La. Admin. Code tit. 48 § V-11711

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section V-11711 - Issuance of Certified Copies of Vital Records, Clerks of District Court

A. Access to Vital Records Registry Database

1. The state registrar of vital records shall facilitate online computer access by the clerk of district court in each parish to birth and death databases via the data network operated by the office of the Secretary of State to the extent necessary to identify and electronically print certified copies of birth and death certificates. The registrar shall provide a system inquiry interface including print functionality for those birth and death records that can be printed electronically. Access shall be limited to those records that can be electronically issued to the extent necessary to serve authorized customers.

2. The state registrar shall assign vital records system access to clerks of district courts and designated members of their staffs upon receipt of written applications accompanied by properly executed confidentiality forms. The application for system access and confidentiality assurances shall be made on forms supplied by the state registrar. The birth and death database access given to clerks of district courts shall be expanded in logical increments as the missing data fields required to electronically generate certified copies of birth and death records are added, or the images are stored and indexed making them accessible and printable, except that current records (new births and death certificates) shall be made accessible to clerks of district courts for issuance purposes 90 days after the date of the vital event provided they are available in suitable electronic format in the vital records registry database.

B. Vital Records Issuance Services

1. Clerks of district courts may issue birth abstracts (commonly called birth cards) on all birth events more than 90 days old but less than 101 years old, except in those instances where the birth record filed with the vital records registry is a delayed birth certificate (a record filed more than 12 years after birth), the birth is not registered, the certificate filed with the state is irregular or incomplete, or the birth data is not available electronically. In the case of delayed certificates of birth, no birth abstracts will be issued.

2. Clerks of district courts may issue electronic certified copies of long-form birth certificates for those birth events that are more than 90 days old and are available in long-form format in the birth database except in those instances where the birth is not registered, the certificate filed with the state is irregular or incomplete, or the birth data is not available electronically. As additional records become available, the registrar shall enable electronic issuance functionality over the data network of the Secretary of State.

3. Clerks of district courts may issue electronic certified copies of death certificates for those death events that are more than 90 days old and less than 51 years old except in those instances where the death is not registered, the certificate filed with the state is irregular or incomplete, or the death data is not available electronically. As additional records become available, the registrar shall enable electronic issuance functionality over the data network available through the office of the Secretary of State.

4. Government agencies including law enforcement agencies and courts shall be referred to the office of the registrar of vital records for document issuance and vital event verification services, unless the government agency presents a formal release bearing the original signature of the registrant or a member of the registrant's immediate family and pays the statutory document search/issuance fee.

5. In accordance with R.S. 40:39.1 C, certified copies of birth and death records issued through the offices of clerks of district courts shall be accepted as an original record for all legal purposes.

C. Security/Confidentiality

1. Clerks of district courts shall not issue notarized copies of birth or death certificates, nor shall clerks issue certified copies from any source other than the online service provided by the state registrar of vital records.

2. All certified copies of birth and death certificates issued by clerks of district courts shall be issued on security paper provided by the state registrar of vital records.

3. Birth and death certificate issuance services provided by clerks of district courts shall comply with the provisions of R.S. 40:41 C.(1) and (2) as they relate to persons authorized to purchase certificates. Applications for certified copies shall be made on standard forms provided or approved by the state registrar of vital records.

4. Clerks of district courts shall only issue certified copies of birth and death certificates to individuals who are authorized by law to receive the documents and who produce proper identification. For the purposes of birth and death certificate issuance, proper identification shall be the same identification criteria used in document issuance offices operated by the state registrar of vital records.

5. Access to the online vital records registry birth and death inquiry systems shall be limited to those individuals assigned user access by the state registrar of vital records.

6. Inquiries against the vital records registry online birth and death systems shall be limited to official inquiries substantiated by a document application form signed by an authorized customer. The statutory fee shall be assessed for each inquiry. The fee is not subject to waiver or refund. No other inquires against the birth/death database are authorized or allowed. In those instances where the birth or death record is not indexed on the computer, the clerk shall so notify the customer and shall refer the inquiry to the state registrar of vital records for further investigation.

7. Access to vital records registry security document issuance paper shall be strictly controlled, and the paper shall be stored under lock when not in use. Any loss or theft of security document issuance paper shall be immediately reported to the state registrar.

D. Customer Service Documentation/Retention of Records/Audits

1. Document application forms submitted by customers shall be retained for not less than 3 years, and shall be made available to the registrar of vital records or his designee on request. A photocopy of the identification document(s) presented by the applicant shall be appended to the application form. Alternatively, the clerk may maintain a separate photographic file of the customer and the identification provided by the customer. The identification document must be legible in the photograph.

2. The clerk of court shall key the audit number of the document issuance paper (including voids) used in providing each customer service in the space provided on the research screen to enable the generation of an electronic audit/billing record.

3. The registrar of vital records or his designee shall periodically conduct a site visit and audit at each office where certified copies of birth/death certificates are issued to verify compliance with applicable laws and procedures.

E. Vital Records Issuance and Informational Supplies

1. The registrar of vital records shall supply security birth and death certificate issuance paper to clerks of district courts without charge.

2. The registrar of vital record shall supply document application forms and information sheets to clerks of district courts without charge.

3. Clerks of district courts shall order replacement supplies as necessary on forms provided by the state registrar.

F. Service Fees/Remittance to State Registrar

1. Clerks of district courts shall collect the fees specified in R.S. 40:39.1. As per R.S. 40:40(12), if there is no record on file, the fee shall be retained to cover the cost of the search.

2. The clerk shall remit to the state registrar the fees specified in R.S. 40:40 and the tax specified in R.S. 46:2403 for each certified copy of a vital record issued or searched.

3. On or before the second Friday of each month, the clerk shall submit a monthly report to the state registrar on forms provided by the registrar. The report shall summarize the number of birth and death record services provided during the prior month, the number of sheets of security paper voided, and the total amount of fees collected on behalf of the state registrar. All security document issuance paper voided during the prior calendar month shall be appended to the monthly report. As per R.S. 40:39.1 B2, each clerk shall remit payment to the vital records registry on a monthly basis either directly or through the Office of the State Treasurer in a manner mutually agreeable to the clerk and the state registrar of vital records.

La. Admin. Code tit. 48, § V-11711

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health, Vital Records Registry, LR 26:1300 (June 2000).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 40:33 and 40:39.1.