Deeds, mortgages, conveyances and recorded instruments via Louisiana Clerks of Court (parishes) and the Orleans Parish Land Records Division.
How Louisiana Recorded Documents Work
Louisiana is the only U.S. state that does not use the word "county" — its 64 county-equivalent subdivisions are called parishes, a legacy of its French Catholic colonial heritage. Real-property recording in Louisiana works differently than the rest of the country: documents are filed with the elected Clerk of Court of each parish (in Orleans Parish, the function lives in the separate Custodian of Notarial Records and the Land Records Division). Filings are kept in two parallel books — the Mortgage Records and the Conveyance Records — and indexed by mortgagor/mortgagee or vendor/vendee [jpclerkofcourt.us]. Statewide UCC filings (financing statements not tied to real estate) are handled by the Louisiana Secretary of State.
County equivalent
Parish (64 parishes)
Recorder of deeds
Parish Clerk of Court (Custodian of Notarial Records in Orleans)
Indexed in
Mortgage Records + Conveyance Records (two parallel books)
UCC-1 (non-real-estate)
Louisiana Secretary of State
Legal system
Civil law (Napoleonic Code), not common law
Number of parishes
64
How Louisiana Recorded Documents Work — Deep Dive
Parish Clerks of Court — Louisiana's recorder of deeds
Each of Louisiana's 64 parishes elects a Clerk of Court who serves as the recorder of real-property and related documents. Jefferson Parish's Mortgage & Conveyance/UCC division publishes a full description of the document types handled — sales, mortgages, building contracts, judgments, oil-and-gas leases — and the indexing scheme [jpclerkofcourt.us]. Calcasieu Parish maintains a UCC records portal showing the typical fee schedule and how to request certified copies [calcasieuclerk.gov]. Smaller parishes (e.g., Natchitoches, Bienville) provide in-person and limited online access to their indexes.
Two parallel indexes — Mortgages and Conveyances
Unlike most states' single grantor/grantee index, Louisiana law preserves the historic French-civil-law division between the Mortgage Records (covering mortgages, judicial liens, building-contract bonds, and other security devices) and the Conveyance Records (covering sales, donations, exchanges, leases over 90 days, and other transfers of ownership). A title examiner must search both books in the parish where the property is located. Each book is independently indexed by name, instrument type and date.
UCC and business filings — Secretary of State
While mortgages on real property and fixture filings are recorded with the parish Clerk of Court, freestanding UCC-1 financing statements on personal property (equipment, inventory, accounts) are filed with the Louisiana Secretary of State through the File UCC Online portal. Searches of pending and lapsed UCCs are available there as well — this is the same office that handles corporate, LLC and nonprofit filings.
Frequently Asked Questions: Louisiana Recorded Documents
Does Louisiana use counties or parishes?▼
Parishes. Louisiana is the only U.S. state that does not use the term "county" — its 64 subdivisions are called parishes, a legacy of its French/Spanish colonial church-parish boundaries.
Who records deeds and mortgages in Louisiana?▼
The elected Clerk of Court in each of Louisiana's 64 parishes is the recorder of deeds and mortgages. In Orleans Parish the function is split with the Custodian of Notarial Records and the Land Records Division [jpclerkofcourt.us].
What's the difference between Mortgage Records and Conveyance Records?▼
Conveyance Records hold transfers of ownership (sales, donations, exchanges, long leases). Mortgage Records hold encumbrances and security interests (mortgages, judicial liens, surety bonds). Louisiana title examiners must check both — the indexes are independent.
Where do I file or search a UCC-1 in Louisiana?▼
Statewide UCC-1 financing statements (non-real-estate) are filed and searched at the Louisiana Secretary of State File UCC Online portal.
Are Louisiana parish records online?▼
Larger parishes (Jefferson, East Baton Rouge, Caddo, Lafayette, Calcasieu, Orleans) publish online indexes; many require a paid subscription to view document images. Smaller parishes are typically search-in-person at the Clerk of Court office.
