Death Records in Plaquemines Parish
Plaquemines Parish death records are handled by the 25th Judicial District Clerk of Court, which operates two offices and partners with the Louisiana Bureau of Vital Records to issue death certificates for deaths that occurred after July 2012.
Plaquemines Parish Death Records Quick Facts
Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court - Death Records
Plaquemines Parish is served by the 25th Judicial District Court. The clerk's main administrative office is at 301 Main Street, Belle Chasse, LA 70037. Phone: (504) 934-6610. Fax: (504) 934-6629. A second office is located at 18055 Highway 15, Pointe A La Hache, LA 70082, which is the official parish seat. Mail goes to P.O. Box 40, Belle Chasse, LA 70037. Email: info@clerk25th.com. Website: clerk25th.com. Kim Turlich-Vaughan serves as the current Clerk of Court.
The clerk's office is entirely self-funded and does not receive ad valorem tax revenue. Operations are supported by fees collected for services. The office states on its website that its "mission is to provide high quality, courteous and responsive service" to the people of Plaquemines Parish.
Plaquemines Parish has a long and well-preserved set of historical records. Marriage records go back to 1809. Land records, probate files, and court records date to 1800. For death certificates, the clerk's office partners directly with the Louisiana Bureau of Vital Records to issue certificates for deaths that occurred after July 2012. The fee is $26 per certified copy. For deaths before that date, you must contact the Louisiana Vital Records Registry in New Orleans or the State Archives in Baton Rouge.
The Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court official website lists services, contact details, and online access options for death and other records.
The clerk's website explains the free guest index search, contact details for both office locations, and how to request death certificates through the clerk's partnership with the Louisiana Bureau of Vital Records.
Plaquemines Parish Death Records Online Access
The Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court offers free online access to record indices. You can sign in as a guest at clerk25th.com to search land, criminal, and civil indices without creating an account or paying a fee. The clerk's site notes: "We are pleased to offer free online access to all of our indices - land, criminal, and civil. Simply sign in as a guest for online search." This free index access is not offered by all Louisiana parishes.
For full document images, a subscription is required. Options are $20 per day, $50 per month, or $150 per year. These tiers give you access to scanned images of all records that have been digitized. If you are researching an estate or succession matter tied to a death in Plaquemines Parish, the probate and land record images can be valuable in addition to the death certificate itself.
Note that for death certificates specifically, there is no direct online issuance through the parish website. The online indices cover court filings and land records rather than vital records. To order a death certificate online, you can use VitalChek at vitalchek.com, which is the state's authorized ordering partner.
Who Can Request a Plaquemines Parish Death Certificate
Louisiana restricts death certificate access for the first 50 years after the death. During that period, only authorized requesters can obtain a certified copy. The law lists the following as eligible: the surviving spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of the deceased. Legal guardians with a certified custody judgment, insurance beneficiaries, succession representatives, and licensed Louisiana attorneys who supply their bar roll number also qualify. Funeral directors may request a certificate within one year of the death.
All requesters must present valid photo identification. Depending on the relationship claimed, additional documents may be needed to prove eligibility. Once 50 years have passed from the date of death, the record becomes public and anyone can request a copy without restriction. At that point, the Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge is the appropriate source.
Louisiana Vital Records: Pre-2012 Plaquemines Parish Deaths
For deaths that occurred before July 2012, contact the Louisiana Vital Records Registry directly. The registry is at 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400, New Orleans, LA 70112. Mail: P.O. Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160. Phone: (504) 593-5100. Walk-in hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The state fee is $7 per certified copy. Mail requests take 8 to 10 weeks. Online orders go through VitalChek. Full details are at ldh.la.gov/vital-records.
For historical records more than 50 years old, the Louisiana State Archives at 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge holds open public records from across the state, including Plaquemines Parish. The research library phone is (225) 922-1208. Certified copies from the Archives cost $10 and include a 3-year surname search. Plain photocopies are $5. The online death records index is free at sos.la.gov.
Applicable Louisiana Statutes
Louisiana death record access is governed by R.S. 40:40, R.S. 40:41, and R.S. 40:32. These statutes set the 50-year confidentiality rule, define authorized requesters, and establish the fees and content requirements for all Louisiana vital records. The 25th Judicial District Clerk of Court in Plaquemines Parish follows these statutes when processing death certificate requests, as does the Louisiana Vital Records Registry.
Cities in Plaquemines Parish
Plaquemines Parish is a long, narrow parish running south from New Orleans along the Mississippi River delta. Belle Chasse is the largest community and houses the main administrative clerk's office. No cities in Plaquemines Parish meet the 100,000-population threshold for a dedicated records page on this site. Communities include Boothville, Venice, Port Sulphur, and Buras. Residents anywhere in the parish should contact the clerk's offices in Belle Chasse or Pointe A La Hache.
Nearby Parishes
Plaquemines Parish is at the southern tip of Louisiana and borders several parishes at its northern end. Death records are filed in the parish where the death occurred.