Recording a deed in Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Everything you need to get a deed on file in Orleans Parish. The office that records it, the formatting it checks, what it costs, and the three ways to submit.
- Recording office
- Parish Clerk of Court
- Witnesses
- 2 + notary
- Transfer tax
- $325 city tax
- First-page margin
- 2″ top
- Recording fee
- ~$135 up to 5 pages
- E-recording
- Every parish
Recording a deed in Orleans Parish
Deeds affecting property in Orleans Parish, Louisiana are recorded with the Parish Clerk of Court. Recording is what puts the world on notice of your ownership and fixes the priority date. An unrecorded deed can still transfer title between the parties, but it leaves you exposed to anyone who records first.
The recording rules the office applies come from La. Civ. Code arts. 3338 to 3368, and its fees and page format from La. R.S. 13:844. Transfers of immovable property are governed by La. Civ. Code art. 1839.
Worth knowing
Orleans Parish records through the Land Records Division of the Clerk of Civil District Court, 1340 Poydras Street, 4th floor. A $30 courthouse building fund fee (La. R.S. 13:996.67) and the $5 portal fee are added to every recording, so an act of up to 5 pages costs $135 to record.
Worth knowing
The City of New Orleans levies a documentary transaction tax, a flat $325 on most sales, donations and other transfers, paid by the seller or donor (New Orleans Code § 150-366). It is paid when the act is recorded, or on a billing form within 30 days. Quitclaims and some other acts are exempt (§ 150-369).
What to bring
- The original act, bearing the parties' original signatures (La. Civ. Code art. 3344). If it was notarized in Louisiana it must show the notary's printed name and notary identification or bar roll number, and the printed names of the witnesses, or the clerk may refuse it (La. R.S. 35:12(D)).
- Payment for the recording fee, about $135 for up to 5 pages. Many offices do not take personal checks.
Formatting
- Page one must carry a caption naming the type of act (for example "Act of Cash Sale"), with a 2-inch top margin and 1-inch bottom and side margins, and no type smaller than 8 point (La. R.S. 13:844(B)(2)).
- Use letter or legal paper. Any other size costs $20 a page extra (La. R.S. 13:844(A)(1)(i)), and Orleans Parish charges $20 for a document that misses the margin rule.
- A legal description. A street address alone is not enough.
How to file
- In personTake the original to the Parish Clerk of Court in New Orleans. This is the fastest route. You usually walk out with the recording information the same day.
- By mailSend the original with a money order or business check for the fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The fee includes one certified copy of the recorded act (La. R.S. 13:844), which comes back to you; some clerks, Orleans among them, keep the original.
- E-recordingEvery parish clerk accepts e-recording, through the statewide eClerks LA portal or vendors such as Simplifile, CSC and ePN (La. R.S. 13:754). Most users are title companies and notaries.
Confirm the address before you post anything
Offices move and hours change. Search for "Orleans Parish Louisiana Parish Clerk of Court" and use the official parish website, not a directory listing, which is often years out of date.
Deedly does not prepare Louisiana documents
Deedly does not prepare Louisiana documents. A Louisiana notary or attorney prepares the act of sale or act of donation, and you record it with the clerk of court of the parish where the property is located.
Common questions
With the Parish Clerk of Court, located in New Orleans. Deeds are always recorded in the parish where the property sits, not where the owner lives.
Around $135 for up to 5 pages. Louisiana's constitution bars any new tax on the sale or transfer of immovable property (La. Const. art. VII, § 2.3), and the City of New Orleans adds its documentary transaction tax, a flat $325 on most sales and donations. Confirm current fees with the office before you mail anything; they change.
Every parish clerk accepts e-recording, through the statewide eClerks LA portal or vendors such as Simplifile, CSC and ePN (La. R.S. 13:754). Most users are title companies and notaries.
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Deedly is not a law firm
Its software and documents are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. We provide self-help software and state-specific deed forms; you make your own decisions about your property. Using Deedly does not create an attorney-client relationship, and nothing here is legal advice. If your situation is complex or contested, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.