Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk

If I could choose ZERO Stars I would! Worst service ever. The clerk did not try to understand anything that i had to say! Worst service ever!

Very large parking lot, but that doesn’t mean there is an empty spot. Very busy inside. But the line moves fast. 4 Open windows.
I went in for a birth certificate on a Friday afternoon after 14:15 in which you need to utilize their kiosk computers to get a ticket. After getting the ticket, you will need to get in another line to talk to someone at the window.
Birth certificate is $ 28 and it is nonrefundable. They are charging you just to look up a name in the system
Tip: Make sure the person you are looking was born in Los Angeles County because that is all they have access to.
There is also a chapel inside, do not know any details on how to get married there, but I seen 2 couples.
Overall, I believe I was out in 45 min to an hour.
Oh yeah there is a $ 1.75 charge for all debit/​credit cards.

This location is not a friendly polling place very unprofessional and unorganized, the woman in charge was rude and argumentative with her approach to addressing issues that arose while I was there, it was sort of like a verbal free-​for-​all people shouting While she belittle others who were trying to cast there vote I’m not even sure if my ballot was cast the gentleman who was there obviously needed more training and English was his second language making it hard 2 understand his instructions, it just didn’t seem like a real polling place more like a scene from a comedy or someone playing a practical joke

2 out of 10 windows open and about 50 people in line. Unbelievable slowness… to add, today is election day and people registering to vote but only 2 windows open.

Filing a DBA? Let me baby step you here:
Things to bring:
1. Check book OR $ 26 cash
2. Driver’s license
Notes: There’s a small fee if you use a credit card. And, make check payable to: L.A. County Clerk.
1. Go early when the Registrar first opens at 8AM (M-​F) to avoid any long waits. Address: 12 400 Imperial Hwy., Norwalk, CA 90 650
2. Go to Room 1201. If you parked in the lot closest to Imperial Hwy, walk through the front doors, pass the help desk and it’s the first door on your left.
3. Go straight to the computers (on your left) and fill out an application. Once completed, a ticket prints out for you. Now go stand in line and wait for someone at a window to call you over. You’re done!
4. When walking to your car, if ANYONE asks if you’re starting a business or filing a DBA, your answer is NO! They are trying to earn commission & get your business for the publication.
5. You will get mail from companies asking if you want to file. My high recommendation is to go with
. They were the first company to mail me something and they were the cheapest — $ 28. Very pleasant to work with! Send a pdf copy of your filed Fictitious Business Name Statement to their email. FYI.​Publication must begin within 30 days of filing!

Came In here to apply for a marriage license. Seriously this place was the best because we were in and out in under 20 minutes. The gentleman who processed our application was extremely helpful. Be sure to fill out the application online before you arrive to save time. Two thumbs up!

I am aware that expecting prompt service from a government agency is unreasonable. However, this review is for bad customer service in the form of a sarcastic employee on top of an inconvenient and inefficient system in place, even for a state run operation.
Why is it that if I show up in person I can get my birth certificate same day, but if I live out of the area they force me to use a 3^rd party website that takes 20 days to process, does not even guarantee they will find my certificate, and flat out says No Refunds if they fail to deliver.
I called the office (over 1 hr on hold with the 800# before someone gave me a real number) and the girl I spoke with tells me my best option is to take a couple days off work, drive down there, and «come get it» — I live over 600 miles away, and she KNEW it, because I had told her. They would rather recommend people drive over 1,000 miles round trip to «come get it» than offer a reasonable solution that requires any effort on their part.
I was given 14 days from my date of hire to obtain this document by a government security agency as a condition of employment. I cannot wait 20 days just for processing. I cannot wait, I cannot take time off (new hire), and I cannot drive all the way down there — I live up by Redding and Chico. I told her all of this.
If standard proceedure is that I can show up in person and recieve this document immediately, because you can look it up in your computer and then just print it out, why can I not get you to at least do a search and confirm you have mine in your system before I buy online? Further, why can I not simply answer security questions over the phone, provide a credit card number, and have you print it out, stick it in an envelope, and mail it? I would be happy to pay a fee for this; the 3^rd party site is going to cost me almost $ 50 in fees and notary services anyway.
Do not tell me that showing up in person with a plastic ID is for my own protection against identity theft — banks allow over the phone transactions, that’s what security questions are for. Not to mention that fake ID is easy to get. Teenagers can obtain VERY realistic fake IDs for less than a hundred dollars that even fool the electronic scanners liquor stores use to try and catch them.
«Come get it», she says.

