What are New Orleans Public Records?
Louisiana Public Records Law defines New Orleans Public Records as any information created or used in the transaction or performance of any function performed by government agencies. These types of information are all considered public records except where exempted by law. New Orleans Public Records include typed, handwritten, pictures, video, and voice recordings. It also includes information both transmitted and stored electronically such as emails and hard drives. Sections of a public record may be excluded or redacted from public view when they contain:
- Personal information that violates privacy
- Medical information
- Trade secrets and confidential financial information
- Investigative records about pending criminal litigation held by the attorney general, police, or the district attorney
- Blueprints and internal floor plans of schools and government facilities
- The work papers of the Legislative Auditor
New Orleans Crime Statistics
The New Orleans Police Department(NOPD) collects citywide data on crimes within the city including cleared cases and arrests. It shares this information with the FBI through the uniform crime reporting system(UCR). This data is useful in detecting the crime trends in the city and developing crime-fighting techniques. According to the UCR in 2018 New Orleans had 4611 cases of violent crime, a 3.5% increase from the previous year. Murder increased by 6.4% from the previous year and there were 13.042 cases of larceny which was a 7.7% increase from
2017. Assault cases increased by 6.1% and vehicle thefts increased by 18.2%. Property crimes were the most popular crimes in the city with 18,063 cases which was a 7% rise from the previous year.
Are New Orleans criminal records public?
According to the Louisiana Public Records Law, New Orleans criminal records are considered public records. This means prospective employers with the permission of the individual can apply to view an individual's criminal history. This can be obtained by downloading and filling the request for a criminal history application from the NOPD website. Request can be made in person at or by mailing the form along with the fee of $5 to the records and identification division at:
New Orleans Police Department,
Records and Identification Division,
715 South Broad Street,
New Orleans,
LA 70119
How to Obtain Police Reports and Arrest Records
The NOPD gives access to New Orleans Public Records like police reports and other records through the request portal on their website. Requestors can also use the search portal on the website to check the status of previously submitted requests. To request a record using the portal the requester must select NOPD from the drop-down menu on the request portal. Requests can also be made in person at the:
New Orleans Police Department,
Records and Identification Division,
715 South Broad Street,
New Orleans,
LA 70119
The Louisiana State Police(LSP) also maintains a statewide database for criminal records at their Bureau of Criminal Identification and identification.
How to Find Sex Offender Information in New Orleans
Sex offender information for New Orleans can be obtained by visiting the sex offender registry hosted by the LSP and using the search portal. The LSP maintains the sex offender registry for all of Louisiana including New Orleans. The search can be made using criteria like first name, last name, city, address, and zip code. Users can also set the filter to show sex offenders within a given radius in a requester’s specified area.
How to Find New Orleans Inmate Records
For a requester to find out information regarding inmates in New Orleans they must contact the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. Members of the public can call the sheriff’s office information line at (504) 827-6777 or use the inmate query search tool to check online. Searches for inmates using the search tool can be made using different criteria like name, race, and sex. Requestors may also contact the Louisiana Department of Corrections at (225) 342-6740 or their website for more information on an inmate.
How Do I Visit an inmate in New Orleans Jail?
The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office detains inmates at the Orleans Justice Center. New visitors are required to fill the Visitors registration form available online. Regular visiting times are on Tuesdays to Saturday, from 8:00a.m. to 11:00a.m., 1:00p.m. to 5:00p.m., and 8:00p.m. to 10:00p.m. Inmates are entitled to one visit per week and visitors must check-in 30 minutes before their chosen visiting time. Visitors are required to come with their valid government-issued photo ID. visitors who submit false information or inmates who show unruly behavior may lose their visitation rights. A full list of information on inmate visitation including general rules and regulations can be found on the sheriff’s office website.
Court Records
New Orleans Court records can be obtained by contacting the clerk of courts of the respective court where the case was held. This means requesters will need to contact the clerks of court of the civil district court and the criminal district court for their respective records.
Locations of Courts in New Orleans
Locations of all the courts in New Orleans are given below
Orleans Parish Civil District Court
421 Loyola Avenue,
Room 402,
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 407-0000
Fax: (504) 592-9128
Orleans Parish Criminal District Court
2700 Tulane Avenue,
New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone: (504) 658-9000
Fax: (504) 658-9183
Orleans Parish Juvenile Court
421 Loyola Avenue,
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-9500
Fax: (504) 658-9556
First City Court of New Orleans
421 Loyola Avenue, Room 201,
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 407-0400
Fax: (504) 592-9281
Second City Court of New Orleans
225 Morgan Street, Room 206,
New Orleans, LA 70114
Phone: (504) 407-0435
Fax: (504) 366-2970
New Orleans Municipal Court
727 South Broad Street,
New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone: (504) 658-9700
Fax: (504) 658-9725
New Orleans Traffic Court
727 South Broad Street,
New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone: (504) 658-8500
Are New Orleans Court Records Public?
Not every type of New Orleans court record is considered public information. New Orleans Public Record Law restricts public access to New Orleans court records containing confidential information. Some types of cases that maybe be restricted include:
- Civil harassment cases
- Cases involving minors (juvenile delinquency or dependency)
- Custody cases for children
Can you look up a New Orleans court case online?
New Orleans court records can be viewed online depending on the type of case. Some cases can be accessed online by visiting the website of the Parish Sheriff Office and using the Docket Master search tool. The websites of the civil court and criminal court also provide remote access to their court case records.
