In Louisiana, genealogy records can be found through a search of various resources. It is important to know that there is not just one place to go to learn about your family. Rather, those interested should spend time searching numerous resources to learn the full breadth of information about their family and history. These records can help to create a family tree, but they can also bring people together, prove property ownership and even help individuals to learn about medical conditions, quality of life and when the family entered the country. It can be powerful information.
 

To find and complete your Louisiana genealogy records, you will want to start with basic information about the individual's birth and death. To do that, turn to the state at first. The state of Louisiana archives all birth records more than 100 years old and all marriage and death records older than 50 years. If you are looking for this information, you may find it harder to obtain.

Nevertheless, you can write to the agency at the following address:

Louisiana State Archives

PO Box 94125

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804
 

If you are looking for more recent information, you will need to be a close kinship to the individual. If that is the case, you can visit or write to the following address:

Louisiana Department of Health
 

Vital Records Registry

Office of Public Health

325 Loyola Avenue

PO Box 60630

New Orleans, Louisiana 70160
 

It is possible to work through an automated process to request this information as well. To do so, call 504 568-5150 to get started.

These are not the only options for finding Louisiana genealogy records, though. There are numerous other resources available to you as well. One of the options to use are the Land Patents. These kept track of a great deal of information include family histories and property ownership in the area. You can browse through this information and locate people as long as you know their name.
 

Also valuable in this area are church records. In Louisiana, there was a very strong Christian establishment. From the churches to the cemeteries, these organizations kept significant records. Some date back to the 1700's. The documents may or may not be available depending on how and where they were stored. However, you can often find this information by contacting the churches and requesting any copies possible. Sometimes, visiting in person can speed up the process.
 

Other sources for research include the war records. Index cards detailing a person's name, family contact information and other identifying information were used to keep track of individuals involved in the American Revolution and later the Civil War. You can also find records from both world wars and from the Korean and Vietnam wars available. To gather this information, contact the local VA association. Finding Louisiana genealogy records may seem like a long and hard process, but in fact, it does not have to be. Before you decide if this is the only information about your family, think again.

• Louisiana Genealogy