How to Get a Death Certificate in Louisiana

Louisiana is a closed record state. Death certificates are not public records until 50 years after the year of death, so only certain people can order a certified copy.

Immediate family (can order any way, including VitalChek and Clerks of Court):

• The surviving spouse, if listed as the surviving spouse on the certificate
• A parent, adult child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild

Others who qualify, but must apply to the state Central Office by mail or in person:

• A succession representative (executor or administrator), with Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration certified by the Clerk of Court
• A universal or general legatee in a judgment of possession
• A person named in a court proceeding as a member of the immediate or surviving family
• A beneficiary of an insurance policy or trust (with a signed copy of the policy and a statement on the insurer's letterhead), a public pension or retirement plan, or a payable-on-death account
• An attorney or notary helping with a small succession, with a signed declaration on letterhead
• A federally insured bank or credit union, with a formal letter on letterhead that includes its FDIC Certificate Number or NCUA Charter Number
• An agent for the surety on a criminal bail bond the deceased was party to

Anyone else needs a signed Authorization Release of Records from an eligible person, plus a copy of the ID of the person authorized to receive the copy. Funeral directors can also order copies at the family's request for up to one year after the death.

Louisiana has state and local options. Here is how each one works.

Parish Clerks of Court

• Participating Clerks of Court sell certified copies of Louisiana death certificates for deaths on or after July 7, 2012.
• Cost: $26.00 per copy, more than the state price.
• Find a location in LDH's Clerk Death Certificate Issuance Locations directory. Not every parish has one.
• Clerks set their own hours, payment methods and processing times. Call ahead, and ask whether they can issue a certificate for a death in another parish.
• Only immediate family can order here. Executors and other non-family requesters must go to the state Central Office.

Parish local registrar (first 10 days)

By state law, the parish local registrar keeps the original certificate for 10 days after it is filed and may issue certified copies during that time. After that, the record goes to the state.

State Vital Records Registry: by mail

• Fill out the Application for Certified Copy of Birth/Death Certificate (VR Form S1).
• Mail it to: Center for Vital Records and Statistics, P.O. Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160.
• Pay by check or money order payable to "Louisiana Vital Records." Add the $0.50 state charge per order. No cash or coins.
• LDH says to allow approximately 8 to 10 weeks for delivery.

State Central Office: in person

• 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400, New Orleans, LA 70112.
• Walk-in hours: 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., excluding state holidays.
• Payment: cash (exact amount only), check or money order.
• LDH's pages describe walk-in service in two different ways. One lists walk-in hours, and another says walk-in service is currently available by ordering through VitalChek and choosing the Will Call pickup option. Call the Customer Service Hotline at 504-593-5100 before you go to confirm how it works now.

Online, phone or fax through VitalChek

• VitalChek is the authorized service provider named on LDH's How To Order page. You can also order by phone at 1-877-605-8562.
• Major credit cards accepted. LDH does not take credit cards directly.
• VitalChek adds its own service fee and a Security Fee, plus the $0.50 state charge. LDH does not publish those amounts or processing times. Expedited service costs extra.
• Only immediate family can order this way.

• A completed, signed application (VR Form S1).
• Identification: one primary document or two secondary documents. Primary documents include a current state driver's license or state photo ID, current U.S. military ID, current U.S. or foreign passport, or a U.S. Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship. See LDH's ID requirements for the secondary list.
• By mail: include a copy of a federal or state photo ID.
• Proof of eligibility if you are not immediate family, such as certified Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration for an executor or administrator.
• Payment: $7.00 per copy, plus $0.50 per mail order.

The application warns that orders missing a signed application, a photo ID copy or the correct fees will be returned.

LDH's fee schedule lists a certified death certificate at $7.00 per copy. Because Louisiana is a closed record state, recent death records are not open to the public. Contact the Vital Records Registry at 504-593-5100 if you need something other than a certified copy.

Once a death is more than 50 years old, the record is handled by the Louisiana State Archives, which sells photocopies for $5 and certified copies for $10 by mail.

The funeral home's role. The funeral director prepares and files the death certificate. They collect the personal details from the family and get the physician or coroner to certify the cause of death. Filing is done electronically through LDH's system. Funeral directors can order certified copies for the family for up to one year after the death, at $9.00 for the first copy and $7.00 for each additional copy.

Key timelines:

• The certificate must be filed with a registrar within five days after the death, and before burial or cremation.
• The attending physician certifies the cause of death within 24 hours. If the death is referred to the coroner, the coroner has 48 hours after taking charge of the case.
• The parish local registrar holds the original for 10 days and can issue copies then. After that it goes to the state.
• For state mail orders, LDH says to allow about 8 to 10 weeks. State law sets a ten-business-day deadline once the state registrar receives an eligible request, but LDH's posted estimate is much longer, so plan around the longer time.

If the cause of death is still pending, such as during a coroner investigation, copies may take longer. LDH does not publish how much longer.

Many banks, insurers and agencies want their own certified copy, and some will not return it. Each Louisiana copy from the state costs the same $7.00, so ordering a few extra at once is usually simpler than reordering later. For help estimating, see our guide on how many copies.

How a correction works depends on which part of the certificate is wrong.

• Personal details (items 1 and 3 through 23): the funeral home listed on the certificate requests the change within one year of the date of death, by letter on funeral home letterhead.
• Medical details, including cause of death (items 2 and 27 through 32): the attending physician or coroner requests the change by letter on letterhead.

Changes are made by drawing a line through the old entry and writing in the new one, so the old entry stays visible. LDH lists the amendment fee as $25.50. By state law, corrections started within 90 days of filing are made without charge.

LDH does not describe the process after the funeral home's one-year window. Contact the Vital Records Registry at 504-593-5100 to confirm. Details are on LDH's amendments page.

Official places to order a Louisiana death certificate:

• The Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records Registry, by mail or in person in New Orleans
• VitalChek, the authorized service provider LDH names for online, phone and fax orders
• A participating parish Clerk of Court from LDH's directory
• The funeral home handling the arrangements
• The Louisiana State Archives, for deaths more than 50 years old

Other websites that offer to get a Louisiana death certificate for you are not official sources and may add their own fees on top of the state fee. To be safe, start from the Louisiana Department of Health website and follow its links.