Delcambre, Louisiana Public Records

For more serious matters, the 15th Judicial District Court for Vermilion Parish, located at the Vermilion Parish Courthouse, 100 North State Street, Abbeville, LA 70510 (phone: 337-898-4320), handles all felony criminal cases, civil suits over $10,000, family law matters including divorce and child custody, successions (probate), and appeals from lower courts. The Clerk of Court for the 15th Judicial District maintains all court records and can be reached at the same address (phone: 337-898-1992, website: www.vermilionparishclerk.org). Small claims cases under $5,000 and misdemeanors are heard in the appropriate Justice of the Peace courts or City Court. Louisiana provides limited online court record access through individual parish clerk websites; Vermilion Parish offers some case search capability through the Clerk of Court website, though comprehensive searches often require in-person visits. Certified copies of court documents typically cost $2.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page, plus a $5.00 certification fee. Marriage licenses cost $27.50 and are issued by the Clerk of Court with a 72-hour waiting period (waivable with premarital counseling). Recording fees for judgments and other court documents vary by page count. Many historical records must be accessed in person at the courthouse during regular business hours.

The assessor's website offers a free online property search tool where users can search by owner name, address, or parcel number to view assessed values, property characteristics, exemptions, tax assessment history, and property sketches. The database includes information on land size, building square footage, year built, and sales history. For recorded documents including property deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and other conveyances, the Vermilion Parish Clerk of Court serves as the ex-officio Recorder of Mortgages and Conveyances, located at 100 North State Street, Abbeville, LA 70510 (phone: 337-898-1992). The Clerk's office maintains all recorded documents dating back to the parish's formation, with indices searchable by grantor, grantee, and legal description. While some basic index searches may be available online through the clerk's website, full document images typically require in-person visits or payment of research and copying fees. Recording fees are $125 for the first recorded act and $100 for each additional act filed simultaneously. The Vermilion Parish GIS Department provides an online parcel viewer with aerial imagery, tax parcel boundaries, and basic ownership information, accessible through the parish government website, offering a visual way to search property records by map location.

Major seafood processors and dealers operating in or near Delcambre include Erath Packing Company, Fisk Marine Supply, and numerous independent seafood docks that purchase directly from boats and distribute to regional and national markets. The town's maritime economy employs vessel captains, deckhands, dock workers, ice house operators, net makers, and processing plant workers. Beyond fishing, agriculture plays a role in the surrounding area with rice farming, crawfish aquaculture, and sugarcane cultivation in Vermilion Parish. The estimated median household income for Delcambre is approximately $31,000, below both parish and state averages, reflecting the seasonal and labor-intensive nature of commercial fishing. Public sector employers include the Delcambre Town Government, Vermilion Parish School Board facilities, and local public works. Recent economic challenges include declining shrimp prices due to foreign imports, coastal erosion affecting fishing grounds, and storm damage from hurricanes. The annual Delcambre Shrimp Festival, held each August, draws thousands of visitors and provides important revenue for local businesses. Delcambre's economy is deeply connected to the broader Vermilion Parish economy, which includes oil and gas services in nearby Erath and Abbeville, agricultural processing, and small-scale manufacturing, though Delcambre remains distinctly maritime-focused compared to other parish communities.

The Delcambre Police Department, located at 106 North Richard Street, Delcambre, LA 70528 (phone: 337-685-2772), provides primary law enforcement services within town limits. Residents can request police reports and incident records by visiting the department in person during business hours or by submitting a written request citing Louisiana Public Records Law (La. R.S. 44:1 et seq.). The department maintains records of accidents, incident reports, and local arrests, though some records may be withheld if they pertain to ongoing investigations. The Vermilion Parish Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 201 South Jefferson Street, Abbeville, LA 70510 (phone: 337-898-4403, website: www.vpsheriff.org), provides law enforcement services throughout the parish including unincorporated areas surrounding Delcambre and handles all parish-wide warrants, civil process, and operates the Vermilion Parish Correctional Center. To search for recent arrests and jail bookings, the Vermilion Parish Sheriff's Office maintains an online inmate roster accessible through their website showing current detainees, booking photos, charges, bond amounts, and booking dates. The roster is updated regularly and provides information on individuals held at the correctional center. Under Louisiana Public Records Law (specifically La. R.S. 44:1 through 44:41), arrest records, booking logs, and incident reports are generally public unless exempted for ongoing investigations or juvenile matters. Requesters must provide reasonable specificity about the records sought, and agencies may charge reasonable copying fees. Most agencies require requests in writing and respond within three business days, though complex requests may take longer with proper notification.

