Orange County Property Search
Orange County property records refer to official documents created from real property (land & building) transactions within the county. These records reveal a broad range of information, including the ownership rights to a property, changes to a property's ownership, a property's physical location, and encumbrances existing on a piece of property. In Orange County, California, these records are frequently sourced by real estate homeowners, buyers, sellers, and investors during a property purchase or sale or to resolve a property disagreement.
In Orange County, property records are maintained primarily by the local clerk-recorder's department. This office records real property documents (called "instruments") for private parties in line with Cal. Gov. Code §§ 27279 through 27297.7 and other relevant statutes. The Orange County Clerk-Recorder is also charged with disseminating these records and other Orange County Public Records to requesting parties.
Property records in Orange County are available from 1982 to the present and earlier.
Are Orange County Property Records Public?
Yes, property records in Orange County are publicly accessible under Cal. Gov. Code §§ 7920 et seq. (the California Public Records Act or CPRA). Under this law, anyone can request and retrieve property information from government agencies, including the Orange County Clerk-Recorder's Office and local agencies that maintain property-related records - like the Orange County Assessor and Treasurer-Tax Collector's offices.
Still, just as public property records exist, certain property records are considered confidential in any California jurisdiction. The CPRA contains an extensive list of exclusions. However, it generally exempts public disclosure when a specific statute bars access or when the public interest served by not disclosing the record outweighs the public interest served by disclosing it.
Restricted property records and information include:
- Social security numbers
- Change in ownership statements
- Homeowners' exemption claims
- Real property appraisals or feasibility estimates made for or by state or local government concerning property acquisitions
What Do Orange County Property Records Contain?
Citizens or residents file various paper and electronic documents with the Orange County Clerk-Recorder's Office to establish ownership of a property, attach a lien, and because of other legal reasons. As a result, there are different property records that the recorder's office maintains and can provide to inquirers. These include:
- Assignments
- Claims for damages
- Contracts
- Covenants
- Declarations
- Deeds and other conveyances
- Easements
- Federal and state tax liens and other types of liens (for example, mechanics liens)
- Index maps
- Judgments
- Mortgages
- Oil/gas leases
- Power of attorney
- Releases
- Sales and purchase agreements
- Surveys
The contents of property records vary by document type. Still, one can usually find the name of the current property owner(s) and other involved parties, the filing date, the document type, the property's address or legal description, and the document number.
Besides the local recorder's office, other offices like the local assessor and tax collector's offices also maintain records relating to property situated in the county. For example, the tax collector's office has property tax records, whereas the assessor maintains property valuation records.
Where to Perform an Orange County Property Lookup
The Orange County Clerk-Recorder's Office is the go-to government office for people interested in searching Orange County property records. The clerk's office provides different options to search for and retrieve public property records, including:
- Online using the clerk's RecorderWorks website
- In-person at one of the clerk's office locations (the Santa Ana, South County Branch, or North County Branch office)
- By mail to a designated address
Individuals can call the clerk's office at (714) 834-2500 to make record inquiries. However, the clerk's office can only give information about how to search for the records. The office does not search for records over the phone.
How to Perform a Property Owner Lookup in Orange County
Here's how to find property ownership information in Orange County:
Online
Individuals looking for the legal owner of a property can access the Orange County Clerk-Recorder's RecorderWorks website to search for deeds (sometimes called ownership records). Searches can be carried out with the following criteria:
- A property owner's name (Grantee or Grantor)
- Document number
- Recording date (from 1/4/1982 to present)
Documents available on the portal date back to 1982 and can be viewed at no cost. Individuals can also purchase copies of deeds by "Adding to Shopping Cart," but there is a $1 per page fee. It also costs $1 for each certification or map requested.
To purchase a deed document, one should follow these steps:
- Search the RecorderWorks website with a grantor/grantee's name, document number, or filing date.
- On the next page, select documents to order (more than one recording entry can be selected) and select "Proceed to Check Out". Individuals who have not finished shopping can choose "Add to Shopping Cart" instead and proceed to the checkout page later.
- Next, choose whether a regular or certified copy is required and the specific pages to order (one can also order the entire document).
- Select the order(s) and click "Check Out".
- Fill out the form that appears with a name, mailing address, and phone number, and solve the Captcha.
- Send the order and payment to the following address:
Orange County Clerk-Recorder's Office
P.O. Box 238
Santa Ana, CA 92701
The clerk's office does not disseminate purchased documents via download. All copies are sent to the requester by mail. Payment can be made with a cashier's check, money order, or check.
Alternatively, members of the public can submit a written request to the Orange County Clerk's Office mailing address for copies of property ownership records:
Orange County Clerk-Recorder
Attn: Copy Desk
County Administration South
601 North Ross Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Each mail requester must complete the Official Records Copy Request Form and enclose the form and fee (same as above) in a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail requesters paying with a check should leave the dollar amount blank and include an amount not to be exceeded in the "Note" section. The clerk's office will complete the order and return the copies with a receipt of the applicable fee.
In-Person
Individuals can also choose to visit one of the county clerk's three office locations to view deed records at no cost or obtain copies for a fee ($1 per page, certification, or map).
