• New Orleans (La.) Board of Health, Death Certificates, 1804-1915
• Available on microfilm, call number: mf FF650
• Indexing (1804-1916)
• Available on microfilm, call number: mf FF650i
• Indexing (extended through 1949) is also available through Ancestry.com

Their form varies over the years, but death certificates from all periods record the same general information: name, place of birth, age, profession, date (and sometimes time) of death, and place of death. After about mid- 19th century, the cause of death is usually noted. Earlier records sometimes list the names of parents or spouse of the deceased, the nativity of parents or the deceased’s marital status; the name of parents is almost always given if the deceased was a child. For earlier records, since the person making the declaration of death is often a close relative of the deceased (a spouse or parent), some evidence of family line can sometimes be obtained from these records. During the antebellum period, deaths of free blacks are recorded (though sometimes in separate books for the earliest years). After 1864, “all” deaths are recorded, regardless of the deceased’s race. 

Volumes of death certificates devoted specifically to free people of color:

• Volume 2 July 15, 1819 – May 19, 1832 (pp. 1-178)
• Volume 4 May 20, 1832 – November 30, 1835 (pp. 1-292)
• Volume 6 December 2, 1835 – May 24, 1840 (pp. 1-384)
• Volume 10 May 26, 1840 – October 10, 1851 (pp. 1-880)
• Volume 14 October 15, 1851 – July 29, 1859 (pp. 1-600)
• Volume 22 August 10, 1859 – July 20, 1864 (pp. 1-764)

These lists, covering only three years, record the deceased’s name, place of death, age, sex, race, nativity, and address. The list was sent by the Board of Health to the Voter Registration Office to allow the names of deceased registered voters to be removed from the voting rolls. Notes beside names indicate whether the deceased was registered to vote.

• New Orleans (La.) Board of Health, Deaths of Males and Females Received at the Board of Health Office, 1927-1929.
• Available on microfilm, call number: mf FF420
• The records are arranged chronologically and are indexed in the Biography and Obituary Index as “Board of Health Registers.”

This index, compiled by the Health Department, gives the same information as the records above, but has no link to voter registration. The records are arranged alphabetically and contain the death certificate number. 

• New Orleans (La.) Board of Health, Death Index, 1957-1968
• Available on microfilm, call number: mf FF420 

Louisiana, Division of Public Health Statistics. Indexes deaths statewide for Louisiana.

• Available on microfilm, call number: SARS-13
• This index is available online at ancestry.com and Louisiana State Archives’ index to Louisiana Vital Records.

Louisiana, State Department of Health and Human Resources, Vital Records Office.

Alphabetical indexes to all deaths in the state of Louisiana. Records name, cause of death (by International Classification of Diseases code), sex, age at death, volume and certificate number, date of death, parish of death, and residence. (For convenience sake, we have retained this long-used call number; they are not, however, records of the New Orleans Health Department.)

• Available on microfilm, call number: mf FF420

Jefferson City, bounded by the River, Toledano Street, Freret Street, and Joseph Street, was incorporated in 1850 as part of Jefferson Parish and annexed to the City of New Orleans in 1870. Arranged by date of death, the volume, covering Aug. 1, 1868 to February 27, 1870, gives the name of the deceased, cause of death, age, nativity, sex, and race. “Remarks” sometimes includes the place of burial or place of death.

• Jefferson City Register of Deaths, 1868-1870
• Available on microfilm, call number: mf II LM430 1841-1849