St. John the Baptist Parish Marriage Records

St. John the Baptist Parish marriage records are filed with the Clerk of Court under the 40th Judicial District. The Clerk of Court office has two locations in the parish: the main office in Edgard and a satellite office in LaPlace. Whether you need to apply for a marriage license, get a certified copy of a marriage record, or search past filings in St. John the Baptist Parish, the Clerk of Court handles all of it. Civil and criminal inquiry is available online along with civil e-filing for many record types.

St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court

Felicia C. Feist is the Clerk of Court for St. John the Baptist Parish. She was sworn in on June 30, 2024, becoming the first African-American elected to the position. Her office is the official keeper of all marriage records for the parish and handles license applications, certified copies, and record searches. The clerk's official website is at sjbparishclerk.gov.

The office has two locations. The main office is at 2393 Highway 18 (River Road) in Edgard. The mailing address for the main office is P.O. Box 280, Edgard, LA 70049-0280. The satellite office is at the Acruri Center, 1020 Cambridge Drive, LaPlace, LA 70068. If you live in or near LaPlace, the satellite office may be more convenient. Both locations can assist with marriage license applications and record requests.

Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The main phone number is (985) 497-3331. The fax is (985) 497-3972. For email inquiries, contact the office at edefrancesch@stjohnclerk.org. The office is committed to making public access to court records as easy as possible for parish residents and those conducting remote searches.

The official St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court website shown above is the starting point for marriage license information, online services, and contact details for both the Edgard and LaPlace offices.

Getting a Marriage License in St. John the Baptist Parish

The Clerk of Court office in St. John the Baptist Parish assists with marriage licenses at both the Edgard and LaPlace locations. Both parties must appear in person at either location. You cannot apply online, by mail, or through a proxy. Both applicants must be present together and bring their documents. The staff is available to help at both offices during regular business hours.

Louisiana law under R.S. 9:222 allows a marriage license issued in any Louisiana parish to be used for a ceremony anywhere in the state. Getting your license in St. John the Baptist Parish does not mean you must marry here. The license is valid for 30 days from the date it is issued. It expires after 30 days with no option to extend.

A 72-hour waiting period is required between the time the license is issued and the time the ceremony takes place. This comes from R.S. 9:241. The wait begins when the license is issued. Plan your application date accordingly so the 72-hour window ends before your ceremony. A judge can waive this in specific circumstances, but that is not standard practice.

Contact the office at (985) 497-3331 to ask about the current license fee and accepted payment methods. Bring cash, check, or money order to be safe. The fee is collected at the time you apply. There are no refunds once the license is issued.

Note: The satellite office at the Acruri Center in LaPlace is particularly convenient for residents of LaPlace, the largest community in the parish.

Documents Needed for St. John the Baptist Marriage License

Both applicants must bring documents on the day they apply. Neither the Edgard nor the LaPlace office can begin the application without all required paperwork. Here is what each person needs to have ready.

Bring a valid government-issued photo ID for each applicant. A driver's license, state ID, or passport all work. Each person also needs a certified birth certificate, not a photocopy or scan. The certificate must be an official version with a seal. Your Social Security number is required. The clerk also asks for the full names and birthplaces of both parents, including the mother's maiden name for each applicant.

If either person was married before, proof that the prior marriage ended is required. A certified copy of a divorce decree or a death certificate for a former spouse will satisfy this. Louisiana law does not allow a new license until proof of the prior marriage's end is provided. This rule is firm regardless of how long ago the previous marriage ended.

Search St. John the Baptist Parish Marriage Records Online

The St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court offers online access to civil and criminal records, as well as civil e-filing. Land records are also available online. For marriage records specifically, the office participates in eClerksLA, Louisiana's statewide clerk of court records portal. You can search marriage records using name, date range, or other identifiers without going to the courthouse.

The office also uses Clerk Connect for e-filing services. If you need to file documents electronically with the 40th Judicial District Court, Clerk Connect is the system to use. This is separate from searching for existing marriage records but part of the broader online services offered through the St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk.

Clerk Connect, shown above, is the electronic filing system used by the St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court for civil filings in the 40th Judicial District Court.

Certified copies of marriage records are not available through online portals. To get a certified copy, contact the clerk's office at (985) 497-3331 or visit either the Edgard or LaPlace location. Online access is for informational and filing purposes. Only the clerk can issue a certified copy with the official seal needed for legal use.

Louisiana Resources for Marriage Records

State-level tools can supplement your search for St. John the Baptist Parish marriage records, especially for older documents or research that spans multiple parishes.

The Louisiana Clerks Remote Access Authority (LCRAA) portal provides statewide remote access to court records from parish clerks. Marriage license indexes from St. John the Baptist Parish may be available through this system. It is a useful first step when you are not certain which parish office holds a record.

For historical research, the Louisiana State Archives maintains older vital records and marriage documents going back many decades. If the local Clerk of Court does not have a record from many years ago, the archives may be the next place to check. Their collection covers parishes from across Louisiana.

The Louisiana Department of Health issues certified marriage certificates for marriages recorded after 1946. A certificate from the health department confirms the marriage took place but is a shorter document than the full license record. For complete details including all applicant information, use the Clerk of Court in Edgard or LaPlace.

The Louisiana state directory page above provides contact information and official links for St. John the Baptist Parish, including the Clerk of Court offices in Edgard and LaPlace.

Cities in St. John the Baptist Parish

The largest community in St. John the Baptist Parish is LaPlace, which has a qualifying population and its own page on this site. The satellite Clerk of Court office is actually located in LaPlace at the Acruri Center, making it a convenient option for residents in that area. All marriage license applications and record requests for the parish go through the St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court, available at both the Edgard and LaPlace offices.

Nearby Parishes

These parishes border St. John the Baptist Parish. Each has its own Clerk of Court for marriage records. If you need records from a neighboring parish or are not sure which office to contact, check the parish where the marriage was filed.