Washington Parish Deed Records

Washington Parish deed records are maintained by the Clerk of Court in Franklinton, Louisiana. All conveyances and mortgage records for property in the parish are filed at this office. You can search Washington Parish deed records through the eSearch portal online, or visit the Franklinton courthouse in person. Electronic recording is available, and the office charges a $15 per hour research fee for staff-assisted searches.

Washington Parish Clerk of Court

Clerk Johnny D. Crain, Jr. heads the Washington Parish Clerk of Court at 908-B Washington Street in Franklinton. Mailing address: P.O. Box 607, Franklinton, LA 70438. Phone: (985) 839-4663. Fax: (985) 839-3116. Email: washparcoc@yahoo.com. The clerk's office is the official recorder for all conveyances and mortgages filed on Washington Parish property. The office maintains the complete grantor-grantee index for all real property in the parish, serving as both the Register of Conveyances and Ex-Officio Recorder of Mortgages.

Washington Parish is in southeast Louisiana in the Florida Parishes region, bordered by Mississippi to the north and east. Franklinton and Bogalusa are the main communities. The parish has substantial timber and pine forest land, which has been a major land use and economic driver throughout its history. The Bogue Chitto River runs through the western part of the parish. Property types range from large timber tracts and hunting camps to residential lots in Franklinton and Bogalusa. All deed and mortgage recordings for Washington Parish are processed at the Franklinton courthouse.

Search Washington Parish Deed Records Online

Washington Parish has an eSearch portal at wpclerk.org for online access to deed records. Contact the clerk's office at (985) 839-4663 or visit washingtonparishclerk.org for current access details, subscription rates, and login instructions for the eSearch system. Note that staff-assisted research at the courthouse is charged at $15 per hour.

The free statewide eClerks LA portal at eclerksla.com also covers Washington Parish for free name-based index searches. This portal, created under La. R.S. 13:754, covers all 64 Louisiana parishes and shows filing dates, document types, and instrument numbers at no cost. Full document images require a paid subscription. The eClerks Alert free service lets you watch for new filings under your name in Washington Parish or any other Louisiana parish.

Electronic recording is available for Washington Parish. For in-person research, the Franklinton courthouse maintains the complete archive of Washington Parish deed records. For the earliest land title records, the Louisiana State Land Office at doa.la.gov holds original patents and tract books. Phone: (225) 342-4570.

Washington Parish Recording Fees

Washington Parish recording fees are slightly higher than the standard statewide rate due to a $15 parish surcharge added on top of the LCRAA fee. Current rates: 1-5 pages at $120; 6-25 pages at $220; 26-50 pages at $320; 51-plus pages at $320 plus $5 per additional page. The $120 base includes the standard $100 recording fee plus the $5 LCRAA portal fee and a $15 parish surcharge. Staff-assisted research is billed at $15 per hour. These fees are set under La. R.S. 13:844 and the parish's supplemental fee authority.

Louisiana Civil Code Article 3338 requires recording to make documents affecting immovable property effective against third parties. An unrecorded deed in Washington Parish cannot be enforced against a later buyer who had no actual notice of the prior transaction. Under Louisiana Civil Code Article 2742, recorded documents become permanent Washington Parish archives and are not returned. Documents must have a 2-inch top margin on the first page and 1-inch margins on all other sides. Request certified copies at the time of filing if you need them.

Nearby Parishes

Washington Parish borders Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, and St. Helena parishes.