Certified copies can be ordered online through VitalChek (additional processing fees apply), by mail with completed application and proper identification, or in person at the Baton Rouge office. Processing time is typically 10-15 business days for mail requests, with expedited service available for additional fees. Louisiana birth records are available from 1914 forward, though earlier records exist for New Orleans. Only immediate family members, legal representatives, or individuals with court orders can obtain certified copies; proof of relationship and government-issued ID are required. Death certificates have fewer restrictions but still require proof of direct and tangible interest. Marriage licenses are issued by the Vermilion Parish Clerk of Court at 100 North State Street, Abbeville, LA 70510 (phone: 337-898-1992), costing $27.50 with a 72-hour waiting period unless waived by completing premarital counseling. The Clerk maintains marriage records from the 1800s forward. Divorce records are court records maintained by the Clerk of Court as part of civil case files; certified copies of divorce judgments can be obtained from the Clerk's office for standard document fees. The Vermilion Parish Health Unit at 119 South Jefferson Street, Abbeville (phone: 337-893-7449) can assist with informational copies of some vital records but does not issue certified copies.

Businesses operating under a name other than the owner's legal name must file a trade name (DBA) with the Vermilion Parish Clerk of Court at 100 North State Street, Abbeville, LA 70510. Trade name filings cost approximately $110 and must be renewed every five years. For state-level business formation, the Louisiana Secretary of State maintains all corporation, LLC, and other business entity records. The Louisiana Secretary of State's website (www.sos.la.gov) provides a free online Commercial Database search where users can look up business entities by name, charter number, or registered agent. The database shows entity status (active, inactive, dissolved), formation date, registered agent information, principal office address, and officers/directors for corporations. Annual reports must be filed to maintain good standing. UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) financing statements, which create public notice of security interests and liens on business assets and property, are also filed with the Louisiana Secretary of State's UCC Division and are searchable online. For business property tax information, commercial property owners can search assessment records through the Vermilion Parish Assessor's Office (337-898-1205, www.vermilionparishassessor.com) using the same online property search tools available for residential properties, showing assessed values used for tax calculation purposes.

Delcambre voters are served by the Vermilion Parish Registrar of Voters, located at 100 North State Street, Suite 103, Abbeville, LA 70510 (phone: 337-898-1992, website: www.vermilionclerk.org). Louisiana residents can register to vote online through the Louisiana Secretary of State's GeauxVote system at www.sos.la.gov/electionsandvoting, which requires a Louisiana driver's license or state ID. The registration deadline is 30 days before any election (20 days before the registration books close, plus 10 days for processing). Voters must be U.S. citizens, at least 17 years old (18 to vote), Louisiana residents, and not currently under an order of imprisonment for felony conviction. Delcambre holds municipal elections for mayor and town council positions; Louisiana municipalities typically hold elections in coordination with the state's consolidated election schedule, most recently in 2022 for local offices, with the next municipal cycle expected in 2026. Delcambre voters participate in parish-wide elections for Vermilion Parish School Board, Sheriff, Clerk of Court, Assessor, and Police Jury (parish council) positions. To find their assigned polling place, Delcambre residents can use the GeauxVote polling place locator at www.sos.la.gov by entering their address, or contact the Registrar of Voters. Louisiana provides extensive public access to election records: voter registration lists are available for purchase by campaigns and political parties; campaign finance reports for state and local candidates are searchable through the Louisiana Ethics Administration Program at www.ethics.la.gov; candidate qualifying information is published by the Secretary of State; and precinct-level election results are posted online after certification. In the November 2024 presidential election, Vermilion Parish reported approximately 61% voter turnout with roughly 20,000 ballots cast from approximately 33,000 registered voters, consistent with the parish's historically strong turnout in presidential years and conservative voting patterns. For the November 3, 2026 election cycle, Delcambre and Vermilion Parish voters will decide several significant races: Louisiana does not have a U.S. Senate seat up in 2026, but voters will elect state representatives for House Districts covering Vermilion Parish, a State Senator for District 24, parish-level offices including potential Vermilion Parish Sheriff and Clerk of Court races depending on the election cycle, School Board seats, Police Jury members, and potentially municipal positions if Delcambre's election cycle aligns. Louisiana uses a jungle primary system where all candidates appear on one ballot, and if no candidate receives 50% plus one vote, the top two advance to a runoff election held approximately one month later. Absentee voting by mail in Louisiana requires an approved excuse (age 65+, illness/disability, absence from parish on election day, or incarceration). Early voting is available for all registered voters during a designated period (typically 14-7 days before the election) at the Vermilion Parish Registrar's Office and designated early voting locations. Mail-in absentee ballot applications must be submitted to the Registrar of Voters with the request received by 4:30 p.m. on the fourth day before the election, and completed ballots must be received by election day.