Access St. Landry Parish Marriage Records
St. Landry Parish marriage records go back to 1807 and are maintained by the Clerk of Court in Opelousas under the 27th Judicial District. The clerk's office handles marriage license applications, certified copies, and record searches for all marriages filed in St. Landry Parish. An archives department with a dedicated archivist is on site, and marriage license indices are available online through eClerksLA. This guide covers how to find and access St. Landry Parish marriage records from any starting point.
St. Landry Parish Quick Facts
St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court
The Clerk of Court for St. Landry Parish is Charles Jagneaux. His office is located at 118 South Court Street, Suite 207, in Opelousas. Mail goes to P.O. Box 750, Opelousas, LA 70571. The office can be reached at (337) 942-5606. For marriage license inquiries, ask for extension 5128. For archives and historical records, ask for extension 5151. The admin fax is (337) 948-9158. The recording fax is (337) 948-7265.
You can also reach the office by email at charles.jagneaux@stlandryparish.org. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The clerk's website at stlandry.org is a good resource before your visit. It lists current requirements, contact details, and direct information about the archives and marriage license department.
St. Landry Parish has one of the most complete and well-organized record collections in Louisiana. Marriage licenses are available from 1807 to the present. Other records at the clerk's office go back to 1808. This depth of records makes St. Landry valuable for genealogy research as well as standard record requests.
The official St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court website above provides information about marriage license applications, fees, hours, archives access, and all other services offered from the Opelousas courthouse.
| Office Address | 118 South Court Street, Suite 207, Opelousas, LA 70570 |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | P.O. Box 750, Opelousas, LA 70571 |
| Main Phone | (337) 942-5606 |
| Marriage Licenses | ext. 5128 |
| Archives | ext. 5151 |
| Admin Fax | (337) 948-9158 |
| Recording Fax | (337) 948-7265 |
| charles.jagneaux@stlandryparish.org | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Clerk | Charles Jagneaux |
| Judicial District | 27th Judicial District |
St. Landry Parish Marriage Records Archives
The St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court maintains a full archives department on site at the Opelousas courthouse. The archives are located in room 11 in the basement of the courthouse. Archivist Larry J. Caillier II manages the collection. The archives hold a vast range of primary historical documents for St. Landry Parish going back to the early 1800s.
Marriage licenses in the archives run from 1807 to the present day. That is more than two centuries of continuous records for one parish. If you need to locate a marriage from anywhere in that span, the archives at the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court office have the records. For deep historical research, few parish offices in Louisiana can match the depth of what St. Landry has assembled.
The archives section of the clerk's website describes the collection and how to access it. You can contact the archives directly through extension 5151. If you are coming in person to search old records, calling ahead is a good idea so the archivist can help prepare for your visit.
The archives page above shows what the St. Landry Parish Clerk's archives contain, including marriage licenses from 1807 to the present and primary historical documents covering more than two centuries of parish records.
Note: The Election and Archives Center at 306 West Landry Street in Opelousas hosts monthly genealogy workshops. These sessions can help researchers learn how to navigate the parish's extensive record collection more effectively.
Getting a Marriage License in St. Landry Parish
Both people who intend to marry must go to the Clerk of Court office in Opelousas in person. No proxy applications are accepted. Both must be there at the same time. Bring everything the clerk needs before you go, or plan on a second visit.
Under R.S. 9:222, a license issued in St. Landry Parish is valid anywhere in Louisiana. The license is good for 30 days. A 72-hour waiting period applies from the time of issue before the ceremony can proceed, as required by R.S. 9:241. The waiting period is standard and applies to all applicants unless a judge issues a waiver.
Copies of marriage records at the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court cost $1.00 per page for regular copies. Certified copies are $7.00 each. If you need a certified copy of a marriage record for a legal matter, bring payment in the form of cash, check, or money order when you visit. Contact the office at (337) 942-5606 to confirm current fee amounts before your trip.
Required Documents for St. Landry Marriage Records Applications
Both applicants must bring their own documents. The office will not begin the process if anything is missing. Having everything ready before the trip to Opelousas saves time for everyone.
Each person needs a valid photo ID issued by a government agency. A driver's license, state-issued ID card, or passport is acceptable. You also need a certified birth certificate. Regular copies will not do. The certificate must be official and certified with a seal. Social Security numbers are required for both applicants. You also need to provide the full names and birthplaces of both parents for each applicant, including the mother's maiden name.
If either person has been married before, proof that the prior marriage ended must be provided. A certified copy of a divorce decree or a death certificate for a former spouse satisfies this requirement. Louisiana does not issue a new license without documentation of how the previous marriage ended. This applies whether the prior marriage ended one year ago or thirty years ago.
Search St. Landry Parish Marriage Records Online
Marriage license indices for St. Landry Parish are available online. The clerk's office participates in eClerksLA, the statewide Louisiana clerk of court records portal. Through eClerksLA you can search marriage records by name, date range, or other identifiers. Land records and court records are also available through online search at the clerk's office.
The contact page at stlandry.org lists all office extensions and the best way to reach the right department for your request. If you are not sure whether to call the marriage license line or the archives, the contact page can point you in the right direction.
The contact page for the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court shown above lists all direct extensions including the marriage license department at ext. 5128 and the archives at ext. 5151.
Certified copies of marriage records are not available through online searches. They must be obtained in person or by contacting the office directly. The fee is $7.00 per certified copy. For a large number of records or complex genealogy requests, calling the archives at ext. 5151 first is a good approach.
Louisiana Marriage Records Resources
Several state-level resources can help if you need to search beyond St. Landry Parish or locate records not held locally.
The Louisiana Clerks Remote Access Authority (LCRAA) portal provides remote online access to court records from parish clerks statewide. It can help you search across parishes if you are not certain which office has the record. Marriage license indexes may be available for St. Landry Parish and neighboring parishes through this system.
The Louisiana State Archives holds historical vital records from across the state. Since St. Landry's own record collection is so deep, the state archives are most useful for cross-parish comparisons or for records that predate what the local office maintains. The archives should be a secondary resource after checking the Opelousas courthouse first for St. Landry records.
The Louisiana Department of Health issues certified marriage certificates for marriages recorded after 1946. A certificate from the health department is a brief confirmation document. For the full marriage license record with all applicant details, use the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court, which has the complete record going back to 1807.
Note: St. Landry Parish's own archives are unusually comprehensive for Louisiana. For any record from 1807 onward, start with the Clerk of Court in Opelousas before going elsewhere.
Cities in St. Landry Parish
St. Landry Parish includes communities such as Opelousas, Eunice, Melville, Port Barre, and Ville Platte. All marriage license applications for residents of St. Landry Parish are handled by the Clerk of Court at 118 South Court Street in Opelousas.
Nearby Parishes
The parishes listed below border St. Landry Parish. Each has its own Clerk of Court for marriage records. Use the location of the marriage or where you reside to figure out which office applies to you.