14th Judicial District Court of Louisiana · The Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court's Office is located in the Historic Calcasieu Courthouse in downtown Lake Charles at 1000 Ryan Street. With a staff of approximately 120 employees, our team of Clerks is one of the largest in the state.
ANY DOCUMENT FILED FOR RECORDATION MUST BE EITHER LETTER OR LEGAL SIZE · New Fee Schedule Click here to download a PDF copy of our Fees effective on July 1, 2024 · Civil Fees Click here to download a PDF copy of our Fees effective on ... The Desoto Parish, Louisiana Clerk of Court is pleased ...
The Recording Department receives, files and records all land records, UCC filings and miscellaneous documents . They issue marriage licenses and birth certificates. These records include all land records. RECORDING FEES JACKSON PARISH CLERK OF COURT Effective Date: August 1, 2017 ACT 173 of ...
The office records all real estate transfers, mortgages, liens, judgments, releases, etc. affecting all immovable property located in Jefferson Parish. Additionally, the office records military discharges, medical certificates, corporation charters, partnerships, business trade name affidavits, and documents concerning oil and gas or other mineral leases, interest transfers, and liens.
The Recording Desk is where conveyances, mortgages, and other documents become part of the public records of Livingston Parish . When a document is received at the recording desk, the deputy clerk stamps it with a unique instrument number and an Index Book and Page number.
The First City Court for the Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana is a court of limited jurisdiction. The territorial jurisdiction of First City Court is the Eastbank of Orleans Parish. The First City Court Clerk's Office is the clerical and processing branch of the First City Court. The Clerk's Office is the initial step when filing lawsuits within the jurisdiction of First City Court. The office is charged with the responsibility of recording, filing, and maintaining the proceedings of First City Court and is the repository of the court’s case files, dockets, and other journals relating…
We strongly encourage all residents to sign up for eClerksLA Alerts, which offers the ability to receive recording alerts across all 64 Louisiana parishes with a single account. ... Monitor recording activity on your property and identity with Recording Activity Alerts from the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court.
For your benefit, you will find ... transaction or recording will be located on the fees page. Please Note: We cannot respond to specific or general legal questions or issues. We can only respond to specific questions about the Bossier Parish Clerk of Court...
Welcome to the Clerk of Court Office where we provide timely access to those in need of records, information, and documents. Know where to Vote Check Your Court Date Fraud Alerts Public Notices · The Clerk of Court’s office does not receive ad valorem taxes. Our office operates through fees collected for the services we provide. The fee schedules are set by the Louisiana Legislature. "The Iberia Parish Clerk of Court Office is dedicated to serving those within the court and legal system.
Yes, even our oldest indices and record book images are online. Click the tab “Index Prior to 1964” to search and view: Conveyance Indices and Images from 1843–1963 & Mortgage Indices and Images from 1843–1968. The following address is a link to the Louisiana Clerks of Court Statewide Portal to access Conveyance & Mortgage Indices and Marriage Indices for participating parishes. Document ...
The Clerk's Office keeps the records for Caddo Parish, including Mortgages, Conveyances, Marriage Licenses, Civil Suits, Criminal Cases, and Minutes for the First Judicial District Court . We are also responsible for training election commissioners and tabulating election results for the parish.
It is our goal to bring the information you need to your office thus saving you the time and expense of visiting ours. We are delighted to provide this new and improved service to users of our office. If we can assist you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact us.
LCRAA’s one stop shop for doing business with Louisiana Clerks and provides links for all parishes including Statewide Portal, Parish Search, eRecording and eFiling. Click here · IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: THE THIBODAUX OFFICE HAS MOVED: ... Attention: New Service! Our new service, Court Date Finder assists you with finding all upcoming civil and criminal court dates for Lafourche Parish.
Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court David Stamey Thanks for visiting the Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court’s website. LEARN MORE Welcome to Clerk of Court The Natchitoches Parish Clerk’s Office is entirely self-supporting and operates on the fees collected for services rendered in connection with civil, criminal proceedings and recordings that are established by statute.
The Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court is located in the parish seat of Lafayette. Lafayette Parish is one of the three parishes of the Fifteenth Judicial District of Louisiana .
