Box 10260
Santa Ana, CA 92711-0260
[email protected]
(714)937-4736

How To Locate & Retrieve Court Records in Orange County

As a result of the California Rules of Court, citizens of Orange County can quickly locate Orange County judicial records that are electronic in nature at no cost through:11

  • Performing an Orange County case search using the Case Access directory tool and
  • Searching for non-electronic court records through Clerk of the Superior Court

Use Case Access to View Court Records in OC CA

Orange County’s Superior Court has a versatile Orange County case search tool that can be used to find several types of court records including:

  • Civil cases
  • Traffic cases
  • Family law cases
  • Probate cases etc.

All these case types can be searched using the Case Index Search Tool.

Find OC Court Records Through the County Clerk of Court

Other than electronic means, citizens can also retrieve Orange County court records by physically visiting the court and contacting the clerk at these Orange County Superior Court Locations.

In addition to physically visiting the court, requests can also be made to the Clerk of Court via mail. This is done by filling a Request for Record Search form which can be downloaded. Interested parties should simply fill in their details and information about the record that is being searched; this includes:

  • Case name (required)
  • DOB (if known)
  • Driver’s license (if known)
  • Case type (criminal, civil, traffic, probate etc.)
A screenshot from the Orange County Superior Court website showing the request for record search form with an empty field for requestor's information.
Source: Orange County Superior Court23

The cost of performing a search is $15.00 per case search and a check can be paid out payable to the Clerk of the Court. It is also possible to make the payment via credit card. The form will have the addresses of the different court locations and requests should be made to the court where the hearing took place.

How To Obtain Birth & Death Certificates or Vital Records in Orange County

Other than marriage and divorce records, citizens can find and request other vital records including records of births and deaths and their copies (certificates) from the California Department of Health. It is also possible to obtain certain birth and death records from the county clerk.

Steps to Request Birth & Death Certificates & Records

Members of the public can obtain birth records and certificates through online means using the state endorsed third party site, VitalChek, and by mail.

Online Requests for Birth & Death Certificates:

  1. Proceed to visit the VitalChek website.
  2. Choose either of these agencies to see what birth certificates they offer:
    • California Vital Statistics— The 1st copy costs $29.00 with a fee of $15.95 for VitalChek to process the order excluding shipping costs.
    • Orange County Clerk-Recorder—same as above.
  3. Death certificate requests are only for death informational copies and not certificates when using VitalChek. The fee for the 1st copy is $24.00 and the VitalChek processing fee is $12.95 excluding shipping costs. If additional copies are required, the cost is $4.00.
  4. The order can be completed by entering shipping information and making payment.
  5. Processing takes between 25-35 days.

Mail Requests for Birth & Death Certificates:

  1. Citizens can request copies of birth and death certificates records via mail or fax by completing and submitting the Application for Certified Copy of Birth Record and Application for Certified Copy of Death Record. These forms can be used to make a for request either:
    • Authorized copy in which a notarized sworn statement is required.
    • Informational copy.
  2. A fee of $29.00 per birth record copy and $24.00 per death record copy requested applies and check or money should be  enclosed payable to “CDPH-Vital Records”. No cash is accepted.
  3. To obtain an Application for Certified Copy of Still Birth, the cost is $24.00 and an Application for Certified Copy of Fetal Death will cost $18.00 per copy requested.
  4. Mail or fax all the documents to:
    • California Department of Public Health (Vital Records Office)
      MS – 5103
      PO Box 997410
      Sacramento, CA 95899
      (916)558-1784
  5. Please see Processing Times for record requests.

How Do I Search Orange County (OC CA) Property Records?

Citizens of the county have access to property records records and can be retrieved by using the free-to-use Orange County Property Records Search Tool.

A screenshot from the County of Orange, Treasurer Tax Collector website showing the property records search page with section for secured or supplemental property tax and related information and a section for unsecured property tax bills and related information, both with empty search fields criterion.
Source: County of Orange – Treasurer-Tax Collector24

Secured or supplemental property tax bills can be searched using:

  • Assessor’s parcel number (APN)
  • Property address
  • Tax default number

Unsecured property tax bills can be queried using:

  • Tax collector reference number (TC Ref)
  • Tax year and assessment number
  • Business name
  • Tax lien number
  • Watercraft registration number (CF Number)
  • Aircraft registration number (N Number)

Other than using this public index, citizens may Contact Orange County via phone or email.

