How Many Death Certificates Do I Need in Louisiana?
From Everendium · Last reviewed October 17, 2026
This guide covers Louisiana. For the general overview, see Getting Death Certificates: How Many You'll Need and Why.
Quick answer
Louisiana sets no required number of death certificates; the right count depends on how many banks, insurers, and agencies each need an original certified copy. What Louisiana does set is the price: Louisiana sets the fee by statute at $7 per death certificate, so every copy costs the same. Orders through VitalChek add a security fee, and shipping fees may be added. If no record is on file, the fee is kept to cover the search. Participating Clerks of Court issue certified death certificates for deaths on or after July 7, 2012 at $26 each.
This is one of the most common practical questions after a death. Louisiana sets no required number, but it does set the price, which makes the count worth deciding before you order.
Is there a set number required by Louisiana?
No. The right number depends on how many banks, insurance companies, and government agencies in your situation each need their own certified copy, not on Louisiana law.
What will the copies cost in Louisiana?
Louisiana sets the fee by statute at $7 per death certificate, so every copy costs the same. Orders through VitalChek add a security fee, and shipping fees may be added. If no record is on file, the fee is kept to cover the search. Participating Clerks of Court issue certified death certificates for deaths on or after July 7, 2012 at $26 each. At those rates, ten certified copies would cost $70 in state or agency fees, before any online-vendor or shipping charges.
Does it matter when I order in Louisiana?
Every copy costs $7 at the state, so there is no price break for ordering together. Ten copies cost $70.
Which institutions typically require one?
Banks and credit unions, life insurers, retirement account administrators, the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (if applicable) are common examples, though your own list depends on your accounts and assets. See our general guide on getting death certificates.
Can I use photocopies instead?
Generally no. Most institutions require an original certified copy, though it’s worth asking each one, since policies occasionally vary.
Where can I order more in Louisiana?
At a participating Clerk of Court each copy costs $26, so ten would cost $260 against $70 from the state. Details on each option are in our guide to getting a death certificate in Louisiana.
Fees and rules change - confirm current details with the Louisiana Vital Records Registry before you send payment.
Sources
About this review
Everendium Editorial Team · last reviewed October 17, 2026.
Fees, eligibility rules, and ordering options were checked on October 17, 2026 against the state's own published fee information, application forms, and county government pages listed in the sources. Death certificate fees change often, and some official pages were read only as search extracts, so the current fee should be confirmed on the agency's page before paying. Recommended for periodic re-verification. This is general information, not legal advice
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