Came here to get a fictitious name for my business and being a city building I thought I was going to be there all day but it took less than 20 minutes from start to finish. The staff was really helpful and answered all my questions and the questions they didn’t know they referred me to someone who did. I got my fictitious business name for $ 26 which for 5 years is fair. Definitely coming back when I need something

I attended a Voters Registration Training with LAVOTE​.NET.
They were thorough and so enthusiastic about presenting the information and answering all of our questions. The PowerPoint, Supplies, Tips, Meeting Room and Certification all for free!
They were also prepared to do the presentation in Spanish.
I recommend their training to anyone willing to help out registering voters for upcoming elections. Free Parking was a plus.
Special thanks goes out to Registrar-​Recorder County Clerks
Angineh Meserkhani & Phillip Verbera.
Your LAVOTE​.NET TEAM ROCKS !

$ 28 for birth certificate
$ 21 for death certificate
$ 15 for marriage certificate
$ 1.75 charge for use of debit card/​credit card
Short wait, nice staff, reasonable prices, large free parking lot.

This review is only for people registering a business or publishing your business.
If this is your first time going through this process and you don’t really know what to do, you may want to read this. If you have some experience and know what to do, none of this will be new to you.
I took my lady here, who had to re-​register her business. I myself had no idea what to expect or what would happen, but I learned a lot.
First, as soon as you get out of your car in the parking lot, someone will ask you if you are registering a business. Say no, even if you are. We said yes, thinking these people were County employees, but all the signs around the parking lot, which say «Solicitors are not County employees» are referring to these people. They wear badges and I just naturally assumed they were part of the County system, but they are not.
The person who asked us was very nice and guided us to the right place, chatting us up and others along the way. I was wondering why their system worked this way, and after we finished registering, he led us to his office to get my lady to publish through him. I had no idea what was going on, but my lady did and she wanted to talk to her partner and consider their options (the smart thing to do). So we had to turn him down. If I had known previously that he was basically working for a commission then I would have said no to him from the very beginning.
So I felt pretty foolish afterwards. That was why no one else in line really had an escort like we did, because those people probably knew what these solicitors were about. The solicitors aren’t mean or bad people by any means, but they will push you to publish through them and you don’t have to.
As for the other parts, the line wasn’t that long at 11:30 on a weekday. The process was relatively quick and efficient. Just prepare whatever you can beforehand to make things easier.

This is «Exhibit ‘A’» for why ordinary citizens HATE Bureauocratic Paper-​Pushers & mindless «Rules»
Your worthless website «BURNED-​UP» another ¾-​hour of my life as it took all of my information (entered via Mozilla FireFox Browser) — and then ‘generated’ a BLANK document for me to ‘sign and submit’…
In other words, you’ve just wasted ALL of my time in filling this out FOR THE SECOND TIME… after one of your staffers returned a PROPERLY-​COMPLETED initial application as ‘incomplete’- seeking a SoS Certificate which would have been cross-​checked for anyway… and DISREGARDING THE FACT THAT I HAD SIGNED AN AFFIDAVIT UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY that ALL of the information was CORRECT.
I complied with that time-​wasting request — only to have the Original Documents stolen from my out-​going mail box — thus, losing not just the original signed documents, but my NOTARIZED original application, and the ORIGINAL check to L.A. County.
NONE of this would have happened, if the County of LA had simply RETAINED the original application & payment check — and simply sent out a request for ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Now I have to START OVER FOR A THIRD TIME…
THIS is why people HATE bureauocracy and paperwork

Only 4 clerk windows open and the line is wrapping around the building!
I came to get a copy of my child’s birth certificate and waited over an hour!
first I had to make line to use the computers, then had to make a second line to pay and get my child’s birth certificate!

