Louisiana

Louisiana apostilles issue from the Secretary of State in Baton Rouge, and Louisiana’s civil-law heritage shows up in its paperwork: notarial acts here are their own legal species, and a notarized document needs the notary’s signature authenticated by the Clerk of Court in the parish where the notary is commissioned before the state will apostille it, the parish-level step that replaces the county steps other states use. If your document was passed before a Louisiana notary, the chain differs from anywhere else in the country, and we know it.

Certified vital records come from Louisiana Vital Records in New Orleans, with tight eligibility rules on who can order them: birth certificates go only to the person named or a family member, and marriage and death certificates are restricted to spouses and immediate family. State fee: $20 per document ($10 for adoption-related records). Timing: one to three weeks depending on the state (call us and we’ll tell you where yours currently stands). Pricing: rates page.

Maritime and energy documents for international counterparties dominate, alongside French dual-citizenship family records. /order/ or (212) 245-9690.