West Feliciana Parish Marriage Records
West Feliciana Parish marriage records are filed and kept at the Clerk of Court office in St. Francisville, the parish seat. The 20th Judicial District Court serves both West Feliciana and East Feliciana parishes. Whether you are applying for a marriage license in West Feliciana Parish, searching for a past record, or requesting a certified copy, the St. Francisville courthouse is the right place to start. Statewide online portals also provide search access to West Feliciana Parish marriage records.
West Feliciana Parish Quick Facts
West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court
The West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court is located at the West Feliciana Parish Courthouse in St. Francisville. This office issues all marriage licenses and maintains the official marriage records for West Feliciana Parish. It also handles civil, land, and other public records for the parish.
If you need to apply for a marriage license, you come to this office. If you need to search for an older West Feliciana Parish marriage record, staff can look it up by name or approximate date. For certified copies, you request them directly from the clerk. Certified copies carry the official seal and are required for legal matters such as name changes, insurance claims, and estate filings.
The 20th Judicial District covers both West Feliciana and East Feliciana parishes, but each parish keeps its own records. If you are looking for a marriage record and are not sure which parish to contact, reach out to the clerk where the ceremony took place, not the district court itself.
St. Francisville is a small community, and the Clerk of Court office serves the whole parish. Call before you visit to confirm hours and what to bring. This can save you a trip if anything has changed.
| Courthouse | West Feliciana Parish Courthouse St. Francisville, LA |
|---|---|
| Judicial District | 20th Judicial District (shared with East Feliciana Parish) |
Getting a Marriage License in West Feliciana Parish
To apply for a marriage license in West Feliciana Parish, you go to the Clerk of Court in St. Francisville in person. Bring valid photo ID for each applicant. A driver's license, state ID, or passport works. Certified birth certificates for both parties are also required. The certificate must carry an official seal from the issuing agency. A plain photocopy will not work.
Louisiana law requires a waiting period after the license is issued before the ceremony can take place. Under R.S. 9:222, a license from West Feliciana Parish is valid across Louisiana. So if you get your license in St. Francisville but hold your ceremony elsewhere in the state, the license is still valid. The license is good for 30 days. Let it lapse unused and you start over.
If either party was previously married, you need proof that the marriage ended. A certified divorce decree or the death certificate of a former spouse satisfies the requirement under R.S. 9:241. Come with that documentation if it applies. The clerk will not issue a new license without it.
You will need your Social Security number and the names and birthplaces of both parents, including the mother's maiden name for each applicant. If you have questions about the process, call the clerk's office before your visit. It is a small parish and staff are generally available to help.
Note: Minor applicants between 16 and 17 require parental consent. No one under 16 may receive a marriage license in Louisiana.
Search West Feliciana Parish Marriage Records Online
You can search West Feliciana Parish marriage records through eClerksLA, the statewide Louisiana clerks portal. This system provides access to marriage records from participating Louisiana parishes and is available around the clock. It is free for basic index searches and does not require creating an account.
The eClerksLA statewide portal shown above is one of the main online tools for searching West Feliciana Parish marriage records. It connects records from across Louisiana and runs 24 hours a day.
The Louisiana Clerks Remote Access Authority (LCRAA) portal is a second statewide option for free public access to court records, including marriage license indexes from West Feliciana Parish. Results often link back to the individual parish clerk's website for copies.
The LCRAA portal above gives free access to West Feliciana Parish marriage records and other public records from Louisiana parish clerks. It is a useful secondary search tool alongside eClerksLA.
For certified copies of any record, only the West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court can issue official documents. Online search gives you index information, not certified copies with legal standing.
Louisiana Marriage Records State Resources
Several state-level resources round out your options when searching for West Feliciana Parish marriage records.
The Louisiana State Archives holds historical marriage records and older vital documents. West Feliciana has a long history, and for records going back many decades, the archives can be a better source than modern digital systems. Their collection covers material going back to the 1800s in some parishes, making it a key resource for genealogy and family history research.
The Louisiana State Archives page above provides access to historical marriage records and vital documents for West Feliciana Parish and other Louisiana parishes. It is especially useful for older records and genealogy research.
The Louisiana Department of Health issues certified marriage certificates for events after 1946. These certificates are shorter than a full court record but valid for most legal and identification purposes. If you need the full marriage license application with all applicant details, go to the West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court in St. Francisville.
Note: The 20th Judicial District covers both West and East Feliciana parishes. Each keeps its own marriage records. Contact the clerk in the parish where the marriage was recorded.
Communities in West Feliciana Parish
West Feliciana Parish is one of Louisiana's smallest parishes by population. St. Francisville serves as the parish seat and home of the Clerk of Court. Other communities in the parish include Tunica and surrounding rural areas. All marriage license applications for West Feliciana Parish residents are handled by the Clerk of Court in St. Francisville.
Nearby Parishes
West Feliciana Parish borders several parishes. Each has its own Clerk of Court for marriage records. Contact the clerk in the parish where the marriage took place for records specific to that parish.