Louisiana Free Criminal Records Search: Public Record Lookup

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Louisiana official public-record guide

Start with the parish court record — not a generic statewide people search

Louisiana works differently from states that offer an unrestricted statewide public criminal-history name database. Louisiana State Police describes Louisiana as a closed-record state, which means the full Louisiana Computerized Criminal History record maintained by State Police is not simply open for anyone to search. Public court records, criminal minute entries, parish clerk records, incarceration information and sex-offender registration data can still be searched through their proper official systems.

Coverage: Louisiana statewide Local unit: Parish rather than county Information checked: September 30, 2026
Best free starting point: Identify the parish where the criminal case was filed and check the parish Clerk of Court or eClerks LA. Louisiana law requires district clerks to provide public electronic access to qualifying criminal minute entries for cases filed on or after January 1, 2020 through the Louisiana Clerks’ Remote Access Authority portal. For older files, certified documents or records not available remotely, contact the parish Clerk of Court directly.
Find a court case Parish criminal court records, minute entries and clerk access.
Court search →
Search Louisiana parishes Use eClerks LA to reach parish records and criminal-search tools.
eClerks LA →
Get your own record Fingerprint-based Louisiana State Police Right to Review.
Personal record →
Find an incarcerated person Use LA VINE and Louisiana Corrections information.
Custody search →
Registry search Louisiana State Police public sex-offender registry.
Registry →

What can you really search for free in Louisiana?

The phrase “free Louisiana criminal records” can be misleading because different record systems have different access rules. Some records can be inspected without an access fee, while remote searches, subscriptions, certified copies and formal State Police background checks may cost money.

Record source Free? What it is useful for Main limitation
Clerk of Court in-person inspection Generally yes for inspection of public records Official court files and criminal records open to the public. Copies and certification may cost extra.
eClerks LA Some functions are free; parish services may require subscription or fees Finding parish record systems and criminal records across Louisiana parishes. Online access and pricing differ by parish and record type.
Criminal minute entries Public electronic access required for qualifying recent cases Charges, hearings, bail, dismissal, guilt decisions and sentencing events. Full document images are not necessarily included.
LA VINE Yes Custody, incarceration and probation/parole information. Not a complete criminal-history report.
Louisiana Sex Offender Registry Yes Public qualifying sex-offender registration information. Specialized registry only.
Louisiana State Police LACCH No unrestricted public search Fingerprint-based Louisiana criminal-history repository. Louisiana is a closed-record state.
Right to Review Fee applies Your own certified Louisiana criminal-history record. Fingerprint and identity verification required.
Important Louisiana rule: State Police specifically states that Louisiana is a closed-record state. The Louisiana Computerized Criminal History system is therefore not an unrestricted public people-search database. Public court records should usually be your first stop when researching another person’s criminal case.

Choose the correct Louisiana record before searching

Clerk of Court

Criminal court case

Filed charges, court events, bail decisions, pleas, dismissals, verdicts and sentencing information.

Police / Sheriff

Arrest or incident record

Records created by the law-enforcement agency that investigated an incident or made an arrest.

State Police

Criminal-history record

Louisiana’s fingerprint-based statewide criminal-history repository, known as LACCH.

Corrections

Custody / supervision

Incarceration, probation or parole information through Louisiana Corrections and LA VINE.

State Police registry

Sex-offender information

Public registration information on qualifying convicted sex offenders and child predators.

Federal judiciary

Federal criminal case

Federal prosecutions are separate from Louisiana parish courts and are searched through PACER.

Arrest ≠ conviction. An arrest record shows law-enforcement activity. A criminal court record shows what was filed and how the case progressed. Always review the final disposition before describing someone as convicted.

Louisiana criminal court records are primarily maintained by parish Clerks of Court

Louisiana uses parishes rather than counties. The Clerk of Court is generally the legal custodian of court records and can provide access to public criminal files, docket information, minute entries and certified copies when available.

Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 251 provides that, except where another law restricts access, a person may examine, copy, photograph or make notes from court records during the clerk’s required office hours.

Practical starting point: if you know where the offense or prosecution occurred, identify the parish first. Then search that parish Clerk of Court or use eClerks LA to reach the correct system.
Find a Louisiana Clerk of Court

Use eClerks LA to locate criminal records across Louisiana parishes

eClerks LA is operated by the Louisiana Clerks’ Remote Access Authority (LCRAA). It serves as a statewide gateway to records and services maintained by Louisiana Clerks of Court.

The current eClerks LA home page includes a dedicated Criminal Search function for searching criminal records across Louisiana parishes.

Open eClerks LA

What to do after opening eClerks LA

Create or sign in to your account when required

eClerks LA supports user accounts and links users to participating parish record systems.

Choose Criminal Search

Use the criminal-search option rather than the general statewide land, marriage or civil-record search.

Select or identify the parish

Louisiana court files are maintained locally, so knowing the parish can make the search much more precise.

Review the available minute entries or parish record system

Access varies by parish. Some parish record systems may require a subscription or charge for document images even when basic public information can be located online.

Contact the parish clerk for the official record

If you need a certified disposition, complete file or older record, use the parish Clerk of Court directly.

Do not assume every eClerks service is free. eClerks LA advertises some free statewide tools, but parish-level record access, subscriptions, images and copies can have separate charges. Check the selected parish before paying.

Louisiana now requires public electronic access to many criminal minute entries

Louisiana’s Truth and Transparency in the Criminal Justice System law requires district Clerks of Court responsible for criminal records to provide public electronic access through the Louisiana Clerks’ Remote Access Authority portal to qualifying criminal minute entries or summaries.

For ordinary criminal matters, the law applies to qualifying cases filed on or after January 1, 2020.

A criminal minute entry can include

  • arrest or summons information provided to the clerk
  • custody or bail decisions
  • filing of criminal charges
  • amended charges
  • dismissed charges
  • motion hearings
  • status conferences
  • trial proceedings
  • guilt or adjudication decisions
  • sentencing hearings and sentences
  • date of the proceeding
  • judge and prosecutor information where provided
Minute entry does not mean full case file. Louisiana law requires electronic access to the minute entry or summary for qualifying cases, but it does not require every pleading, police report, exhibit or document image to be transmitted through the same public portal.

How to find the correct parish Clerk of Court

The Louisiana Clerks of Court Association maintains an official directory covering all Louisiana parishes and the state’s appellate courts.

Open the Clerk of Court directory
1 Identify the parish Use where the criminal case was prosecuted, not merely where the person lives now.
2 Find the clerk Use the official Clerk of Court directory.
3 Check online access Look for criminal search, docket, records or case-management access.
4 Request the file Ask the clerk for copies or certification if online access is incomplete.
Louisiana terminology tip: searching “Jefferson County criminal records Louisiana” will not get you very far because Louisiana uses Jefferson Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, Caddo Parish, Orleans Parish, and other parish names.

Can you inspect Louisiana court records for free?

Generally, yes, when the record is public and you inspect it at the office of the legal custodian. Louisiana law provides public access to court records unless another law, sealing order or confidentiality rule applies.

Louisiana’s Public Records Law also states that a person generally may not be charged simply to examine or review a public record.

Action Typical rule What to expect
Inspect a public court file Generally no inspection fee Visit the custodian during regular office hours.
Remote parish access Varies Some systems require account, subscription or search fees.
Plain copies Fee may apply Clerk sets lawful copy charges.
Certified copies Fee applies Use when official authentication is required.
State Police criminal-history check Fee applies Not an unrestricted free public service.
Free inspection does not mean you can freely obtain every record. Sealed, expunged, juvenile, investigatory and other legally protected records can be restricted.

What to do when an older Louisiana criminal case is not online

Online criminal access has expanded substantially, but older records may still require direct contact with the Clerk of Court.

