FOR ORLEANS PARISH MAIL REQUESTS:
DHH Office of Public Health ordering procedures for Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates

From SECRETARY OF STATE NEWS:
Birth Certificates Available at Many Parish Courthouses.
Act 1277 of the Legislature, signed by Governor Foster in July 1999, provides for issuance of birth certificates at the parish level by clerks of court. In order to implement this service, a unique pooling of resources took place. The Secretary of State's Information Services Section implemented changes to our statewide Wide Area Network, that is used by our Commercial Division and Elections Division, to enable communications with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHH) for the retreival of birth certificate data by authorized personnel at a parish clerk's office. Prior to the implementation of this new process, certificates were only available from the Office of Vital Records in New Orleans and at some regional DHH offices. Citizens had to visit an office in person, or do business by mail. These programs will continue. The new certificates will be issued in a short-form card size and in the traditional long-form size. The short-form certificate includes a $5. surcharge and costs $14. It is valid for all purposes where a certificate is required by the state. The long-form certificate includes a $9. surcharge and costs $24. It may be required for such things as applying for a passport or a Social Security card. Certificates are now available at more than half of the parish courthouses. Call your clerk of court office for information about the availability in your parish.