You don’t have to trudge to an Orange County government office in Santa Ana anymore to get vital records like birth certificates and marriage licenses and even passports: Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen is bringing the office to you. <\/p>\n
The Clerk-Recorder now has an office on wheels \u2014 a tricked out van \u2014 and is pulling into spots across Orange County to make it easier for residents to get key documents. You can check the website to see when the van wil be near you, and make an appointment. <\/p>\n
Nguyen said his office is trying to help people who can’t afford to take a day off work or otherwise struggle to get in the door during typical government office hours. <\/p>\n
“The van represents a practical shift in how we deliver public services,” Nguyen said. <\/p>\n
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To that end, upcoming, off-hour pop-ups include:<\/p>\n
Saturday, Jan. 24: Dedicated to passports, at Magnolia High School in Anaheim, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Details here<\/a> about how to book an appointment.<\/p>\n Starting Satuday, Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day kicks off a series of Saturday hours throughout 2026 for marriages, passports and renewal of vow. Start the process here<\/a>. (This series of pop-ups is just one example of why Nguyen has been dubbed “Orange County’s Master of Love,”<\/a> for his new and inventive ways to help people navigate marriage licenses!) <\/p>\n Saturday, Feb. 21: The van will be at the Irvine Pony baseball league’s opening day<\/a>, to help parents who need birth certificates for their children, and other services.<\/p>\n Saturday, March 28: Dedicated to passports, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Book appointments here<\/a>. <\/p>\n There’s also a “Where’s the Clerk-Recorder van today” button<\/a> to check for updates. You can also make a request to have the van come to your events, school or neighborhood using an online form<\/a>.<\/p>\n Why it matters<\/p>\n Nguyen said the mobile van has arrived just in time \u2014 the clerk-recorder’s office has never been busier. The request for birth certificates skyrocketed 36% in 2025 over 2024. He said he attributes the rise in part to the county’s population growth and outreach efforts. (If you don’t know where your birth certificate is, or your passport has expired, why not get it all squared away now, instead of frantically getting it all done before a big trip.) <\/p>\n He said demand for passports<\/a> is high, too. The office is the state’s first (and so far, only) designated passport acceptance facility, meaning it can accept new passport applications on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. (This office does not handle passport renewal applications \u2014 those go directly to the U.S. Department of State<\/a>.)<\/p>\n The backstory<\/p>\n Nguyen said the office on wheels grew out of need to fill such growing demand for key documents \u2014 and the reality that many folks have trouble getting off work or making it down to the current locations<\/a> in Santa Ana, Laguna Hills and Anaheim. <\/p>\n At one point, there was thought of opening a new office in the western part of the county, such as Garden Grove, to meet demands.<\/p>\n But Nguyen said he did the math and realized that a new office would cost about $1 million a year when calculating in staffing, leasing and more. <\/p>\n The van’s price tag? About $200,000. <\/p>\n And he says he expects to have it for years. It only has about 250 miles on it so far after just a few months. <\/p>\n Why do I need the Clerk-Recorder anyway?<\/p>\n