How to Find Louisiana Marriage Records

United States US Vital Records How to Find United States Marriages Louisiana Vital Records Louisiana Marriages

Finding Louisiana Marriage Records

• Colonial marriages were recorded by the Catholic Church
• Louisiana uses "parishes" rather than counties
• Marriages are kept by the parish clerk for each county and usually begin at the creation of the parish
• 1957 - duplicate copies of the marriages were required to be sent to the state

Next Step: When did the marriage occur?

Marriage Records

Choose a time period:

• Before 1957
• 1957 to Present
• Marriage year unknown

Learn more about U.S. Marriage Records

Marriages Before 1957

• Colonial marriages were recorded by the Catholic Church
• Marriages are kept by the parish clerk for each parish and usually begin at the creation of the parish
  

If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for marriage information in other records.

STEP ONE: Find Marriage Information in Index

Marriage Indexes and Digital Images
Database Name - Index and Image	Link or links to access database		# of records
FamilySearch, Marriages, 1837-1957	On FamilySearch; free; INCOMPLETE for all counties and years		37,501

If you do not locate the marriage in the above, try:
Database Name-Index Only	Link or links to access database		# of records
Ancestry, Marriages, 1718-1925	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	562,712
Ancestry, Marriages, To 1850	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	29,692
Ancestry, Marriages, 1851-1900	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	43,140

Can't access Ancestry?	Visit your local family history center or your local public library.
No marriage record for your ancestor?	Search for Gretna Greens-- locations away from the home county where marriage laws were less restrictive. Search other records with marriage information.

Can't find your ancestor in the online index?		Tips for searching online indexes

STEP TWO: Obtain the Record

If you did not find your ancestor in the databases above, follow the instructions below:

PART A: You don't know the exact date or place of marriage

• If you know the parish of marriage, you can request a search for a fee from the parish clerk.
• If you don't know the date or parish of marriage, you can also try searching for marriage information in other records.

PART B: You know the exact date and place of marriage from your records

• Order a copy of a marriage record for a fee from the parish clerk.

OR

• View a copy of a marriage record on microfilm at a Family Search Center:

Some images of county marriage records may be available on microfilm at your local Family Search Center. If you know the approximate date and parish where the marriage took place, use the FamilySearch Catalog to see what is available.

• Search the FamilySearch Catalog by parish.
• Select the topic Vital Records. Look for records authored by the parish clerk.
• For a small fee, order the microfilm to view at a local FamilySearch Center.

Return to the Top: Choose another marriage year

Marriages 1957 to Present

• 1957 - duplicate copies of the marriages were required to be sent to the state

Currently, there are no online indexes to Louisiana marriage records for the period 1957 to the present.

Obtain the Certificate

PART A: You don't know the exact date or place of marriage

• If you know the parish of marriage, you can request a search for a fee from the parish clerk.
• If you don't know the date or parish of marriage, you can also try searching for marriage information in other records.

PART B: You know the exact date and place of marriage from your records

• Order a copy of a marriage record for a fee from the parish clerk.

OR

• Order a copy of a marriage record for a fee from VitalChek.

To Order Marriage Certificates
From Parish of Marriage		From VitalChek
Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state	Parish websites can be more difficult to use	Expedited orders	May be more expensive than ordering from the parish

Return to the Top: Choose another marriage year

Wiki Articles

• Learn more about U.S. marriage records
• How to find U.S. birth records
• How to find U.S. marriage records
• How to find U.S. death records
• United States Record Selection Table
• United States, How to Use Marriage Records
• United States Marriage Records
• United States Vital Records
• U.S. Vital Records Overview
• Locating United States Vital Records

• Louisiana, Marriages, 1816-1906 Index only.
• New Orleans Justices of the Peace, Index to Marriage Records, 1846-1880, index.
• http://www.sos.la.gov/HistoricalResources/ResearchHistoricalRecords/LocateHistoricalRecords/Pages/OrleansParishMarriageRecords.aspx Orleans Parish Marriage Records].
• New Orleans, Louisiana, Marriage Records Index, 1831-1920 Index only ($)
• Southwest Louisiana, Deaths Index, 1840-1906 Index only ($)
• Marriage contracts of French colonial Louisiana $)
• The New Orleans French, 1720-1733 ($)

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