New Orleans Marriage Records

New Orleans marriage records are handled differently from every other city in Louisiana. Instead of a Clerk of Court, Orleans Parish uses the Louisiana Vital Records Registry to issue marriage licenses and maintain official records. If you need to find a marriage license, get a certified copy, or search for a past record in New Orleans, this page explains who handles it, where to go, and what to bring.

New Orleans Marriage License Office

Orleans Parish is the only parish in Louisiana where the Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records Registry issues marriage licenses rather than a Clerk of Court. That is a key distinction. Every other parish in the state uses its local clerk. New Orleans does not. The office that handles this is the Orleans Parish Marriage License Office, operating under the Louisiana Vital Records Registry.

The main location is the Benson Tower at 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 407, in downtown New Orleans. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. You can reach them by phone at (504) 593-5100, by fax at (504) 568-8716, or by email at dhh-vitalweb@la.gov. Plan to arrive with plenty of time before the 3:15 p.m. cutoff. Staff will not begin new applications after the office closes.

There is also a satellite location for residents in the Algiers area. That office is at the Historic Algiers Courthouse, 225 Morgan Street, Algiers. Hours there are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. If you live on the West Bank, this location may be more convenient.

The Louisiana Department of Health page above has current requirements and contact details for the Orleans Parish marriage license office.

Getting a New Orleans Marriage License

To get a marriage license in New Orleans, both parties must appear at the Vital Records office together. You cannot apply online or send a representative. Both people must be present at the same time with all required documents. Missing any item means you will have to come back another day.

The fee for a marriage license in Orleans Parish is $27.50. Certified copies of the marriage record cost $5.50 each. Louisiana law requires a 24-hour waiting period between the time the license is issued and the time of the ceremony. If your timeline is tight, a First City Court or Second City Court judge can waive the waiting period in some cases. You will need to contact one of those courts directly to request a waiver. Note: This waiver option applies only to Louisiana residents.

The license is valid for 30 days. If you do not use it within that window, it expires. You would need to apply and pay the fee again. A marriage license issued in New Orleans is valid for ceremonies performed anywhere in Louisiana. It is not valid outside the state.

The Louisiana State Archives page above shows how to access Orleans Parish marriage records from 1870 through 1971 through their online database.

Documents Required for New Orleans Marriage Records

Both parties must bring the following documents to apply for a marriage license in New Orleans. The office will not process your application without everything listed here.

Each person must have a current driver's license, a current state-issued ID, or a valid passport. Expired IDs will not work. Each person also needs a certified copy of their birth certificate. A regular photocopy or an uncertified document will not be accepted. You will need your Social Security number as well.

If either party has been married before, you must bring proof that the prior marriage ended. That means a certified copy of the divorce decree or a death certificate if a former spouse passed away. Louisiana law requires this before a new license can be issued. Do not skip this step if it applies to your situation.

Note: Louisiana does not allow anyone under 18 to obtain a marriage license without judicial authorization.

Search New Orleans Marriage Records Online

For historical research, the Louisiana State Archives has Orleans Parish marriage records from 1870 through 1971 available online. This is one of the most detailed online historical collections for any Louisiana parish. You can search by name and view the original record images at no cost.

For more recent records, eClerksLA is Louisiana's statewide online records portal. Because Orleans Parish uses the Vital Records Registry rather than a Clerk of Court, coverage may differ from other parishes. It is still worth checking if you need records from the past few decades.

The page above from the Louisiana Department of Health explains how to request certified copies of marriage records for events that took place in Orleans Parish.

The Louisiana Department of Health also issues certified marriage certificates for records after 1946. These are shorter than the full license record but are accepted for most legal purposes, including name changes and insurance claims. For the full license document with all application details, you need to contact the Vital Records Registry directly.

Orleans Parish Marriage Records Overview

New Orleans sits entirely within Orleans Parish. The parish and the city are coterminous, meaning city and parish boundaries are the same. All marriage records for New Orleans are Orleans Parish marriage records. There is no separate city office or city record system. Everything goes through the state Vital Records Registry at the parish level.

The Louisiana Clerks Remote Access Authority (LCRAA) portal is another statewide tool for searching court and clerk records. Because Orleans Parish uses a different office structure, availability of records through this portal may vary. If you do not find what you need there, contact the Vital Records office directly.

For older records not yet digitized, the Louisiana State Archives is the best resource. Their staff can help you locate marriage documents from before the online databases begin. The archives collection for Orleans Parish is among the oldest and most complete in the state.

Note: Certified copies of New Orleans marriage records carry a $5.50 fee per copy and must be requested through the Vital Records Registry.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near New Orleans. Each falls within Jefferson Parish, which uses the Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court for marriage licenses rather than the Vital Records Registry.