Search the current online system first

Check eClerks LA and the parish clerk’s own online case system.

Write down every identifying detail

Full name, approximate filing year, date of birth when known, offense and case number can reduce clerk-search time.

Contact the Clerk of Court

Ask whether the case is maintained electronically, on microfilm, in an archive or in another local record system.

Ask specifically for the disposition

If your real question is whether a charge led to a conviction, a certified disposition can be much more useful than requesting every page in the file.

Louisiana arrest and police records usually come from the local agency

A court record and a police record are not the same document. Arrest reports, incident reports and booking information originate with law-enforcement agencies.

The Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement specifically states that it does not maintain individual arrest records, police reports, arrest warrants or court records.

For those records, contact:

  • the local police department that investigated the incident
  • the parish sheriff that made or processed the arrest
  • the parish jail for current custody information
  • the Clerk of Court for the filed criminal case
  • the District Attorney when that office is the custodian of a requested prosecutorial record
Recent arrest? Start with the arresting police department or parish sheriff. The criminal court docket may not yet contain a final charging decision immediately after an arrest.

Louisiana State Police background checks are different from public court searches

The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (BCII) maintains the state’s central criminal-history repository.

Louisiana State Police states that Louisiana is a closed-record state. BCII criminal-history records are therefore not available to the general public as an unrestricted statewide name-search database.

Criminal-history information can be provided for purposes specifically authorized by Louisiana or federal law, such as qualifying employment, licensing and regulatory background checks.

Do not confuse “public record” with “criminal-history repository record.” A parish court file may be public while the centralized State Police LACCH record remains subject to separate statutory access restrictions.

Current Louisiana State Police background-check fee information

The current Louisiana State Police general authorization form lists the state background-check processing fee as $31, which includes the $5 technology fee added under Louisiana law.

Louisiana State Police has also announced that beginning October 1, 2026, federal background-check requests will receive a $3 increase in the federal fee. State fees remain unchanged under that notice.

Fee timing matters: because this guide was checked on September 30, 2026, anyone submitting a federally authorized background check on or after October 1, 2026 should verify the current total directly with State Police.
Louisiana State Police Background Checks

How to obtain your own Louisiana criminal-history record

Louisiana Revised Statute 15:588 gives an individual a right to review their own criminal-history information. Louisiana State Police calls this process the Right to Review.

State Police now routes routine Right to Review fingerprinting through the Louisiana Applicant Processing System (LAPS), which provides a statewide network of fingerprint sites.

Schedule a LAPS fingerprint appointment

Use the State Police instructions to select the Louisiana Right to Review service.

Bring the required identification

Follow the LAPS enrollment instructions for acceptable ID and payment.

Submit digital fingerprints

Fingerprints allow State Police to identify your record accurately rather than relying only on a name.

Choose mail or electronic delivery

Louisiana State Police currently offers both a mailed certified-style copy and an electronic Right to Review option.

Review the record for errors

If an arrest, disposition or identity detail appears incorrect, follow the State Police challenge/correction process.

Mailed copy vs electronic copy

Mailed Right to Review

Best for official use

State Police prints the report, marks it as a “True Copy,” signs it and uses a raised state seal. LSP recommends this version when another agency requires a formal printed copy.

Electronic Right to Review

Best for personal review

Delivered using a secure email link. Louisiana State Police says the link is available for 30 days and is intended for one-time access. Use a computer when accessing the report.

No routine fingerprint walk-ins at LSP Headquarters. Louisiana State Police currently states that routine walk-in fingerprint appointments are no longer accepted at its Baton Rouge headquarters. Use the statewide IdentoGO/LAPS network instead.

What Louisiana’s statewide criminal-history system contains

Louisiana’s central system is the Louisiana Computerized Criminal History system (LACCH).

