In This Issue:
WELCOME Newsleer - March 2022
Thank you for your interest in the Orange County Clerk-Recorder Department’s newsletter. We will be bringing
you periodic updates on the latest news, information and events affecting the department. I am honored and
privileged to serve as your County Clerk-Recorder. Please contact my office at (714) 834-2500 or visit us at
OCRecorder.com for more information about the department and the services provided to the public.
Sincerely,
Hugh Nguyen
County Clerk-Recorder
News and Updates
Awards and Recognions
Out and About
Visit us at OCRECORDER.COM
March in O.C. History
Customers are Saying...
Community Outreach
ORANGE COUNTY CLERK-RECORDER CELEBRATED THREE-YEAR
ANNIVERSARY OF NORTH COUNTY BRANCH OFFICE IN ANAHEIM
Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen celebrated the three-year anniversary of the opening of his
department’s North County Branch Office in Anaheim. The office opened in March of 2019 and
has grown busier day by day in serving the needs of residents from north Orange County. The
office was decorated for the occasion and light refreshments and snacks were available from
9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. The North County Branch Office is located inside
the Wells Fargo Building at 222 N. Harbor Blvd., Ste. 110, Anaheim, CA 92805. Free parking is
available in the Wells Fargo parking garage which enters on Broadway or street side in the free
90-minute parking zones.
“I am amazed at how well the public has responded to this office,” said Clerk- Recorder
Hugh Nguyen. “The last couple of years have been tough due to the pandemic but our
office has been fully open to serve the residents of our county,” he added.
During 2021, the North County office issued 9,726 marriage licenses, performed 3,371
marriage ceremonies, issued 44,175 copies of vital records, filed 2,821 fictitious business name
statements, issued 1,602 official records copies, accepted 1,726 passport applications, and
staff took 1,096 passport photos.
The department’s North County Branch Office opened in 2019 after shutting down the previous
location in Fullerton. The Anaheim office added passport services, expanded document
recording services, and features two marriage ceremony rooms. The office has dedicated free
parking in the Wells Fargo Building parking lot and is located close to Interstate 5 and State
Route 91 for easy access. The office is also located near many enticing restaurants and food
venues such as the Anaheim Packing District and Center Street Promenade.
For more information about the department’s various convenient locations, please visit
OCRecorder.com or call the information line at (714) 834-2500. The department’s information
line is available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except holidays.
NEWS
OCRecorder.com
CLERK-RECORDER REDUCES PASSPORT PHOTOS FEE
Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen is pleased to announce that he reduced the cost
of passport photos from $10 to $7 effective Wednesday, March 9, 2022. This will provide a cost
savings to the public obtaining passport services from the department without affecting the
department’s ability to recover costs for providing these services. This fee reduction was
possible due to Clerk-Recorder Nguyen’s continued efforts to reduce expenses by adopting
technology that helps increase efficiency throughout the department. The department currently
offers passport services at its North County branch office in Anaheim and at the County Service
Center located inside the County Administration South building in Santa Ana.
“With the cost of everything on the rise, I am pleased to be able to offer the public our
services at a lower price”, said Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen. “I would like to thank the
Orange County Board of Supervisors for their support in my efforts to reduce costs to
the public,” he added.
The reduced fee means that the Clerk-Recorder Department offers the cheapest passport
photos in Orange County compared to many major, local retailers. This is the second time
Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen has been able to reduce passport photo fees since taking office.
He was successful, in 2017, with getting the Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution that
reduced the cost of passport photos from $15 to $10. In 2019, he began updating the
department’s passport photo printers and related equipment making it possible for the
department to produce the photos faster and cheaper than ever before.
In 2021, the department processed 3,406 passport photos and accepted 5,160 passport
applications. Before the pandemic in 2019, the department processed 6,736 passport photos
and accepted 10,740 passport applications. During a normal year, the department processes
an average of 6,000 passport photos and accepts an average of 10,000 passport applications.
To learn more about passport services available at the Clerk-Recorder Department, please visit
OCRecorder.com or contact the information line at (714) 834-2500. The information line is
available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday, except holidays.
