LaPlace Property Records Search
LaPlace property records are filed and maintained by the St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court. LaPlace is an unincorporated community -- the largest in St. John the Baptist Parish -- so all deeds, mortgages, conveyances, liens, and land instruments for LaPlace properties are recorded at the parish level in Edgard. You can search these records online through the eClerks system or visit the clerk's office in person. The St. John the Baptist Parish Assessor also provides a free online property search tool for ownership and valuation data.
LaPlace Quick Facts
Why LaPlace Has No City Land Records
LaPlace is not an incorporated city. It has no city government and no municipal land records office. All property records for LaPlace are held by St. John the Baptist Parish. Despite being the largest community in the parish, LaPlace remains unincorporated. All land title research must go through the St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court in Edgard.
The parish seat of St. John the Baptist Parish is Edgard, a small community across the Mississippi River from LaPlace. That is where the main clerk's office is located. For LaPlace residents, this means a drive across the river to access in-person records, though the eClerks LA online system reduces that need for most searches.
St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court
The St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court is the official keeper of all property records for LaPlace. Under La. Civ. Code art. 3338, instruments affecting immovable property must be recorded in the parish where the property is located to be effective against third parties. For LaPlace properties, that is St. John the Baptist Parish.
| Office | St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court |
|---|---|
| Address | St. John Parish Courthouse Edgard, LA |
| Phone | (985) 497-3331 |
| Website | stjohnclerk.org |
You can visit the clerk's office in Edgard to search records, request copies, or file new instruments. Staff can look up records by grantor, grantee, or instrument number. Bring a valid photo ID when visiting in person.
Visit St. John Parish Clerk Website
The image below shows the eClerks LA portal, the primary online access point for St. John the Baptist Parish property records covering LaPlace:
The eClerks LA platform at eclerksla.com covers St. John the Baptist Parish and provides online access to recorded deeds, mortgages, and other land instruments for LaPlace and the surrounding area.
Search LaPlace Property Records Online
St. John the Baptist Parish is covered by the eClerks LA system. This statewide platform provides online access to recorded instruments from participating parish clerks, including St. John. You can search deeds, mortgages, and other land documents for LaPlace properties without making the trip to Edgard.
The eClerks LA system lets you search by grantor name, grantee name, or instrument type. For a LaPlace property search, you typically search by the current or prior owner's last name. eClerks LA may require a subscription or per-search fee for document images, though basic index searches may be available without a fee. Check the site for current pricing.
The Louisiana Tax Commission also maintains statewide assessment data. You can search by parish and owner name to find current assessed values and owner information for LaPlace parcels. This gives a starting point when you need basic property information before doing a full title search.
For a thorough online search, have ready:
- Owner's last name and first name
- Property address in LaPlace
- Approximate recording year or date range
- Instrument number or book and page if known
St. John the Baptist Parish Assessor
The St. John the Baptist Parish Assessor sets property values for all LaPlace parcels. The assessor's office is at the St. John Parish Courthouse in Edgard. Contact the clerk's office at (985) 497-3331 for assessor contact details, as both offices are at the same courthouse location.
Under La. Const. art. VII § 18, residential homestead property is assessed at 10% of fair market value. Commercial property is assessed at 15%. The assessor's records are public and show current owner names, legal descriptions, assessed values, and exemptions for each LaPlace parcel.
If you believe your LaPlace property is over-assessed, you can file an objection during the open book review period. Contact the assessor's office for the dates and the process for filing a formal objection in St. John the Baptist Parish.
Property Tax Records in LaPlace
Property taxes for LaPlace are collected at the St. John the Baptist Parish level. The Sheriff's office typically serves as the ex officio tax collector in Louisiana parishes. Contact the St. John Parish Clerk at (985) 497-3331 for current information on who collects taxes and how to check tax payment status for a LaPlace property.
Under La. R.S. 44:1, all records maintained by Louisiana public bodies are presumed open unless a specific exemption applies. Tax rolls and assessment records are public. Anyone can view them without a legal interest in the property or a stated reason.
If taxes go unpaid on a LaPlace property, they become a lien. Unpaid liens follow the property through sale. When buying property in LaPlace, verify that all taxes are current. A title search at the St. John Parish Clerk's office will show any tax liens or other encumbrances recorded against the property.
Recording Property Documents for LaPlace
Any instrument affecting title to property in LaPlace must be recorded with the St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court. This applies to acts of sale, mortgages, releases, judgment liens, servitudes, and any other document that affects ownership or encumbrances on immovable property.
Documents commonly recorded for LaPlace properties:
- Acts of sale (deeds)
- Acts of mortgage
- Mortgage cancellations and releases
- Judgment liens and abstracts
- Servitudes and easements
- Affidavits of heirship or correction
- Leases affecting immovable property
Bring the original signed and notarized document to the clerk's office in Edgard. Pay the recording fee. The clerk records it and assigns an instrument number. La. R.S. 44:411 sets the framework for copy fees. Call (985) 497-3331 for the current recording fee schedule before making the trip.
For very old land title research in LaPlace, the Louisiana State Land Office holds original land grants and patents from the early period of Louisiana's history. This can be essential when researching deep chain-of-title going back to the earliest Spanish and French land grants in St. John the Baptist Parish.
LaPlace in the New Orleans Metro Area
LaPlace sits just west of the New Orleans metro area, near the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway and along the I-10 corridor. It has grown substantially as a suburban community for workers commuting to New Orleans and the River Parishes. The active real estate market in LaPlace means the St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk processes a steady volume of real estate transactions each year.
Property searches in LaPlace can sometimes be complicated by the fact that the parish seat is in Edgard, on the west bank of the Mississippi, while most of LaPlace is on the east bank. All records still go through the same clerk's office regardless. The eClerks LA online system at eclerksla.com is the most practical tool for LaPlace residents who want to avoid the drive to Edgard for basic searches.
Nearby Qualifying Cities
Other communities in the New Orleans metro area also have property records at the parish level.
St. John the Baptist Parish Property Records
All property records for LaPlace are maintained by St. John the Baptist Parish. The parish records page covers the clerk's office, assessor, online tools, and more.