How to Register or Enroll
Where do I go to register an account to use Case Name Search?
There are three ways to enroll a new account with the Court.
- Start at the Orange County Superior Court main page and click on "Online Case Access." At the top of the page, you will see "If you would like to search for case information by Person or Business Name, please try our new Case Name Search application by clicking HERE. Click 'HERE,' and it will bring you to the Case Name Search sign in screen. At the sign in screen, you will see an 'Enroll' button at the top of the screen. Click on the 'Enroll' button and begin your registration.
- Start at the Orange County Superior Court main page and click on 'Online Services' menu bar. Move your cursor to 'Case Name Search' and click on it. It will bring you to the Case Name Search sign in screen. At the sign in screen you will see an 'Enroll' button at the top of the screen. Click on the 'Enroll' button and begin your registration.
- Copy and paste below URL to your web browser: https://apps.occourts.org
How do I register an account?
At the 'Enrollment' page you will need to provide valid information. Once you click the ‘Create Account’ button, and your information is validated, you will get a message ‘Account creation successful!’ You will then receive an email from the Court to the email address that you just registered. You MUST use the link in the email from the Court to activate your account. DO NOT try to login without using the link. You may use your User ID and password to login immediately. Once you are able to login to Case Name Search your registration is completed.
If you did not receive an email to activate your account please enroll again by clicking the "Enroll" button from the Case Name Search web page.
How do I activate my account?
You will receive an email from Court Application Help apps@occourts.org. Click on the link that is provided by the email and it will bring you to the Case Name Search sign in screen. Enter your login email address and your password with the security code shown next to the entry box and click on ‘Login’ button. You will then gain access to Case Name Search.
What do I do if I cannot log in after I have registered?
You MUST use the link in the email from the Court to activate your account. DO NOT try to log in without using the link. You may use your User ID and password to login immediately. Once you are able to login to Case Name Search your registration is completed. You will get an error message if you try to login without using the link.
I have registered, but I have not received an activation email from the Court. What do I do?
Please attempt to register again. If you continue to have trouble registering, click on the “Contact Us” button at the top right corner. We will assist you.
Can I perform a search without registering with the Court?
No, this is not possible. The Case Name Search system requires a user login. This enables the Court to understand the public user base in order to customize future applications and services. You may enroll by clicking the "Enroll" button located on the Case Name Search web page.
How do I change my password?
Click on the '(My account)' link on the top of Case Name Search. A 'My profile' page will be displayed. You can pick 'Change Password' and a window will pop up for you. After you enter a valid current password, a new password, and re-type the new password your password will be updated.
I forgot my password. What can I do to access my account?
Click on the 'Sign In' button at Case Name Search page. You will find a "Forgot Password? (Click Here)" below the 'Login' button. Click on the link to bring you to a screen to enter your login email address and the security code shown next to the entry box. Once you have entered the email and security code, click the 'Send' button. A message will prompt you, "Temporary password sent! An email from the Orange County Superior Court containing your temporary password has been sent to (XXXX@XXX.XXX). Please check your inbox, and then sign in to your Orange County Superior Court account using the temporary password provided."
You will receive an email from 'Court Application Help apps@occourts.org.' This email will contain a temporary password. Use this temporary password to sign in with your email address.
How to Obtain Support
If I need help, what should I do?
After you log into your Court account, find and click the ‘Contact Us’ button at the top right hand corner of the web page.
What kind of questions can I send to apps@occourts.org?
The webmaster will only respond to questions about online services for the Case Name Search application that is provided by the Orange County Superior Court. For questions related to a specific case, case history information, or Court Operations, please contacts the appropriate court location. You can find out how to contact the different court locations at our home page 'https://www.occourts.org/index.html'.
The web page disclaimer says information obtained from this site does not constitute the official record of the court. How do I obtain a certified copy of an official record of the court?
