Louisiana Vital Records Apostille: Health Department, Then Baton Rouge
A Louisiana vital records apostille is a two-office job. The Department of Health Vital Records Registry in New Orleans, or a participating parish Clerk of Court, issues the certified copy. The Secretary of State’s Commissions Division in Baton Rouge then adds the apostille for $20 per document. The state does not publish a processing time, so build slack into your calendar.
The marriage that New Orleans cannot find
Take a typical case. A couple married in St. Landry Parish and now lives in Lisbon. The husband orders the marriage certificate from the state Vital Records office in New Orleans, because that is where state records live. The answer comes back that there is nothing on file. The office holds only marriage licenses bought in Orleans Parish. For any other parish, the record sits with that parish’s Clerk of Court.
That one fact decides most Louisiana cases. Birth and death certificates come from the Department of Health, and an Orleans Parish marriage can too. Every other marriage, and every divorce judgment, comes from a Clerk of Court. The apostille is the same in the end, but the path to it changes with the parish.
The state also offers two kinds of birth certificate. The cheap short-form card is a trap for apostille work. Order the long form.
In Louisiana, ask which parish first. The parish tells you who issues the paper.
Who issues what, and what it costs
Read the Louisiana Department of Health fee list alongside this table. Its figures conflict in places, and we say where.
| Record | Who issues the certified copy | Copy fee | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | Department of Health Vital Records Registry in New Orleans, or a participating Clerk of Court. | $15 for the long form. The short-form card is $9. | Order the long form. The signature must be the State Registrar’s. |
| Marriage | LDH holds only Orleans Parish licenses. Any other parish uses its Clerk of Court. | $5.00 plus $0.50 mailing per transaction for Orleans. Other parishes are unconfirmed. | Know the parish where the license was bought. Confirm with the office for clerk fees. |
| Death | LDH Vital Records Registry, or a participating Clerk of Court for the parish. | Sources conflict, showing $7.00 on one LDH list and $26.00 for a clerk-issued copy on another. | Long or short form is unconfirmed. Ask which fee applies before you pay. |
| Divorce | The Clerk of Court of the parish where the judgment was rendered. Vital Records does not issue decrees. | Unconfirmed, confirm with the office. | The Secretary of State’s page does not address judgments by name. Ask whether the clerk’s certification is enough. |
So whether you need an apostille birth certificate Louisiana, an apostille marriage certificate Louisiana or an apostille death certificate Louisiana, the first question is the same. Is this a state record or a parish record? A Louisiana divorce decree apostille always starts with the parish clerk.
The Commissions Division, as its own page describes it
The Secretary of State’s apostille page, which we re-read on 2026-10-26, shows a $20 fee per document, and $10 for adoption-related papers, where the office may ask for supporting evidence. It states no processing time.
Walk-in service runs Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 8585 Archives Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70809. FedEx, UPS and DHL packages go to the same street address. Regular mail goes to P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125. The general number is 225.922.2880, and Commissions Division questions go to 225.922.0330.
The key rule is that documents issued by Louisiana clerks of court and by the state vital records department need no notarization, and the office does not accept photocopies of them. The office certifies the signatures of clerks of court and deputy clerks. Other papers that arrive without a certification must be notarized by a Louisiana notary.
One open question. Some Secretary of State fees changed on October 1, 2026 under Act 921 of 2026. The page we read mentions no change, but we could not confirm whether the apostille fee was part of that act, so confirm with the office before you write a check.
From New Orleans or the parish courthouse to Baton Rouge
A plan for readers living outside the country
- 1
Find the parish
Birth parish, marriage parish, parish of the death or the divorce. Write them down, because they decide who holds the paper.
- 2
Order the right copy
Ask for the long-form birth certificate. For a marriage outside Orleans, contact that parish’s Clerk of Court. Check who is allowed to order, since we did not confirm the eligibility rules, so confirm with the office.
- 3
Let us look at it before it moves
The free review spots a short-form card, a photocopy or a clerk who did not certify. Where the issuing office allows an authorized third party to order for you, we can help obtain the copy, and we confirm that during the review.
- 4
Baton Rouge, with the long wait in mind
Louisiana is on Central time, an hour behind Boston and six or seven hours behind Europe. Walk-in hours end at 4 p.m., which is late evening in Rome. Since no turnaround is posted, email updates beat phone calls.