NEWS
OCRecorder.com
DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND! CLERK-RECORDER HOSTS PASSPORT DAY
Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen hosted a special weekend Passport Day on Saturday,
April 2, 2022, at the Old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. With people
now feeling safe to travel and the upcoming travel season closing in, the time to apply for your passport
is now! Due to increasing demand appointments are highly recommended for passport services. All
applicants must bring a completed and unsigned passport application prior to visiting the office. To
complete an online application and/or to make an appointment for passport services, please
visit OCRecorder.com.
“Now that people are feeling safe to travel again, demand for passport services is on the rise,”
said Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen. “Passport Day was the perfect day for busy individuals and
families to obtain these important services without having to miss work and to avoid travel
delays,” he added.
Clerk-Recorder Passport Days are geared towards individuals and families who can’t make it to our
offices during normal operating hours due to work, school, or other time constraints. These special
openings make the passport process easier for parents, as both parents must be present to obtain
passports for children younger than 16 years of age. Currently, processing service times at the federal
level can take up to 11 weeks total from the day an application is submitted at our offices so please
plan according to your travel needs. Only new passport applications can be accepted by our office. No
renewal applications.
To stay informed about future Passport Day events or to learn more about the services offered at the
Clerk-Recorder Department, please visit OCRecorder.com or call the department’s information
line at (714) 834-2500. The information line is available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday –
Friday, except holidays.
NEWS
OCRecorder.com
WEDDING VOWS TO ECHO AGAIN THROUGHOUT CLERK-RECORDER’S
MARRIAGE CEREMONY ROOMS
Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen is proud to announce the reopening of all marriage ceremony
rooms at his department’s offices effective Thursday, March 24, 2022. After being closed for
the past two years due to the pandemic, the Clerk-Recorder Department will resume civil
marriage ceremonies inside ceremony rooms located at its office locations in Anaheim, Laguna
Hills and at the Old County Courthouse in Santa Ana. The department is also increasing the
number of guests allowed to attend the ceremonies from one to five guests. Demand is
expected to increase, so appointments are highly recommended. For those interested in having
a civil marriage ceremony performed at one of the department’s beautiful ceremony rooms,
please visit OCRecorder.com to complete a marriage license application and/or to make an
appointment.
“I am looking forward to seeing couples exchange vows, in the company of their loved
ones, inside one of our beautiful ceremony rooms,” said Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen.
“My department has been waiting for this day and believe me, so has the public,” he
added. “It will be great to see couples taking full advantage of all the available and
convenient marriage venues.”
The ceremony rooms have been closed since March 2020 when state mandated office
closures took effect. Currently the department performs marriage ceremonies at the point of
service and has also been limiting the number of guests that may be present during the
ceremony to one. The reopening of the ceremony rooms will be a welcomed change for all. The
department is excited to welcome back couples and their loved ones as they come together to
celebrate their special occasion.
The Orange County Clerk-Recorder has the lowest costs for a marriage license and a civil
ceremony in the state. In Orange County, couples can obtain a public marriage license for $61
and a confidential marriage license for $66. Couples can have a civil ceremony performed in
one of the department’s ceremony rooms for an additional $28. They can also prepay $17 for a
certified copy of their marriage certificate.
For more detailed information about marriage services or to learn more about the services
offered at the Clerk-Recorder Department, please visit OCRecorder.com or contact the
department’s information line at (714) 834-2500. The information line is available from 8 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday, except holidays.
NEWS
OCRecorder.com
During the month of March:
On March 24, my outreach team was able
to join loanDepot to congratulate them on
their grand opening event in the City of
Fountain Valley, California. I wish them
great success while providing mortgage
solutions powered by technology and
unrivaled customer service to the
residents living throughout the County of
Orange.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
My outreach staff joined the Laguna
Beach community and other dignitaries to
congratulate Sueños Laguna Beach on
their ribbon cutting. I wish them great
success in providing unique Latin fusion
cuisine and cocktails while featuring a
menu of homemade items that include
fresh ingredients and dishes.
I had the honor of joining Randy’s Donut
team at their event and sending our
congratulations on their ribbon cutting in
the City of Santa Ana. Thank you for filing
your fictitious business name at our office
in Orange County. I wish you continued
success as the most recognized donut
shop in the world since 1952.
