Union Parish Obituary Records Search

Union Parish obituary records and death certificates are available through the Clerk of Court in Farmerville and through Louisiana's state vital records system for deaths before 2012. This page explains where to find Union Parish death records, how to request copies in person or by mail, and what is available online through the clerk's eSearch portal or the state's historic records index.

Union Parish Clerk of Court Death Records

The Union Parish Clerk of Court handles death certificates for deaths registered from January 2012 to the present. Dodi Eubanks has served as Union Parish Clerk of Court since July 1, 2008. The main office is at 100 East Bayou Street, Suite 105, Farmerville, LA 71241. The phone number is (318) 368-3055 and the fax is (318) 368-3861. You can also visit the clerk's site at upclerk.com.

The Union Parish Clerk's office has moved some departments temporarily. Civil, Probate, Juvenile, Protective Orders, and Non-Support departments now operate out of 207 East Bayou Street, Farmerville, LA 71241. Call before you go to confirm which address handles your type of request. This applies to anyone looking for court records tied to a death case or estate matter.

The clerk's office offers eFiling, eRecording, eSearch, and online marriage applications. The eSearch tool lets you search court records around the clock without visiting the courthouse. This is a useful option for records related to probate or estate proceedings connected to a death in the parish.

The Union Parish Clerk website at upclerk.com shows available online services. The image below shows the clerk's official page.

The clerk's site lists all digital services including eSearch, eFiling, and how to reach the office for death certificate requests.

Pre-2012 Union Parish Death Records

Deaths that occurred before January 2012 are not available at the Union Parish Clerk's office. For those records, go to the Louisiana Vital Records Registry. The Registry is at 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400, New Orleans, LA 70112. Phone is (504) 593-5100. Mail goes to Vital Records Registry, PO Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160. Mail requests take 8 to 10 weeks.

Louisiana treats death records as closed records under R.S. 40:41. A death record stays confidential for 50 years from the year of death. After that, it moves to the Louisiana State Archives at 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge. The Archives hold microfilmed death certificates from 1911 through 1974 and can be reached at (225) 922-1206.

The image below shows additional records resources for Union Parish accessible through the clerk's online portal and court records system.

The online records system for Union Parish provides remote access to many court and property records without requiring an in-person visit.

Note: For deaths between 1918 and 1948, requests must go to the Louisiana State Archives. The Department of Health handles records from 1949 through 2011.

Who Can Access Union Parish Death Certificates

Only certain people may obtain a certified death certificate for a death in the past 50 years. Louisiana's closed-record law under R.S. 40:41 is strict. Eligible people include the surviving spouse, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of the person named on the certificate. If you fall outside this group, you will need a court order or must wait until the 50-year period passes.

Attorneys can act on behalf of eligible family members. They must use firm letterhead and include their bar roll number. A succession representative must show a certified Letter of Testamentary. An insurance beneficiary must provide a signed copy of the policy naming them as beneficiary.

After 50 years, records are open to the public. Search the Secretary of State's online index at vitalrecords.sos.la.gov. Uncertified copies cost $5.00. Certified copies cost $10.00. Under R.S. 44:19, fact of death letters are public records that immediate family can get at any time.

Online Death Record Search in Union Parish

The Louisiana Secretary of State's online index at sos.la.gov covers deaths more than 50 years old. Search by name and order copies by mail. This is the easiest way to find records from the 1970s or earlier without visiting the State Archives in person.

For recent deaths, VitalChek at 1-877-605-8562 processes online orders. Extra fees apply. The state health department page at ldh.la.gov outlines the full process. Administrative procedures for certified copy requests are set out in La. Admin. Code tit. 48, § V-11707. Mail payment must be check or money order — never cash.

Union Parish Obituaries and Local Resources

Newspaper obituaries and government death certificates serve different purposes. Obituaries are public notices, not legal documents. They appear in local newspapers and on funeral home websites. The Farmerville Gazette and other Union Parish area papers have printed obituaries for generations.

Older newspaper issues may be on microfilm at the Union Parish library or at the Louisiana State Library in Baton Rouge. Genealogists researching Union Parish families should also check the State Archives for supplemental records. Church records in Farmerville and other Union Parish communities have sometimes preserved death and burial information that predates state registration requirements.

Cities in Union Parish

Union Parish is a rural parish in north Louisiana. Farmerville is the parish seat. For all death records in the parish, contact the Clerk of Court in Farmerville.

Nearby Parishes

Records for Union Parish families may also be held in the surrounding north Louisiana parishes.