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Louisiana Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

See Also Researching in Vital Records - Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century.......

The civil recording of births, marriages, and deaths did not begin in earnest until the early twentieth century. Laws were passed in the late nineteenth century requiring that vital events be recorded, but there was little compliance until later. Prior to that time it was the responsibility of the churches to maintain this data.

The Roman Catholic church dominated Louisiana until the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In fact, it was the only church in Louisiana until this time. The Catholic churches throughout the state kept registers of christenings, marriages, and burials and were the recorders of Louisiana's early vital records.

In the first part of the twentieth century many states, including Louisiana, began requiring civil registration of vital records. The earliest city in Louisiana to exact civil registrations was New Orleans in 1790, however, registrations were only randomly made until the twentieth century. It was not until 1914 that civil recording began statewide. As of 1990, the Division of Archives, Records Management and History (see Archives, Libraries and Societies) now stores all birth records over 100 years old, death and marriage records over 50 years old and will make them available to researchers for a standard fee (presently $5).

Louisiana State Archives Vital Records Collection

Also found in the research library is the state's archival vital records program. Here patrons can view selected marriage, death, and birth records for Orleans Parish and death records for the remainder of the state. Death records cover the period up to 1954 whereas information on New Orleans births is for the period through 1904. Marriage records for New Orleans like death records are at least fifty years old. These records contain information vital to ancestral research such as parents names, place of birth, cause of death, age and occupation of deceased persons, location of burial, and official performing wedding.

Researchers may obtain any of the following vital records by visiting the Louisiana State Archives Research Library or may request the records by mail. The Archives maintains the following:

• Orleans Parish birth records for 1819-1904 (births over 100 years ago)*
  (Index for 1790-1818, but no records)
• Orleans Parish marriage records for 1870-1954 (marriages over 50 years ago)**
  (Index for 1831-1869, but no records.)
• Orleans Parish death records for 1819-1954 (deaths over 50 years ago)*
  (Index for 1804-1818)
• Statewide death records for 1911-1954 (deaths over 50 years ago)*

*The only birth records that are currently available at the Archives prior to 1904 are from Orleans Parish. The only death records currently available prior to 1911 are from Jefferson and Orleans Parishes. Records from Orleans are filed separately from the combined statewide listing of all the other parishes in the state. Records prior to the dates listed above are probably nonexistent unless the parish where the birth or death occurred kept such a record. If the person being researched was Catholic, birth and death information would probably be shown in the records of the church or diocese where that person lived.

** All marriage records, other than Orleans Parish, are maintained by the office of the Clerk of Court in the parish where the marriage license was purchased.

The Archives charges $5.00 for a certified copy which includes a three year search per surname. Fees must be retained for both successful and unsuccessful searches. Searches are processed by a given year; therefore, a name, place, and date, or a span of three years is required to research a request. Patrons can also obtain a non-certified copy for 50 cents if they conduct their own research at the Archives. Please see mail-in application form HERE.

For more recent records, contact Vital Records Registry, P.O. Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160; Phone (504)568-5152 or visit their web site at www.dhh.state.la.us for more information.