- 5
Ship home, signed for
Allow several days each way by DHL, FedEx or UPS. Original records carry a seal you cannot replace in a day, so use tracking and signature on delivery.
Order the copy first, then send it to us, unless the review says we can order for you.
Where Louisiana files go wrong
The $9 short-form card
The cheap birth card looks official but lacks the detail abroad. Order the long form at $15.
Asking the wrong office
Vital Records holds only Orleans Parish marriages. Elsewhere the parish clerk is the source.
Photocopies of certified records
The page says the office does not accept photocopies of clerk and Vital Records documents. Send the original paper.
Notarizing what needs no notary
Clerk and Vital Records papers need none. A notary stamp adds a layer the desk did not ask for.
Paying for the wrong death copy
One LDH list shows $7.00 and another $26.00. Ask the office which applies to your request.
An old apostille fee
New Secretary of State fees took effect on October 1, 2026 for some services. Confirm the current amount before mailing.
Italy and Spain, the requests that follow Louisiana families
Italy
Italy is a Hague party, and families with Italian roots often ask about citizenship by descent. Since Decree-Law 36 of 2025 the eligibility rules narrowed, with exceptions for applications filed by March 27, 2025 and for certain parents and grandparents. The Chicago consulate’s checklist asks for Italian-line birth, marriage and death certificates in long form, certified, and for typed Italian translations. Whether the translator must be sworn is not stated, so ask your consulate.
Spain
Spain is a Hague party. On the non-lucrative visa, the Boston consulate’s page says family documents such as a marriage certificate must be apostilled and issued in the last 12 months. Everything must be in Spanish, and the apostille does not need translating. We can provide ATA certified translations that get notarized. We are not a sworn translator and we do not arrange sworn translations, so if the consulate demands one, hire a sworn translator there and we ship the apostilled set. For other countries, use the HCCH status table.
Our role and how we price Louisiana work
Boston Apostille Service is a private document preparation and courier service in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. We began in 2007. You give us the record details or the document, we review it at no charge, and we manage the Baton Rouge step and the shipment.
For Louisiana we confirm that state’s fee and speed during the review, then send one flat-rate quote before payment. Our listed prices apply to Massachusetts state apostilles, per document, state fee and return postage included: Economy $149.95, Express $199.95, Rush $385.95. Rush is the fastest. Express runs 2 to 5 business days and Economy 1 to 2 weeks. Other states depend on volume at the state office, and transit is extra.
Details are on the pricing page and the how it works page. To begin, use the application form.
Louisiana vital records apostille FAQ
How do I get a Louisiana record apostilled from abroad?
Get the certified copy from the Department of Health Vital Records Registry or the parish Clerk of Court, then deliver it to the Secretary of State’s Commissions Division in Baton Rouge with the $20 fee. You can arrange this from overseas, and a US courier return address saves time.
How to apostille a Louisiana birth certificate?
Order the long-form certificate signed by the State Registrar, not the $9 short-form card. No notary is needed. Send the original to Baton Rouge with $20. The office states no processing time, so confirm the current timing before you plan travel.
Does the apostille need a notary in Louisiana?
Not for vital records or clerk of court documents. The Secretary of State’s page says those need no notarization and photocopies are refused. Other papers without a proper certification need a Louisiana notary first.
Who issues a Louisiana divorce decree apostille?
The Clerk of Court of the parish where the judgment was rendered issues the certified copy. Vital Records does not. The Secretary of State certifies clerk signatures, but its page does not name divorce judgments, so confirm with the office.
Why can New Orleans not find my marriage record?
The state office holds only marriage licenses bought in Orleans Parish. A marriage in any other parish is held by that parish’s Clerk of Court. Ask the clerk in the parish where the license was issued.
Is the Louisiana apostille fee $20 for everything?
The office lists $20 per document and $10 for adoption-related documents. Some Secretary of State fees changed on October 1, 2026, and we could not verify whether this one did, so confirm with the office.
Which countries accept a Louisiana apostille?
Parties to the Hague Apostille Convention accept it. Others require embassy or consulate legalization after the state step. Look the country up on the HCCH table, and bring it to the free review.
Neighbouring and related guides
From a parish courthouse to a consulate abroad
Give us the parish, the record and the country. We review it free, confirm the Louisiana fee and send one flat-rate quote before you pay.