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Tangipahoa Parish, LA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Twenty-First Judicial District Court |
| Filing office | Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Court, Civil Department |
| Courthouse address | 110 North Bay Street, Suite 100, Amite, LA 70422 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 667, Amite, LA 70422. Call before mailing a filing because the clerk announced a January 1, 2026 change to fax and mail-in filing practices. |
| Phone | Main: (985) 748-4146. Civil Department: (985) 284-2610. |
| [email protected] for Civil Department questions, not for filing documents. | |
| Fax | (985) 748-6503, not a succession filing route. |
| Hours | Amite office: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Death certificate applications are taken in Amite only until 3:30 p.m. Hammond office: 318-A NW Railroad Avenue, Hammond, LA 70401, (985) 549-1638, closed from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. for lunch. |
| Advance cost deposit | The clerk requires an advance deposit before a civil pleading is filed or service is perfected (La. R.S. 13:842). Tangipahoa's published succession deposits, current on August 24, 2026, include completed small succession bands of $235.50 and $335.50, an incomplete succession deposit of $250.00, and a completed non-small succession band that reaches $410.50 when the recorded document runs six to twenty-five pages. The clerk sets the exact amount at billing. |
| Local forms | No succession form, checklist, petition template, or succession cover sheet is posted by the clerk or by the Twenty-First Judicial District Court. |
| E-filing | Civil electronic filings for Tangipahoa Parish go through Clerk Connect. The attorney filing rule is in La. C.C.P. art. 253, and the original testament is filed on paper and retained by the clerk (La. C.C.P. art. 2911). |
| Case search | The clerk's paid Clerk Connect civil search covers succession records from the early 1990s forward. The clerk also posts free scanned succession index books from 1864 through April 15, 2024. |
| Video participation | The court posts video conference links by division and uses a virtual waiting room, but it does not say which succession matters are set that way. Ask the Civil Department or the assigned division when a matter is set. |
| Website | https://www.tangiclerk.org/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Tangipahoa Parish succession route, list the assets, debts, real estate, vehicles, accounts, and possible heirs. That inventory matters locally because the clerk's advance deposit is banded by the type of succession and by the length of the document recorded at the end, and the clerk sets the exact amount at billing.
Sunset's estate settlement process starts by helping families search across more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets. Knowing whether there is immovable property in Tangipahoa Parish also tells you whether the judgment of possession will need to be recorded in the parish conveyance records.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Successions for Tangipahoa Parish are filed with the Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Court at the courthouse in Amite and are heard in the Twenty-First Judicial District Court, which also serves Livingston and St. Helena Parishes (La. R.S. 13:477). The shared district means the judges serve multiple parishes; it does not move a Tangipahoa Parish filing to Livingston or St. Helena.
Venue is based on the decedent's domicile. A succession is opened in the district court of the parish where the decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent was not domiciled in Louisiana, the succession may be opened in a parish where Louisiana immovable property is located, or where movable property is located if there is no Louisiana immovable property (La. C.C.P. art. 2811).
The courthouse and main clerk's office are in Amite. The clerk also keeps a Hammond office at 318-A NW Railroad Avenue, but the clerk lists marriage licenses and passports there and does not state that civil or succession filings are accepted there. Call the Civil Department before trying to use the Hammond office for an estate settlement filing.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, the original testament if there is one, a list of heirs or legatees, a list of assets and debts, and a description of any Tangipahoa Parish immovable property.
- Choose the Louisiana succession path with counsel or another qualified adviser: small succession affidavit, possession without administration, administration, or independent administration. Tangipahoa Parish does not post a fill-in succession packet, so the petition is drafted to the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure.
- File the petition with the Civil Department of the Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Court at 110 North Bay Street, Suite 100, Amite. Civil electronic filings for this parish go through Clerk Connect. Attorneys follow La. C.C.P. art. 253, and anyone filing without a lawyer should call the Civil Department at (985) 284-2610 before mailing or travelling.
- Pay the advance cost deposit. The clerk says no civil pleading will be filed and no service perfected without an advance deposit, and an electronic submission can be rejected for insufficient funds (La. R.S. 13:842).
- Deliver the original testament on paper if there is one. An original testament is a paper filing under La. C.C.P. art. 253, and the clerk retains a probated testament in perpetuity (La. C.C.P. art. 2911).
- After the filing is accepted, the case is allotted at random to a division of the Twenty-First Judicial District Court in the clerk's office, and the division is written on the petition (La. Dist. Ct. R. 9.3 and the Twenty-First Judicial District Appendix 9.3).
- In an uncontested matter, the clerk of court may probate an unopposed testament and confirm or appoint the succession representative when the Code allows it (La. C.C.P. arts. 282 and 283). After qualification, the clerk issues letters testamentary, letters of administration, or letters of independent administration as appropriate (La. C.C.P. art. 3159).
- Prepare the inventory or sworn detailed descriptive list, address debts through the court process, and move the matter toward possession. A succession representative has a duty to close the succession as soon as advisable (La. C.C.P. art. 3197).
