Search New Orleans Criminal Court Records

New Orleans criminal court records are maintained by the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, which operates independently from the parish's civil court system. If you need to find a charge, case filing, verdict, or sentencing record for someone in New Orleans, this page covers the online tools, in-person options, and state-level resources available to help you search New Orleans criminal court records.

Orleans Parish Criminal District Court

New Orleans has a court structure unlike any other city in Louisiana. Most parishes combine criminal and civil matters within a single district court. Orleans Parish separates them into two distinct courts. Criminal cases go to the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. Civil cases go to the Orleans Parish Civil District Court. This split matters when you search for records, because the clerk's office and physical location differ between the two.

The Orleans Parish Criminal District Court is located at 2700 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119. You can reach the clerk's office by phone at (504) 658-9000. Calvin Duncan was elected clerk in November 2025. The Civil District Court sits at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402, and can be reached at (504) 407-0000. If you need to search both criminal and civil records, you will need to contact each court separately.

For criminal matters, 2700 Tulane Avenue is where you go. That includes felonies, some misdemeanors handled at the district level, and cases originating from NOPD arrests. Misdemeanors and local ordinance violations may also be handled by the First City Court at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 201, (504) 407-0400, or by New Orleans Municipal and Traffic Court. Each court keeps its own records, so the right place to start depends on what type of case you are looking for.

La. R.S. 44:1 establishes the right to access government records. Criminal court records are public unless sealed or expunged. La. R.S. 44:32(A) requires clerks to make records available on request to any adult member of the public.

How to Search New Orleans Criminal Court Records Online

The eClerks LA statewide portal covers Orleans Parish and gives you free index-level access to criminal court records. You can search by name or case number and see basic case details, charges, filing dates, and dispositions. It does not replace the full record held at the courthouse, but it is the fastest way to confirm a case exists and get the case number.

The Clerk Connect portal is another statewide option that works across Louisiana parishes including Orleans. Some records are available at the index level without charge, while full document access may carry a subscription fee. Both eClerks LA and Clerk Connect pull from clerk of court data, so they give you similar coverage. Try both if a search on one comes up empty.

One important thing to know: New Orleans still relies heavily on paper case files. The court has been working on digitization for years, but many older records are not yet in any online system. In August 2025, court records were mistakenly discarded and had to be retrieved from a landfill, which underscores the ongoing challenges with records management at the Criminal District Court. For older cases or for anything not showing up in online searches, an in-person visit or phone call to (504) 658-9000 is often the more reliable route.

In-Person and Mail Requests

Visit the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court at 2700 Tulane Avenue to request records in person. Bring the full name of the defendant and any case number you have. Staff can search by name if you don't have a case number, though providing a date range and charge type helps narrow it down.

Copy fees at Orleans Parish Criminal District Court: $0.50 per page for standard copies, $10 per document for certified copies, and $20 for a name-based background check. These are among the more affordable copy rates in Louisiana. If you need certified copies for legal purposes, budget the $10 per document fee. Mail requests should be directed to the clerk's office at 2700 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119. Include a check or money order for the fees and provide as much case detail as possible. Processing times vary based on staff availability and whether the file is in on-site or off-site storage.

New Orleans City Court and Municipal Court

Not every criminal matter in New Orleans goes to the Criminal District Court. The First City Court at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 201, handles certain civil and minor matters. The New Orleans Municipal and Traffic Court handles traffic violations, minor misdemeanors, and city ordinance violations. These are separate courts with separate record systems.

If the case involves a traffic ticket, a DWI at the municipal level, or a city ordinance charge, the records may be at Municipal and Traffic Court rather than at the Criminal District Court. If you are not sure which court handled a case, calling the Criminal District Court at (504) 658-9000 is a reasonable starting point. Staff can often confirm which court has jurisdiction or refer you to the right place.

The City of New Orleans official portal links to Municipal and Traffic Court, NOPD records, and other city-run record systems.

State-Level Criminal Record Resources

Several state databases cover New Orleans cases as part of their statewide records.

The Louisiana State Police runs the state's central criminal record repository under La. R.S. 15:578. Their paid background check at LSP's background check portal costs $31 and returns an official statewide conviction record. Louisiana is a "closed record state" under La. R.S. 15:587, meaning the official check does not include arrests that did not result in conviction. It covers convictions statewide including Orleans Parish.

The Louisiana DOC Offender Search is free. It shows current and past DOC-supervised individuals, including people from New Orleans who served state prison time. The Louisiana Sex Offender Registry is also free and searchable by name or location. Both are good tools for confirming whether someone received a state sentence following conviction in Orleans Parish. For federal criminal cases involving New Orleans, use PACER. New Orleans falls under the Eastern District of Louisiana, which has its own federal courthouse and record system. The Eastern District of Louisiana federal court website has case search options and clerk contact information.

Expungement in Orleans Parish

Expungement in Louisiana is governed by La. C.Cr.P. Art. 971 et seq. In Orleans Parish, the motion is filed with the Criminal District Court. Not all records qualify. Arrests that did not lead to conviction can often be expunged. First-time non-violent convictions may qualify after the sentence is completed. Violent offenses and sex offenses are generally not eligible.

The fee structure for expungement: the clerk of court charges $200, the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information charges $250, the district attorney's office charges $50, and the sheriff charges $50. Total out-of-pocket fees add up to $550 before any attorney costs. Legal aid organizations in New Orleans may be able to assist low-income residents with the filing. Once granted, the record is removed from public access tools, but law enforcement can still access it under certain circumstances. Juvenile records are sealed by default and are not part of the public criminal records system.

Related Parish

Criminal court records for New Orleans are maintained by Orleans Parish. All felony and major criminal cases go through the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court regardless of which neighborhood in New Orleans the case originates from.

Nearby Cities

Other Louisiana cities with dedicated criminal court records pages: