At first glance, it may just look like a humble, whimsically decorated cargo van.
But the white vehicle emblazoned with a large orange is the “Clerk-Recorder on Wheels,” and its passengers are able to issue the most important documents in a person’s life, including passports, birth and death certificates and marriage licenses.
It can even be used to perform marriage ceremonies.
The OC Clerk-Recorder’s new mobile van will travel to schools, senior centers and community spaces across Orange County, meeting people in need of its services in their neighborhoods, rather than them having to make the lengthy drive to one of the department’s three offices in Anaheim, Laguna Hills or Santa Ana. Especially in an emergency, said Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen.
“The main purpose for the van, and I pray it never happens, is that if there’s a disaster or a fire, I can take our van to that community and restart everybody’s lives,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen said his office will be the first in the state to offer mobile passport services, as confirmed by the US Department of State’s Los Angeles Passport Agency.
The Clerk-Recorder on Wheels officially launched Friday, Jan. 9, and Nguyen said his staff has already planned 10 community visits through the end of February. The first was set for Saturday, Jan. 10, at Unidos South OC in San Juan Capistrano; 58 people had already registered for passport services, Nguyen said. The next event is scheduled for Jan. 24 in Anaheim.
Next month, Nguyen said the van will make a stop at an Irvine Pony Baseball game at Harvard Community Park — the event is likely to draw hundreds of customers seeking birth certificates, grant deeds and other documents, he said.
In addition to vital records, marriage licenses and passport services, the van will also be able to provide fictitious business name registrations and copies of official property records.
Nguyen said he’ll soon start reaching out to city managers and mayors about taking the van to different cities to hold marriage ceremonies. An organization in San Clemente has already contacted his office to discuss performing weddings by the pier, he said.
During a pilot testing phase last spring, Nguyen said he drove the van to 16 community events, traveling almost 260 miles and providing services to nearly 1,000 residents.
“County government works best when we meet people where they live and work,” Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley said in a statement about the launch of the Clerk-Recorder on Wheels. “By bringing essential services like passports, property records and vital records, like marriage, birth and death certificate services, directly into our neighborhoods, this mobile unit removes transportation and time barriers for families, seniors, working residents and small businesses.”
Under Nguyen’s leadership, the Clerk-Recorder’s Office has implemented several innovative initiatives to make its services more accessible to OC residents. A decade ago, the department adopted QR codes to streamline the appointment and application processes. As the whole country went into lockdown in 2020, Nguyen’s team set up ticket booths in the vacant Honda Center parking lot to issue marriage certificates and unite couples in matrimony while social distancing. In 2024, the office launched a 24/7 chatbot that helps residents get answers to frequently asked questions.
Its offices will also be open on Valentine’s Day this year, a Saturday, Nguyen said, adding he’s expecting it to be one of the busiest yet.
Residents hoping to use the van’s services can visit the Clerk-Recorder’s website to find out which city Clerk-Recorder on Wheels will visit next.
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