Find Death Records in Lafourche Parish
Lafourche Parish death records are accessible through the Clerk of Court's Thibodaux office, which provides in-person certified death certificate service for deaths registered in Louisiana from July 2012 to the present, with historical records available through the Louisiana State Archives and state Vital Records Registry.
Lafourche Parish Death Records Quick Facts
Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court
Clerk Hon. Annette Fontana oversees the Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court, which operates three office locations spread across a long, narrow parish that stretches from Thibodaux down to the Gulf of Mexico. That said, certified death certificates can only be obtained at the Thibodaux office. The Lockport and Galliano offices do not issue death certificates.
Requestors must present themselves in person to obtain a birth or death record. There is no mail service or online ordering at the local clerk level. The office accesses the Louisiana Vital Records database to print certificates. For this reason, only deaths registered in Louisiana from July 2012 onward can be issued locally. Death certificates are usually available within 90 days of death, so very recent deaths may not yet appear in the system.
- Thibodaux Office (Death Certificates): 303 W. 3rd Street, Room 104, Thibodaux, LA 70301
- Mailing: P.O. Box 818, Thibodaux, LA 70302-0818
- Phone (Thibodaux): (985) 447-4841
- Email: clerk@lafourcheclerk.com
- Website: lafourcheclerk.com
- Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
For reference only, the Lockport office is at 710 Church Street and is open Tuesday and Thursday. The Galliano office is at 131 East 91st Street, Cut Off, and is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Neither location handles death certificates.
The vital records page at the Lafourche Clerk's website is shown below.
Lafourche Parish Clerk vital records page
This page details procedures, fees, who can request, and which office handles death certificate issuance in Lafourche Parish.
Fees and Payment
The fee for a death certificate in Lafourche Parish is $26. Cash only. The office does not accept credit cards or checks for this service. Have exact change or small bills ready when you arrive. Multiple copies cost $26 each.
Who Can Request a Death Certificate
Lafourche Parish follows Louisiana's statewide closed-record rules. Death records are not public for 50 years. Before that period ends, only specific people may request certified copies.
The list includes: the surviving self (if still alive and named on the record), the mother, the father, a child of the deceased, a grandparent, a grandchild, a sibling, a legal guardian who holds a certified judgment of custody, and the current spouse. The key word is "current." Former spouses are not automatically eligible. If the divorce was final before the death, the ex-spouse would not typically qualify unless they hold another role, such as being a named beneficiary.
People who don't meet the eligibility requirements must wait until the record is 50 years old. At that point, it becomes publicly accessible through the Louisiana State Archives.
Online Records and Subscriptions
The Lafourche Parish Clerk's office does offer online access to some civil and criminal records through a subscription service. Monthly access costs $50, and day passes are available for $20. Land records can be searched via Clerk Connect. These services cover court filings and property records, not death certificates. Death certificate requests remain in-person only at the Thibodaux location.
The clerk's official website shown below provides links to both the subscription service and the land records tool.
Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court official website
This site covers all Clerk of Court services, including the birth and death certificate process, online records subscriptions, and office locations.
Deaths Before July 2012 and Historical Records
Birth certificates 100 years or older and death certificates 50 years or older must be obtained from the Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge. The archives customer service number is (225) 922-1207, and the research library can be reached at (225) 922-1208. Their address is 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge. The online public vital records index is at sos.la.gov. Photocopy fees are $5, and certified copies cost $10 with a three-year search.
For deaths between 1914 and July 2012 that aren't yet 50 years old, contact the Louisiana Vital Records Registry in New Orleans. The state charges $7 per copy. Walk-in hours are 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Address: 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400, New Orleans, LA 70112. Mail to: P.O. Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160. Phone: (504) 593-5100. Portal: ldh.la.gov/vital-records. Mail orders take 8 to 10 weeks.
Online Ordering Through VitalChek
VitalChek is an authorized third-party service that allows eligible individuals to order Louisiana death certificates online. VitalChek charges service fees on top of the state's base $7 fee. Processing is generally faster than mail. This is a good option for people who can't make it to either the local or state office in person.
Applicable Louisiana Statutes
Access to death records in Louisiana is controlled by R.S. 40:40, which sets the fees for certified vital record copies, and R.S. 40:41, which defines who may access them. Both statutes apply statewide, including in Lafourche Parish. Providing false information on a vital records request is a criminal offense under Louisiana law.
Cities in Lafourche Parish
Thibodaux is the parish seat and the largest community in Lafourche Parish. No cities in this parish currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated records page. Residents of Thibodaux, Lockport, Houma Road communities, Golden Meadow, Cut Off, and other areas should use the Thibodaux Clerk of Court office for death certificate requests.
Nearby Parishes
Lafourche Parish stretches south from the Houma area toward the Gulf. Neighboring parishes and their clerks may be relevant for records involving families across parish lines: