Louisiana Death Records
Louisiana death records are kept by the Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records Registry and by parish clerks of court across the state. Death certificates for recent deaths can be obtained in person at the parish level, while older records and historical Louisiana death records are held by the Louisiana State Archives. This page covers all the ways to find and request Louisiana death records, including what to bring, who qualifies, and what each source provides.
Louisiana Death Records Quick Facts
Where to Find Louisiana Death Records
Louisiana death records come from three main sources, and each one covers a different time period. Knowing which Louisiana office to contact saves you a trip. The right source depends on when the death happened and what type of document you need.
The Louisiana Vital Records Registry, part of the Louisiana Department of Health, holds death certificates for deaths that occurred in Louisiana. Its main office is at 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400, in New Orleans. Walk-in service runs 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday. You can also reach the Louisiana Vital Records office by phone at (504) 593-5100. The Louisiana state fee is $7 per certified copy, and a full search spans the year you name plus two years on either side. If no record is found, the fee is still kept, as stated in R.S. 40:40(12).
The Louisiana Vital Records portal at ldh.la.gov is the starting point for most Louisiana death certificate requests.
Louisiana parish clerks of court issue death certificates for deaths that happened after July 2012. Most Louisiana parishes charge $26 per copy. You must go in person and bring valid photo ID. The clerk checks the same Louisiana state database, so the death record information matches what you would get from the state office. This Louisiana option is convenient if the parish courthouse is closer to you than the state office in New Orleans.
The Louisiana State Archives, run by the Secretary of State, covers Louisiana death records that are at least 50 years old. Under Louisiana law, death records are strictly confidential for 50 years from the year of death. Once that period ends, they open to the public. The Louisiana State Archives holds statewide Louisiana death records from 1911 to 1974 and Orleans Parish records going back to 1804. Their office is at 3851 Essen Lane in Baton Rouge.
How to Request Louisiana Death Records
Louisiana offers three ways to order death certificates: walk-in, mail, and online through an authorized vendor. Walk-in at the Louisiana Vital Records Registry in New Orleans is the fastest option. Bring your completed Louisiana death certificate application, a valid photo ID, and payment. Louisiana mail orders take 8 to 10 weeks. The Louisiana Vital Records mailing address is P.O. Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160.
The Louisiana LDH service request page walks you through selecting the right type of Louisiana death certificate before you submit your application.
To request a Louisiana death certificate, you will need to know the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and the parish where the death took place. You also need to provide your own valid ID and proof that you qualify to receive the Louisiana death record. Louisiana does not issue death certificates to just anyone. Under R.S. 40:41, only certain people may receive a certified copy of a Louisiana death certificate.
Note: Louisiana applications to amend a death certificate must go through the Vital Records Registry at (504) 593-5122. Cases that sit inactive for six months are closed.
Search Louisiana Death Records Online
The Louisiana State Archives has a free online death records index you can search from home. This Louisiana death records database covers deaths that are more than 50 years old and are no longer confidential. You can look up a name, location, and year at no cost. Ordering a Louisiana death record copy from the index costs $5 for a photocopy or $10 for a certified copy, and each fee covers a three-year search by surname.
The Louisiana online public vital records index lets you search death records for deaths more than 50 years ago, with separate searches available for Orleans Parish Louisiana records.
Louisiana is a closed record state. Louisiana death certificates less than 50 years old are not public records. You will not find a Louisiana database where anyone can look up recent death records freely. The Louisiana State Archives index is the main public online tool for older records. For recent Louisiana deaths, you must request a certified copy in person or by mail and prove you qualify.
Many Louisiana parish clerks also have online case search portals for court records, but these do not include Louisiana death certificates. The clerk portals cover civil and criminal case files. Louisiana death certificates are separate vital records not part of the general court file system. Check each Louisiana parish clerk's website for their specific online tools.
Historical Louisiana Death Records at the State Archives
The Louisiana State Archives Research Library in Baton Rouge holds historical Louisiana death records going back many decades. For in-person visits, the Louisiana Research Library is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with access to archival materials ending at 3:00 PM. Call ahead to (225) 922-1208 if you plan to request specific archival Louisiana records. The general Louisiana Archives phone is (225) 922-1000.
The Louisiana State Archives holds several collections relevant to Louisiana death records research. Statewide Louisiana death records run from 1911 through records at least 50 years old. Orleans Parish death records date back to 1819. Microfilmed Louisiana death records for Orleans Parish covering 1804 to 1914 are also available at the New Orleans Public Library for in-person viewing. One important note: the only Louisiana death records available prior to 1911 are from Jefferson and Orleans Parishes.
