Caldwell Parish Marriage License Rules
Marriage licenses are issued by the Caldwell Parish Clerk of Court. The clerk's site lists marriage licenses as an office service and says the office issues licenses and maintains marriage records. The same office is the local record source for certified marriage copies. Louisiana.gov also directs certified marriage certificate requests to the Clerk of Court in the parish where the marriage occurred, except for Orleans-specific handling not relevant to Caldwell Parish.
Only one party has to appear to apply, but that person must bring the required documents and information for both parties. Applicants must generally be 18. If an applicant is 16 or 17, both parents must appear with photo identification to sign consent, judicial consent is required after a hearing, and the person marrying the minor cannot be more than three years older. Minors 15 and younger cannot marry in Louisiana. The Caldwell clerk also says Louisiana bars marriage between collaterals within the fourth degree, including siblings, first cousins, uncle and niece, and aunt and nephew.
The official Caldwell filing-fees and marriage-license page is the source for the local license requirements and the image assigned to this page.
Those local requirements are more specific than a generic Louisiana marriage summary, so Caldwell applicants should use the clerk's rules before appearing.
Apply for Caldwell Parish Marriage Records
Before applying, gather original birth records and prior-marriage proof. The Caldwell clerk says an original birth record is required and cannot be waived unless the state registrar where the party was born sends a letter stating the birth certificate cannot be found. A foreign-born applicant must provide an original birth certificate, and a foreign-language birth certificate must be translated into English by that country's consulate under La. R.S. 13:3725. The foreign-born applicant must also present a passport, naturalization papers, or green card.
- Confirm that the marriage license should be issued through Caldwell Parish and gather documents for both parties.
- Bring original birth records, Social Security numbers, and any required foreign-birth or immigration documents.
- If either party was previously married, provide the certified divorce judgment or the prior spouse's month, day, and year of death, plus the number of this marriage.
- Apply through the Caldwell Parish Clerk of Court and pay the non-refundable license fee.
- Wait 24 hours before the ceremony unless a judge or authorized justice of the peace waives the waiting period.
- Use the license within 30 days from issuance.
For covenant marriage, Caldwell requires the same base information plus premarital counseling, a declaration of intent, an affidavit, and an attestation. The clerk provides covenant forms, and the minister or counselor must be present for completing the documents.
Caldwell Parish Marriage Application Fields
The Caldwell marriage application PDF was listed as an official clerk source, but browser text extraction did not expose a clean field list. The research therefore uses the clerk's published requirements rather than inventing unverified PDF line items. Each spouse's data is needed even when only one person appears at the clerk's office.
| Field or Document | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant or spouse names | Yes | Information for both parties is required. |
| Age or date of birth | Yes | Used to apply the adult and minor marriage rules. |
| Original birth record | Yes | A state registrar no-record letter is the only waiver noted by the clerk. |
| Foreign birth certificate translation | Conditional | Foreign-language records must be translated by that country's consulate. |
| Passport, naturalization papers, or green card | Conditional | Required for a party born outside the United States. |
| Social Security numbers | Yes | Numbers must be provided, but Social Security cards do not have to be produced. |
| Prior marriage information | Conditional | Provide a certified divorce judgment or former spouse's death date and marriage number. |
| Highest grade completed | Yes | Required for both parties. |
| Father's full name and state of birth | Yes | Required for both parties. |
| Mother's full maiden name and state of birth | Yes | Required for both parties. |
| Covenant marriage forms | Conditional | Declaration, affidavit, attestation, and counseling proof apply only to covenant marriage. |
Note: The clerk states it can accept a faxed divorce judgment only when the fax comes from another clerk's office.
Caldwell Parish Marriage and Divorce Fees
The Caldwell clerk publishes marriage-license and copy fees. Divorce filing costs are not listed as a separate divorce-only schedule in the research, so divorce filings should be confirmed with the clerk before filing. The civil-cost page lists a petition with one service at $350 and a petition with temporary restraining order or rule at $425, but family-law filing details can change based on service, pleadings, and court orders.
| Item | Amount or Rule |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $27.50. |
| Payment denomination note | No bill larger than $20, please. |
| Certified copy of marriage license | $10.00, available on request. |
| Plain marriage copy | $5.00, available on request. |
| Refunds | All fees are non-refundable. |
| Divorce petition with one service | $350.00 civil deposit listed by the clerk, confirm divorce-specific cost before filing. |
| Petition with TRO or rule | $425.00 civil deposit listed by the clerk, confirm with the clerk. |
| Civil certified copies | $5.00 plus $1.00 per page. |
Search Caldwell Parish Marriage Records
Caldwell Parish marriage records can be requested through the clerk, and some historical or indexed records may be reachable through clerk-linked online subscription systems. The clerk resources page links eClerks LA, the Louisiana Clerks Remote Access Authority portal, and ClerkConnect. eClerks LA requires an account, email verification, a parish subscription, and a supported browser. The research found Caldwell online rates of $20 daily and $100 monthly, with copies printed from the website at $1.00 per page plus checkout card fees.
For direct requests, use the clerk's public-records channel. The Caldwell resources page says public records requests should be sent to Cherie Lott, Caldwell Parish Clerk of Court, P.O. Box 1327, Columbia, LA 71418. A useful marriage-copy request should include both spouses' names, the marriage date or approximate year, the requested copy type, a return address, and contact information for fee questions. The clerk's main phone is 318-649-2272.
Find Caldwell Parish Divorce Records
Divorce records are district-court records. Louisiana.gov says certified copies of divorce records are obtained from the Clerk of Court in the parish where the divorce occurred. In Caldwell Parish, that means the Caldwell Parish Clerk of Court and the 37th Judicial District Court record system. Divorce files may include petitions, service papers, answers, motions, court minutes, custody or support orders, property agreements, and the final judgment of divorce.
The clerk resources page links an official divorce worksheet PDF. Because the PDF text was not available in the browser capture, exact worksheet field names should not be restated as if verified. A practical divorce-copy request should identify party names, case number if known, approximate filing or judgment date, copy type, and whether certification is needed. Sensitive exhibits, child-related filings, protective-order content, sealed material, and adoption or juvenile records may be restricted.
Divorce copy channels: Use the Caldwell Parish Clerk of Court for certified divorce judgments, ClerkConnect/eClerks for available online records, and the mailed request channel for files not found online.
Caldwell Parish Copy Requests
The local clerk is the key office for both marriage and divorce copies. Birth and death certificates are separate vital-record services, but Louisiana.gov directs marriage and divorce certified copies to the parish Clerk of Court. For Caldwell Parish, the clerk office address and mailed request route are the same record access path used across court, marriage, and family filings.
Caldwell Parish Clerk of Court
201 Main Street, Suite 1
Columbia, LA 71418
Mailing: P.O. Box 1327, Columbia, LA 71418
318-649-2272
Email: CherieLott@caldwellclerk.org