Louisiana State Police says LACCH can contain:

  • Louisiana arrest information
  • dispositions associated with arrests
  • probation bookings
  • parole bookings
  • incarceration information
  • fingerprint-supported criminal entries
  • certain civil fingerprint-background submissions
LACCH is Louisiana-focused. State Police says LACCH does not maintain arrest or conviction information from other states. A federally authorized background check may involve FBI records separately when the law allows it.

LACCH entries are tied to fingerprint submissions through Louisiana’s Automated Fingerprint Identification System, helping State Police associate criminal events with the correct individual.

If the State Police record is missing the final court outcome

Louisiana State Police defines a disposition as the final outcome of criminal charges. An arrest can appear in criminal history before the complete court disposition is reflected.

State Police directs users to obtain missing disposition information from:

  • the Clerk of Court
  • the District Attorney
  • the city prosecutor, where applicable
  • the parish in which the case was handled
1 Identify the arrest Write down date, parish and charge.
2 Find the court case Use the parish Clerk of Court.
3 Get the disposition Request the final official court outcome.
4 Challenge the history Use Right to Review procedures if LACCH remains inaccurate.

Search Louisiana prison, probation and parole information

The Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections directs the public to Louisiana VINE for locating people assigned to state correctional custody.

LA VINE is updated regularly and can provide information about people who are incarcerated as well as individuals under probation or parole supervision.

Louisiana Corrections Inmate Information

Telephone inmate locator

Louisiana Corrections also lists an Imprisoned Person Locator telephone service at 225-383-4580.

Callers generally need either:

  • the person’s DPS&C number, or
  • the person’s name and date of birth

Available information can include facility assignment, facility address, contact telephone number and projected release date when applicable.

Corrections data is not a full background check. Louisiana Corrections specifically says it does not conduct criminal background checks and directs background-check questions to Louisiana State Police.

Louisiana’s free public sex-offender registry

Louisiana State Police maintains the State Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry .

The website provides public registration information concerning qualifying convicted sex offenders, sexually violent predators and child predators reported to the state registry.

Search the Louisiana registry
This is not a complete criminal-record search. A person who does not appear on the sex-offender registry could still have other criminal cases or convictions unrelated to sex-offender registration.

Louisiana State Police currently lists registry assistance at 1-800-858-0551, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Central Time.

How to search for Louisiana warrant information

Louisiana does not provide one universal public State Police warrant-search site for every local arrest warrant in all 64 parishes.

Warrant information can be maintained by:

  • the parish sheriff
  • local police department
  • the issuing court
  • the Clerk of Court
  • another law-enforcement agency responsible for execution of the warrant
Best approach: identify the parish connected with the case and check that parish sheriff’s official website. If you already know the criminal case number, contact the court handling the case as well.

The Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement specifically says it is not the repository for individual criminal warrants and directs requesters to the local police department or parish sheriff.

Louisiana criminal appeals use separate courts

Louisiana’s judicial system includes five Courts of Appeal and the Louisiana Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the state’s highest court.

If a trial-level criminal case was appealed, the appellate record may therefore exist separately from the parish trial-court file.

Louisiana Judicial Branch directory Louisiana Supreme Court
Do not use the Supreme Court e-filing portal as a public criminal-record search. The Louisiana Supreme Court expressly states that its e-filing system is restricted and does not provide general public access. Use the Court’s public website, opinions, actions or the appropriate appellate court instead.
Louisiana Supreme Court

Public contact

400 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130

Clerk of Court: 504-310-2300

Federal criminal cases in Louisiana require a separate search

A federal prosecution is not a Louisiana parish criminal case and is not searched through Louisiana State Police LACCH or an ordinary parish clerk criminal search.

Use the federal judiciary’s PACER system for federal district and appellate court records.

Louisiana has federal judicial districts separate from the state court structure. If you do not know which federal court handled a case, PACER’s nationwide Case Locator can help identify the court.

