The records are, for the most part, printed forms filled in by the justices of the peace; some are manuscript. Some volumes contain marriage certificates only; others contain both marriage licenses and certificates; the majority contain licenses only. Five volumes among the 4th Justice of the Peace marriage licenses contain receipts for licenses rather than the licenses themselves; a sixth volume contains both licenses and receipts. In addition to certificates, licenses, and receipts issued by the justices of the peace, the records also include 2 volumes containing licenses granted to and certificates issued by City Court judges; also included are four volumes of marriage licenses and certificates returned as proof of marriage to various justices of the peace by ministers or other celebrants. Volumes containing records other than justice of the peace certificates and licenses are indicated in the inventory.

One volume of the 2nd Justice of the Peace licenses and several volumes among the 3rd Justice of the Peace records include indexes. Some volumes (primarily from the First and Second Justices of the Peace) are badly damaged and contain pages that are completely or nearly illegible. In a few instances, beginning and end dates of volumes are illegible; other volumes contain irregularities in dating. Notes or other documents are occasionally attached to the records. Indexes, damaged volumes, problems with dates, and attachments are all noted in the inventory.

The marriage certificates are for marriages performed by the justices of the peace themselves. (With the exception of a few volumes of certificates returned to justices of the peace as proof of marriage, certificates for ceremonies performed by priests, ministers or other celebrants are available only in church records or, after 1870, in the records of the Board of Health.) Although the actual wording of the certificates (usually printed forms) varies over time, all certificates give the following information: date of marriage and names of bride, groom, three witnesses, and the justice of the peace performing the ceremony.

The licenses, generally, are printed forms in three parts: first, a statement of two witnesses swearing that the parties applying for the license are over the age of twenty-one, signed by the justice of the peace granting the license; second, a bond posted by the groom and attested to by one witness as security that no legal impediment to the marriage existed when the license was granted (should no such impediment appear within two years, the obligation was voided); third, a statement giving consent for a minor to be married, including the minor's age and the signature of the family member consenting to the marriage and of the justice of the peace. In the case of minors, age is recorded. Sometimes, the name of the minister or magistrate licensed to perform the ceremony is also recorded. The forms, of course, are dated.

Receipts for licenses state simply that a license was granted on a certain date and give the name of the person performing the ceremony and the names of the bride and groom. (One volume of receipts has been cataloged separately as Orleans Parish, Fourth Justice of the Peace, Receipts for licenses, 1863-64 [VEE678r].)

Documents returned as proof of marriage include various types of marriage records (licenses, receipts for licenses, certificates) or handwritten statements returned by ministers or other celebrants of marriages to the justice of the peace who issued the license. Information included in these records varies according to the type of record returned. Some certificates used by churches or ministers contain more information than the certificates used by the justices of the peace (e.g., name and address of the church or other location where the marriage took place); license receipts sometimes include a form on the verso which records the birthplaces of the bride and groom and their parents' names.