The records are bound volumes in French and English containing indenture documents signed before the mayor of the City of New Orleans or his representative. Included in the documents are the name of the person indentured, his/her age, place of birth, race (e.g. "free quadroon); orphans are identified, and, for minors, the name of the person(s) giving permission for the minor to be bound is given. Also listed is the name of the merchant or tradesperson to whom the apprentice or servant is bound, his/her trade, and the terms of the agreement. The agreement is signed by the parties involved, by two or three witnesses, and by the mayor or his representative. Some documents are appended by statements, agreed to by all parties, canceling the previous agreement. Also included are agreements by slave owners binding their slaves as apprentices or servants, agreements binding parties for repayment of debts or of ship passage or to avoid a prison term, and collective labor agreements.

Also available are a typewritten English translation of volume 1 made by the Works Progress Administration [AA 661] and an index to and analysis of the documents, compiled by Prof. Paul Lachance of the University of Ottawa.

The records are available on three rolls of 35mm microfilm, with the translation of volume one filmed at the end of the series. See the following inventory for roll numbers. The computerized index is not available on film.

Note: Indentures for free people of color were digitized as part of Louisiana State University's digital collection Free People of Color in Louisiana: Revealing an Unknown Past. (To locate an indenture, search by the name of the person being indentured.)