Find Louisiana Marriage Records
Louisiana marriage records are public documents maintained by the Clerk of Court in each of the state's 64 parishes. You can search marriage license indices, get certified copies, and access historical records going back to the 1800s through statewide online portals and local courthouse offices. Orleans Parish is the only exception, where the Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records Registry holds marriage certificates for unions less than 50 years old. This guide covers every source for Louisiana marriage records, from free online tools to in-person options at the parish level.
Louisiana Marriage Records Quick Facts
Where Louisiana Marriage Records Are Kept
Each of Louisiana's 64 parishes has its own Clerk of Court. This office issues marriage licenses and holds the official marriage records for that parish. When a couple gets married, the officiant signs the license and returns it to the Clerk of Court in the parish where it was purchased. The clerk records it as a permanent public document. These records are open to the public under Louisiana law.
Under La. R.S. 13:754, all 64 parishes must participate in the Louisiana Clerks Remote Access Authority statewide system. This means marriage license indices from every parish are available through one online portal. The eClerksLA portal at eclerksla.com is that system. It is free to search. You can find a name, see the date a license was issued, and confirm which parish holds the record. Full images may require you to go directly to the parish clerk.
The eClerksLA portal gives the public free index-level access to marriage license records across Louisiana. The system covers all 64 parishes and allows statewide name searches from one place.
The eClerksLA portal is the main statewide tool for searching Louisiana marriage records online. It covers every parish in the state and is free to use for index searches.
Search Louisiana Marriage Records Online
Louisiana offers several ways to search marriage records from home. The three main statewide tools are eClerksLA, the LCRAA Portal, and Clerk Connect. Each serves a different purpose, and knowing which one to use depends on what you need.
The LCRAA Portal at laclerksportal.org is run by the Louisiana Clerks Remote Access Authority. It provides secure online access to Louisiana land records, marriage license indices, and civil records. The portal covers all 64 parishes. You can search by name across the state or narrow your search by parish. Some parishes allow free searching while others charge a small subscription fee. The LCRAA system also supports eRecording and eFiling for certain document types.
The Louisiana Clerks Remote Access Authority portal gives you secure access to marriage license indices and other records across all Louisiana parishes.
Clerk Connect is a separate multi-parish portal for civil and criminal court records. It supports online inquiry for parishes including Allen, Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, East Baton Rouge, Jackson, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Richland, and Lafourche. Some of these parishes also offer e-filing and eRecording through Clerk Connect. If you need to search civil suit records tied to a marriage or access court filings, Clerk Connect is the right tool. It works alongside eClerksLA rather than replacing it.
Clerk Connect serves parishes that offer online civil and criminal court record access, and some participating parishes also use it for marriage record searches.
The eVaultLA portal is another access point for the eClerksLA system. It gives you the same statewide index search capability. You can use either eclerksla.com or evaultla.com to reach the same records. Both are free for index-level searching.
The eVaultLA portal is an alternate access point for the statewide eClerksLA marriage records database, offering the same free index search across all 64 Louisiana parishes.
Orleans Parish Marriage Records
Orleans Parish is the only parish in Louisiana where marriage records are not held by the Clerk of Court. Under Louisiana law, the Vital Records Registry at the Louisiana Department of Health maintains Orleans Parish marriage records for any marriage less than 50 years old. This is a significant difference from every other parish in the state.
To get an Orleans Parish marriage license or obtain a certified copy of a marriage record less than 50 years old, go to the Vital Records Registry office at Benson Tower, 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 407 in downtown New Orleans. Office hours are 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number is (504) 593-5100. Licenses are also available at the Second City Court in the Historic Algiers Courthouse at 225 Morgan Street in Algiers. The fee for an Orleans Parish marriage license is $27.50. Certified copies cost $5.50.
The Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records Registry handles Orleans Parish marriage records. It is the only parish where the state health department, not the Clerk of Court, maintains marriage records for recent marriages.
For Orleans Parish marriage records more than 50 years old, contact the Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge. The State Archives holds Orleans Parish marriage records from 1870 through 1971 in an online searchable database. You can also visit in person or request records by mail. The Vital Records Marriage Search tool on the Louisiana Secretary of State website lets you search this index online at no charge.
