The Recording Department is responsible for the filing of Conveyance, Mortgage and UCC documents deposited in Lafayette Parish. At the time the document is presented to the recording clerk it is given an entry number with the date, hour and minute of filing.   Immediately after this process, a brief description of the document and the initial parties are available on the Index Search. The documents are then indexed with a full description of the document and the names of all parties. Approximately two to three hundred documents are filed each day in Lafayette and the recording and indexing process is complete by the following day.

Unlike most other states, original documents sent to the Clerk of the District Court and Ex-Officio Recorder are not returned to the sender. Section 2742 of the Louisiana Civil Code provides that documents deposited with the recorder become part of the parish archives. The filing party may obtain certified copies of the original documents with the Clerk's endorsement at the time of filing from the Recording Department, after filing, the copies may be obtained from the Research Department.

Cancellations of all types must first be submitted to the Cancellation Clerk in the Recording Department before they will be accepted for recording by the Recording Department. This is to verify the information contained in the cancellation form. Cancellations in Lafayette Parish must be in authentic form, I.E., executed before a Notary Public, signed by the affiant. UCC terminations must be prepared on a Louisiana approved form and may be sent directly to the Recording Department.