Search federal court records

Expunged Louisiana records are no longer ordinary public records

Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 973 states that an expunged record of arrest or conviction becomes confidential and is no longer considered a public record, subject to statutory exceptions for specified agencies and circumstances.

Missing from a public search does not always mean the event never happened. A record may have been expunged, sealed, restricted, archived or otherwise removed from ordinary public access.

Louisiana State Police expungement processing

Louisiana State Police currently lists a State Police expungement-processing amount of $250 unless an applicable fee waiver applies.

Expungement begins through the proper court process; State Police does not independently decide that a qualifying criminal case should be expunged.

Louisiana State Police Expungement Information

Juvenile criminal-history information has stronger privacy restrictions

Louisiana law gives juvenile criminal-history records greater protection than ordinary adult criminal-history information.

Louisiana State Police criminal-history rules state that juvenile criminal-conduct records are not disseminated as an ordinary criminal background check outside the criminal-justice system.

Louisiana’s recent criminal-justice transparency law does create a limited public-access rule for specified juvenile cases involving crimes of violence filed on or after January 1, 2024, unless the record is later sealed or expunged.

Do not treat juvenile records like adult criminal records. Availability depends on the offense, age, court, sealing status and specific Louisiana law.

How Louisiana public-record requests fit into criminal-record research

Louisiana Public Records Law can be useful when a government agency possesses a qualifying public record that is not already available through a standard search portal.

However, you must send the request to the agency that actually maintains the record.

Court record

Clerk of Court

Ask the parish clerk for criminal case records, dispositions and certified court copies.

Police report

Police / Sheriff

Send the request to the law-enforcement agency that created the report.

Corrections record

DPS&C

Send qualifying corrections public-record requests to Louisiana Corrections.

Louisiana law generally provides that no fee may be charged merely to examine or review a public record. If the custodian questions whether the requested material is public, Louisiana law contains procedures requiring written notice of the determination and legal basis in specified circumstances.

Do not send every request to one state agency. The Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement explicitly says it does not store ordinary police reports, arrest records, warrants or individual court records.

What to do if your Louisiana criminal-history record is wrong

Louisiana’s Right to Review process is not only for obtaining your record. State law also provides a way for an individual to challenge the accuracy and contents of their personal criminal-history record.

Obtain your fingerprint-based Right to Review

First confirm exactly what Louisiana State Police has associated with your identity.

Identify the disputed event

Record the arrest date, arresting agency, parish, charge, court and case number.

Obtain the court outcome

If the problem is a missing or wrong disposition, request official documentation from the Clerk of Court.

Submit the challenge through BCII

Follow Louisiana State Police instructions and provide the supporting documentation needed to correct the record.

Public court research is not the same as an employment background check

Louisiana authorizes criminal-history checks for specified employment, licensing, healthcare, education, childcare, regulatory and other purposes.

Those checks can require forms, applicant authorization, fingerprints and statutory authority. They should not be replaced with a casual search of public court dockets.

Louisiana State Police provides separate authorization and disclosure forms for authorized employment and licensing background checks.

Use-purpose matters. If criminal-history information is being used for employment, housing, licensing or another eligibility decision, additional Louisiana and federal requirements may apply, including consumer-reporting rules when a third-party screening company is involved.

Louisiana State Police criminal-history contact information

Physical location

Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information

Louisiana State Police
7919 Independence Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70806

General LSP line: 225-925-6006

Mail

BCII-LCJIS

Louisiana State Police
BCII-LCJIS
P.O. Box 66614, Box A-6
Baton Rouge, LA 70896

Louisiana State Police currently publishes BCII service hours of Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., subject to early closure based on customer volume and state holidays.

Do not drive to headquarters just for routine fingerprints. LSP says routine fingerprint walk-ins are no longer accepted at headquarters. Schedule through the LAPS/IdentoGO network instead.

Louisiana State Police headquarters map

This map is provided for agency-location context. Routine Right to Review fingerprint appointments should be scheduled through the LAPS network rather than by simply arriving at headquarters.

