Franklin Parish Deed Records
Franklin Parish deed records are held by the Clerk of Court in Winnsboro, Louisiana. All conveyances and mortgages for property in the parish are recorded and indexed at this office. You can search Franklin Parish deed records through the eClerks LA statewide portal online for free index data, or visit the Winnsboro courthouse in person to inspect documents and obtain certified copies of recorded deeds and mortgages.
Franklin Parish Quick Facts
Franklin Parish Clerk of Court
Clerk Anita Wygal heads the Franklin Parish Clerk of Court at 6556 Main Street in Winnsboro. Phone: (318) 435-5133. The clerk's office maintains all conveyance and mortgage records for real property in Franklin Parish and serves as the Register of Conveyances and Ex-Officio Recorder of Mortgages as required by state law. Staff can assist with index searches and certified copy requests during regular business hours.
Franklin Parish is in northeast Louisiana along the Boeuf River. It is a rural parish with significant agricultural land, timber operations, and oil and gas activity. The Winnsboro courthouse holds the complete chain of title for all property in the parish. The grantor-grantee index lets researchers trace ownership from either the seller's (grantor) or buyer's (grantee) name. Older records in the physical index books and newer digitally indexed instruments are both maintained at this office.
The clerk's office processes deed recordings, certified copy requests, UCC filing statements, and public record searches. For title research purposes, both the conveyance index and the mortgage index must be checked to get a complete picture of any property's recorded history in Franklin Parish. Contact the office at (318) 435-5133 before visiting to confirm current hours and copy fee schedules.
| Clerk | Anita Wygal |
|---|---|
| Address | 6556 Main Street, Winnsboro, LA 71295 |
| Phone | (318) 435-5133 |
| Website | franklinparishclerkofcourt.com |
Search Franklin Parish Deed Records
The free statewide eClerks LA index at eclerksla.com is the primary online tool for Franklin Parish deed records. This portal, authorized under La. R.S. 13:754, provides free name-based searches across all 64 Louisiana parishes. You can find grantor and grantee names, instrument numbers, filing dates, and document types at no cost. Accessing actual document images requires a paid parish subscription through the same portal.
The eClerks Alert feature is a free service available through the same platform. It lets you set up monitoring for your name or a property you own, sending notifications whenever a new document is filed in Franklin Parish or any other Louisiana parish under that name. This is useful for detecting unauthorized filings or deed fraud.
In-person access at the Winnsboro courthouse is available during regular business hours. The physical archive includes both older Book and Page records (COB and FOL format) and newer instrument-numbered documents. For the oldest Franklin Parish title records, the Louisiana State Land Office at doa.la.gov holds original federal and state patents and tract books covering this area. Phone: (225) 342-4570.
Franklin Parish Deed Documents and Recording
Franklin Parish deed records include everything recorded in the conveyance and mortgage indexes. Conveyance records cover acts of sale, cash sales, donations, exchanges, partitions, leases, oil and gas leases, royalty deeds, rights of way, and easements. The mortgage index holds mortgages, judgments, tax liens, mechanic's liens, and UCC financing statements with a real estate component.
Louisiana Civil Code Article 3338 is the legal foundation for why recording matters. A deed or mortgage that is signed but not filed with the Franklin Parish Clerk has no effect against a third party who later acquires the property without actual knowledge of the prior transaction. Recording provides public notice. Any gap in the recorded title chain for a Franklin Parish property requires investigation before a title can be certified.
Fees follow the standard state schedule under La. R.S. 13:844: 1-5 pages at $105; 6-25 pages at $205; 26-50 pages at $305; 51-plus pages at $305 plus $5 per additional page. The $5 LCRAA portal fee is included. Formatting requirements include a 2-inch top margin on the first page and 1-inch margins on remaining sides. Under Louisiana Civil Code Article 2742, all documents filed become permanent parish archives. Originals are not returned after recording, so request certified copies at the time you file if you need them later.
Nearby Parishes
Franklin Parish borders Richland, Morehouse, Ouachita, Madison, Catahoula, and Caldwell parishes.