I was expecting to wait all day but I was out of there in like 30 mins!
I came in for a copy of my birth certificate. I did the application online and got a receipt number. If you don’t do this ahead of time, there are computers available to do this in the lobby which is convenient, but the amount of people who touch those things is probably gross.
Waited in the line, about 25 people deep but alot of them were groups of 2 – 4 people so that was good. 4 or 5 windows were open. Line moved steadily.
When I was called up to the window the lady was polite. I gave her my receipt number, id, and then paid with card ($ 1.75 no biggie). She printed it out, stamped it, handed me my birth certificate. I was surprised it was so easy and I even said «that’s it?!» and she laughed and said «Yup you’re good to go! The receipt says «K. McCoy» so if that’s her then kudos to her for her friendliness! Also kudos to the information desk!
So a short wait for me, but it’s a Thursday late afternoon so maybe it was good timing.
–1 because of the weirdos wearing business attire in the parking lot who are yelling and asking you if you are registering a business. They’re vultures and look sketch af.

Sloth slow, if you have ever been to a DMV office you will know how it feels to be here.
Plenty of parking but plenty of waiting also. Needed to record a document for the house and while waiting there in line only two windows at a time were helping out, when we saw a third window opened it was like seeing a beautiful thing but then that was taken away because another window would close.
Come here with two hours to spare.

[Review #136]
I needed to add my son as a dependent on my medical insurance but needed his SSI, then realizing that I never received it. After contacting the Social Security Administration, I need my LO’s official birth certificate, which I also didn’t receive.
Paperwork for both was either done at the hospital or sent within a couple of days upon discharge. Due to the urgency & issues, it was easier to order/​pick-​up the birth certificate in-​person. I figured it would be less crowded going some time after lunch, & arrived at 1:40 PM.
Parking lot, while abundant & free of charge, was packed but I managed to nab a space in the front row directly across from the entrance. Seeing the numerous cars, I was a bit worried about the wait since my newborn was with me.
There were about 30 people ahead of me but some were just keeping the applicant company. While in line, I noticed a bunch of people holding little tickets with barcodes. I had a spare paper application completed, but seeing all those computers against the wall & no paper applications made me check on-​line. RRCC didn’t have any forms/​applications in .pdf for print; it just says: «Save time and apply before you come in, click here to complete your in-​person application.» So I rushed to complete my info on-​line on my phone just before I got to the front of the line.
While I waited to be called, there were posted notices about a temporary paper storage so RRCC was limiting the certified copies of birth, death or marriage certificates to single copies per transaction; if you require additional copies, you need to contact the CA Department of Public Health. Another thing to worry about because I need at least 2 certified copies, although 3 would be preferred, for processing different transactions (i.e. passport, etc.).
When I got called, I explained to Ruby my need for 2 certified copies, & if it’s possible to grant my request for 3 copies so I have a back-​up in case 1 gets lost; she was able to immediately approve my request for 2 certified birth certificates. She took the barcode off my phone to process my personal information. Ruby provided great customer service, not because she granted my request, but she took the time to listen to me & understood my need without making me jump through a bunch of bureaucratic hoopla, & was friendly, quick, & efficient; it only took her 3-​minutes to get me out of there. Even with less than ½ of opened windows & a long line, I spent only 25-​minutes at the RRCC. =) I have to say the DMV could use a lesson from RRCC’s speed & efficiency.

