Access St. Tammany Parish Death Records

The St. Tammany Parish death index is the reference tool for finding death records in Louisiana's fastest-growing parish on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Families, attorneys, and researchers use the index to locate registered deaths and then obtain certified certificates from the appropriate state or local office.

St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court

The St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court is Melissa A. Hinton. Her office serves the 22nd Judicial District Court, which handles succession cases and other civil matters for the parish. The official contact information is: St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court, 701 N. Columbia Street, Covington, LA 70433, (985) 809-8700. The mailing address is PO Box 1090, Covington, LA 70434. The fax is (985) 809-8715. Email goes to clerkofcourt@sttammanycoc.com.

The clerk's website is sttammanycoc.com. Note that the site has had connectivity issues at times. If you cannot reach the site, call the office directly. The St. Tammany clerk offers online record searching and e-filing for court documents. This is one of the more technologically advanced clerk offices in Louisiana, which is consistent with the parish's rapid growth and the demand for efficient services from its large and growing population.

For death-related records at the parish level, the clerk handles succession filings. When someone dies in St. Tammany Parish and leaves an estate, the heirs open a succession in the 22nd Judicial District Court. Succession files name the deceased, state the date of death, and identify heirs and property. Under R.S. 44:1, these records are public. You can search for and view them through the clerk's online case search or by visiting the courthouse in Covington.

St. Tammany is one of Louisiana's most populous parishes. The clerk's office handles a high volume of cases. If you are searching for a succession record, the online search tool saves time compared to an in-person visit. Call (985) 809-8700 to confirm current search options and any fees for copies.

Certified St. Tammany Parish Death Certificates

The Louisiana Department of Health issues certified death certificates for St. Tammany Parish. LDH maintains the state death registry under R.S. 40:40. Every death in Louisiana, including those in St. Tammany Parish, must be registered with the state. LDH holds the master death index and issues certified copies when a valid request is made.

Under R.S. 40:41, deaths within the last 50 years are restricted. Only certain people may get a certified copy. These 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 showing a need), an attorney, and a succession representative or legatee. You must show proof of your eligibility when you submit the request.

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. The LDH online order page handles mail and online requests. The LDH Vital Records page gives full instructions. The state fee is $7.00 per certified copy. Third-party orders go through VitalChek at (877) 605-8562. Additional convenience fees apply through VitalChek.

The LDH Vital Records page is shown below.

The Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records site at ldh.la.gov/vitalrecords explains how to request a certified death certificate for St. Tammany Parish, what documents to include, and how eligibility works for recent deaths.

Review the LDH page before submitting to make sure you have the right form of ID and the correct documentation to prove your relationship to the deceased.

Historical Death Records: St. Tammany Parish Archives

For deaths 50 or more years old, the restriction under R.S. 40:41 does not apply. These older records are publicly accessible under R.S. 40:40. Anyone can request them. The Louisiana State Archives is the primary holder of historical vital records.

The Archives offer a free online vital records index that covers older deaths statewide. You can search by name and see the year and parish of registration. This is a useful first step before placing a formal order. Once you confirm the record exists, contact the Archives at (225) 922-1000 or through their historical records page. Standard copies cost $5.00 and certified copies cost $10.00.

St. Tammany Parish has been settled since the early 1800s. Older death records for the parish may include civil registration documents, church burial records, and coroner reports. The Archives may be able to direct you to older church records from the Covington and Mandeville areas if civil registrations are incomplete for the period you are researching.

The online index tool from the State Archives is shown in the screenshot below.

The Louisiana State Archives online index at sos.la.gov is the free search tool for confirming whether a historical St. Tammany Parish death record exists before placing a formal order.

Using the index before you order saves time and helps you confirm details like spelling variations in the name or the exact year of death.

What St. Tammany Parish Death Index Records Include

The death index is a summary record. It shows that a death was registered and gives basic identifying data. An index entry typically includes the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and the parish of registration. Some older entries include age, parents' names, cause of death, or the place of burial. The index helps you confirm the right record before you order a certified copy.

The certified death certificate from LDH is the complete legal document. It shows the legal name of the deceased, the date and exact location of death, cause and manner of death, the attending physician or coroner, funeral home details, disposition of remains, and next of kin information. This is what courts, banks, insurance companies, and probate proceedings require. Under R.S. 40:46, LDH is the official custodian. Only LDH-issued certified copies carry the state seal required for legal use.

The succession records at the 22nd Judicial District Court in Covington provide a complementary view. If someone died and opened an estate in St. Tammany Parish, the succession file will confirm the death, name the heirs, and document what the deceased left behind. These records are useful for both legal and genealogical research. Both the death certificate and the succession records are often needed together when settling a larger estate.

The VitalChek ordering page is shown below for reference.

The VitalChek portal at vitalchek.com is an authorized alternative to ordering directly through LDH for St. Tammany Parish death certificates, useful when you prefer online ordering or need to submit outside of LDH office hours.

VitalChek charges convenience fees on top of the $7.00 LDH fee, but may offer faster turnaround for some requests depending on the processing queue.

Cities in St. Tammany Parish

St. Tammany Parish is home to Slidell, the only city in the parish with a dedicated records page. Other communities include Covington, Mandeville, Bogalusa, Abita Springs, and several unincorporated areas. Death records for all communities in the parish go through LDH, with succession filings at the 22nd Judicial District clerk in Covington.

Nearby Parishes

St. Tammany Parish sits on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. If you are unsure which parish registered a death, the location where the person died determines the registration parish.