Orleans Parish Court Records
Court records in Orleans Parish are official documents and records generated during legal proceedings in any of Orleans Parish's courts. Information contained in a court record in Orleans Parish can include the names of parties involved in a court case, scheduled dates of court hearings, legal filings, and court verdicts.
According to RS 44:1 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, these records fall under the statutory definition of public records and are thus part of Orleans Parish public records, unless specified otherwise by law or court ruling.
Court records in Orleans Parish are important for transparency and accountability in the county's judicial system, and they also serve as a source of information on various legal matters. The clerk of each individual court within Orleans Parish, such as the Civil District Court or the Criminal District Court, manages the filing, retrieval, and storage of records specific to that court.
Are Court Records Public in Orleans Parish?
Yes. Under the Louisiana Public Records Act (LPRA), court records of any court in Louisiana are public records. This means that these records are available for inspection and copying by any person. However, contingent on certain circumstances established in the Act, some court records may be redacted or exempt from public disclosure. Any record containing information that infringes on a person’s constitutional right, violates their privacy, endangers them, or interferes with a judicial proceeding is typically restricted from the public.
Where to Conduct Orleans Parish Case Lookup
Inquirers who wish to conduct a court case lookup in Orleans Parish can do so at the following places:
- The Orleans Parish courthouse where a case was filed
- Criminal District Court Docket Master Search Portal
- Clerk of Civil District Court Remote Access (RA) Portal.
Depending on the method used, inquirers can expect to be provided with access to records on court cases in either physical paper or electronic form.
How to Conduct Orleans Parish Case Records Search
Persons looking to conduct a case records search in Orlean Parish, Louisiana, may check with the following custodians.
- The Orleans Parish courthouse where a case was filed
Visit the Orleans Parish Courthouse, where a case was filed in person during work hours, and use the case party’s name or case number to request access to the case records from the clerk of the courthouse. Case records generated and maintained by the clerk of the court are typically available in paper form or electronic form for members of the public to physically inspect or copy. For instance, to physically access records of cases filed at the Orleans Parish Civil District Court, visit the Clerk’s Office at:
421 Loyola Avenue
Room 402
New Orleans, LA 70112.
The same applies to other courthouses in Orleans Parish, such as the Criminal District Court, Juvenile Court, City Courts, and the Traffic Court. Fees of $1 for regular copies or $3 for certified copies of case records may apply at the courthouse location.
- The archives maintained by the Clerk of Court
To find and view case records in the archives maintained by the Orleans Parish Criminal and Civil District Courts, visit the Criminal District Court Docket Master Search Portal and the Civil District Court Remote Access (RA) Portal. Both archives house criminal and civil case records for the Criminal District Court and the Civil District Court, respectively. However, while a case record search on the Criminal District Court Docket can be done at no cost, an inquirer must subscribe to use the Civil District Court Remote Access Portal to find case records.
The Clerk’s Office of the Civil District Court offers daily, monthly, and annual subscriptions for $20, $100, and $700, respectively. Inquirers who prefer may subscribe to the Civil Remote Access (RA) portal in person at the Clerk’s Office at:
Clerk of Civil District Court
421 Loyola Avenue
Room 402
New Orleans, LA 70112.
- The online records portal for the Civil District Court also provides access to court records. An inquirer must provide information such as the case party’s name or case number to facilitate the retrieval of case records in any of the online archives.
Orleans Parish Civil Court Case Records
In Orleans Parish, civil court case records refer to documents, materials, and any information related to legal proceedings in a civil court. Civil courts only handle matters of a non-criminal nature. The Orleans Parish Civil District Court, the First City Court, and the Second City Court are the civil courts in Orleans Parish, and they typically handle cases that involve disputes between individuals, organizations, or entities over issues like contracts, property rights, personal injury, and family matters.
To obtain records of civil cases heard in Orleans Parish, first identify the civil courthouse where a case was tried. After that, make an in-person visit to the clerk's office and obtain either a paper or electronic record of the civil case. For example, to obtain records of civil cases tried in the Second City Court, visit the clerk's office at:
Second City Court Clerk
225 Morgan Street
Room 206
New Orleans, LA 70114
Phone: (504) 407-0435
Alternatively, visit the Civil Remote Access webpage to obtain records of cases heard in Orleans Parish Civil District Court and the First City Court. The remote access portal is available with a paid subscription, and inquirers can view or download images of civil cases from 2010 forward.
Orleans Parish Criminal Court Case Records
Criminal court case records include all documents, filings, and information received or created by the court during legal proceedings for a criminal offense. These records contain information like criminal charges, evidence, court process transcripts, motions, briefs, verdicts, etc.
Criminal court case records are stored, maintained, and made available to the public by the courthouse where the criminal case was tried. All criminal cases within the jurisdiction of Orleans Parish are tried in the Criminal District Court.
To view or obtain copies of criminal case records in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, reach out to the court clerk's office in person or on the phone at:
2700 Tulane Avenue
New Orleans, LA. 70119
Phone: (504) 658-9000
Alternatively, visit the Criminal Court Docket Master to find records of criminal cases tried at the Criminal District Court. Individuals can use the tool at no cost to view records of cases. However, to successfully retrieve a case record, an individual must supply the first name, last name, race, or sex of the party involved.
How to Get Court Records Online for Free
To get Orleans Parish court records online for free, inquirers should use the Criminal Docket Master Search portal to conduct case records searches to find and inspect images or documents of criminal case records. For civil case records, a paid subscription is required.
Alternatively, individuals can utilize the services of third-party aggregate sites, like the Louisiana Court Records Portal, to lookup Orleans Parish civil and criminal case records. However, while viewing documents or images may be free on some of the third-party sites, use may become limited or fees may be required to make copies of the records.
Courts in Orleans Parish
Below are the names, contact details, and addresses of the courts in Orleans Parish, Louisiana.
Orleans Parish Criminal District Court
2700 Tulane Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone: (504) 658-9100
Fax: (504) 658-9570
Orleans Parish Civil District Court
421 Loyola Avenue
Room 402
New Orleans, LA 70112
(504) 407-0000
Fax: (504) 592-9128
E-mail: cdcclerk@orleanscdc.com.
Orleans Parish Juvenile Court
1100-B Milton Street
New Orleans, LA 70122
Phone: (504) 658-9500
Fax: (504) 658-9570
First City Court
421 Loyola Avenue
Room 201
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 407-0400
Fax: (504) 592-9281
Second City Court
225 Morgan Street
Room 206
New Orleans, LA 70114
Phone: (504) 407-0435
Fax: (504) 366-2970
New Orleans Municipal and Traffic Court
1601 Perdido Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-8500
