How to Get a Death Certificate 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
In Louisiana, certified death certificates are issued by the Louisiana Department of Health's Vital Records Registry in New Orleans, its Vital Records service centers, and participating Clerks of Court. 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.
Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in Louisiana, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to Louisiana.
Who issues death certificates in Louisiana?
Certified copies come from the Louisiana Department of Health’s Vital Records Registry in New Orleans, its Vital Records service centers, and participating Clerks of Court. In practice, the funeral home usually files the certificate and orders an initial batch of certified copies for you.
How much does a certified copy 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.
Who can order a copy in Louisiana?
Death certificates are not public records in Louisiana. Entitled people, such as family and legal representatives, can order, and anyone else needs a signed authorization release and ID, as Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:41 requires.
How do I order more copies in Louisiana?
- By mail: to the Louisiana Vital Records Registry, New Orleans, LA 70160, with the application, a copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order payable to “Louisiana Vital Records.” The department says to allow about 8 to 10 weeks.
- In person: at the Vital Records Central Office in New Orleans or a Vital Records service center, paying by cash, check, or money order.
- At a Clerk of Court: participating Clerks offer certified copies of death certificates for deaths on or after July 7, 2012, for $26 each.
- Online or by phone: through VitalChek, the state’s authorized vendor. The state does not take credit cards or online orders itself.
What else should I know before I order?
If you need the certificate quickly, the Central Office, a service center, or a Clerk of Court is much faster than mail, which the state says takes about 8 to 10 weeks.
What should I do next?
Confirm with the funeral home how many copies it is ordering for you, then decide how many more you need; see how many death certificates you need in Louisiana and our general guide to death certificates.
Add this to your Final Day Plan: your Social Security number, birthplace, and parents’ full names - the death certificate application asks for these, and they’re often surprisingly hard for a family to track down under pressure.
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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