St. Tammany Parish Death Records
Death records in St. Tammany Parish are handled by the Clerk of Court, which operates a main office in Covington and an annex in Slidell. The office issues certified death certificates for deaths that occurred in the parish after July 2012. For older records, the Louisiana Vital Records Registry and the Louisiana State Archives are the appropriate resources.
St. Tammany Parish Death Records Quick Facts
St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court - Death Records
Jessica Jenkins Brewster serves as Clerk of Court for St. Tammany Parish. The main office is at 701 N. Columbia Street, Covington, LA 70433. A Slidell annex is at 520 Old Spanish Trail, 5th Floor, Slidell, LA 70458. Mail goes to P.O. Box 1090, Covington, LA 70434. Main office phone: (985) 809-8700. Slidell annex: (985) 643-6969. Fax: (985) 809-8712. Website: sttammanyclerk.org.
Hours for both locations are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Clerk Brewster describes the office's mission as providing personalized service: "Our dedicated team is committed to upholding professional and respectable customer service standards. Whether assisting with legal documents, providing essential records, or navigating our digital resources, our goal remains steadfast: to provide personalized service."
St. Tammany Parish has been one of the fastest-growing parishes in Louisiana for many years. That growth brings a high volume of vital records requests. The clerk's two locations help manage demand across both the Covington side of the parish and the Slidell and eastern areas. If you live closer to Slidell, the annex at 520 Old Spanish Trail can handle most requests without the drive to Covington.
Requesting St. Tammany Parish Death Records
Certified death certificates are available for deaths that occurred in St. Tammany Parish after July 2012. The fee is $26 per copy. Visit either courthouse location in person during business hours and bring a valid government-issued photo ID.
Important: The clerk's office notes that wait times for updated records may be up to an hour or more. This is particularly true during high-demand periods. If the deceased was born before 1983, the office notes that the birth certificate portion of the record often requires an update from Louisiana Vital Records before issuance -- though for death certificates, the primary concern is making sure the death registration has been fully processed. Applications requiring updates must be submitted prior to 3:00 PM daily.
Louisiana restricts access to death records under R.S. 40:41. During the 50-year confidential period, eligible persons include the surviving spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of the deceased. Legal guardians with a certified court custody judgment, named insurance beneficiaries, succession representatives, licensed attorneys active on the Louisiana State Bar roll, and funeral directors within one year of the death also qualify. No one outside those categories can receive a certified copy while the record is confidential.
Online Records - reSearchLA
St. Tammany Parish participates in the reSearchLA online court records system, which allows public access to certain court documents. However, be aware that sealed cases and sealed documents are not currently available for online viewing through reSearchLA due to technical issues. If you search for a case and receive a "no match" result, and you believe the case may have been sealed, contact the office at (985) 809-8700 to follow up. Certified death certificates specifically are not part of the reSearchLA system -- those require an in-person or mail request.
The St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court website provides information about available services, office hours, and digital resources including the reSearchLA portal.
The official St. Tammany Parish Clerk website lists services, courthouse locations in Covington and Slidell, and links to online records tools.
Older Death Records - State and Historical Sources
For deaths in St. Tammany Parish before July 2012, the Louisiana Vital Records Registry in New Orleans is the right resource. The registry is at 1450 Poydras St Suite 400, New Orleans, LA 70112. Walk-in hours are 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Mailing address: P.O. Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160. Phone: (504) 593-5100. Website: ldh.la.gov/vital-records. Fee: $7 per certified copy.
Mail requests to the state take about 8 to 10 weeks. Online ordering is available through VitalChek, Louisiana's authorized online ordering service, which charges the base fee plus a service charge. For records more than 50 years old, the Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge holds the statewide collection and records are publicly accessible. The Archives online index is searchable. Archives Research Library: 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, (225) 922-1208. Fees: $5 photocopy, $10 certified copy.
Louisiana Death Records Law
Three statutes control death record access in Louisiana. R.S. 40:32 defines vital records under state law. R.S. 40:40 sets registration requirements and the fees clerks may charge. R.S. 40:41 is the privacy statute that establishes the 50-year confidential period and lists the only individuals who may receive certified copies during that window. The St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court applies these rules to every request it receives, with no parish-level exceptions.
Cities in St. Tammany Parish
Slidell is the largest city in St. Tammany Parish. The Slidell annex of the Clerk of Court office serves residents on the east side of the parish.
Nearby Parishes
St. Tammany Parish is in the Florida Parishes region north of Lake Pontchartrain. Each neighboring parish has its own clerk of court for death records.