Find Records in Beauregard Parish

Beauregard Parish genealogy records are maintained by the Clerk of Court in DeRidder and run from 1913, the year the parish was formed from Calcasieu Parish. Marriage licenses, land deeds, probate filings, and court records for this southwest Louisiana parish are all held at the 36th Judicial District courthouse, giving family history researchers a solid foundation for tracing families in the Piney Woods region.

Beauregard Parish Clerk of Court

Beauregard Parish was created on January 12, 1912 from Calcasieu Parish and began generating its own records the following year. The Clerk of Court office is located at 201 West 1st Street in DeRidder. Marriage records, divorce records, probate and succession records, land records, and court records all date from 1913. The office website at beauregardclerk.org provides online access to records and links to a Historical Beauregard section, which may include older or supplemental genealogy resources.

For criminal record requests, note that there is a separate fax line: (337) 202-7834. General inquiries and civil matters go through the main number at (337) 463-8595. Staff assist visitors during regular business hours, and the courthouse research area gives public access to indexes and document files. Bring valid photo ID and a list of names and dates to make your visit as efficient as possible.

The Beauregard Parish Clerk website includes a Historical Beauregard section with additional resources for genealogy researchers working in this parish.

The Beauregard Parish Clerk website provides access to online records and a dedicated historical section for genealogy research.

Search Beauregard Parish Genealogy Records Online

Beauregard Parish makes online record access available through its official website at beauregardclerk.org. The site includes a Historical Beauregard section that may contain additional genealogy resources beyond the standard court and land record indexes. Online access gives researchers the ability to search from home before planning a visit to the DeRidder courthouse.

The statewide free index at eClerks LA also covers Beauregard Parish for land and marriage record indices. You can search for a record at no cost, confirm it exists, and note the book and page number before requesting a copy or visiting in person. For a full document image, you'll need either an eClerks subscription or a trip to the Clerk's office. Standard copies run $1.00 per page and certified copies add $5.00 to that fee.

For certified birth or death certificates, use VitalChek for online orders or contact the Louisiana Vital Records Registry at ldh.la.gov/vital-records.

eClerks LA provides free index access to Beauregard Parish land and marriage records through the statewide online portal.

Genealogy Records Available in Beauregard Parish

All major genealogy record types in Beauregard Parish date from 1913. Marriage records, divorce records, probate and succession records, land and conveyance records, and court records all begin that year and run to the present. This means the Clerk of Court holds more than 110 years of continuous records for the parish, which is enough to cover four or five generations of family history for most researchers.

Birth and death records for Beauregard Parish go through the Louisiana Vital Records Registry at the state level. Statewide mandatory registration began in 1914, one year after the parish was formed. Under Louisiana RS 40:41, birth records are confidential for 100 years and death records for 50 years. Certified copies of restricted vital records are only available to the person named, immediate family, legal guardians, or authorized representatives. Historical records that have passed the restriction period can be searched through the Louisiana State Archives online index.

Note: Because Beauregard Parish formed from Calcasieu Parish, researchers tracing families before 1913 should check Calcasieu Parish records for the same region.

Louisiana State Archives and Beauregard Parish Records

The Louisiana State Archives holds older vital records once the restriction periods in RS 40:41 have passed. Birth records become public after 100 years and death records after 50 years. The Archives provides an Online Public Vital Records Index that lets you search older records by name without traveling to the Archives building at 3851 Essen Lane in Baton Rouge. This is a useful starting point for finding early 20th century vital records from Beauregard Parish that have cleared the restriction period.

How to Request Beauregard Parish Records

Visit the Clerk's office at 201 West 1st Street in DeRidder for in-person access. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Bring valid photo ID, especially for vital record requests. Bring names, dates, and any case numbers you have to help staff locate the right records quickly. Research terminals are available at the courthouse.

Mail requests go to Beauregard Parish Clerk of Court, P.O. Box 100, DeRidder, LA 70634. Include the full names of the parties, the type of record you need, relevant dates, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Include payment by check or money order for copy fees. Standard copies cost $1.00 per page; certified copies add $5.00. For vital records, include a copy of your photo ID and your relationship to the person named on the certificate.

Online access is available through the Clerk's website. For birth and death certificates, VitalChek handles online orders, and the state Vital Records Registry handles mail requests. Birth certificates cost $34.00 and death certificates cost $26.00 each. Allow 2-4 weeks for mail orders to be processed and returned.

What Beauregard Parish Genealogy Records Contain

Marriage records in Beauregard Parish list both parties' names, ages, residences, parents, previous marital status, the date and place of the ceremony, the officiant, and the witnesses present. Land records show grantor and grantee names, the legal property description, the price of the transaction, the date, the notary, and the witnesses. Tracking a piece of land through conveyance records generation by generation can reveal how a family moved, divided property among heirs, or sold out over time.

Probate and succession records include the names of heirs, lists of assets, and sometimes detailed inventories of household and farm property. Court records cover civil suits, criminal matters, and family law cases. Under Louisiana RS 44:1, court and land records held by the Clerk are public records open for inspection. Once the time limits under RS 40:41 pass, older death certificates add names, ages, dates of death, cause of death, birthplaces, and parents' information. All of these record types together give Beauregard Parish researchers the tools to trace family lines in southwest Louisiana across more than a century.

Cities in Beauregard Parish

DeRidder is the parish seat of Beauregard Parish. Other communities in the parish include Leesville (in Vernon Parish), Merryville, and Singer. All genealogy records for the parish are held at the Clerk of Court in DeRidder.

Nearby Parishes

Beauregard Parish sits in southwest Louisiana on the Texas border. Families often moved across parish lines in this region, so researchers should check records in neighboring parishes as well.