During the month of March:
On Saturday, my office joined various scout
leaders and parents within the community at
this year’s Lien Doan Chi Lang Foundation
Gold Award & Eagle Scout Rank
Court-of-Honor ceremony. Congratulations to
the 11 eagle scout and gold award recipients,
and to the foundation on their first inaugural
female class of Eagle Scouts and having the
first Vietnamese American Scout to earn both
the Eagle rank and Gold Award.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
On March 25, my team joined the Orange
County SBDC team and local officials to
congratulate The Blessed Braid on their
grand opening event in the City of Irvine. I
wish them the very best while baking
fantastic Challah along with providing
delicious kosher baked options to the
residents living throughout Orange County
to satisfy any sweet tooth.
On March 26, my outreach staff was able to
join four new businesses in the City of
Garden Grove to congratulate them on their
special day. Congratulations to JAR
Insurance Services, Total Elite Insurance
and Financial Services, Five Rooster and
World Financial Group and World System
Builder. I wish you all the best.
During the month of March:
On March 1, we celebrated our Anaheim Branch Office’s third anniversary.
I want to thank all of my staff for doing such a wonderful job and making
the Anaheim office efficient while serving the residents throughout the
County of Orange. Thank you to all the customers who dropped by for
some light refreshments and giveaways. Our North County branch office is
always here ready to serve you.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
During the month of March:
I was very excited to officially reopen our wedding ceremony rooms after a
2-year closure due to the pandemic. Congratulations to all the couples who
were married on this momentous day!
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Each month we recognize an employee who goes above and beyond their normal duties and
offers excellent service to our customers. The Employee of the Month receives a certificate of
recognition, has their name placed on a recognition plaque and may dress casual during their
month of recognition.
It gives me great pleasure to announce Richard Haro as Employee of the Month for March.
Richard takes a mentorship role with his fellow staff members and has become a respected
member of our team. When a supervisor is busy or unavailable, staff look to Richard for
guidance and direction due to this his extensive knowledge and experience. He is always willing
to help his co-workers and does it with a smile and kindness. Whether it is showing a new staff
member how to request change from finance or assisting a seasoned staff member on
registering a process server, he can be counted on for sound advice. Richard always provides
positive feedback and works well with supervisors. He takes pride in his customer service and
sets a great example for the rest of the staff to follow.
Richard starts and ends each day with a smile and a positive attitude. He treats every customer
with dignity and respect. His demeanor at work is always cheerful regardless of the workload or
when dealing with difficult customers. He arrives to work every day before his start time to
ensure that he is prepared to assist the public as soon as the doors open for business. His
supervisors appreciate his dedication and hard work, day after day. Richard’s outstanding work
ethic and customer service are assets to the department and a great example for all to follow.
We are thankful to have him on our team.
Please join me in congratulating Richard on his achievement!
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
OCRecorder.com
CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING...
Our main office in Santa Ana received the following review.
Thank you for your commitment to customer service!
OCRecorder.com
Our Passport Services unit inside the County Service Center in Santa Ana
received the following review. Thank you for your fantastic customer service!
Mar. 3, 1851
The Public Land Commission was appointed. They would play a central role
in "truing up" Californios' property rights (established under the Mexican
government), but the process often forced rancho owners into paying large
legal fees.
March 8, 1992
Christian Nelson, resident of Laguna Hills and inventor of the Eskimo Pie,
died at age 99.
Mar. 10, 1840 California's first supreme court, the Tribunal de Justicia, was formed.
March 18, 1967
Pirates of the Caribbean opened to the public at Disneyland. Its official
grand opening followed on April 19th.
Mar. 26, 1825
California became a territory of the Mexican Republic. It remained so for
only 23 years.
OCArchives.com
MARCH IN O.C. HISTORY
Map of the
Ranchos of Orange County.
(Courtesy Ticor Title Insurance Co.)
Historical facts provided by Assistant Archivist Chris
Jepsen. Photo: Courtesy of the Orange County Archives.
Courtesy of the Orange County Archives, a function under
the Office of Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen.