A few months ago I needed to acquire an informational death certificate of an employee. Cue the L.A. County Registrar-​Recorder & County Clerk’s office in Norwalk.
MY REASON FOR VISITING
On Monday, July 20, 2015 at around 11:30 a.m., I submitted a request on a dirty, slow, sneezed-​on public computer in front of the service windows for a death record of an employee who died many moons ago. I did not know this person. I was not sure of his birthdate much less his exact date of death. Didn’t even know of a middle initial or name.
I needed a death record in order to acquire ownership of our website because it is still registered in his name… I told all of this to the second employee that I talked to after I waited in line for 15 minutes only to be told I had to go back to a computer, submit my request, and bring back a printed receipt to the line again.
I would have submitted my request online before I came up there to pay (which is what you have to do anyway or send it in the mail) except I was applying for an «informational death record.» When you apply online or at a disgusting computer in person, it simply says, «Here you can apply for a certified copy of a vitals record.» It sounds like obtaining an informational death record requires a different (more simple) process. I told this to the first employee. I got the feeling my complaint was not a big enough issue to implement a change. Why not just help me right then, though?
OVERVIEW OF THE PLACE
Easy to find. Free parking. But it is NOT easy to navigate with a stroller or wheelchair. I had to hop several curbs just to find a ramp. Mostly clean. And then petitioners bombarded us near the entrances. I hate that. If I tell you no, I don’t want to sign anything, then leave me be.
MY BIGGEST ISSUE…
is their lack of communication. Yep, thanks to yet another government agency for displaying their lack of communication, effort, and assistance. It didn’t help that I could barely hear the first employee that I talked to through the window. Either her mic or her speaker through the glass wasn’t working or she was a very timid person.
The second employee I got was a little easier to hear and more helpful. I paid and was told that it would take 20 working days to have a copy mailed to me. I was under the impression that these people could do a little searching for me based on the approximate age I had given them, location of death, and his first and last name. I even told the dude that I wasn’t even sure about the approximate date of death. It was at that point that I should have asked if they would broaden their parameters in order to fulfill my request.
All of the info I read online was at
. It states, «Same-​day service is available for deaths 1995 to present.» Obviously, this is not true.
PHONE
I hear nothing for a matter of weeks. Finally, on August 26^th I call them.
The person I talked to on the phone said my request had not yet been reviewed by anyone. I asked her is it because I didn’t supply an exact death date «because I told the guy that I wasn’t even sure this person died in that year.» She even asked me how old he might have been when he died. Ugh! Then she said this all shouldn’t be a problem since the death occurred in L.A. County after 1995. Which brings me to yet another lousy experience: calling in to ask a question is a total pain. I can’t even tell you how to do it because it’s such a long, drawn-​out process to even reach a human. BUT I DIGRESS…
The woman on the phone tells me that she will have someone look into it. Then on Sep. 8^th I get some snail mail saying that the «birth, death or marriage record you recently requested is not on file in this office. Pursuant to State law, the amount shown above has been retained as a fee for conducting the record search and issuing a Certificate of Search.» I was livid.
They expanded the search from January ’97 to December ’97, but it wasn’t good enough. I called the number again and received probably the most helpful person to date. She basically told me that I would have to resubmit a request with another $ 21. (For a credit/​debit card, there is a $ 1.75 fee.) She also said this time I should expand the parameters of the search date as much as I think I needed to.
WRITTEN REQUEST
I resubmitted my written request via snail mail on Sep. 9^th with about a 10-​year span so that this time there shouldn’t be any giving up on «little ol’ me.» Finally on Oct. 3^rd I received the informational Certification of Vital Record dated Sep. 25^th. The guy died in ’98. It sure would have been nice if one of the employees from my first visit had told me, «Since you’re not sure, I’m going to widen the yearly search for you. By the way, you are REQUIRED to tell me to do this — we don’t do it otherwise.» You can’t assume that these people will help you take care of your needs on your first visit.
In general, government entities are to me as leeches are to blood.
Review #409
Unilocal challenge ⁹⁰⁄₁₀₀

If you know what you’re doing and you know where to go, you can get in and out here pretty quick. Yes, lines do queue up but they have enough windows open here and people work efficiently compared to a lot of other county places I’ve been to. They will do their best to get things done as quick as possible, and if you are stuck with whatever paperwork, they will help you.
Parking is free as well, so it’s a plus.

Came here to file some paperwork and the line had 20+ people and only 4 windows were open. Ridiculous!
I know we have no choice but to wait in line but we were in line for over an hour.

Of course when you come here this place is going to be packed. There are so many things people need here like marriage certificates, birth certificates, and other things… but those are the only two I have come for. People also come here to get married. I have never had a problem finding parking, people are always coming and going.
I went the other day to pick up birth certificates for my two daughters and it was super simple and fast. When you go in you find a computer and input what it is you are looking for. I typed in all the info and it printed me a receipt. I took the receipt to get in the cashiers line which was long, but took about 15 minutes. They had a lot of windows open. Once it was my turn I handed the lady my receipt and paid my fee. It was $ 1.75 extra to use card but I’m not going to argue. I think it’s funny when people ask though, «it’s a $ 1.75 extra for card, is that okay?» What if I said no, then I can’t get what I need? Lol.
The whole thing was so easy for me and no headache! Rather come here than the DMV!