Orleans Parish Death Records and Obituaries
Orleans Parish obituary records go back to 1804, making New Orleans one of the most document-rich places for death record research in the entire country. This page covers how to find and request Orleans Parish death records through the dual clerk system, the Vital Records office, the New Orleans Public Library archives, and state-level historical indexes.
Orleans Parish Quick Facts
Orleans Parish Dual Clerk System
Orleans Parish is unique in Louisiana. It has two separate Clerks of Court: one for civil matters and one for criminal matters. Most parishes have a single clerk. In New Orleans, if you need probate records, succession filings, or civil court documents tied to a death, you go to the Civil District Court. If you need criminal records, you contact the Criminal District Court. Knowing which clerk to call saves time.
The Orleans Parish Civil District Court Clerk is located at 421 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112. Their website is at orleanscivilclerk.com. This office handles civil cases, successions, probate filings, and related legal documents.
The Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Clerk is Hon. Darren Lombard. His office is at 2700 Tulane Avenue, Room 114, New Orleans, LA 70119. Phone is (504) 658-9000 and fax is (504) 658-9183. Email is dlombard@nola.gov. This office handles criminal cases and related filings. For death-related matters, the civil side is usually the right starting point, but the criminal court may have records in cases involving unnatural deaths or legal proceedings.
The Orleans Parish Criminal District Court website at criminalcourt.org shows case lookup tools and contact info. The image below is from that site.
The criminal clerk's site provides online case search and contact details for the New Orleans criminal court system.
| Civil District Clerk | Orleans Parish Civil District Court |
|---|---|
| Civil Address | 421 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112 |
| Civil Website | orleanscivilclerk.com |
| Criminal Clerk | Hon. Darren Lombard |
| Criminal Address | 2700 Tulane Avenue, Room 114, New Orleans, LA 70119 |
| Criminal Phone | (504) 658-9000 |
| Criminal Fax | (504) 658-9183 |
| Criminal Email | dlombard@nola.gov |
Orleans Parish Vital Records and Death Certificates
The Louisiana Vital Records Central Office is located right in New Orleans at 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400. This is the only walk-in office in the state for ordering certified death certificates from the Louisiana Department of Health. Walk-in service hours run 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM on weekdays. The phone number is (504) 593-5100, and there is also a fax line at (504) 568-6909.
For deaths that happened within the past 50 years, access is restricted under R.S. 40:41. Louisiana is a closed-record state. Only immediate family members, attorneys, insurance beneficiaries, and succession representatives can get certified copies. The fee is $7.00 plus a $0.50 state charge per certificate. The state does not accept credit cards directly. Payment must be by check or money order.
VitalChek handles phone and online orders. Call 1-877-605-8562 or visit the VitalChek platform to place a request and pay by card. Additional service fees apply. If you order by mail, allow 8 to 10 weeks for processing. The mailing address is Vital Records Registry, PO Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160.
The Louisiana Department of Health page at ldh.la.gov explains the full ordering process and eligibility rules. The screenshot below shows that resource.
The vital records ordering page covers all accepted methods, required documents, and fee schedules for requesting death certificates in Louisiana.
The Orleans Civil Clerk page at orleanscivilclerk.com provides access to civil records and succession filings in Orleans Parish. The image below is from that site.
The civil clerk site lists online case search options and contact information for civil court matters in New Orleans.
Historical Orleans Parish Death Records from 1804
Orleans Parish has death certificate indexes going back to 1804. That is more than 220 years of records. The Louisiana State Archives holds Orleans Parish death records from 1804 to 1946 and birth records from 1790 to 1904. These are some of the oldest civil vital records available anywhere in the United States.
The Louisiana State Archives are at 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, and can be reached at (225) 922-1206. The online death records index at vitalrecords.sos.la.gov covers deaths more than 50 years old. You can search by name and order copies online. Photocopies cost $5.00 and certified copies cost $10.00, both mailed to you. This index covers Orleans Parish as well as the rest of the state.
For deaths between 1911 and 1974, microfilmed records are available at the State Archives. For deaths before 1911, Orleans Parish is the only part of Louisiana with consistent records at the Archives. Birth records were not required statewide until 1918, so older records outside Orleans are sparse.
New Orleans Public Library City Archives
The New Orleans Public Library City Archives at 219 Loyola Avenue holds more than 650,000 names in its death and obituary indexes. Records run from 1804 through 1972. The Times-Picayune obituary index picks up from 1972 through the present. This makes the NOPL City Archives one of the most useful research tools for Orleans Parish genealogy anywhere in the country.
The library collection includes early French and Spanish colonial records, as well as records from the American period. For researchers working on families that were in New Orleans in the 1800s, this library archive is a key stop. The Louisiana Historical Society, founded in 1835 and the oldest in the state, has also collected documents that may supplement official records.
The Notarial Archives Research Center in New Orleans holds notarial documents going back to the 1700s. Wills, succession documents, and other legal papers tied to deaths may be found there for early New Orleans families. These archives are separate from the Clerk of Court but are a critical part of the Orleans Parish historical record.
Note: The NOPL City Archives collection focuses on names and dates, not full certificate copies. For certified copies, you still need to go through Vital Records or the State Archives.
Who Can Request Orleans Parish Death Certificates
For deaths within the 50-year confidentiality window, state law limits access. Eligible people include the surviving spouse, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of the deceased. Attorneys on firm letterhead with a bar roll number can also request on behalf of eligible clients. Succession representatives with a certified Letter of Testamentary and insurance beneficiaries with a signed policy copy also qualify.
For deaths more than 50 years old, anyone can request records. The online index at vitalrecords.sos.la.gov makes this straightforward. Under R.S. 44:19, fact of death letters are public and available to immediate family without the same restrictions. These letters confirm a death occurred but do not carry the full detail of a certified certificate.
Cities in Orleans Parish
Orleans Parish and the city of New Orleans are coterminous, meaning the parish and city share the same boundaries. New Orleans is the largest city in Louisiana and the only qualifying city in Orleans Parish.
Nearby Parishes
New Orleans is surrounded by several parishes. If the person you are researching lived near the city boundaries, these nearby parishes may also have relevant records.