Typically, Orange County citizens looking to obtain criminal and arrest records can request them from multiple agencies including:

  • Orange County Sheriff’s Office
  • City police departments
  • Orange Superior Court of California
  • California Department of Justice
  • State and federal agencies such as the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, California Sex Offender Registry and Bureau of Prisons.

Probation information will be retrieved from the Orange County Probation Department. Warrant information can be searched for in the courts, department of corrections and the sheriff’s office.

Citizens looking to obtain vital records such as marriage and divorce certificates should contact the California Department of Public Health and property records can be located by contacting the Orange County Government website.

Orange County public records are spread over a myriad of several government agencies and jurisdictions which make can make finding them difficult and challenging in many instances—however, the information provided here should give citizens a better understanding on how to quickly locate these records, request them and get an idea of any costs that may be involved in doing so.


References

1Department, O. C. (2023). CENTRAL MEN’S AND WOMEN’S JAILS. Retrieved 2023, from <https://www.ocsheriff.gov/commands-divisions/custody-operations-command/central-mens-womens-jails>

2Information, C. L. (2023). California Public Records Act. Retrieved 2023, from <https://www.ftb.ca.gov/your-rights/california-public-records-act.html>

3Health, C. D. (2020, May 8). Authorized Copy vs. Informational Copy . Retrieved 2023, from <https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Authorized-Copy-vs--Informational-Copy.aspx>

4Health, C. D. (2023, March 24). Processing Times. Retrieved 2023, from <https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Vital-Records-Processing-Times.aspx>

5Justice, S. o. (2023). Criminal Records – Request Your Own. Retrieved 2023, from <https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/record-review>

6Justice, S. o. (2023). Frequently Asked Questions – Criminal Records – Request Your Own. Retrieved 2023, from <https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/security_faq>

7Legislature, C. (1974). Unlawful Furnishing of State Summary Criminal History Information. Retrieved 2023, from <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=11142.&lawCode=PEN>

8Department, S. o.-C. (2023). Fair Chance Act. Retrieved 2023, from <https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act>

9Legislation, C. (2023, January 1). Criminal Identification and Statistics . Retrieved 2023, from <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&sectionNum=11105>

10Department, O. C. (2023). OC Probation. Retrieved 2023, from <https://ocprobation.ocgov.com/>

11California, J. C. (2023). California Rules of Court. Retrieved 2023, from <https://www.courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index.cfm?title=two&linkid=rule2_503>

12Who’s In Jail – Inmate Info. (n.d.). Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from <http://ws.ocsheriff.gov/Whoisinjail/Search.aspx>

13Huntington Beach Police Department – Adult Arrest Log. (n.d.). City of Huntington Beach. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from <https://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/government/departments/pd/documents/arrestlog.pdf>

14Application for Certified Copy of Marriage Record. (n.d.). California Department of Public Health. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from <https://www.cdph.ca.gov/CDPH%20Document%20Library/ControlledForms/VS113a.pdf>

15County of Orange. (n.d.). Superior Court of California. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from <https://visionpublic.occourts.org/Search.do#formAnchor>

16BCIA 8016RR – REQUEST FOR LIVE SCAN. (n.d.). California Department of Justice. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from <https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/fingerprints/forms/bcia_8016RR.pdf>

17CDCR Public Inmate Locator Disclaimer. (n.d.). California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from <https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/search.aspx>

18California Sex Offender Name Search. (n.d.). California Megans Law. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from <https://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/Default.aspx>

19BOP: Federal Inmates By Number. (n.d.). Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from <https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/>

20Live Scan Locations. (n.d.). State of California – Department of Justice. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from <https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/locations?county=Orange>

21Applicant Status. (n.d.). CA DOJ. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from <https://applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov/>

22Arrest Warrants. (n.d.). Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from <https://ws.ocsheriff.gov/ArrestWarrants/>

23REQUEST FOR RECORD SEARCH. (n.d.). Orange County Superior Court. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from <https://www.occourts.org/forms/local/l6.pdf>

24Property Records Search. (n.d.). County of Orange – Treasurer-Tax Collector. Retrieved July 7, 2023, from <https://tax.ocgov.com/tcweb/search_page.asp>