You will have to contact the appropriate office for your case type at the courthouse that handles the case. You can find a list of courthouse locations at our home page 'https://www.occourts.org/index.html'.
The web page disclaimer says information obtained from this site does not constitute the official record of the court. Who owns the information?
Specific copyright and other proprietary rights may apply to information in a case file obtained from this site, absent an express grant of additional rights by the holder of the copyright or other proprietary right. Use of such information is permissible only to the extent permitted by law or court order, and any use inconsistent with proprietary rights is prohibited.
How to Pay for the Case Name Search
What payment method will Case Name Search accept?
The Case Name Search application only accepts online credit card payment. We accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover Card, Diners Club, and American Express.
How do I pay for the search service?
You can pay online through the Case Name Search application. After you login to Case Name Search, you can click on the 'Pre-Pay Options' tab and select a package from the list of 'Available Packages' that will suit your need for the name search. You are required to check the ‘Terms of Use’ and ‘Information Disclaimer’ boxes every time you make a purchase. Then, you can click on the ‘Buy-It-Now’ button and the application will navigate you to a new web page that allows you either enter new credit card information or select a saved credit card to make a purchase.
If you want to use a new credit card, you need to enter all required credit card information in the 'Use a new card' box in the center of the GUI with a yellow background. You have the option to save the card information by checking the radio button ‘Save this card for future transactions’. The application will not save the card information if you leave the default to ‘Do Not Save’. Once you click “Make Purchase’, the transaction will be processed. If the transaction is successful, you will get a payment confirmation message. A receipt will be emailed to you. If the transaction fails, you will get the error message and you need to correct the entry and try again.
If you want to use a credit card that you have saved from your prior payment, you can pick one card from the ‘Use a saved card’ box and re-enter the validation code. Once you click 'Make Purchase', the transaction will be processed.
How do I update or change my credit card information?
You may change the credit card information online. You can only update your credit card information when your search credit drops to zero. You need to click on 'Pre-Pay Options' tab and select a package first. Then you need to check the 'Terms of Use' and 'Information Disclaimer' boxes and click on the ‘Buy-It-Now’ button. The application will navigate you to the web page that shows the saved credit cards. Pick a card from the “Use a saved card’ box and then click on the ‘Update’ button on the top of this box. A window will pop up to allow you to update your card expiration date. Select a new month and/or year from the dropdown box and click 'Proceed' button. The card expiration date will be updated.
How to Perform a Search
What information is required to search by name?
For a person search, you may search using a person’s last name (It is required to put in minimum two characters) and a case filing date range. You can also search by the person's driver's license number with a filing date range without a last name. For a business search, you can search with a business name (It is required to put in minimum two characters) and a filing date range.
Do I need to fill in Middle Name as a search criteria?
Middle name is not required to perform the search. To narrow your search, you may enter a middle name if you have it. To conduct a broader search, you may leave the middle name blank.
Do I need to fill in a date in 'Filing Date From' and 'Filling Date To' to conduct a search?
Yes, both ‘Filing Date From’ and ‘Filing Date To’ are required for a search. To narrow your search, it is best to type in the actual filing date of the case you are searching for if you have it. To conduct a broader search, you may select a date further back in the past as ‘Filing Date From’ and the most current date as “Filing Date To’. The ‘Filing Date From’ must be earlier than the ‘Filing Date To’ and the format of all date entry fields should be mm/dd/yyyy.
Can I perform a search by date of birth?
The date of birth field is only displayed for Criminal case searches. You can add date of birth as additional search criteria on top of last name and filing date range. In order to see the date of birth field, select "Criminal" from the Case Type field.
Can I perform a search by driver's license?
The driver’s license field is only displayed for Criminal case searches. You can add driver’s license as an additional search criteria or you can search by driver’s license with a filing date range without a last name. In order to see the date of birth field, select "Criminal" from the Case Type field.
Can I search a person for a specific case type?
Case Name Search offers search by 'All case types' or 'Criminal' case type. The system is defaulted to search by 'All case types.'
