California, county records

Orange County, California Public Records

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Find the right office in Orange County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.

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Most requested Orange County records

Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.

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Showing 12 official sources

Official

Police & jail

Orange County Sex Offenders

The California Megan's Law website, run by the state Department of Justice, lists the sex offenders required to register in Orange County and can be searched by name, address or ZIP code.

meganslaw.ca.gov
Open official site Orange County Sex Offenders
Official

Court records

Divorces, Family Law court

The family law division of the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, hears divorce, custody, support and domestic violence cases, and the court clerk keeps the case files.

occourts.org
Open official site Divorces, Family Law court
Official

Property records

Orange County Property Tax Information

The Orange County Tax Collector bills and collects the property taxes, and the records show the parcel, the owner and what is charged and paid on it each year.

taxbill.octreasurer.gov
Open official site Orange County Property Tax Information

Everything else, organized

More official Orange County record sources

8 more Orange County sources not listed above.

More county sources

Local record guide

About public records in Orange County

County profile

Orange County at a glance

State
California
County seat
Santa Ana
Population
3,186,989
Area
948 sq mi
Founded
1889
Cities and towns
46

Orange County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Orange County Sheriff's Department is the primary law enforcement agency for Orange County, responsible for patrolling unincorporated areas, managing Orange County jail system, and processing arrests.

Police Departments. Orange County is served by multiple law enforcement agencies, including Orange County Sheriff's Department and city police departments such as the Anaheim Police Department, Santa Ana Police Department, and Irvine Police Department. These agencies often collaborate with the Sheriff's Department on major investigations and regional safety initiatives, making sure of full law enforcement coverage across Orange County.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Orange County Sheriff's Department, headquartered at 550 North Flower Street in Santa Ana, provides law enforcement services to unincorporated areas and contract cities throughout Orange County. The Sheriff can be contacted through the office’s website, and the department website at ocsheriff.gov provides extensive public resources. Inmate lookup is available online through the Sheriff's Who's In Jail search tool at inweb.theusatoday.com, providing real-time booking information, charges, bail amounts, and housing locations. Municipal police departments operate independently in incorporated cities including Anaheim Police Department, Irvine Police Department, Santa Ana Police Department, Huntington Beach Police Department, Newport Beach Police Department, Fullerton Police Department, Costa Mesa Police Department, Brea Police Department, La Habra Police Department, and Garden Grove Police Department, among others covering all 34 cities.

Arrest Records. Arrest records in Orange County are maintained by Orange County Sheriff's Department and various municipal police departments. Residents and attorneys can request arrest records through the Sheriff's Department's Records Division, either in person or via mail.

Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Orange County are taken and retained by Orange County Sheriff's Department during the booking process. These booking photos are part of the arrest records and can be accessed through the Sheriff's Department's website or by submitting a request to the Records Division.

The Superior Court of California, County of Orange, is the unified trial court serving Orange County with its Central Justice Center located at 700 Civic Center Drive West in Santa Ana (657-622-8493). Building permits and zoning information are handled by OC Development Services at 300 North Flower Street in Santa Ana (714-667-3800) for unincorporated areas, while incorporated cities maintain their own planning and building departments. Documents recorded prior to 1988 require in-person research at the Recorder's office using microfiche and book indexes. Property tax information is maintained separately by Orange County Auditor-Controller at 12 Civic Center Plaza (714-834-3411) and Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector at the same address (714-834-3411).

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Orange County

Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.

From the old mine records

What is on record in Orange County

Old mine sites
94
Sites with no status in the records
2
Still producing
27
Main minerals
construction sand and gravel; Clay; Lead
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
109
Shafts and tunnels
18
What they are
gravel/borrow pit - undifferentiated, gravel pit, adit, mine shaft
Maps surveyed
1948 to 1997
Records behind them
240 records for 232 sites, the rest are the same working written down more than once
Sources
USGS mineral file and USGS topographic mine features

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 123 named mine sites inside the county, 94 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 109 holes drawn inside the county, 18 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are construction sand and gravel; Clay; Lead.

A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area.

Orange County: the boundary from the Census Bureau, and one dot for each old mine or hole on record inside it. Purple is a shaft or a tunnel. Hover a dot for its name.
California mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Orange County (131 shown, 101 unnamed on the map)

Rows taken off the old survey maps open the USGS record of what sits at that spot, because no single feature on those maps has a page of its own. Rows from the mine records open their own USGS page.

Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.

Straight answers

Orange County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

Where can I find mugshots or booking photos in Orange County, California?

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Orange County Sheriff's Department or a city police department in Orange County. Ask that agency for its record. Under Penal Code 13665, a police department or sheriff's office may not share on social media the booking photos of a person arrested on suspicion of a nonviolent crime unless an exception applies, and must remove booking photos it shared on social media within 14 days unless an exception still applies.

How can I get a criminal background check in Orange County, California?

The California criminal history record comes from the California Department of Justice. Record Review of your own record only: submit fingerprint images through Live Scan and follow the DOJ Record Review instructions. Fee: $25 processing fee to the DOJ, plus the Live Scan agency's fingerprint fee; a fee waiver may be available.

How can I look up sex offenders in Orange County, California?

Search the California Megan's Law Website (Department of Justice), or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

How do I register to vote in Orange County, California?

Register with the county elections official (county elections office or registrar of voters) or through the California Secretary of State. You can also register online with the state online registration. The deadline to register is 15 days before Election Day; after that, same day (conditional) registration and voting is available at the county elections office.

How do I look up property records in Orange County, California?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Orange County are kept by the Orange County Recorder. Property values are set by the County Assessor, and tax bills come from the County Tax Collector. Source: official state page.

How do I get a birth or death certificate in Orange County, California?

Certified birth and death certificates for California come from the California Department of Public Health, Vital Records (CDPH VR). Copies may be obtained in person at the county office (County Registrar or Recorder) where the birth was registered, for events in that county. By mail with form VS 111 to California Department of Public Health, Vital Records, MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410, or in person at the county office where the event was registered; since July 1, 2026 CDPH VR no longer accepts applications sent through online third party vendors. Fee: $31 for each certified copy of a birth record.

How do I find business license records in Orange County, California?

Business entity filings are searched with the California Secretary of State (bizfile Online). Most California cities and counties require a business license, permits or registration to do business within their limits.

Same county

Cities, towns and neighboring counties

Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.

Mission ViejoAnaheimSanta AnaIrvineHuntington BeachGarden GroveFullertonCosta MesaWestminsterLake ForestNewport BeachBuena ParkTustinYorba LindaLaguna NiguelSan ClementeLa HabraFountain ValleyAliso ViejoPlacentiaCypressRancho Santa MargaritaBreaStantonSan Juan CapistranoDana PointLaguna HillsSeal BeachLadera RanchLaguna BeachLaguna WoodsLa PalmaLos AlamitosFoothill RanchMidway CityVilla ParkTrabuco CanyonSunset BeachSilveradoAtwoodRiverside CountyLos Angeles CountySan Bernardino CountySan Diego County