How to Get a Certified Copy of Your Divorce Decree in Louisiana

Every post-divorce administrative step — updating Social Security, transferring a car title, filing a QDRO — starts with a certified copy of your divorce decree. The wrong type of copy will get rejected at the first agency window. Louisiana makes this more confusing than it needs to be because there are multiple types of copies, and the office that issues the certified judgment is easy to confuse with Vital Records.

Here is exactly where to go, what to ask for, and how much it costs.

Certified Copy vs. Divorce Certificate vs. Conformed Copy

These are three different documents, and agencies care which one you bring.

Certified copy of the final judgment. This is the full text of your divorce decree bearing the Clerk of Court's raised seal and original signature. It includes all terms — property division, custody, support, name confirmation. This is what the SSA, OMV, passport office, and plan administrators require. It can only be issued by the civil records office of the parish Clerk of Court where the case was filed and the judgment was rendered.

Divorce certificate (vital records). Louisiana Vital Records does not issue certified copies of divorce decrees. For a certified copy of the divorce record, contact the Clerk of Court in the parish where the divorce was filed and the judgment was rendered; a Vital Records document is not a substitute for the full judgment.

Conformed copy. A date-stamped duplicate of the judgment for personal records. No raised seal. Not accepted by federal or state agencies.

How to Order Certified Copies

In person. Visit the civil records office of the Clerk of Court in the parish where your divorce was filed and the judgment was rendered. Bring your photo ID and your case number. Copies are usually available same-day.

By mail. Send a written request to the Clerk of Court with your case number, the date of the judgment, the names of both parties, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Include a check or money order for the fee. Processing takes one to three weeks.

Online. Some parishes offer electronic ordering through their Clerk of Court website. Availability and turnaround vary.

Fees by Parish

Certified copy fees are not standardized across Louisiana's 64 parishes. Here are typical ranges:

Call the specific Clerk of Court to confirm current fees before sending payment by mail. Fees change without notice.

How Many Copies Do You Need?

Order at least five. You will need one each for the SSA, OMV, passport application, and any financial institution or retirement plan administrator. Some agencies retain the copy rather than returning it. Having extras avoids return trips to the courthouse.

Vital Records Information

Louisiana Vital Records does not issue certified copies of divorce decrees or a separate divorce certificate that substitutes for the judgment. Use the Clerk of Court in the parish where the divorce was filed and the judgment was rendered for the certified record. For general Vital Records information, use the Louisiana Department of Health's Vital Records page or call 225-342-9500.

Next Steps

With certified copies in hand, you can begin the post-divorce administrative sequence: name changes, account closures, title transfers, and beneficiary updates. The Louisiana After-Divorce Checklist maps every step in the order that agencies require, so you avoid the rejections that come from doing things out of sequence.

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