How to Obtain New Orleans Civil Court Case Records
New Orleans civil court records can be obtained in person from the clerk of court at the civil court, by mail, or online. Some records can be obtained online by using the search tool available on the civil court website. Other records like land records and mortgage records are also available. Online subscription fees are necessary to provide online access to all civil records held by the civil court. These fees are $25 for a day, $100 for 30 days, and $700 for a year. Written requests can be sent in by mail along with the completed request form and appropriate fee to:
Clerk of Court
Orleans Parish Civil District Court
421 Loyola Avenue,
Room 402,
New Orleans, LA 70112
Copies of these records are also available at $3 per page for certified copies and $1 per page for regular copies. Payment for copies is accepted in cash, money order, credit, or debit card.
How to Obtain New Orleans Criminal Court Records
New Orleans criminal court records can be viewed online or requested by contacting the Clerk of Court of the Criminal District Court. Online viewing can be done via the docket master search tool on the Sheriff’s Office website. Requesters may also make inquiries for New Orleans criminal court records by calling the Clerk of Courts at (504) 658-9000 or visiting the office at:
Orleans Parish Criminal District Court
Clerk of Courts
Room 201
2700 Tulane Avenue,
New Orleans, LA 70119
What are New Orleans Vital Records?
New Orleans vital records are the records documenting life events that occur in New Orleans. These records include birth certificates, marriage licenses and certificates, divorce decrees, and death certificates. These records can be obtained by applying to the appropriate custodian.
Where and How to Obtain New Orleans Divorce Records
New Orleans Divorce decrees can be obtained by contacting the clerk of courts of the Civil District courts. Requesters can only obtain these records if they are one of the authorized persons permitted to do so and as such valid identification is required. Requesters should make their requests to:
Clerk of Court
Orleans Parish Civil District Court,
421 Loyola Avenue,
Room 402,
New Orleans, LA 70112
The clerk of courts charges $1 per page of regular copies of divorce decrees and $3 per page of certified copies.
Where and How to Get Confidential Marriage Records in New Orleans
Requesters can obtain copies of New Orleans Marriage Certificates from the Louisiana Department of Health, Vital Records Office. According to New Orleans Public Law, marriage records only become public records after 50 years, till then only authorized persons may obtain them. Requests made in person must include appropriate identification and a completed marriage record application form. The fee for the certified copy of a New Orleans marriage certificate is $5 per copy. In-person request payments will be accepted in cash, checks, and money orders but not credit and debit cards. All these must be brought to the Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records Office at:
1450 Poydras St,
New Orleans, LA 70112
Mailed requests should include a photocopy of your identifications, the complete application form, and the appropriate fee and should be sent to:
Vital Records Registry
P.O. Box 60630
New Orleans, LA 70160
Delivery of the record usually takes 8 to 10 weeks.
Where and How to Get Public New Orleans Marriage Records
New Orleans marriage records only become public records after 50 yrs. When the records become public they can be obtained from the Louisiana Department of Health, Vital Records office. Alternatively, these records can be obtained by submitting the completed application form to the clerk of civil court in New Orleans :
Clerk of Court
Orleans Parish Civil District Court,
421 Loyola Avenue,
Room 402,
New Orleans, LA 70112
The Clerk of Courts charges $5 per copy of the Marriage certificate.
Where and How to Find New Orleans Birth Records
New Orleans birth certificates are not public but can be obtained by authorized persons from the vital records office of the Louisiana Department of Health. The Clerk of Courts of the Civil Court of Orleans parish also issues birth certificates and Long-form birth certificates at an extra cost.
Obtaining Copies of New Orleans Birth Certificates
As Louisiana is a closed record state New Orleans birth certificates can only be requested by certain authorized persons. These people include the following:
- The person named on the document
- The current spouse of the person named on the document
- The parents of the person named on the document
- An adult child of the person named on the document
- Adult siblings of the person named on the document
- Grandparents of the person named on the document
- Grandchildren of the person named on the document
- An attorney representing one of the above with a signed contract of representation or authorization.
The New Orleans birth records can be obtained in person or by mail. In-person requests involve the requestor bringing in a completed birth certificate application form, appropriate photo ID, and fees to the Vital Records Office. The fee for the certificate is $15 per certified copy and payment is accepted in cash, check, money order, and credit and debit cards. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the Vital Records Office.
For a mailed request the request must mail a completed application form, a copy of the correct identification, and the complete fees to:
Vital Records Registry
P.O. Box 60630
New Orleans, LA 70160
Where and How to Find New Orleans Death Records
New Orleans death certificates can be obtained from either the Louisiana Department of Health or the Clerk of Courts of the Orleans Parish. New Orleans, death records are not public records so they can only be obtained by authorized people with direct relations to the deceased namely:
- Surviving spouse of the person named on the document. (Must be listed as the Surviving Spouse on the document)
- Parents of the deceased named on the document
- An adult child of the deceased named on the document
- Siblings of the deceased named on the document
- Grandparents of the deceased named on the document
- Grandchildren of the deceased named on the document
- A person named in a court as a member of the immediate or surviving family of the person named in the certificate.
- Attorney or legally empowered person representing the registrant’s estate
New Orleans death records can be obtained in person or by mailing a request to the appropriate custodian. To request the record in person, Requesters must complete and submit the death certificate application form. The form should be brought in to the Vital Records Office along with an appropriate photo ID and the correct fees. The fee for death records is $7 per copy. To apply for the New Orleans death record requesters are required to mail a completed application form, a copy of your photo identification, and correct fees to:
Vital Records Registry
P.O. Box 60630
New Orleans, LA 70160
Applications by mail are usually completed and delivered in 8 to 10 weeks.