- Obtain the judgment of possession from the court. In an uncontested possession proceeding, the court renders and signs the judgment immediately when the legal requirements are met (La. C.C.P. art. 3061).
- If the succession includes Tangipahoa Parish immovable property, record the judgment of possession in the parish conveyance records through the clerk's Recording Department. The clerk's deposit bands already anticipate the recording charge for shorter judgments, and certified copies require outstanding costs to be paid.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Tangipahoa Parish
The Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Court does not post a succession form, checklist, petition template, or cover sheet. The Twenty-First Judicial District Court's posted forms are for topics such as family law, name changes, expungements, continuances, and fee-delayer requests, not successions.
That means a Tangipahoa Parish succession is opened by a petition drafted to Louisiana succession law, not by completing a parish form. If you are unsure whether a Supreme Court civil case reporting form is needed for a particular filing, ask the Civil Department before filing; neither the clerk nor the court states that it is a succession cover sheet.
The local document many families need first is the death certificate application. The clerk takes Louisiana death certificate applications at the Amite office only, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., for deaths on or after July 7, 2012. The certified-copy charge is $26.00, current on August 24, 2026, payable by cash or card.
Fees
| Cost item | Local amount | How it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Completed small succession deposit | $235.50 or $335.50, current on August 24, 2026 | The clerk's published civil advance deposit table uses different bands based on the length of the document recorded at the end. The exact amount is set at billing. |
| Incomplete succession deposit | $250.00, current on August 24, 2026 | The clerk lists this as a separate succession deposit and requires the advance deposit before a civil pleading is filed or service is perfected. |
| Completed succession deposit for longer recorded document | Reaches $410.50 for a document of six to twenty-five pages, current on August 24, 2026 | The clerk's deposit bands include a recording component for the judgment or other document recorded at the end. |
| Recording in conveyance, mortgage, or miscellaneous books | $110.50 for one to five pages per book and $210.50 for six to twenty-five pages per book, effective August 1, 2017 | This matters when a judgment of possession or related document is recorded for Tangipahoa Parish immovable property. |
| Oversized document charge | $20.00 per page, effective August 1, 2017 | The clerk applies this to documents larger than letter or legal size. |
| Copies and certifications | $1.00 per page and $10.00 to certify, current on August 24, 2026 | The exact charge can depend on which department makes the copy and whether you supply the copy to be conformed or certified. |
| Death certificate | $26.00, current on August 24, 2026 | Available through the Amite office for qualifying Louisiana deaths on or after July 7, 2012, with cash or card payment. |
The clerk states that exact fees are determined at the time of billing. Treat the table as a way to prepare for the estate settlement call with the Civil Department, not as a final invoice.
Local nuance
Tangipahoa Parish-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Shared judicial district | The Twenty-First Judicial District Court serves Tangipahoa, Livingston, and St. Helena Parishes, but a Tangipahoa Parish succession is filed with the Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Court in Amite. |
| Hammond office limits | The clerk lists marriage licenses and passports at Hammond and death certificates at Amite only. The clerk does not state that Hammond accepts civil or succession filings, so call the Civil Department before using that office for estate settlement work. |
| Banded succession deposits | Tangipahoa's succession deposits account for whether the matter is a small succession and for the length of the document recorded at the end. The clerk still sets the exact amount at billing. |
| Free historical succession indexes | The clerk posts scanned index books covering 1864 through April 15, 2024. They are browsed by the decedent's name and can help locate an older succession before ordering copies. |
| Allotment at filing | A civil case is allotted to a division when it is filed, and the division is written on the petition. Keep the division, caption, docket number, and approximate filing date when asking whether a pleading has been signed. |
Recent updates
| Date | Update | What it means in Tangipahoa Parish |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | The Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Court announced that fax filings and mail-in filings are no longer used for state district court filings, and that attorneys may file electronically, in person, or through a court courier. | Civil electronic filings for Tangipahoa Parish go through Clerk Connect. A person filing without a lawyer should call the Civil Department before mailing or travelling. The original testament remains a paper filing under La. C.C.P. art. 253 and is retained by the clerk under La. C.C.P. art. 2911. |
| August 1, 2026 | Louisiana Act 293 changed the small succession ceiling for a Louisiana-domiciled decedent (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). | Tangipahoa's clerk deposit table uses the phrase small succession but does not print a gross-value line. Use the Louisiana succession page or counsel to decide whether the statewide small succession route fits. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Tangipahoa Parish path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | This is often a community property and usufruct analysis. The surviving spouse already owns an undivided half of the community property, and the succession addresses the decedent's half. If the home is in Tangipahoa Parish, the judgment of possession is recorded in the parish conveyance records. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, and property details so the estate settlement plan can be built before the Civil Department filing and recording steps. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | The statewide small succession route may fit, but the child should confirm the filing and delivery method with the Civil Department. Tangipahoa publishes lower small succession deposit bands and free historical succession index books that can help locate an older file. | Sunset organizes asset information, produces a working packet, and helps the family decide whether a local attorney should review the small succession path. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of immovable property often points toward administration or independent administration so that authority can be shown, letters can issue, and the sale and later possession paperwork can be recorded properly. | Sunset helps collect financial and property information, prepare the estate settlement workflow, and connect the parent with a vetted Louisiana succession attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, Corp. | Free civil legal help for eligible people in Tangipahoa Parish. SLLS states that it helps with wills, powers of attorney, and uncontested successions. The Hammond office is in Tangipahoa Parish. | Intake: 1-844-244-7871. Hammond office: 200 Guidry Drive, Hammond, LA 70403, local (985) 345-2130. |
