St. Landry Parish Obituary Records

St. Landry Parish obituary records and death certificates are managed through the parish Clerk of Court in Opelousas for deaths from 2011 forward, and through state offices for older records. Death certificates in Louisiana are restricted for 50 years, so access depends on your relationship to the deceased. This page covers who qualifies, where to apply, what to bring, and how the state archives handle historical St. Landry Parish death records.

Who Can Access St. Landry Parish Death Records

Louisiana law under RS 40:41 keeps death certificates confidential for 50 years after the year of death. St. Landry Parish follows this rule, as does every parish in Louisiana. A death from 2010 stays restricted until 2061. Access during that window is limited to close family members and authorized parties.

At the St. Landry Parish Clerk's office specifically, only immediate surviving family or beneficiaries can obtain a death certificate. The Clerk requires you to bring a pictured ID. You must also provide your name as applicant, the date of death, the parish or city where the death occurred, the parent's names, and the mother's maiden name. This is more detailed than what some other parish clerks require, so it is worth gathering this information before you visit.

Under RS 44:19, fact of death letters are public. Anyone can request one. They confirm a death occurred but do not include the same level of detail as a certified death certificate. Louisiana's general public records law under RS 44:31 does not override the 50-year restriction for death certificates.

Note: The St. Landry Parish Clerk holds death certificates from the period of 2011 to present. Records before 2011 must be requested from the Louisiana Vital Records Registry.

St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court

The St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court in Opelousas handles death certificates from 2011 to present, as well as birth records from 1915 forward. The Clerk's office is part of the 27th Judicial District Court. For birth and death record inquiries, call the specific extensions listed below, not the general office line.

Fees at the Clerk's office are: Death Certificate $26.00, Birth Certificate $34.00. The Clerk also issues birth cards. Birth records from 1915 to present are available for anyone born in Louisiana, but death certificates have stricter eligibility rules. The page at stlandry.org/licenses-documents/birth-death-certificates has the current fee schedule and instructions for applying.

Bring all required information when you visit. Missing items like the mother's maiden name or date of death can slow down or stop your request. The office cannot process incomplete applications.

Succession and Probate Records in St. Landry Parish

When a person in St. Landry Parish dies with property, a succession is often opened at the Clerk of Court. These filings list the deceased, name heirs, and reference the death. Succession and probate records are court documents. They are not subject to the same 50-year restriction as death certificates. Anyone can typically view or request these records from the Clerk's office.

Succession searches work best when you have the deceased person's full name and approximate year of death. For older succession records from St. Landry Parish, the Clerk may hold paper ledgers dating back many decades. Contact the office at (337) 942-5606 to ask about availability before visiting.

Louisiana Vital Records Registry

The Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records Registry is the state's central office for death records across all 64 parishes, including St. Landry. For deaths before 2011 in St. Landry Parish, this is where you need to go. Walk-in service at 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400, New Orleans runs from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM weekdays. Phone: (504) 593-5100. Mail requests go to PO Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160, and take 8 to 10 weeks.

The state charges $7.00 per death certificate plus a $0.50 state charge, which is lower than the $26.00 charged at the Clerk's office. Phone orders go through VitalChek at 1-877-605-8562. Mail orders require a check or money order. The administrative procedures for ordering by mail are laid out in Louisiana Administrative Code Title 48, Section V-11707.

Historical Death Records at Louisiana State Archives

The Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge holds microfilmed death records from 1911 to 1974 for all Louisiana parishes, including St. Landry. These records are all more than 50 years old and are open to the public. No eligibility proof is required. The Archives are at 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, phone (225) 922-1206.

The online Louisiana Vital Records Index at the Secretary of State's website lets you search for St. Landry Parish deaths more than 50 years ago. Certified copies cost $10 by mail; photocopies are $5. The searchable interface at vitalrecords.sos.la.gov is the place to start for family history work on older St. Landry Parish records before placing a formal order.

For St. Landry Parish deaths before 1911, some historical records may exist in older civil registers or church records. The Archives staff can advise on what materials survive for that period.

Note: St. Landry is one of the more populous inland parishes in Louisiana, so death records from the early 20th century are likely to be reasonably well-preserved in the state microfilm collection.

Cities in St. Landry Parish

St. Landry Parish communities include Opelousas, Eunice, Melville, and Sunset. For obituary records and death certificate requests anywhere in St. Landry Parish, contact the Clerk of Court at 118 South Court Street, Suite 206, Opelousas and use ext. 5129, 5161, or 5136 for birth and death records.

Nearby Parishes

St. Landry Parish is a large inland parish in south-central Louisiana, bordering several other parishes. Deaths near parish lines may have records held in an adjacent Clerk of Court.