The Vital Records Marriage Search index, hosted by the Louisiana Secretary of State, lets you search historical Orleans Parish marriage records online for free.
Louisiana Marriage License Requirements
Marriage license requirements are consistent across Louisiana parishes, set by state statute. Both parties must appear in person at the Clerk of Court office, although some parishes allow one party to complete the process under applicable Louisiana statutes. Under R.S. 9:225 and R.S. 9:226, each applicant must bring a certified copy of their birth certificate. Under R.S. 9:223, the application must include the Social Security number of each party. A written waiver affidavit is available if you do not have a Social Security number.
Required documents for a Louisiana marriage license:
- Valid photo ID for both parties (driver's license, state ID, or passport)
- Certified copy of birth certificate for each party
- Social Security numbers or a written waiver affidavit
- Proof of prior marriage ending (certified divorce decree or death certificate) if either party was previously married
Under R.S. 9:222, you can get a marriage license in any Louisiana parish regardless of where you live or where the ceremony will take place. The license is valid for use anywhere in Louisiana. Under R.S. 9:241, a waiting period applies between the time the license is issued and the ceremony. Most parishes enforce a 24-hour wait, though some require 72 hours. A judge or justice of the peace can waive this requirement under R.S. 9:242. The license is valid for 30 days from the date of issuance. It cannot be used outside of Louisiana.
Several Louisiana parishes, including East Baton Rouge, offer an online pre-application through Clerk Connect. You can fill out the form before visiting the courthouse to save time.
Historical Louisiana Marriage Records
Louisiana has some of the oldest marriage records in the United States. The Louisiana State Archives, located at 3851 Essen Lane in Baton Rouge, holds marriage records over 50 years old for all 64 parishes. The Archives also maintains statewide databases that researchers and genealogists can search online. You can reach the Archives at (225) 922-1000.
Marriage records in many Louisiana parishes go back to the early 1800s and even earlier. Natchitoches Parish, one of the oldest in the state, has marriage records from the mid-1700s. St. Charles Parish has records from 1739. Bienville Parish has marriage records dating to 1849. Concordia Parish records reach back to 1846. DeSoto Parish has license records from 1843. These older records are typically held at the State Archives and may also be available through genealogy databases. The Archives has been working with parishes to digitize and microfilm the most fragile historical documents.
The Louisiana State Archives is the primary source for historical marriage records older than 50 years across all 64 parishes. The archives offers online search tools and in-person research access.
Fees and How to Get Copies of Marriage Records
Fees for Louisiana marriage licenses vary by parish but most fall in the range of $27.50 to $35.00. The fee usually includes one certified copy of the license mailed after the ceremony. Acadia Parish charges $32.50. Lafourche Parish charges $32.00 and is cash only. Iberia Parish charges $35.00, which covers the application and one certified copy. Lafayette Parish charges $27.50 plus $4.00 per page for attachments. Livingston Parish charges $31.00 for a standard marriage or $36.00 for a Covenant Marriage. East Baton Rouge Parish charges $10.00 for a certified copy and $5.00 for a non-certified copy.
To get a certified copy of a Louisiana marriage record, visit the Clerk of Court in the parish where the license was issued. Bring your photo ID. Know the full names of both parties and the approximate date of the marriage. Some clerks accept mail requests. Call ahead to confirm their process and current fees. Fees can change, so always check before you go. For Orleans Parish records, contact the Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records Registry rather than a Clerk of Court office.
The Louisiana Department of Health provides guidance on how to order Orleans Parish marriage records. For all other parishes, contact the local Clerk of Court directly.
Note: Fees shown are standard rates and may have changed. Contact the parish clerk to confirm current costs before visiting or mailing a request.
Browse Louisiana Marriage Records by Parish
Each Louisiana parish has its own Clerk of Court who issues marriage licenses and keeps marriage records. Pick a parish below to find local contact information, fees, and search tools for that area.
View All 64 Louisiana Parishes
Marriage Records in Major Louisiana Cities
Residents of Louisiana's major cities get their marriage licenses at the parish Clerk of Court that serves their area. Pick a city below to find the right office and learn what to expect.