For those looking to tie the knot on what many consider to be the most romantic day of the year, look no further. To accommodate couples, Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen will be offering extended hours at his offices in Anaheim, Laguna Hills and at the Old County Courthouse in Santa Ana on Valentine’s Day. The department will close at 5:30 pm instead of its normal closing hours to issue marriage licenses and perform marriage ceremonies.
Valentine’s Day continues to be one of the busiest days of the year for the department and this year will be no exception, appointments will go fast. Couples are encouraged to make an appointment for a civil marriage ceremony due to the expected high demand on this special day. Appointments are only available at the department’s Laguna Hills and Santa Ana locations. Couples can make an appointment by visiting our website at OCRecorder.com and using the online appointment system. The department’s North County Branch Office is currently in the process of moving from Fullerton to its new location in Anaheim and will only be serving customers on a walk-in basis. Walk-ins are welcomed at all locations; couples will be accommodated based on availability of ceremony rooms.
“Valentine’s Day is always one of the busiest and happiest days of the year for the department, so we try to make it easier for couples,” said Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen. “By extending marriage service hours, more couples will have an opportunity to marry on what many consider to be the most romantic day of the year. I would also like to thank my staff for all their hard work and for making this possible for our customers,” he added.
The department would like to remind couples that Orange County has one of the lowest costs for a marriage license and marriage ceremony in the State. Couples can obtain a public marriage license for $61 and a confidential marriage license for $66. A civil marriage ceremony can be performed for an additional $28.
The all-time Valentine’s Day record for the department was set in 2014. On that Valentine’s Day, the department issued 310 marriage licenses and performed 266 ceremonies.
A couple of reminders, the department’s Westminster location will only issue marriage licenses and will be closing at 4:30 pm. The department’s North County Branch Office is transitioning to its new Anaheim location and will only serve customers on a first-come-first-served basis. To save time, marriage license applications can be completed online at OCRecorder.com prior to visiting our offices. For more detailed information, call our information line at (714) 834-2500.
This article was released by the Orange County Clerk-Recorder’s Office.