Find Marriage Records in St. Charles Parish
St. Charles Parish marriage records date back to 1739 and are held by the Clerk of Court office in Hahnville. The 29th Judicial District Court serves the parish. If you need to apply for a marriage license, search for a past marriage record, or get a certified copy, the Clerk of Court is the office to contact. Online access through eClerksLA is available for many records filed in St. Charles Parish.
St. Charles Parish Quick Facts
St. Charles Parish Clerk of Court
The Clerk of Court office in Hahnville is the keeper of all St. Charles Parish marriage records. The office issues marriage licenses, maintains the historical record collection, and provides certified copies on request. The physical office is at 15045 River Road in Hahnville. Mail can be sent to P.O. Box 424, Hahnville, LA 70057-0424.
The main phone number is (985) 783-6632. The fax is (985) 783-2005. You can also reach the office by email at stcharlescoc@bellsouth.net. For matters handled by the court administrator, contact Jackie Cristina directly at (985) 783-3216 or jcristina@stcharlesgov.net. Court and vital records including marriage, divorce, birth, death, and other filings all go through this office.
St. Charles Parish has one of the most complete historical record collections in Louisiana. The Clerk of Court holds marriage records from 1739, land records from 1734, probate records from 1734, and court records from the same year. That is a remarkable span of history for any parish. Keep in mind that records before 1855 were lost when the original courthouse at Hahnville burned. Records from 1739 to 1855 that survive came through other means, so gaps may exist.
| Office Address | 15045 River Road, Hahnville, LA 70057 |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | P.O. Box 424, Hahnville, LA 70057-0424 |
| Phone | (985) 783-6632 |
| Fax | (985) 783-2005 |
| stcharlescoc@bellsouth.net | |
| Court Administrator | Jackie Cristina, (985) 783-3216 |
| Judicial District | 29th Judicial District |
St. Charles Parish Marriage Records History
St. Charles Parish has an unusually deep record collection. According to the Clerk of Court, marriage records for the parish go back to 1739. Land records and probate records also date to 1734. This makes St. Charles one of the older parishes in Louisiana from a records standpoint. Researchers doing genealogy work often find St. Charles records valuable because of how far back the collection goes.
One important caveat applies to the oldest records. Records previous to 1855 were burned when the courthouse at Hahnville was destroyed. Any records that survived from that early period came through other channels or copies made before the fire. If you are searching for a marriage record from before 1855, the Clerk of Court can tell you what is currently available and what may be held by the Louisiana State Archives or other repositories.
For records from 1855 onward, the collection at the Hahnville courthouse should be intact. The Clerk of Court can search by name, date, or other identifiers to locate a specific marriage record. Contact the office at (985) 783-6632 to ask about a specific time period or to start a search.
Note: The 29th Judicial District Court is the general jurisdiction court for St. Charles Parish and works alongside the Clerk of Court on all court-related records.
Marriage License Process in St. Charles Parish
Both parties must appear in person at the Clerk of Court in Hahnville to apply for a marriage license. You cannot apply by mail or online. Both people must be there at the same time with their documents. The office does not accept applications from a single party acting on behalf of both.
Louisiana law under R.S. 9:222 allows a license issued in any parish to be used statewide. So getting your license in St. Charles Parish does not mean you must marry here. The license is valid for 30 days. A 72-hour waiting period applies under R.S. 9:241 before the ceremony can take place. Plan your timeline so the waiting period ends before your wedding date.
Both applicants must bring valid photo ID, a certified birth certificate, and their Social Security numbers. If either person was previously married, a certified copy of the divorce decree or a death certificate for the former spouse is also required. Do not bring regular photocopies. All documents must be official certified versions.
Search St. Charles Parish Marriage Records Online
The eClerksLA portal provides online access to St. Charles Parish marriage records and other court filings. You can search by name, date range, or record type. eClerksLA is the primary statewide tool for searching Louisiana clerk of court records from a computer or phone. Results for St. Charles Parish are available through this system for many record types.
The eClerksLA portal shown above is where you can search St. Charles Parish marriage records online by name or date range without visiting the courthouse in Hahnville.
For public records requests related to St. Charles Parish government, the parish provides a formal process through the St. Charles Parish public records request page. This is separate from the Clerk of Court and covers parish government documents rather than court records. Use the Clerk of Court directly for marriage license records.
For certified copies of any marriage record, you must contact the Clerk of Court at (985) 783-6632 or visit the office in Hahnville. Online tools provide information and indexes only. An official certified copy requires the office's seal and is the only version accepted for legal purposes.
Louisiana Marriage Records Resources
Several state-level resources support searches for St. Charles Parish marriage records, especially for older or hard-to-find documents.
The Louisiana Clerks Remote Access Authority (LCRAA) portal gives statewide online access to records from parish clerks of court. Indexes from St. Charles Parish may appear through this system. It covers many record types and can help narrow down which parish holds a particular record.
The LCRAA portal above provides statewide access to Louisiana clerk of court records, including marriage records from St. Charles Parish and other parishes across the state.
The Louisiana State Archives is a key resource for older St. Charles Parish records, including marriage documents from the 1700s and 1800s. Given that St. Charles marriage records go back to 1739, the archives may hold material not available at the local courthouse due to the 1855 courthouse fire. Researchers should check both the local office and the state archives when searching very old records.
The Louisiana Department of Health issues certified marriage certificates for events after 1946. These are shorter documents that confirm a marriage occurred. For older records or for the full application details, the Clerk of Court in Hahnville is the right source.
The Louisiana State Archives shown above holds historical records that may include early St. Charles Parish marriage documents, particularly for the period before the 1855 courthouse fire.
Communities in St. Charles Parish
St. Charles Parish includes communities along the River Road corridor such as Hahnville, Luling, Boutte, Destrehan, and Ama. All marriage license applications and record requests for St. Charles Parish are handled by the Clerk of Court in Hahnville.
Nearby Parishes
The parishes listed below share borders with St. Charles Parish. Each has its own Clerk of Court for marriage records. Use the location of the marriage or the parish of residence to determine which office to contact.