Bossier Parish Obituary Records Lookup

Bossier Parish obituary records and death certificates are held by a combination of local and state offices in Louisiana. The Bossier Parish Clerk of Court in Benton maintains court records going back to 1830, including probate and succession filings tied to deaths in the parish. Certified death certificates come from the Louisiana Department of Health, and older deaths are searchable through the Secretary of State's online index and the State Archives. This page explains how to find and request Bossier Parish death records from each source.

Bossier Parish Clerk of Court

The Bossier Parish Clerk of Court is at 204 Burt Boulevard, 3rd Floor, in Benton. Clerk Jill M. Sessions heads this office, which holds marriage, divorce, probate, land, and court records going back to 1830. The office is part of the 26th Judicial District Court. For anyone researching a deceased person's estate or succession in Bossier Parish, this is the place to start. The Clerk's office runs on statutory fees, not tax money.

The Bossier Clerk offers an online indexing system for remote records access. Subscribers pay an $85 installation fee and $35 per month for access to the indexed records database. This is a good option for attorneys, researchers, or genealogists who need regular access to Bossier Parish court and probate records without traveling to Benton. The official Bossier Parish Clerk website has information on signing up for online access and what records are available.

The Recording Department at the Bossier Clerk's office receives deeds, mortgages, assignments of mortgage, modifications, releases, lis pendens, liens, judgments, UCCs, and plats. Death-related succession records go through the civil court side of the office. Both types of records can be relevant when tracing a person's death and estate history in Bossier Parish.

Bossier Parish Clerk Records Online

The screenshot below is from the Bossier Parish Clerk website, which provides information on services, online indexing subscriptions, and how to contact the office.

This official site is the best starting point for learning what the Bossier Clerk holds and how to access court and estate records connected to deaths in the parish.

The second screenshot below is also from the Bossier Clerk's official site, focusing on their contact and records access section. Visit bossierclerk.com to find forms, contact details, and instructions for requesting documents.

The site also confirms that birth and death certificates must be requested from the state vital records office, not the Clerk's office. Use the Clerk in Benton for court and estate documents, and contact the state for certified death certificates.

Certified Death Certificates for Bossier Parish

Louisiana is a closed-record state. Under RS 40:41, death records are confidential for 50 years from the year of death. Only eligible persons can get a copy during that window. The eligible list includes surviving spouse, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren. Attorneys acting for eligible family members, insurance beneficiaries with signed policy documentation, and succession representatives with certified Letters of Testamentary are also eligible.

The Bossier Parish Clerk's site confirms that birth and death certificates must be requested from the Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records Registry, not the local Clerk. The state office is at 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400, New Orleans. Walk-in hours are 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mail requests go to PO Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160, and take about 8 to 10 weeks. The fee is $7.00 plus $0.50 per copy. The full guide is at ldh.la.gov.

VitalChek at 1-877-605-8562 handles phone and online orders for an extra fee. For deaths on or after July 7, 2012, some Louisiana Clerks can issue certified copies locally for around $26. Check with the Bossier Parish Clerk at (318) 965-2336 to see if this option is available in Benton.

Note: Payment for mail requests must be check or money order, as the Vital Records Registry does not accept cash sent through the mail.

Historical Bossier Parish Death Records

Death records from 1911 to 1974 for Bossier Parish are held at the Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge. The Archives are at 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. Phone: (225) 922-1206. Pre-1976 Bossier Parish deaths are now public records, so any person can request them without proving family eligibility.

The Secretary of State's online death index at vitalrecords.sos.la.gov is a free search tool for deaths older than 50 years. Photocopy orders cost $5 and certified copies cost $10, delivered by mail. The SOS historical records index explains what is available and how to search. Starting with the free index saves time before paying for copies.

Bossier Parish records at the Clerk's office go back to 1830, making them useful for genealogists researching family history from the antebellum and Reconstruction periods. Probate files from the 1800s often list heirs, property, and the date a person died, all of which can supplement or replace a formal death record when one doesn't exist. Note that death certificates weren't required statewide until 1911, so pre-1911 records must come from the Clerk's probate files, church records, or other local sources.

Louisiana Death Record Law and RS 44:19

Fact of death letters are public records in Louisiana under RS 44:19. These letters confirm that a death occurred and can be requested by the deceased's spouse, parents, siblings, and children. They are not as detailed as a certified death certificate, but they serve a useful purpose when you need quick confirmation of a death for legal or administrative tasks.

Under La. Admin. Code tit. 48, Section V-11707, written requests for certified copies must include the requester's relationship to the deceased, identifying details, and payment by check or money order. These rules apply to all Bossier Parish death certificate requests regardless of the method used to submit them.

Cities in Bossier Parish

Bossier City is the largest city in Bossier Parish and has its own dedicated records page on this site.

Nearby Parishes

Death records are tied to the parish where the death occurred. If you're not finding a Bossier Parish record, try one of these neighboring parishes.