Can I search by a person’s alias name?
Search by a person's alias name is not available in Case Name Search.
What is 'Concurrent User Sessions'?
The 'Time-Pack – 30 days unlimited searches' allows running unlimited searches for 30 days but limits 10 users to run searches at the same time. If more users try to log in Case Name Search will force any idle user to log out from the application.
When would I search by name for case documents?
If you do not have a case number, you must perform a name search first then select a case number to view case detail information.
The site states that my search is over 500 records. What does this mean?
Our site requires specific search criteria that will not create broad search results. Therefore, certain keywords, e.g. "company," "aka," "inc.," "LLC," etc. when used as the sole search criterion, will require you to add further keywords such as a proper noun to your search criteria. For example, you may input, "Jones Corporation," but not "Corporation" alone, "County of Orange" but not "County," or "Johnson & Sons, LLP," but not "LLP."
You can select 'Exact' match instead of ‘Similar’ match to narrow your search result.
You can also select 'Criminal' case type with a specific date of birth and/or driver's license alone with a last name to perform the search. Date of birth and driver's license are not required to perform the search, but you can use them as additional search criteria.
If you decide to view the first 500 search results, you can click on the text link provided on the web page to view the first 500 results. Consequently, a search credit will be deducted from your balance.
I am having problems with my search. What do I do?
Click on the 'Contact Us' button on the top right corner of the Case Name Search Sign In page and email to apps@occourts.org with a brief description of what happened as well as any error message displayed. Once received and verified, we will reply appropriately.
Why aren't some case records available online?
Information ordered sealed or deemed confidential, paternity cases, and other cases involving minors are not available for public viewing and therefore not available online. Additionally, in compliance with Code of Civil Procedure 1161.2, unlawful detainer case information is not available to the public for the first 60 days.
After completing a search, how do I search for additional names without logging in again?
Click on the "Search Criteria" tab to perform subsequent searches on different cases.
How can I go back to perform a name search after I have updated my account?
Click on the 'Case Name Search' from the 'ONLINE SERVICES' menu list on the left side of the screen. It will bring you back to 'Search Criteria' screen.
About Case Name Search
What is Case Name Search?
Case Name Search offers searches by name and returns a list of case numbers and filing dates matching the party name entered. The register of actions will be displayed when a case number is selected.
Is this a secure site?
The Orange County Superior Court maintains a high standard of security on its website and HTTP and HTTPS protocols are used where appropriate. The site uses a full 248-bit encryption with SSL certificate issued by Comodo Group, Inc. Our systems are protected by network firewalls and intrusion detection devices which ensure that confidential information such as credit card information, names, passwords, etc. remain secure.
What are the system requirements of this site?
To use this site, your browser must accept cookies from this site, pop up blockers must be disabled and JavaScript must be enabled. The site is best viewed using Internet Explorer 8.0 or higher.
When is Case Name Search available?
The data used in this application is refreshed daily. The Name Search system will be unavailable from 2:00AM - 2:15AM PT each day during these updates. Otherwise, users have access 7 days a week/24 hours a day except during Court's maintenance times (generally between 6:00PM – 7:00PM PT) and during any emergency situations. Users are warned that logging in during that time may result in sub-optimal system performance.
About Free Case Name Search
Who qualifies for a fee waiver?
Government employees are eligible to use this application for free. Requests can be made for access to Case Name Search without payment. Applicant supervisory and Orange County Court approval may be required to complete this process.
How do I request a fee waiver?
When you enroll, you need to check the box "I am a Member of the Court, Law Enforcement Officer, or Public Sector Employee," Additional work related fields will be displayed for you to fill in. Unqualified accounts will be notified and converted to pay accounts.
Do you limit any functions of the free account?
You will have the same access and will be able to perform all the functions that are available in Case Name Search. It is free of charge to you. However, your free account will have to be renewed and re-qualified once a year.