Lafayette Parish Marriage License Records
Marriage licenses in Lafayette Parish are issued by the Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court marriage office. The Clerk issues licenses at the Lafayette Parish Courthouse, 800 South Buchanan Street, Lafayette, LA 70501. Marriage license hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday except legal holidays, and the marriage license phone number is 337-291-6335. The license is valid only for ceremonies performed in Louisiana.
The Clerk requires applicants to purchase the license at least 24 hours before the ceremony. The license expires 30 days from the date and time it is issued, so the ceremony must occur in Louisiana within that window. Blood tests are no longer required. Only one party must appear to purchase the license, but the person who appears must bring the required items for both parties, including birth records or photocopies, Social Security numbers or no-SSN paperwork, and prior-marriage details if either party was married before.
The Clerk's marriage license page is the source for the current Lafayette Parish marriage license process.
The Clerk page is important because it separates the online application from the in-office license purchase and lists the local deadline rules.
Apply for Lafayette Parish Marriage Records
The online application helps speed up the counter visit, but it does not replace the Clerk's review. Applicants complete the web form, receive a confirmation number, and bring that number to the Clerk within 30 days with the required documents. A written request is needed if the parties want Social Security number information kept confidential, and both parties sign the confidentiality form when the license is purchased.
- Open the official Lafayette Parish online marriage application and complete the fields for both parties.
- Save the confirmation number issued by the application. The Clerk requires that number when the license is completed in person.
- Gather birth records or photocopies, Social Security numbers or a no-SSN statement, prior spouse death or final divorce judgment dates, and any restricted-age consent or court authorization papers.
- Appear at the Clerk's marriage counter during marriage license hours. One party may appear if that party has the required items for both parties.
- Pay the marriage license fee and any attachment or certified-copy fees that apply.
- Wait at least 24 hours after purchase before the ceremony, then make sure the ceremony occurs in Louisiana within 30 days of issuance.
- After the signed license is returned and recorded, request certified Lafayette Parish marriage records from the Clerk if a legal copy is needed.
The online marriage application shows the data the Clerk collects before the in-office review.
The confirmation-number step matters because the web form starts the application, while the Clerk counter completes the license purchase.
Lafayette Parish Marriage Form Fields
The online Lafayette Parish marriage application asks for identity, address, demographic, marriage history, and parent information for each party. The form uses spouse/groom and spouse/bride labels, but the fields are best read as the data the Clerk needs for the state marriage license record. Prior marriage history is not optional in practical terms because the Clerk asks for the end date and whether the prior marriage ended by divorce.
| Form section | Fields captured | Use in the license record |
|---|---|---|
| Party names | Last, first, middle, title, and name prior to first marriage | Identifies each applicant on the license. |
| Birth and identity | Date of birth, place of birth, age, and Social Security number | Supports legal eligibility and state record fields. |
| Address | Street address, city, city-limits answer, ZIP code, phone, parish, and state | Locates each applicant and supports Clerk follow-up. |
| Demographics | Education level and years, race, and sex | Feeds the required vital-record data set. |
| Marriage history | Marriage number 1-10, ended-on date, ended-by field, and divorced yes/no | Confirms prior marriages were ended before a new license issues. |
| Parents | Father or parent name prior to first marriage and birthplace, mother or parent name prior to first marriage and birthplace | Completes parent-identification fields on the license record. |
| Actions | Submit and reset | Submits or clears the web application before the counter visit. |
Lafayette Parish Marriage and Divorce Fees
The Lafayette Parish Clerk fee schedule separates license fees, certified marriage copies, and civil divorce advance costs. Marriage license and copy fees are paid through the marriage-record channel. Divorce filing costs are civil/family court advance deposits and do not buy a certified divorce decree. A party who needs a certified copy of a divorce judgment must request it from the Clerk's court file after identifying the case.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $27.50 |
| Marriage attachments | $4 per page |
| Certified marriage license copy | $5 |
| Credit or debit convenience fee | 3.00%, with $1 minimum under $33 |
| Divorce advance deposit | $400 |
| Divorce with Rule or TRO | $500 |
| Divorce with Rule and TRO | $600 |
| Rule for alimony, child support, or custody | $300 class for all rules |
| Additional service | $100 each |
| Service through Secretary of State | $50 per service |
Look Up Lafayette Parish Marriage Records
Lafayette Parish marriage records can involve more than one Clerk system. The license itself is issued by the Clerk's marriage office. The Clerk's online records page also points users to ClerkConnect, eSearch, and eClerks LA for different record sets. The research source states that eClerks LA may support free index searching for land, civil, marriage, and probate categories, while paid Clerk systems may be needed for deeper record access.
For a certified marriage copy, use the Clerk's official marriage certified-copy request PDF, provide enough information to identify the marriage, and pay the certified copy fee. The Clerk notes that the certified-copy fee may be paid when the license is purchased, and the certified copy is mailed after recording. If the request involves an older or hard-to-match record, use party names, the approximate license or ceremony date, and any known book, page, or license number.
The Clerk also links a Justice of the Peace page from marriage and officiant materials.
That source helps connect license users with officiant-related local information, but the recorded license copy still comes from the Clerk.
Find Lafayette Parish Divorce Records
Divorce records in Lafayette Parish are civil or family District Court records handled through the Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court and the 15th Judicial District Court. They are not issued through the marriage-license counter. ClerkConnect subscriptions cover civil, criminal, traffic, and family records, so divorce docket searching belongs in the Clerk's district-court record channel. If the case is not available online, the Civil Records department is the most direct phone channel at 337-291-6303.
To request a divorce record, identify the parties, docket number if known, and approximate filing date or judgment date. Ask for the public docket, a plain copy, or a certified copy depending on the need. Divorce files may include petitions, answers, service returns, rules, temporary restraining order materials, custody or support rulings, judgments, and minute entries. Sealed items, minor-related details, protective-order information, financial account numbers, and protected addresses may be withheld or redacted.
Divorce case access is part of the broader Lafayette Parish court records system rather than a vital-record license search.
Certified Lafayette Parish Copies
Certified copies prove that the copy came from the official custodian. A certified Lafayette Parish marriage copy should be requested from the Clerk's marriage record process, including the official PDF request when that fits the need. A certified divorce judgment or decree should be requested from the Clerk's civil court file because divorce is a District Court matter. A printout from an online search is not the same as a Clerk-certified copy.
Use the Clerk's mailing address, P.O. Box 2009, Lafayette, LA 70502, when a mailed request is allowed, or visit the Clerk at 800 South Buchanan Street for in-person copy help. The Clerk main phone is 337-291-6400. Marriage-license questions should go to 337-291-6335, while divorce file and certified civil-copy questions should start with Civil Records at 337-291-6303.
Note: Louisiana ceremonies must occur after the waiting period and before the 30-day license window closes.