Iberville Parish Genealogy Records Search

Iberville Parish genealogy records date to 1807, making this one of Louisiana's original parishes with one of the oldest local record collections in the state. The Clerk of Court in Plaquemine holds marriage records, land documents, probate files, and court records spanning more than two centuries of family history in the Mississippi River corridor.

Iberville Parish Clerk of Court

The Clerk of Court is located at 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, LA 70764. The mailing address is P.O. Box 423, Plaquemine, LA 70765. The phone is (225) 687-5160 and fax is (225) 687-5170. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Plaquemine sits on the west bank of the Mississippi River, just southwest of Baton Rouge.

Iberville Parish was created on March 31, 1807 as one of Louisiana's original parishes when the state was organized. This means its records predate most other Louisiana parishes and extend well into the early American and Spanish colonial periods of Louisiana history. For genealogy research, this makes Iberville Parish a significant repository for some of the oldest family documentation in the state. Researchers with Iberville roots may find records here that reflect French, Spanish, Acadian, and early American settlement patterns.

The Iberville Parish website at ibervilleparish.com lists contact information, office locations, and resources for accessing genealogy records in Plaquemine.

Search Iberville Parish Genealogy Records Online

eClerks LA is the primary online portal for Iberville Parish records. This free statewide index system lets you search names across court and land record categories. Register for a free account at eclerksla.com and select Iberville Parish to begin searching. Subscription access may be available for document images depending on what the parish has contributed to the system.

Iberville is an older parish, and many of its records from the 1800s and early 1900s exist only in physical form at the courthouse. Researchers working on families from those periods should plan an in-person visit to Plaquemine. The FamilySearch wiki for Iberville Parish lists available databases including any microfilmed collections that can be accessed at a Family History Center without traveling to Louisiana.

The Online Public Vital Records Index from the Louisiana Secretary of State covers historical birth and death records statewide. Use this free tool to search for Iberville Parish vital records that are now past the confidentiality period before ordering certified copies from the state health department.

Genealogy Records in Iberville Parish

All main record types at the Iberville Parish Clerk begin in 1807. Marriage records, divorce records, probate and succession records, land conveyance records, mortgage records, and court records all date from the parish's founding year. With more than 215 years of continuous record-keeping, Iberville holds one of the deepest local genealogy collections in Louisiana.

For researchers with French and Spanish Creole ancestry, Iberville Parish's early records may document family connections going back to the original settlement of the region. Some materials from before 1807 may exist as colonial-era records in the Louisiana State Archives or in federal repositories. The Spanish colonial records compiled by the East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court cover territories that border Iberville, so those 1782-1810 volumes may contain references to Iberville families as well.

Birth and death records from 1914 forward are held by the Louisiana Department of Health, not the parish clerk. Under RS 40:41, birth records are sealed for 100 years and death records for 50 years. Earlier vital records may be found in church registers and the early Louisiana vital records collections held at the State Archives or through FamilySearch.

Louisiana State Archives and Iberville Parish

The Louisiana State Archives at 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge holds statewide collections with significant Iberville Parish content. Confederate pension files, military records, and historical vital records in the Archives may include Iberville residents. The Archives is physically close to Iberville Parish, making a combined visit practical for researchers based in the Baton Rouge area.

Because Iberville is one of Louisiana's oldest parishes, researchers should ask Archives staff specifically about colonial-era and early territorial period materials. The Archives may hold documents from the period before 1807 that are relevant to families who later appeared in the Iberville Parish records after the parish was created. Records from Spanish and French colonial administrations can sometimes be found here that do not appear in any parish courthouse.

For certified vital records now open to the public under the age limits in RS 40:41, order through ldh.la.gov/vital-records or use VitalChek online. Birth certificates cost $34.00 and death certificates cost $26.00.

How to Request Iberville Parish Records

Visiting the courthouse at 58050 Meriam Street in Plaquemine is the most direct approach. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Bring the names you are researching, approximate dates, and the type of record needed. Staff will search the indexes and pull documents. Copies cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 additional per document.

Mail requests are accepted. Write to P.O. Box 423, Plaquemine, LA 70765. Include full names, dates, and record type. Send payment by check or money order and include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Allow several weeks for a response. Calling the office at (225) 687-5160 before mailing can confirm current procedures and fees.

For birth and death certificates, contact the Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records office in New Orleans. All statewide birth and death certificate requests go through the state office, not the parish clerk. Local health units can sometimes assist in person.

What Iberville Parish Records Contain

Marriage records from 1807 forward include both parties' full names, ages, birthplaces, residences, parents' names, prior marital status, the date and location of the ceremony, the officiant, and the names of two witnesses. Early marriage records from the 1800s can be particularly rich because they often identify French and Spanish family surnames and origins that help trace lines back to colonial-era ancestors.

Succession and probate records document estate settlements and are among the most complete genealogy sources available. A succession file contains the petition to open the estate, a property inventory with values, a list of all heirs and their relationships to the deceased, creditor claims, and the final distribution order. Wills are included when present. Guardian appointments for minor children are sometimes part of succession files and can identify children's ages and parents at specific points in time. For an old parish like Iberville, these records span generations and may document the same extended family over 150 years or more.

Land records are indexed by grantor and grantee name. Each conveyance describes the property, gives the sale price and date, names the notary, and lists witnesses. For the pre-Civil War period, conveyance records in Iberville may also include transactions involving enslaved people. These records, while difficult to research, can provide documentation of African American family connections for genealogists doing this research. Under RS 44:1, all these records are open to the public.

eClerks LA provides index and image access to Iberville Parish records through the statewide Louisiana clerks portal at eclerksla.com.

Cities in Iberville Parish

Plaquemine is the parish seat of Iberville Parish. All genealogy records for Iberville Parish are maintained at the Clerk of Court in Plaquemine.

Nearby Parishes

Iberville Parish sits along the west bank of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and the Atchafalaya Basin. Neighboring parishes each hold their own genealogy records.