Death Certificate

*Death certificates are issued to family by the funeral home, not by the coroner’s office* (see details below)

The coroner shall complete the cause and manner of death information on a death certificate based on his examination, investigation, or autopsy. Once the coroner has filled out all information that is required per LA Revised Statue, the coroner will submit the death certificate back to the funeral home for certifying.  Death certificates are generated by the funeral homes and also issued to family by the funeral homes. The Coroner’s Office is not the custodian of the death certificate and, therefore, is not the entity who provides the death certificate to family. In cases of autopsy, the death certificate is not completed until after receiving the full autopsy report and toxicology report.

*If a death was not investigated by the coroner’s office, the decedent’s physician will likely sign the death certificate. The death certificate will still be provided to family by the funeral home.

Certified copies of death certificates must be obtained from the funeral home or from Louisiana Vital Statistics.  (Usually if a certain amount of time has passed then the death certificate must come from Vital Statistics).

Louisiana Vital Statistics local branch:

Address: 1035 Creswell Avenue, Shreveport, Louisiana
Phone: (318) 676.5222

*A Proof of Death Letter is a letter the Coroner’s Office may be able to provide to family while they are awaiting the death certificate. The Proof of Death Letter is on official letterhead with an authorized signature and is legal confirmation that a death did occur. In circumstances where proof is needed before the death certificate is available, Caddo Coroner’s Office can often provide a copy of this letter upon request. (La R.S. 44:19 E. (1)).