St. Martin Parish Death Index Search

The St. Martin Parish death index is the reference point for locating death records in this Acadiana parish. Families, genealogists, and legal professionals use the index to confirm a death registration and then request the full certified certificate from the appropriate Louisiana agency.

St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court

The St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court is George R. "Bobby" Higginbotham, Jr. His office is at 415 S. Main Street, St. Martinville, LA 70582. The mailing address is PO Box 308, St. Martinville, LA 70582. You can reach the office at (337) 394-2210. The fax is (337) 394-2213. Email inquiries go to stmartinclerk@stmartinclerk.com. The official contact line reads: St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court, 415 S. Main Street, St. Martinville, LA 70582, (337) 394-2210.

The clerk's website is stmartinclerk.com. Note that the site has had connectivity issues at times. If the site is not loading, call the office directly to confirm current services and any online search tools that may be available. Staff can help you find court records by phone and direct you to the right process for requesting copies.

The clerk serves the 16th Judicial District Court. This court handles successions for St. Martin Parish. Successions are opened after a person dies and leaves property behind. The succession file names the deceased, states the date of death, identifies the heirs, and walks through the estate. These records are public under R.S. 44:1. They are a useful secondary source when you are researching a death and need to find details beyond the basic index entry.

The 16th Judicial District is shared with Iberia Parish. St. Martin and Iberia are sometimes grouped together in state statistical reporting and court administration. Keep that in mind if you are searching for court records that span both parishes.

Getting St. Martin Parish Death Certificates

Certified death certificates for St. Martin Parish come from the Louisiana Department of Health. LDH maintains the state death index under R.S. 40:40. Every death in Louisiana must be registered with the state. LDH holds those records and issues certified copies when a valid request is made.

For deaths in the last 50 years, access is limited. R.S. 40:41 spells out who qualifies. Eligible requestors include 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, and a succession representative or legatee. If you do not fall into one of these categories, you cannot get a certified copy of a recent death certificate unless a court orders it.

To request a certificate, contact LDH at (504) 593-5100. The office is at 1450 Poydras St Suite 400, New Orleans. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 3:30 PM. You can also use the LDH online order page or visit the LDH Vital Records page for full instructions. The state fee is $7.00 per certified copy.

The LDH how-to-order page breaks down each step of the request process. The screenshot below is from that page.

The LDH order page at ldh.la.gov/page/643 covers how to submit a death certificate request, what forms to use, and what identification to include with your order.

Following the steps on the LDH order page helps avoid delays from missing documents or incomplete information in your request.

Historical Death Records in St. Martin Parish

St. Martin Parish is one of the older parishes in Louisiana. Deaths recorded 50 or more years ago are accessible under the public access provision of R.S. 40:40. You do not need to show a family connection to get these older records. Anyone may request them from LDH or the State Archives.

The Louisiana State Archives holds many historical vital records, including older death certificates and related documents. Their free online vital records index lets you search by name and confirms whether a record exists before you place a formal order. The Archives office is reached at (225) 922-1000. You can also visit their historical records research page. Standard copies cost $5.00 and certified copies cost $10.00.

St. Martin Parish has a rich Acadian heritage. Older death records from this area can include Catholic church registers and pre-state records from the colonial period. The Archives and local historical societies may hold documents that go back centuries. Church records in the St. Martinville area are particularly well preserved for some families.

The screenshot below shows the Louisiana State Archives historical records portal, which covers older St. Martin Parish death records and other vital records from across the state.

The Louisiana State Archives historical records portal is the main source for older St. Martin Parish death index records going back before the modern vital records era.

Searching the online index first can confirm a record exists before you go through the steps of placing a formal order with the Archives or LDH.

What St. Martin Parish Death Index Records Show

A death index entry is a summary. It shows that a death was registered in St. Martin Parish. Basic index data includes the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and the parish of registration. Some older index entries include additional fields like age, parents' names, or cause of death.

The full certified death certificate from LDH contains much more. It includes the legal name, date and exact location of death, cause and manner of death, the name of the physician or coroner, funeral home and burial details, and next of kin information. You need the full certificate for estate filings, insurance claims, property transfers, and other legal purposes. Under R.S. 40:46, LDH is the official custodian of these documents. Only LDH-issued copies carry the required state seal.

Third-party ordering is available through VitalChek at (877) 605-8562. VitalChek works with LDH and can process requests when you prefer not to contact LDH directly. Note that convenience fees apply on top of the $7.00 state fee. Eligibility rules still apply for recent deaths regardless of which ordering method you use.

Communities in St. Martin Parish

St. Martin Parish includes St. Martinville (the parish seat), Breaux Bridge, Henderson, and several smaller communities. None of these places reach the population threshold for a dedicated city page. All death records for communities throughout St. Martin Parish are held at the state level through LDH, with succession records filed at the clerk's office in St. Martinville.

Nearby Parishes

St. Martin Parish is in the heart of Acadiana. Several parishes border it. If a death occurred near a parish boundary, confirm the registration parish before placing your request.