Plaquemines Parish Death Index

Plaquemines Parish death index records are available through the parish clerk's office in Belle Chasse and through the Louisiana Department of Health. This guide explains who can access these records, where to go, and how to request a certified copy of a death certificate.

Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court

The Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court is at 310 F. Edward Hebert Boulevard in Belle Chasse. Nicole F. Brierre serves as clerk. The office handles court records including probate filings, succession matters, and other civil proceedings that often follow a death. It also provides death certificate access for individuals who qualify under state law.

Belle Chasse is an unincorporated community that functions as the parish seat. The clerk's office is the main government records office for Plaquemines Parish. If you are settling an estate or handling a succession for a Plaquemines Parish resident, this office is your first stop for court filings. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

The Plaquemines Parish Clerk office is shown below. The screenshot is from the official clerk website.

Visit plaqueminesparish.com for current contact information or to check on record availability before your visit.

Who Can Access Plaquemines Parish Death Records

Louisiana law restricts access to death records that are less than 50 years old. The controlling statute is R.S. 40:41. It makes these records confidential and lists who can get a certified copy. You must fall into one of the eligible categories and show proof of your relationship to the deceased along with valid ID.

The list of eligible requesters under that law includes the surviving spouse, a parent, an adult child, a sibling, a grandparent, an adult grandchild, an insurance beneficiary with a letter from the insurer, an attorney acting for any of the above, or a succession representative or legatee. If you do not fit one of these categories, you cannot get a certified copy of a recent record. There is no appeal process or exception for people outside this group.

Records that are 50 years old or more are public. The Louisiana Public Records Law (R.S. 44:1) sets the baseline for open government records. Older death records fall under that open-access standard once the confidentiality period expires. Anyone can search and request those records through the State Archives.

The state registrar law (R.S. 40:40) gives LDH overall authority over vital records statewide. Plaquemines Parish is included in that system. All deaths registered in the parish flow into the statewide vital records database held by LDH.

Getting a Death Certificate for Plaquemines Parish

The Louisiana Department of Health issues certified death certificates for all parishes, including Plaquemines. LDH's Vital Records Registry is the main source. The office is at 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400, New Orleans. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The phone number is (504) 593-5100. LDH is located in New Orleans, which is relatively close to Belle Chasse for Plaquemines Parish residents.

The fee from LDH is $7.00 per certified copy. That rate applies to all parishes. For online orders, VitalChek at (877) 605-8562 handles the process. VitalChek verifies your identity and mails your certified copy. The LDH ordering guide at ldh.la.gov/page/643 walks through what to bring and how to submit your request. General info is at ldh.la.gov/vitalrecords.

Under R.S. 40:46, certified copies must bear the official state seal and meet specific format requirements. A plain copy or index printout does not meet this standard. For estate, insurance, or legal matters, always request a certified copy.

The LDH ordering guide page is shown below.

Read through the ordering steps before you go in person or mail your request. Having everything ready prevents delays and extra trips.

Historical Plaquemines Parish Death Records

For Plaquemines Parish deaths that occurred more than 50 years ago, the Louisiana State Archives holds the records. These older entries are open to the public. No relationship requirement applies once a record passes the 50-year mark. The Archives is managed by the Louisiana Secretary of State. Call (225) 922-1000 or visit sos.la.gov/historicalresources/researchhistoricalrecords to start your research.

The copy fee at the Archives is $5.00 for the first copy and $10.00 for each additional copy of the same record. These are research-quality copies. The free online index is a good starting point. Search the Louisiana Vital Records Online Index to see if the record you need is in the system before ordering. The index shows basic fields like name and date but not the full certificate text.

Plaquemines Parish is a long, narrow parish that runs south along the Mississippi River delta. It has a distinctive geography that has shaped its population. Historical death records from the parish reflect that geography and the communities that developed along the river. The Archives holds records that go back many decades for this parish.

What Plaquemines Parish Death Index Records Contain

A Louisiana death certificate includes the full legal name of the deceased, the date and place of death, the cause of death as certified by a physician or the parish coroner, and the name and contact info of the informant. The record also shows the person's date of birth, age at death, home address at the time of death, and next of kin.

The amount of detail on a record depends on the era. Modern records have more structured fields than older ones. Records from the mid-20th century or earlier may have handwritten entries and fewer data points. That is a reflection of what was standard practice at the time, not a flaw in current recordkeeping.

For estate and succession work in Plaquemines Parish, the clerk's office holds probate court records that can supplement the death certificate. Succession filings often include detailed family trees, asset lists, and information about heirs. These records are at the Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court in Belle Chasse. They are public court records under the Louisiana Public Records Law (R.S. 44:1) and can be requested by anyone.

Communities in Plaquemines Parish

Plaquemines Parish is primarily unincorporated. Belle Chasse is the largest community and serves as the parish seat, but it is technically unincorporated. Other communities along the parish include Port Sulphur, Buras, and Empire. None of these communities meet the population threshold for individual city pages. All Plaquemines Parish death records flow through the same state and local channels described on this page.

Nearby Parishes

These parishes border Plaquemines Parish. If you need a death record from a neighboring parish, each has its own clerk's office and uses the same state system for vital records.