Plaquemines Parish Obituary Records
Plaquemines Parish obituary records and death certificates are handled through the Clerk of Court in Belle Chasse, in partnership with the Louisiana Bureau of Vital Records. This page explains how to request Plaquemines Parish death records, what they cost, who can access them, and how to find historical records more than 50 years old through state archives.
Plaquemines Parish Quick Facts
Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court Death Records
The Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court is at 301 South Main Street, Belle Chasse, LA 70037. The mailing address is PO Box 40, Belle Chasse, LA 70037. You can reach the office by phone at (504) 934-6610 or by fax at (504) 934-6629. This office has partnered with the Louisiana Bureau of Vital Records to provide birth and death certificate services locally, which makes it more convenient for residents than traveling to New Orleans.
Death certificates for deaths from 2012 to the present are available at the Clerk's office for $26.00 per copy. Plaquemines Parish death records are confidential for the first 50 years from the date of death. Once that window passes, records transfer to the Louisiana State Archives and become accessible to the public. For deaths from before the partnership began, you will need to contact state Vital Records directly.
The Clerk's office handles a full range of legal documents including real property records, civil filings, and court documents. For families dealing with a recent death, the local presence in Belle Chasse can be more practical than going all the way to New Orleans for state records. The clerk is the first stop for recent Plaquemines Parish deaths.
The Plaquemines Parish Government website at plaqueminesparish.gov has information on parish services including the clerk. The screenshot below shows that parish government resource.
The parish government site provides links to departments, services, and contact information for Plaquemines Parish offices in Belle Chasse.
| Address | 301 South Main Street, Belle Chasse, LA 70037 |
|---|---|
| Mailing | PO Box 40, Belle Chasse, LA 70037 |
| Phone | (504) 934-6610 |
| Fax | (504) 934-6629 |
| Death Cert Fee | $26.00 (2012-present) |
| Historical Records | 50+ years: Louisiana State Archives |
Plaquemines Parish Health Unit Records
The Plaquemines Parish Health Unit is a local office of the Louisiana Department of Health. It handles public health matters in the parish, including some vital records services. For death-related questions at the local level, the health unit can direct you to the right resource, whether that is the parish clerk or the state vital records office.
The health unit serves communities along Plaquemines Parish, which stretches south of New Orleans along the Mississippi River. Residents in the lower part of the parish may find the health unit easier to reach than the Belle Chasse courthouse. Staff there can answer questions about death record access and the forms required to request certified copies.
The Louisiana Department of Health directory page for the Plaquemines Health Unit is at ldh.la.gov. The image below is from that resource.
The health unit directory listing shows address, phone, and service details for the local LDH office in Plaquemines Parish.
State Vital Records for Plaquemines Parish Deaths
For deaths that are not available through the local Clerk's office, contact the Louisiana Vital Records Registry at 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400, New Orleans, LA 70112. Phone is (504) 593-5100 and walk-in hours are 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM on weekdays. Mail requests go to PO Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160 and take 8 to 10 weeks to process.
Louisiana is a closed-record state under R.S. 40:41. Death records are confidential for 50 years after the year of death. Only immediate family members and certain legal representatives can get certified copies during that period. The fee is $7.00 plus $0.50 per certificate. VitalChek at 1-877-605-8562 handles phone and online orders with additional fees. The state does not take credit cards directly, so mail requests require a check or money order.
Under R.S. 44:19, fact of death letters are public records available to immediate family without the same access restrictions as a certified death certificate. These letters are useful when you only need confirmation of a death rather than the full certificate.
Older Plaquemines Parish Death Records
Deaths from more than 50 years ago are public in Louisiana. These records can be found at the Louisiana State Archives at 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, which can be reached at (225) 922-1206. The Archives hold microfilmed death certificates for events between 1911 and 1974. Some older parish-level records may also be on file depending on what was preserved over time.
The Secretary of State's online death index at vitalrecords.sos.la.gov lets you search by name for deaths more than 50 years ago and order copies online. Photocopies cost $5.00 and certified copies cost $10.00. This system is run by the Louisiana Secretary of State and covers the whole state, including Plaquemines Parish.
Plaquemines Parish's position along the Mississippi River means it has a long and distinct local history. Newspaper archives, funeral home records, and church registers can round out your research when official government records are limited. The local library system and the Louisiana State Library in Baton Rouge may have microfilm collections of local newspapers that carried obituary notices going back many decades.
Who Can Access Plaquemines Parish Death Certificates
For deaths within the 50-year confidentiality window, state law restricts access to the surviving spouse, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of the deceased. Attorneys with a bar roll number on firm letterhead and succession representatives with a certified Letter of Testamentary also qualify. Insurance beneficiaries with a signed policy copy can request records for that specific purpose.
If you do not qualify under these categories, you may still be able to get a fact of death letter. You can also access records through the online index once they pass the 50-year mark. The Louisiana Sunshine Law under RS 44:31 governs most public records, but vital records fall under R.S. 40:41 which creates the 50-year restriction. These rules apply across all 64 Louisiana parishes, including Plaquemines.
Cities in Plaquemines Parish
Plaquemines Parish is a long, narrow parish stretching south from New Orleans along the Mississippi River. The parish seat is Belle Chasse. For death records tied to any community in the parish, start with the Clerk of Court at 301 South Main Street in Belle Chasse.
Nearby Parishes
Plaquemines Parish borders Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard parishes. Families in the greater New Orleans area may have records spread across these parishes.