Jefferson Davis Parish Birth Records

Jefferson Davis Parish birth records are issued in person at the Jefferson Davis Parish Clerk of Court office in Jennings, where the clerk issues certified copies of Louisiana birth certificates to eligible requesters. The office handles birth records as part of a broader set of services that include marriage licenses, passport applications, conveyances, and mortgage filings, and it operates entirely on fees collected for those services rather than tax revenue.

Jefferson Davis Parish Clerk of Court

The Jefferson Davis Parish Clerk of Court is located at 300 N. State St., Room 106, in Jennings, Louisiana. Clerk Richard "Rick" M. Arceneaux leads the office, with Chief Deputy Missy Gary handling day-to-day operations. You can reach the office by phone at (337) 824-1160, by fax at (337) 824-1354, or by email at missy@jeffdavisclerk.com. The mailing address is P.O. Box 799, Jennings, LA 70546.

The clerk's office describes its role clearly: it is the parish recorder, the chief election official, and the custodian of many public records in Jefferson Davis Parish. Beyond birth certificates, the office records conveyances and mortgages, issues marriage licenses, and handles passport applications. The office is self-sufficient and runs entirely on fees collected for services provided, not on tax funding. That means every service has a set fee, and those fees support the operation of the office.

For a look at the clerk's main website and services, visit jeffdavisclerk.org.

The site covers all clerk services including birth certificates, civil bookkeeping, conveyances, and more.

You can also find Jefferson Davis Parish listed in the Louisiana Department of Health's parish-level vital records directory.

The state directory at ldh.la.gov is a useful reference if you need to check contact info or compare access options across different parishes.

Getting Birth Records in Jefferson Davis Parish

The Jefferson Davis Parish Clerk of Court only accepts birth certificate requests in person. The office does not take requests by phone. It does not accept mail-in requests. If you need a certified copy of a Louisiana birth certificate, you must walk into the Jennings office during business hours, fill out the application, show your ID, and pay the fee on the spot.

This in-person-only rule is worth noting if you live outside Jennings or outside Jefferson Davis Parish. There is no workaround at the local level. If you cannot make it to the clerk's office in person, your other option is to order through the Louisiana Vital Records office in New Orleans at 1450 Poydras St., Suite 400, (504) 593-5100, or order online through VitalChek. Both of those routes allow you to submit a request without coming to Jennings.

At the clerk's office, staff access the Louisiana Bureau of Vital Records database to print your certificate. This means the Jennings office can issue records for births anywhere in the state, not just those born in Jefferson Davis Parish. If you were born in Baton Rouge or Lake Charles but now live in the Jennings area, you can still walk into this office and get your record.

For records from before 1983, the Bureau of Vital Statistics may need to update the record before a certificate can be printed. Plan to arrive early in the day if your birth year is before 1983. Pre-1983 updates can add time to the process. Newborns also face a 90-day wait before their certificates are available in the state system.

Who Can Request Birth Records in Jefferson Davis Parish

Louisiana birth records are restricted under LSA R.S. 40:36, which makes birth certificates confidential for 100 years from the date of birth. Not anyone can request a certified copy. You must have a direct and tangible interest in the record, and state law defines exactly who that includes.

Eligible people include the person named on the certificate; that person's current spouse; parents listed on the certificate; an adult child of the named person; a sibling; a grandparent; a grandchild; a licensed attorney representing the named individual; or a legal guardian who holds a court judgment. Note that notarized papers alone are not accepted as proof of guardianship in Louisiana. A valid court judgment is required.

You must bring identification to the Jennings office when you apply. One primary document or two secondary documents are required. Primary ID options include a state driver's license, state picture ID card, military ID, U.S. or foreign passport, or a Certificate of Naturalization. If you lack primary ID, two secondary documents may be combined to meet the requirement.

Under LSA R.S. 40:61, providing false information on a birth certificate application is a crime. The penalty can reach $10,000 in fines or up to five years in prison. The individual who signs the application is the one prosecuted if false information is found. The clerk's office is transparent about this rule, and it applies in every parish in Louisiana.

Birth Certificate Fees in Jefferson Davis Parish

Jefferson Davis Parish charges $26.00 for each certified birth certificate. This is lower than the standard $34.00 fee charged by many other Louisiana parishes. Call the office at (337) 824-1160 to confirm current pricing before your visit, as fees can change.

Payment at the Jefferson Davis Parish Clerk of Court is by cash or credit card only. Checks and money orders are not accepted. The office asks that you bring the exact amount if paying by cash. Credit card payments are accepted, which gives you a bit more flexibility than cash-only parishes.

Under LSA R.S. 40:39.1, a birth card cannot be purchased on its own. It can only be sold as a bundle with the birth certificate. If you want both the certificate and the card, ask the clerk about the combined price at the time of your visit. Death certificates are also available at the office; ask for the current death certificate fee when you call ahead.

There are no mail-in fees or shipping costs at the local clerk level since the office does not accept mail requests. If you order through VitalChek, additional fees apply on top of the state fee for birth record processing. For most people in the Jennings area, the in-person route at the clerk's office is the most cost-effective choice.

Nearby Parishes

Jefferson Davis Parish is located in southwest Louisiana. If you need birth records from a neighboring area, the pages below cover adjacent parishes with their own office info.