O.C. clerk-recorder offices reopen for marriage services, birth and death certificates, property records
Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen and office supervisor Daniel Gutierrez stared at the computer screen as it collects real-time data on how long each visitor has had to wait when they check in and how fast each staff member has been able to get them out of there.
It was an average wait of a minute, and most got what they needed within four minutes.
For months, Nguyen has been preparing to reopen his four offices (two in Santa Ana, one in Anaheim and one in Laguna Hills), and while it’s important to do it safely, he also wants the process to be efficient.
After their offices closed on March 17, they’ve been able to continue offering most of their services — including mailing out birth and death certificates and real property documents — electronically.
In April, they resumed their marriage services through sealed-up ticket booths at the Honda Center in Anaheim, after Nguyen found a creative way to physically meet with people without putting any of his staff members or the community at risk.
Last week, they soft opened in their Anaheim office doing only marriage services. But their first day providing all services, with the exception of passports, was Wednesday.
They are the first county office to open in Orange County.
About 210 came to their County Service Center headquarters in Santa Ana Wednesday. On Thursday, they had 87 by noon.
Nguyen said that people are still coming from Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside for marriage services because their own counties do not have them available yet. However, marriage services are the only ones they can provide for neighboring counties; for example, they only have birth and death records for those who were born or died in O.C.
Staffers check in visitors outside, under tents. Inside are plenty of social-distancing stickers and reminders to wash hands. Chairs in the waiting area, computers for entering applications and booths with Plexiglass dividers are all distanced at least 6 feet apart.
Staffers wear masks and wipe down keyboards in between each use. Most customers have been wearing masks, which Nguyen appreciates, but the office also provides masks if anyone needs one.
Antibacterial wipes are also available, though they hope their order of no-touch antibacterial sanitizers will arrive soon.
Nguyen encourages people to go to their website, OCRecorder.com, to fill out the application online beforehand so they can go straight into the queue after checking in outside.
Office hours for County Service Center (601 N. Ross St., Santa Ana) and Old County Courthouse (211 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Room 201, Santa Ana) are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The North County Branch Office (222 S. Harbor Blvd., Ste. 110, Anaheim) and South County Branch Office (24031 El Toro Rd., Ste. 150, Laguna Hills) are open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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