Get a certified Louisiana Death Certificate

A certified copy of a Louisiana death certificate costs $9 from the Louisiana Vital Records Registry. Each additional copy ordered at the same time is $7. Expedited processing is available for an additional fee.

Yes, you can order a Louisiana death certificate online through an approved service provider. You may also apply by mail or in person at the Louisiana Vital Records Registry in New Orleans.

In Louisiana, eligible requesters include the surviving spouse, a parent, an adult child, a sibling, the executor of the estate, or a legal representative. If you need to request a death certificate on behalf of an eligible family member, you may submit a notarized Power of Attorney (PoA) or signed affidavit from the authorized person.

Louisiana death certificates become public records 50 years after the date of death. For records less than 50 years old, access is restricted to eligible individuals with a direct and tangible interest as defined by Louisiana law.

An officially certified death certificate from the Louisiana Department of Health and Social Services (LDH) will have unique security features to ensure its authenticity. The appearance of an official death certificate may vary depending on the year of issue, but it will contain essential details confirming the individual's identity at the time of death. Official death certificates from Louisiana typically feature the state seal, the individual's name, the date and place of death, and the state registrar’s signature. They are printed on secure, tamper-resistant paper with watermarks and other security elements. The LDH issues these certificates to state guidelines, and all counties follow these secure issuance procedures.

• Full Name of the Decedent: The full legal name of the person whose death is being recorded.
• Date of Death: The exact date and time of death of the individual.
• Place of Death: The city, county, and state where the death occurred, along with the specific facility or location.
• Cause of Death: The immediate and underlying causes of death, as certified by the attending physician or medical examiner.
• Medical Certification Information: Includes details about who certified the death, such as the attending physician or coroner, and any contributing medical factors.
• Demographic Information: The deceased's age, sex, race, ethnicity, marital status, education level, and occupation.
• Disposition Details: Information about the method of disposition (burial, cremation, etc.), the date and place of disposition, and the funeral home or director responsible.
• Informant Information: The name and relationship of the person providing personal details of the deceased.
• Social Security Number: The Social Security number of the deceased.

To correct or amend a death certificate in Louisiana, you need to contact the Louisiana Department of Health's Vital Records Registry, submit as amendment request through the funeral home or attending physician. Amendments are made using the interlinear method, crossing out old information and adding the new next to it.

The demographic section of a death certificate can be amended by the funeral home within one year of the death by submitting a request to the Vital Records Registry. This requires an amendment letter on official letterhead, including the deceased's name, date of death, item number(s) needing change, the incorrect and correct information, and the funeral director's original signature.

For the medical section, amendments must be requested by the attending physician or coroner in a similar format. Their letter must also include the necessary details and their original signature.

Apostilles may be ordered from the Louisiana Secretary of State by mail in only, or you can order online through Vital Records Online (VRO).

You need an apostille when you file documents with a foreign government. It is a special certificate that verifies the authenticity of vital records for international use and is acceptable in countries that are part of the Hague Convention.

VRO offers comprehensive apostille services for death certificates across all 50 US states. Governments and organizations acknowledge the service, which is legally valid in over 100 countries. VRO’s service comes with expert support, costs $149 (plus government fees), and can be accomplished online in just three steps.

If you are manually submitting a request for an apostille to the Louisiana Secretary of State, you will need to provide the following items:

1. The certified copy of the death certificate, with the original signature and seal of the current Louisiana State Registrar;
2. A completed Authentication Request Form.
3. A payment of $20.00 per document is made payable to the Louisiana State Treasurer.

Submit your request to the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commissions Division, at the following addresses:

In-person:

By Mail:

Ensure that you indicate the country to which the document will be submitted.