Louisiana criminal-record search tips that prevent wasted time

Tip 01

Think “parish,” not “county”

Louisiana criminal court records are usually organized around parishes.

Tip 02

Start with eClerks LA

It gives you one statewide gateway to parish clerk services and a dedicated criminal-search option.

Tip 03

2020 is an important date

Qualifying criminal minute entries for cases filed on or after January 1, 2020 are covered by Louisiana’s statewide electronic-access requirement.

Tip 04

Need the final outcome?

Ask for the disposition rather than relying only on an arrest or charge.

Tip 05

State Police is not a free people search

Louisiana is a closed-record state. Use parish court records for ordinary public case research.

Tip 06

Your own record?

Use the fingerprint-based Right to Review process instead of trying to reconstruct your history from many parish searches.

Tip 07

Recent arrest?

Check the parish sheriff or arresting police agency before assuming a complete court case is already online.

Tip 08

Prison search?

Use LA VINE or Louisiana Corrections rather than the State Police background-check process.

Tip 09

Older record missing?

Contact the parish Clerk of Court. Older records may not be fully indexed or imaged online.

Questions people commonly ask about Louisiana criminal records

1. Can I search Louisiana criminal records for free?

Some public criminal-record information can be accessed without a search fee, particularly public court-record inspection, qualifying electronic criminal minute entries, LA VINE custody information and the Louisiana public sex-offender registry. Remote parish services, copies, subscriptions and State Police background checks may involve fees.

2. Is there a free statewide Louisiana State Police criminal-history search?

No unrestricted public statewide LSP name-search database exists for full Louisiana criminal history. Louisiana State Police describes Louisiana as a closed-record state and limits release of LACCH information according to Louisiana law.

3. Where should I start when searching another person’s Louisiana criminal case?

Identify the parish where the case was filed and search the parish Clerk of Court or eClerks LA. Public court records are generally more appropriate for ordinary third-party case research than requesting State Police criminal-history information.

4. What is eClerks LA?

eClerks LA is the statewide service operated by the Louisiana Clerks’ Remote Access Authority. It provides access and links to Louisiana parish clerk services and currently includes a Criminal Search for records across Louisiana parishes.

5. Can I inspect a Louisiana court record without paying?

Public court records are generally open for examination during the Clerk of Court’s required office hours unless restricted by law or court order. Copying, certification or remote online services may have separate fees.

6. How do I obtain my own Louisiana criminal-history record?

Use Louisiana State Police’s fingerprint-based Right to Review process. Routine applicants schedule through the Louisiana Applicant Processing System and can choose a mailed or electronic criminal-history report.

7. Does Louisiana State Police criminal history include records from other states?

Louisiana State Police states that its LACCH system does not maintain arrest or conviction information from other states. FBI information can be used separately for background checks when authorized by law.

8. How can I find someone incarcerated in Louisiana?

Louisiana Corrections directs the public to LA VINE for incarceration and supervision searches. A telephone Imprisoned Person Locator is also available through the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

9. Why might a Louisiana criminal record no longer appear publicly?

A record may have been expunged, sealed, restricted by juvenile-record law, archived, or not available through the specific online service being searched. Louisiana law makes an expunged arrest or conviction record confidential subject to statutory exceptions.

10. Where do I request a Louisiana arrest or police report?

Contact the local law-enforcement agency that created the record, such as the municipal police department or parish sheriff. The Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement states that it is not the repository for individual arrest reports, police reports, warrants or court records.

Official Louisiana sources used for this guide

Editorial note: Criminal-Record.org is an independent informational resource and is not affiliated with Louisiana State Police, a Louisiana Clerk of Court, the Louisiana Supreme Court, Louisiana Corrections or any other government agency. Louisiana criminal-record access depends on the type of record and the agency that maintains it. An arrest or filed criminal charge is not proof of guilt. Verify important information with the official court or agency and review the final disposition before relying on a criminal-record result.

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