Orange County Recorder Mechanics Lien Filing

You can file your mechanics lien in person, by mail, or by a representative.

If you choose to file in person or by a representative, you can visit the Orange County Clerk-Recorder’s office located at:
Central Office
Hall of Records
601 N. Ross St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Office Hours:
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday

You can also visit the following locations:

South County Branch Office
Laguna Hills Civic Center
24031 El Toro Road, Suite 150
Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Office Hours:

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday
Real property recording services are closed for lunch from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Real property recording services are available until 4 p.m.

North County Branch Office
Wells Fargo Building/Parking
222 S. Harbor Blvd., Ste. 110
Anaheim, CA 92805

Office Hours:

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday
Real property recording services are closed for lunch from 12 p. m. to 1 p.m.
Real property recording services are available until 4 p.m.

If by mail, you can send your lien documents to the following address:

Hall of Records
601 N. Ross St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

If you need more information, you can call them at (714) 834-2887.

The Orange County Recorder’s Office does not publicly disclose information on recording backlog but you can give the specific office a call to see how long it might take to process and record your document.

If the property is located in Orange County, then yes, you will want to record your lien with the Orange County Recorder’s office. Documents must be recorded in the county where the property is located.

All documents submitted for recording must meet certain basic requirements. The Orange County Recorder’s recording requirements are as follows:

1. Documents must be recorded in the county where the property is located.
2. The document should be legible.
3. Please include the name of the party requesting the recording, and a name and address where the document should be returned.

All documents must comply with the 8 1/2″ x 11″ standard page size. An additional fee will be charged to a document containing a non-standard page size.

The Orange County Recorder’s payment options include: cash, personal check, cashier’s check, money order, Discover Card, American Express, MasterCard/Visa Credit and Debit. Make checks payable to the: Orange County Clerk-Recorder.

You can also mail your payment to the following address:

Orange County Clerk-Recorder
Hall of Records
601 N. Ross St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Please note that a $25.00 service fee will be charged for returned checks.

The Orange County Clerk-Recorder’s standard recording fee is $6.00 for the first page and $3.00 for each additional page.

Additional recording fees

Non-standard page fee: a $3.00 charge will be added to all pages that is not 8 1/2″ x 11”.

Indexing Fee: $1.00 for more than 10 names (per group of 10 names)

Release of any state, county, city or municipality tax lien fee: $8.00

Copy Fees

Recorded Document Copy: $1.00 (per page)
Certification: $1.00
Conformed Copies: $1.00

You can obtain a recorded copy of your lien in person or by mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope.

If in-person, you can visit one of the Orange County Recorder’s office locations below:
Central Office
Hall of Records
601 N. Ross St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Office Hours:
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday

South County Branch Office
Laguna Hills Civic Center
24031 El Toro Road, Suite 150
Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Office Hours:

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday
Real property recording services are closed for lunch from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Real property recording services are available until 4 p.m.

North County Branch Office
Wells Fargo Building/Parking
222 S. Harbor Blvd., Ste. 110
Anaheim, CA 92805

Office Hours:

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday
Real property recording services are closed for lunch from 12 p. m. to 1 p.m.
Real property recording services are available until 4 p.m.

Fees for copies are $1 for the first page and $1 for each additional page per document. The fee for certification is another $1 for each document.

For copy requests by mail from those paying with a check, you must leave the dollar amount blank and write a limiting phrase in the “note” portion. (Example – not to exceed $20.)

Make checks payable to: Orange County Clerk-Recorder. Mail the copy request to:

Orange County Clerk-Recorder
Attn: Copy Desk
601 N. Ross St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701.

You can search the Orange County Clerk-Recorder’s Grantor/Grantee index. Note that Official records filed prior to 1982 must be searched in person in the Central office in Santa Ana on microfiche. These documents are public records and are available in the Clerk-Recorder’s office during normal business hours.

The Orange County Clerk-Recorder’s Central Office is located at:

The Hall of Records
601 N. Ross St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Office Hours:
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday

Determining whether you do or do not have a mechanics lien right can be tricky. Generally speaking, every state gives those who have furnished labor and/or materials to a construction project the right to file a mechanics lien if unpaid for the furnishing. The same is true in California. However, there are some state-specific limitations as to who is qualified to file a mechanics lien that is important when considering whether you have the right to file a mechanics lien in Orange County, CA.

Great and detailed information about this is available on our California Mechanics Lien Resources Page.

The fee to file a California Preliminary Notice in Orange County is $72.00.