Search Calcasieu Parish Court Records

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Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana State Court Records

Calcasieu Parish court records are official documents created during criminal, civil, traffic, family, and probate case proceedings. The Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court is the official custodian of court records and oversees access to them. Record seekers may conduct court records searches online or in person. When searching, individuals may find that Calcasieu Parish court records link with other public records, such as arrest and vital records. For example, criminal court cases may include arrest information, such as charges and booking details. Vital records such as death, marriage, birth, or divorce certificates may appear in probate, family law, or inheritance proceedings.

Are Calcasieu Parish Court Records Public?

Yes. The Louisiana Public Records Law ensures that court records are preserved and open to the public. Therefore, anyone who is 18 years or older may inspect or copy court records in Calcasieu Parish. However, individuals in custody who have been convicted of felonies and have exhausted their appellate remedies are excluded from access to court records (RS 44:31.1). Requests for court records should include a reasonable description of the information sought. The request may be made in person during regular business hours, online, or by mail. The Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court may request ID for in-person requests and may deny public access to court records if they are deemed confidential. Per RS §44:3, the following arrest records are not available to the public:

  • Investigative records
  • Arrest records belong to juveniles
  • Identifying information of sexual offense victims
  • Pending criminal litigation associated with an arrest record
  • Arrest information status offenders per the Children's Code
  • Arrest records that reveal the identity of a confidential source or an undercover police officer

What Information is Available in Calcasieu Parish Court Records?

An individual may find the following information in a Calcasieu Parish court record:

  • Case information (case number, case title, filing date, and case type)
  • Party detail (case parties names and their attorney's names)
  • Proceedings (trials, transcripts of hearings, and minutes)
  • Orders & judgments (final judgments, rulings, and court opinions)
  • Evidence & filings (motions, petitions, and all the evidence submitted to the court)

Calcasieu Parish Court Records Search

Anyone who needs direction on how to find Calcasieu Parish court records should consider the following options:

Online Access

The Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court provides two online portals through which individuals may access court records:

  • eSearch portal: This tool is for criminal court records searches. New users would need to sign up for an account, but returning users should enter their user ID and password to log in. Users may purchase and print images of criminal records from the portal.
  • Third-party platform: The Clerk partners with a third-party vendor to issue court records to customers. The portal is for civil court records searches. New users must create an account, and a link will be sent to their email to confirm their accounts.

In-Person Access

Individuals may visit the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court to obtain copies of court records. In-person requests should be made during business hours. The records staff may not provide a request form for the record seeker to complete, but basic information about the records will be needed for the search. Also, customers would have to pay for each copy of the requested records before release.

Fees for Court Records in Calcasieu Parish

Public court records are free, but the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court charges a small fee. These processing fees mainly cover the cost of printing or the time spent searching for the records. Below is the fee schedule:

  • True copies of court records cost $5, while copies cost $1 per page.
  • Faxed and emailed records cost $5 for the 1st page) plus $1 for each additional page.
  • Certified copies of civil court records cost $10, while those of criminal records are $5.
  • A 10-year civil search costs $15.00 per name.
  • Card payments incur an additional $2 processing fee.
  • Civil records online subscription costs $20.00 for one day, $55.00 for one month, and $660.00 per year.
  • The online criminal records subscription costs $20.00 per day, $45.00 per month, and $540.00 per year.

Calcasieu Parish Courthouse Locations

Calcasieu Parish is part of the Third Circuit Judicial Districts, specifically the 14th Judicial District. The address of the courthouse is below:

14th Judicial District

1001 Lakeshore Drive

Lake Charles, LA 70601

Email: contact@14jdc.org

Criminal Records Access in Calcasieu Parish

The Louisiana State Police's Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (BCII) handles state-level criminal history records. Applicants may seek copies of these records by scheduling a fingerprint appointment online. They have to attend the appointment and pay for the service before they can receive their criminal records by mail or email.

The Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court issues criminal records to members of the public locally. Record seekers should submit requests in person during business hours. The record staff does not provide a request form for the requester to complete. However, they need the defendant's name, date of birth, charges, and year of charge to perform the search. The processing time is from 5 to 10 minutes if the criminal record is in the courthouse. However, it may take 3 days if the record is located in an off-site storage facility.

Calcasieu Parish Probate Records

The 14th Judicial District handles all probate cases in Calcasieu Parish. From such cases, probate records are created. Probate records are legal court documents created after a person dies, which show how their estate is settled. The Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court maintains these records and makes them publicly available.

The Clerk's office partners with a third-party vendor to issue probate records online. Individuals will need to create an account on the platform and pay a subscription fee to use it. They may also visit the clerk's office during business hours to obtain copies of probate records. The records staff will need the deceased's name or death date for the search.

Calcasieu Parish Family Court Records

The Calcasieu Parish Family and Juvenile Court handles family court cases, including divorce, child custody/visitation, adoption, neglect/abuse cases, and termination of parental rights. Records of most of these cases are confidential; only those of divorce are public. Confidential family court records are issued only to the parties to the case, their legal representatives, or anyone with a court order.

Anyone seeking public family court records may submit an online request through the portal provided by the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court. They would need to sign up for an account and pay a subscription fee. Alternatively, record seekers may also visit the clerk's office during business hours to obtain copies of family court records.

Federal Court Records in Calcasieu Parish

The United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana hears all federal court cases in Calcasieu Parish. Individuals may find these cases containing documents scanned from 1999 to the present online through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) service. The PACER provides federal court records for $0.10 per page and caps the fee for a single document at $3.00.

The Clerk's Office provides in-person access to federal court records at the Lake Charles location Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Copies of federal court records cost $0.50 per page, and certification costs $12. Records search and certification cost $34 in total. In-person requests should be made at the address below:

Edwin F F. Hunter, Jr. Federal Building

611 Broad St.

Lake Charles, LA 70601

Phone: (337) 437-3870

Fax: (337) 437-3873

Calcasieu Parish Court