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The End of Life Plannerby Valoren

General information · not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.

Free · general informationLouisiana

Death certificates in Louisiana

What a certified copy of the death certificate costs in Louisiana and how one is ordered, in the official words. No figure on this page is ours; each is the office’s or the statute’s, with the date it was checked.

  • Every fact dated, in the official words
  • Each state’s own law

Every quotation checked October 24, 2026

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Every quotation on this page is the official body’s own words, as they stood on the day we read them. The date is beside each one.

Filing the death certificate: how soon, and before burial or cremation

A certificate of every death and every spontaneous fetal death except as noted in R.S. 40:49(B)(9) shall be filed with a registrar within five days after its occurrence.

In any case, a certificate shall be filed prior to interment, cremation, removal, or other disposition of the body.

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · La. R.S. 40:47(A)

Who prepares and files the death certificate

The funeral director or person acting as such shall prepare and file the certificate of death or spontaneous fetal death or stillbirth provided for in R.S. 40:47.

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · La. R.S. 40:49(A)

What a certified copy costs from the state, the charge on mail and online orders, and the Clerk of Court's price

Death Certificate $7.00 per copy

A $0.50 state charge must be added to each mail-in or VitalChek order.

Clerk of Court issued Death Certificate $26.00 per copy

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · LDH Vital Records

Where to order: participating Clerks of Court, the central office, and the delivery time

Participating Louisiana Clerks of Court offer certified copies of Louisiana Death Certificates for deaths occurring on or after July 7, 2012.

Vital Records Central Office 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400 New Orleans, LA 70112

allow approximately 8-10 weeks for delivery.

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · LDH Vital Records

A notary preparing a small succession, and the copy issued to them

The state registrar shall issue a certified copy of a death certificate to a notary if the notary submits his credentials and declares in writing that he is assisting an heir of the deceased in the preparation of a small succession in accordance with Code of Civil Procedure Article 3431 et seq.

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · La. R.S. 40:41(C)(6)

The statute's fees for copies sold to funeral directors

A fee of nine dollars for the issuance of an initial certified copy of a death certificate sold to funeral directors, and a fee of seven dollars for all subsequent issuances of the same death certificate.

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · La. R.S. 40:40(3)

The same page for other states

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FAQ

Common questions

Death Certificate $7.00 per copy

A $0.50 state charge must be added to each mail-in or VitalChek order.

Clerk of Court issued Death Certificate $26.00 per copy

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · LDH Vital Records

A fee of nine dollars for the issuance of an initial certified copy of a death certificate sold to funeral directors, and a fee of seven dollars for all subsequent issuances of the same death certificate.

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · La. R.S. 40:40(3)

Participating Louisiana Clerks of Court offer certified copies of Louisiana Death Certificates for deaths occurring on or after July 7, 2012.

Vital Records Central Office 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400 New Orleans, LA 70112

allow approximately 8-10 weeks for delivery.

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · LDH Vital Records

Participating Louisiana Clerks of Court offer certified copies of Louisiana Death Certificates for deaths occurring on or after July 7, 2012.

Vital Records Central Office 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400 New Orleans, LA 70112

allow approximately 8-10 weeks for delivery.

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · LDH Vital Records

This means that birth and death certificates are not public records.

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · LDH Vital Records

The state registrar shall issue a certified copy of a death certificate to a notary if the notary submits his credentials and declares in writing that he is assisting an heir of the deceased in the preparation of a small succession in accordance with Code of Civil Procedure Article 3431 et seq.

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · La. R.S. 40:41(C)(6)

A certificate of every death and every spontaneous fetal death except as noted in R.S. 40:49(B)(9) shall be filed with a registrar within five days after its occurrence.

In any case, a certificate shall be filed prior to interment, cremation, removal, or other disposition of the body.

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · La. R.S. 40:47(A)

The funeral director or person acting as such shall prepare and file the certificate of death or spontaneous fetal death or stillbirth provided for in R.S. 40:47.

Louisiana · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · La. R.S. 40:49(A)

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