Santa Ana Property Records
Property records for Santa Ana are kept by the Orange County Clerk-Recorder office. Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County with about 310,000 people. All deeds, liens, and tax records for homes and land in Santa Ana go through the county system. The Clerk-Recorder office is at 601 North Ross Street in Santa Ana. You can visit during business hours or use the online system to search deeds and liens. Most records are online through the county grantor-grantee index. The system lets you search by name or document number. Property tax info is separate and comes from the Orange County Assessor and Treasurer-Tax Collector. You may need to check more than one website to get all the data you need for a Santa Ana property. The county seat location makes it convenient for Santa Ana residents to visit the main office in person.
Santa Ana Quick Facts
Orange County Clerk-Recorder Office
The Orange County Clerk-Recorder keeps all deeds and liens for Santa Ana. Every time someone buys or sells property in the city, the deed goes to this office. The staff stamp it with a date and time. That stamp sets priority if more than one person claims the same property. The file becomes part of the public record. Anyone can search it later to see who owns what.
The office is at 601 North Ross Street in Santa Ana. Office hours are Monday through Friday from eight in the morning to four-thirty in the afternoon. Call 714-834-2500 for questions. The office is in downtown Santa Ana near the county civic center. Parking is available nearby. Bring photo ID when you visit the counter to file documents or get copies.
| Office | Orange County Clerk-Recorder |
|---|---|
| Address | 601 N. Ross St. Santa Ana, CA 92701 |
| Phone | 714-834-2500 |
| Hours | M-F, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | ocrecorder.com |
The Orange County Clerk-Recorder is Hugh Nguyen. The office handles recording of deeds, liens, and other property documents. Staff can help you search for records, file new documents, or get certified copies of recorded papers. Most services are available at the counter during office hours in Santa Ana.
How to Search Santa Ana Property Records Online
Go to cr.occlerkrecorder.gov/RecorderWorksInternet to search the grantor-grantee index. This system lets you search by name or document number. Type the owner name or the name of the person who sold the property. Hit search and wait for results. The system will show a list of matching records. Click on one to see more details like the document type, date, and recording number.
The online index shows basic info about each document. If you need to see the full document image, you may need to visit the office in person or order a copy by mail. Some documents are viewable online. Others require a request to the clerk office. Call 714-834-2500 to ask how to get copies of specific documents for Santa Ana properties.
For property tax and assessment info, visit the Orange County Assessor at assessedvalue.ocassessor.gov. You can search by address or parcel number. Note that you cannot search by owner name due to state privacy law. You need the address or APN to find the property. The site shows the assessed value, tax bill estimate, and property details.
Pay your Santa Ana property taxes at taxbill.octreasurer.gov. Enter your address or parcel number to find your bill. The site shows what you owe, when it is due, and your payment history. You can pay online with eCheck for free or with a credit card for a fee. The fee is two point two nine percent of the amount.
Property Documents in Santa Ana
Grant deeds transfer ownership. When someone sells a home in Santa Ana, they sign a grant deed. The buyer takes that deed to the county recorder. The staff file it and stamp it with a date and time. That deed becomes part of the public record. Anyone can search for it later to see who owns the property.
Trust deeds secure loans on property. If you borrow money to buy a house in Santa Ana, you sign a trust deed. The lender files it at the county. The deed gives the lender a claim on your property until you pay off the loan. When you finish paying, the lender records a reconveyance to remove the lien from your title.
Liens attach to property when someone owes money. A mechanic lien comes from a contractor who did work but did not get paid. A tax lien comes from unpaid taxes. These liens show up in the public record for your Santa Ana property. You must pay or settle the lien before you can sell with clear title.
Common property records in Santa Ana:
- Grant deeds and quitclaim deeds
- Deeds of trust and reconveyances
- Mechanic liens and judgment liens
- Tax liens from IRS or state
- Notices of default and trustee sales
- Property tax bills and payment records
Santa Ana Property Taxes
Property taxes in Santa Ana are based on the assessed value of your home or land. The county assessor sets that value each year. Under Proposition 13, the assessed value can go up no more than two percent per year unless the property sells. When you buy a home, the assessor resets the value to what you paid. That new value becomes the base for your tax bill.
Tax bills go out twice a year. The first installment is due November 1 and late on December 10. The second is due February 1 and late on April 10. A ten percent penalty hits if you pay late. If you do not pay by June 30, the account goes to the defaulted roll. More fees and monthly interest apply after that.
Pay your Santa Ana property taxes at taxbill.octreasurer.gov or call 714-834-3411. You can pay with eCheck for free. Credit cards have a two point two nine percent service fee. You can also mail a check to the Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector. Include your parcel number on your check so they can post the payment to the right account.
If you think your property value is too high, file an appeal with the county Assessment Appeals Board. The filing period for regular appeals runs from July 2 to September 15 each year. Visit boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/faqs/assessappeals.htm for more info on the appeals process.
Fees for Recording in Santa Ana
Recording a deed in Santa Ana costs about one hundred dollars or more. The base fee is seven dollars per title for the first page. Each extra page costs three dollars. The District Attorney Fraud Fee is three dollars. Senate Bill 2 adds seventy-five dollars to most real estate transfers. This fee funds affordable housing programs in California. The total depends on how many pages your document has.
Copy fees are much less than recording fees. Document copies cost one dollar per page. Certification adds another dollar. If you order copies by mail, send a check for the right amount plus a self-addressed stamped envelope. Processing takes one to two weeks by mail. In-person requests are usually same-day if you come during office hours in Santa Ana.
Note: Fee schedules can change, so call 714-834-2500 to confirm current rates before you file or order copies.
City of Santa Ana Planning and Building
The City of Santa Ana Planning and Building Agency handles building permits and zoning. These records are separate from property ownership records. If you want to see what permits were issued for a home or check zoning for a property, contact the city. Their office is at Santa Ana City Hall. Call 714-667-2700 for questions about permits in Santa Ana.
Visit santa-ana.org/departments/planning-and-building for info on building permits. You can also use the online permit system at permit.santa-ana.org/ops to search for permits and track applications. The city tracks all permits for new construction, additions, and repairs in Santa Ana.
California Property Recording Laws
California Civil Code section 1213 says that recorded documents give public notice. If you record your deed at the county, later buyers cannot claim they did not know about it. The law protects people who record first. Visit leginfo.legislature.ca.gov to read Civil Code 1213.
Civil Code section 1214 sets the race-notice rule. If two people buy the same property, the one who records first wins. Recording your deed right after you buy protects your claim on property in Santa Ana.
Government Code section 27320 tells the county recorder what to do when you file a document. The recorder must stamp the date and time on it. That timestamp shows when your document was filed. Revenue and Taxation Code section 60 defines change in ownership for tax purposes. When you buy property in Santa Ana, the assessor resets the value to what you paid.
Other Orange County Cities
Other cities in Orange County with property records include Anaheim, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Costa Mesa, and Newport Beach. All these cities use the same county recorder and assessor system. If you own property in more than one city in the county, you search them all through the Orange County portal.
Orange County Property Records
Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County. All property recording and assessment for the city and the rest of the county goes through the county offices. For more details on services, office hours, and fee schedules, visit the Orange County property records page.