The Louisiana State Archives Research Library page explains the available Louisiana death record collections, hours, and procedures for accessing historical vital records in person or by mail.
Louisiana Archives fees are $5 per photocopy and $10 per certified copy, with each fee covering a three-year search per surname. For Louisiana death records not held at the Archives, staff will direct you to the Vital Records Registry. Mail Louisiana Archives requests to: P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125.
Order Louisiana Death Certificates Through VitalChek
VitalChek is Louisiana's authorized online ordering partner for Louisiana death certificates. You can order Louisiana death records through their website at any time and choose standard or expedited shipping. Extra fees apply for online and phone Louisiana orders, and shipping fees are waived if you select will-call pickup at the Louisiana Vital Records Central Office in New Orleans.
VitalChek provides an authorized online ordering service for Louisiana death certificates and connects directly with the Louisiana Vital Records Registry to process requests.
One thing to know: some Louisiana death records are archived and not immediately accessible due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. VitalChek notes that no estimated time is available for when all archived Louisiana records will be fully accessible. If your Louisiana death certificate request comes back with no result, you may need to contact the Louisiana Vital Records Registry directly to check on the status of specific records. Their phone for general inquiries is (504) 593-5100.
Who Can Get a Louisiana Death Certificate
Louisiana limits who can receive a certified copy of a death certificate. Under R.S. 40:41, the Louisiana state registrar will only issue a Louisiana death certificate to someone who qualifies. Getting one under false pretenses can result in a fine of up to $10,000 or up to five years in prison under R.S. 40:61.
People who qualify include the surviving spouse listed on the Louisiana death certificate, parents, children, siblings, grandchildren, grandparents, legal guardians with certified judgment of custody, beneficiaries named on an insurance policy, succession representatives, and attorneys with a written declaration on their letterhead showing their bar roll number. Louisiana funeral directors may obtain a certified copy up to one year after the date of death when acting on behalf of the immediate family. Law enforcement agencies and certain government officials may also request Louisiana death records under specific legal grounds.
Proof of your identity is required. You must show one primary ID document, such as a current Louisiana driver's license, state ID, military ID, or U.S. passport. If you do not have a primary document, two secondary documents such as a W-2, payroll stub, insurance policy, or voter registration may work.
Note: Aunts, uncles, cousins, step-siblings, and godparents do not automatically qualify and cannot receive a Louisiana death certificate unless they fall into one of the listed eligible categories.
Louisiana Death Record Laws
Under R.S. 40:32, Louisiana defines vital records as paper or electronic reports of birth, death, fetal death, marriage, divorce, dissolution, or annulment. The Louisiana Vital Records Registry, established under R.S. 40:33, operates within the office of public health and is domiciled in Orleans Parish.
Under R.S. 40:34, each coroner or physician who signs a Louisiana death certificate must certify it using the Louisiana Electronic Event Registration System, known as LEERS. Coroners are also required under this Louisiana statute to report drug overdose deaths where toxicology results indicate an opioid was present.
Louisiana death records that are 50 or more years old are open to the general public. Louisiana death records under 50 years remain confidential. The Louisiana Vital Records Registry only holds records for deaths that occurred in Louisiana. If the death occurred outside Louisiana, you must contact that state's vital records office to get a certificate.
Louisiana Death Certificate Fees
Louisiana death certificate fees vary by where you get the record. The Louisiana Vital Records Registry charges $7 per certified copy. Louisiana parish clerks of court charge $26 per copy for the same certificate. The Louisiana State Archives charges $5 for a photocopy and $10 for a certified copy, with each fee covering a three-year surname search. Under R.S. 40:40(3), funeral directors pay $9 for the initial certified copy and $7 for subsequent copies of the same Louisiana death certificate.
If you file a delayed Louisiana death certificate, a nonrefundable fee of $18 applies under R.S. 40:40(4). Corrections to a Louisiana death certificate within 90 days of filing are free. After 90 days, corrections cost $18 per submission. All Louisiana death record fees are retained even if no record is found, per R.S. 40:40(12).
Payment accepted at most Louisiana locations includes cash, check, and money order. Some Louisiana offices are cash only. Call ahead to confirm payment options before you visit. VitalChek Louisiana orders carry additional processing and shipping fees.
Browse Louisiana Death Records by Parish
Each of Louisiana's 64 parishes handles death records through its own Clerk of Court office. Select a parish below to find local contact information, fees, and Louisiana death record resources specific to that area.
View All 64 Louisiana Parishes
Louisiana Death Records in Major Cities
Residents of larger Louisiana cities access death records through their parish clerk of court or the Louisiana Vital Records office. Pick a city below to learn where to get Louisiana death records in that area.