| Twenty-First Judicial District Court self-represented page | General orientation for people appearing without a lawyer, including the court's warning that self-represented litigants must follow court rules and procedures. | https://www.21stjdc.org/representing-yourself |
| LouisianaLawHelp.org | State legal-information site with sections for estates, wills, guardianships, legal aid organizations by parish, and online legal help applications. | https://louisianalawhelp.org/ |
| Law Library of Louisiana | Research guides and self-represented-litigant materials, including wills and estates resources. | https://lasc.org/ |
| Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Court record research | Deputy clerks can assist the public in researching property records at the office at no charge, but the office does not give a title opinion and does not choose a succession route for you. | Main clerk line: (985) 748-4146. Civil Department: (985) 284-2610. |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is especially useful in Tangipahoa Parish when the estate includes immovable property to sell, a contested or opposed matter, forced heirs, an out-of-state decedent, a nonresident succession representative, or an independent administration. The clerk and the court do not post succession forms, and a Louisiana succession petition is drafted to the Code rather than filled in from a standard packet. SLLS may help eligible families with uncontested successions, and families who need private counsel can use Sunset connects you to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help families find bank accounts, investments, insurance, retirement accounts, and other assets that shape the Tangipahoa Parish estate settlement plan.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information a Louisiana succession attorney or self-represented filer needs, including heirs, assets, debts, death certificate details, and questions for the Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Court's Civil Department.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate includes immovable property, a sale, forced heirship questions, or an opposed issue, Sunset can help connect the family with a vetted Louisiana attorney familiar with succession practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand the estate settlement tasks ahead, stay organized, and decide what to handle themselves and what to hand to counsel.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a succession in Tangipahoa Parish?
File with the Civil Department of the Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Court at 110 North Bay Street, Suite 100, Amite, LA 70422. The matter is heard in the Twenty-First Judicial District Court, which also serves Livingston and St. Helena Parishes, but Tangipahoa Parish filings stay with the Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Court.
How much does it cost to open a succession in Tangipahoa Parish?
The clerk requires an advance cost deposit before a civil pleading is filed or service is perfected (La. R.S. 13:842). Published succession deposits current on August 24, 2026 include $235.50 and $335.50 for completed small succession bands, $250.00 for an incomplete succession, and a completed non-small succession band that reaches $410.50 when the recorded document runs six to twenty-five pages. The clerk sets the exact amount at billing.
Can I look up a Tangipahoa Parish succession online?
Yes, but use the clerk's parish-specific tools. The paid Clerk Connect civil search covers succession records from the early 1990s forward, with subscriptions current on August 24, 2026 listed at $20.00 for one day, $40.00 for thirty days, $300.00 for one year, and $1.00 per printed page. The clerk also posts free scanned succession index books covering 1864 through April 15, 2024.
Can I file electronically in Tangipahoa Parish?
Civil electronic filings for Tangipahoa Parish go through Clerk Connect. The clerk's January 1, 2026 announcement describes the attorney filing options and says fax and mail-in filings are no longer used for state district court filings. The original testament is filed on paper and retained by the clerk (La. C.C.P. arts. 253 and 2911). If you are filing without a lawyer, call the Civil Department before mailing or travelling.
Does the Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Court have succession forms?
No succession form, checklist, petition template, or cover sheet is posted by the clerk or by the Twenty-First Judicial District Court. A Louisiana succession is opened by a petition drafted to the Code.
Can I use the Hammond office instead of driving to Amite?
The clerk has a Hammond office at 318-A NW Railroad Avenue and lists marriage licenses and passports there. The clerk states that death certificates are taken in Amite only and does not state that civil or succession filings are accepted at Hammond. Call the Civil Department at (985) 284-2610 before using the Hammond office for any succession filing question.
Will I have to attend a hearing in Tangipahoa Parish?
Many Louisiana successions are handled ex parte. If a Tangipahoa Parish matter is set for court action, the case division matters because the clerk allots the case to a division when the petition is filed. The clerk's office can tell you whether a pleading has been signed if you provide the division, caption, docket number, and approximate filing date.
Can I appear by video for a Tangipahoa Parish succession matter?
The Twenty-First Judicial District Court posts video conference links by division and uses a virtual waiting room. The court does not say which succession matters are set that way. Ask the Civil Department or the assigned division when a matter is set.
Where do I get the death certificate for a Tangipahoa Parish succession?
The clerk takes applications at the Amite office only for Louisiana deaths occurring on or after July 7, 2012. Applications are received from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the certified-copy charge is $26.00, current on August 24, 2026, payable by cash or card.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.