County Administration South Building
601 North Ross Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701
North County Branch Office
Wells Fargo Building and Parking
222 S. Harbor Boulevard
Suite 110
Anaheim, CA 92805
South County Branch Office
Laguna Hills Civic Center
24031 El Toro Road
Suite 150 & 160
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Individuals searching for older property records can visit the county archives at the following address:
Old County Courthouse
Downtown Santa Ana
211 W. Santa Ana Boulevard
Room 202
Santa Ana, CA 92701
The business hours of these offices can be obtained from the clerk's website or by calling the clerk/recorder's office at (714) 834-2500.
How to Find Orange County Property Records Online
Members of the public can find Orange County property records online on the county's clerk-recorder's website, as explained above. No fee applies to access or use the clerk's web application unless the researcher requires copies.
Additionally, several independent companies offer comprehensive databases containing property records sourced from different U.S. jurisdictions, including Orange County. Such documents are accessible to the public upon entry of the state of recording (e.g., California), county/city of recording (e.g., Orange), a property owner's name (e.g., John Smith), or property address, but a fee is often necessary for access.
The fee may be charged on a one-time (around $1 and higher) or monthly basis and varies by provider.
How to Find Property Owner by Address Free
The local recorder's office in Orange County does not index property records by address but by a property owner's name, the unique number assigned to a recorded document, or the date when a record was filed. As a result, individuals eager to find the owner of a piece of property should utilize other methods, including contacting or visiting local offices that provide property address search options. For example, the county assessor's office.
Per the California Public Records Act (CPRA), the assessment rolls preserved by the Orange County Assessor's Office or a local archive (like a city clerk's office) are open to the public. These rolls may contain the name of the property owner (the assessee) if known. Individuals can obtain these records by mailing the local assessor's Public Service Center with a parcel ID or property address. They may also visit the center during regular business hours:
500 South Main Street
2nd Floor
Orange, CA 92868
Phone: (714) 834-2727
In-person requesters can find the applicable fees on the office's fee schedule page. Mail requesters are advised to call for pricing because it varies by order size.
Note that Orange County Assessor's Office does not provide an online database for searching property records. Even so, assessee names and addresses are not available online per the CPRA.
Finally, an individual can access third-party property records databases that have a "Search by Property Address" function to find the owner of a piece of property. As mentioned earlier, a fee usually applies for these types of searches. The relevant charges can be obtained from the provider's website.
Orange County Property Tax Lookup
Now and then, present or prospective property owners may need to look up the tax information for a piece of real estate. One common reason is to check how much they can expect to pay in property taxes each year or confirm that the property tax payments are current. The latter allows the property owner to avoid liens or other legal actions.
In Orange County, individuals can obtain property tax information from the Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office, the local office responsible for tax collection. This office provides an online database where anyone can conduct property tax searches. A member of the public may also submit a Request for Public Records (PRA) to the office via email at treasurer@ttc.ocgov.com, fax at (714) 834-2912, or to the following mailing address:
Office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector
P.O. Box 4515
Santa Ana, CA 92702-4515
Property owners should not use the PRA form but request property tax information via email at ttcinfo@ttc.ocgov.com. They may also send a fax to (714) 834-5361 or forward a written request to the address below.
County of Orange
Attn: Treasurer-Tax Collector
P.O. Box 1438
Santa Ana, CA 92702-1438
Phone: (714) 834-3411
Other relevant addresses and contact information can be obtained from the treasurer's Contact/Mailing Information page.
Members of the public may also contact or visit the Orange County Assessor's Office for property tax information, as this local office determines the value of taxable property in the county for property tax purposes annually.
How to Find an Orange County Property Appraiser
A property appraiser is responsible for estimating the value or worth of real estate, tangible personal property, and business property. An appraiser's service is usually required before the sale, purchase, taxation, financing, insurance, or development of real property. Some services that an appraiser offers include:
- Preparing written reports on a property's market value
- Authenticating property descriptions
- Helping local governments conduct property assessments for taxation purposes
- Conducting site visits to inspect a property's general and distinct features
- Maintaining up-to-date records on each piece of real estate
- Analyzing similar properties on the market for valuation purposes
Individuals looking for property appraisers in Orange County can search the California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers' web application. The application lets one find appraisers with various criteria, including an appraiser's base of operations. Case in point: a person who wants to find an Orange County property appraiser can enter "Orange" into the "County" search field to get a match. Search results include a property appraiser's license number, company name, zip code, county of operation, and phone number.
Orange County Property Assessor
The Orange County Property Assessor's Office is the primary local government body responsible for property valuations in Orange County, as directed under the California Constitution. The assessor's office carries out four main functions:
- Locates all taxable property
- Identifies the owners of all taxable property
- Determines the assessed value of taxable property per the law
- Publishes property tax assessment rolls
Below is the Orange County Property Assessor's contact information:
Main Office - North County
500 South Main Street
2nd Floor
Orange, CA 92868
Phone: (714) 834-2727
Satellite Office South County
Mission Viejo City Hall
200 Civic Center
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
Phone: (714) 796-0217
