Access Calcasieu Parish Marriage Records

Calcasieu Parish marriage records are kept by the Clerk of Court in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The office serves the 14th Judicial District and maintains marriage licenses, historical marriage indexes, and certified copy services. Records at the State Archives go back to 1910. Whether you need a recent license or an older document, this guide explains how to find and request Calcasieu Parish marriage records.

Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court

Lynn Jones serves as the Clerk of Court for Calcasieu Parish. The recording department is located at 1000 Ryan Street, Room 5, in Lake Charles. This office handles all marriage license issuance and recording for the parish. Staff can search records by name or date and provide certified copies of marriage licenses to those who request them.

The clerk's website at calcasieuclerk.com has information on all services the office provides. The recording department phone extension is (337) 437-3550, ext. 173. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Fax requests can be sent to (337) 437-3570. For complex or older record searches, calling ahead before your visit is a good idea.

The Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court website provides access to office information, recording department contacts, and guidance on obtaining marriage records in Lake Charles.

Search Calcasieu Parish Marriage Records Online

eClerksLA provides online access to Calcasieu Parish marriage license records. The portal at evaultla.com is a statewide search tool that indexes clerk records from multiple parishes. You can search by name and find basic index information without visiting the courthouse. E-filing is also available for certain record types in Calcasieu Parish.

eClerksLA provides statewide access to the Calcasieu Parish marriage license index and other recorded documents maintained by the Clerk of Court.

For historical records, the Louisiana State Archives holds several key collections for Calcasieu Parish. These include the Marriage Record from 1910 to 1929, separate marriage records from 1910 to 1917, and a Marriage Index covering 1910 through 1971. These archived materials are especially useful for genealogy research and are available through the State Archives in Baton Rouge.

The Louisiana State Archives holds Calcasieu Parish marriage records dating back to 1910, including a marriage index that covers over six decades of recorded licenses.

Note: The eClerksLA portal shows index data. Certified copies must be requested directly from the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court at 1000 Ryan Street.

Getting a Marriage License in Calcasieu Parish

To get a marriage license in Calcasieu Parish, both parties must appear together at the Clerk of Court office at 1000 Ryan Street, Room 5, in Lake Charles. Each person must present valid photo ID. If either party has been married before, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or a death certificate for a deceased prior spouse. Louisiana law under R.S. 9:241 defines the full list of requirements for a marriage license.

Under R.S. 9:222, a Louisiana marriage license expires 30 days from the date it is issued. You must complete your ceremony within that window. If you do not, you will need to apply for a new license. There is no waiting period in Louisiana. You can marry the same day the license is issued. R.S. 9:242 requires both parties to sign the application in front of the clerk. No one can sign on your behalf.

The minimum age to marry without parental consent is 18 under R.S. 9:225. Calcasieu Parish applies all Louisiana state requirements. After the ceremony, the person who performed it signs the license and returns it to the clerk's office to complete the official record. The record is then indexed and stored with other Calcasieu Parish marriage records.

Historical Marriage Records in Calcasieu Parish

Calcasieu Parish has a solid collection of historical marriage records, especially for the period from 1910 to 1971. The Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge holds the Marriage Index for this entire period, along with separate record books covering earlier decades within that range. For researchers tracing family history in southwest Louisiana, these records are an important source.

The Louisiana State Archives is the right place to start for pre-digital marriage records. They hold physical documents and microfilm for many parishes, and some materials are available through their online digital collection. Staff at the Archives can help you understand what is available and how to access it.

For marriages recorded after the historical archive cutoff, the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court holds the official records. The online portal through eClerksLA may index some of these more recent records as well. Using both the State Archives and the clerk's current system together gives you the best search coverage for all time periods.

Requesting Copies of Marriage Records

Copies of Calcasieu Parish marriage records can be requested in person, by mail, or by fax. In-person requests at Room 5 of the courthouse are the fastest. Staff can search the records and provide copies while you wait in most cases. Bring the names of both parties and the approximate year of marriage to help speed up the search.

Mail requests should be sent to P.O. Box 1030, Lake Charles, LA 70602. Include both parties' full names, the year of the marriage, your return address, and payment for the copy fee. Fax requests can go to (337) 437-3570, but call the office first to ask about their process for fax requests. The phone number for the recording department is (337) 437-3550, ext. 173.

Certified copies carry an official seal and are needed for legal purposes. Plain copies are fine for personal use. If you need the record for a name change, insurance update, or government application, ask for a certified copy. Confirm the current fee by calling the office before you send payment, as fees can change.

Louisiana Marriage Record Resources

The eClerksLA portal and the Louisiana Clerks Remote Access Authority give statewide search access across many parishes. These tools are useful when you are searching for a record but are not certain which parish issued it. Both systems index clerk records from across Louisiana.

The Louisiana State Archives is the key source for older records. Their Calcasieu Parish collections cover marriages from 1910 to 1971 in indexed form, with original records for parts of that period as well. For genealogy research, combining the Archives with the current clerk system gives you complete coverage from 1910 to today.

Note: Calcasieu Parish is in southwest Louisiana near the Texas border. If a marriage may have occurred just across state lines, check Texas vital records as well, since some couples from the Lake Charles area may have married in Orange or Beaumont, Texas.

Cities in Calcasieu Parish

Calcasieu Parish is home to Lake Charles, the parish seat and the largest city in southwest Louisiana. Other communities in the parish include Sulphur, Westlake, DeQuincy, and Iowa. All marriage licenses issued anywhere in Calcasieu Parish are recorded at the Clerk of Court office at 1000 Ryan Street in Lake Charles.

Nearby Parishes

Calcasieu Parish borders several other southwest Louisiana parishes. If you are searching for a record and are unsure which parish issued it, check the list below and contact the relevant clerk directly.