Plaquemines Parish Birth Records

Plaquemines Parish birth records are maintained by the Louisiana Department of Health's Vital Records Office and can also be accessed through the Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court in Belle Chasse. The clerk's office partners with the Louisiana Bureau of Vital Records to issue certified birth certificates locally, saving residents the trip to New Orleans for in-person service. This page covers how to request a birth record, who is eligible, what ID to bring, and how much it costs.

Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court

The Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court has two locations. The main office is at 301 Main Street, Government Annex Suite 108, Belle Chasse, LA 70037. The satellite office is at 18055 Highway 15, Pointe A La Hache, LA 70082. The main office phone is (504) 934-6610. The satellite office can be reached at (504) 934-6612. Both locations are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Information about the clerk's office and its services is available through the Plaquemines Parish government website at plaqueminesparish.gov. The clerk partners with the Louisiana Bureau of Vital Records, so certified birth certificates are printed directly from the state system at the local level. The parish clerk cannot change or amend information on a birth certificate. Corrections require contact with the state Vital Records office in New Orleans.

The screenshot below shows the Plaquemines Parish clerk directory page, which confirms office locations, contact numbers, and the scope of vital records services available at the parish level.

Check the Plaquemines Parish government page for any updates to hours or services before making the trip to either office location.

How to Get a Plaquemines Parish Birth Certificate

Plaquemines Parish birth records are maintained by the Louisiana Department of Health's Vital Records Office. The clerk of court issues certified copies through a direct connection to the state database. You go to the clerk's office in person, fill out an application, show your ID, and pay the fee. The certificate is printed on site in most cases. Because the record comes from the state system, the local office cannot make changes to what is on the document.

Louisiana is a closed-record state when it comes to birth certificates. Under LSA R.S. 40:36, birth records are confidential for 100 years from the date of the event. This means you must be an eligible party to request a certified copy. Plaquemines Parish birth records follow the same state rules as every other parish in Louisiana.

The LDH directory listing for Plaquemines Parish is available at ldh.la.gov/directory/detail/6956, which confirms the office's participation in the statewide vital records program. The screenshot below shows that LDH entry.

If the Plaquemines Parish clerk's office cannot fulfill your request for any reason, the Louisiana Vital Records Registry in New Orleans at 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400, is the backup option. Their phone is (504) 593-5100. Walk-in hours there run from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Detailed ordering information is at ldh.la.gov/vital-records.

For online orders, use VitalChek at vitalchek.com or call 1-877-605-8562. Mail orders sent to the state office take 8 to 10 weeks. If you need a birth certificate quickly, in-person service at either the Plaquemines Parish clerk's office or the state office is the fastest option.

Note: If your child was just born in Plaquemines Parish, you will need to wait 90 days before a birth certificate can be issued. The state registers new births and verifies the record before it enters the system.

Eligibility for Plaquemines Parish Birth Records

Only specific individuals can legally receive a certified birth certificate in Louisiana. Under LSA R.S. 40:41, the eligible requestors are the person named on the record, their current legal spouse, a parent listed on the certificate, an adult child, a sibling, a grandparent, a grandchild, a licensed attorney representing one of these parties, and a legal guardian who holds a court-issued judgment of custody. A notarized statement does not qualify as proof of guardianship. You need the formal court order.

Identification is required at the time of request. You must present one primary document or two secondary documents. Primary ID options include a current state driver's license, a state picture ID, a military ID with photo, a U.S. or foreign passport, or a Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship. Secondary documents include a W-2 and Social Security card together, a payroll stub with SSN, voter registration, property deeds, or an insurance policy. High school students or younger may use a school yearbook or school photo ID as primary identification.

Under LSA R.S. 40:61, submitting false information to obtain a birth certificate can result in a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment of up to five years. The Plaquemines Parish clerk checks eligibility on every request, and there are no exceptions to the identification requirement.

Birth Certificate Fees in Plaquemines Parish

At the Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court, the fee for a certified birth certificate copy is $15.00 per copy, which reflects the state fee schedule at the Vital Records Registry level. The parish office applies state-set pricing, so the cost is consistent with what you would pay by ordering directly from the New Orleans office.

If you order from the Louisiana Vital Records Registry, the fees are $15.00 for a long-form birth certificate, $9.00 for a birth card, and $24.00 for both together as a pair. VitalChek adds a processing fee on top of the state base price. The VitalChek total depends on your order type and payment method. Check their website before ordering for the current charge.

Call the Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court at (504) 934-6610 before your visit to confirm what payment methods are accepted. Some parish offices take cash only, while others accept credit cards or money orders. Knowing in advance saves you a second trip if you show up with the wrong form of payment.

State Resources for Plaquemines Parish Residents

The Louisiana Vital Records Registry serves as the central resource for birth records statewide. Their office at 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400, New Orleans, handles in-person, mail, and online orders. The call center number is (504) 219-4500, available from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Walk-in service runs from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The state registry can issue birth certificates for any Louisiana-born individual, regardless of which parish the birth occurred in. More information is at ldh.la.gov/vital-records.

For historical Plaquemines Parish records more than 100 years old, the Louisiana State Archives holds those files. The archives are at 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, and their phone is (225) 922-1208. Birth records that have passed the 100-year mark are public records accessible without the eligibility restrictions that apply to recent certificates. The Louisiana government's vital records services portal at louisiana.gov links to the main channels for ordering certificates and researching records.

Nearby Parishes

Plaquemines Parish runs south of New Orleans along the Mississippi River. If you need records from a nearby area, the pages below can help.