Beauregard Parish Criminal Court Records

Beauregard Parish criminal court records are filed and kept through the 36th Judicial District Court in DeRidder. If you need to find a criminal case, check a charge, or get copies of court documents for someone in Beauregard Parish, this page covers the online search tools and in-person options available to you.

The 36th Judicial District Court

The 36th Judicial District Court serves Beauregard Parish exclusively. Criminal cases filed in the parish go through this district court, located in DeRidder. The Beauregard Parish Clerk of Court handles all filings and record access at the courthouse. For in-person or mail requests, the DeRidder courthouse is the right place to start.

Cases decided by the 36th JDC can be appealed to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal. The 3rd Circuit covers west and south-central Louisiana parishes. If you are looking at a case that was appealed, you would need to check 3rd Circuit records separately from the district-level file. The 3rd Circuit maintains its own docket distinct from the parish clerk's records.

La. R.S. 44:1 establishes the public right to access government records, and criminal court records are included. La. R.S. 44:32(A) requires the clerk to make these records available to any adult who asks. You do not need to be a party to the case or have a stated reason. Some portions of a file may be sealed by court order, but those are the exception rather than the rule for standard criminal cases.

Online Search Options for Beauregard Parish Criminal Court Records

Beauregard Parish has two main online options for searching criminal court records. The first and broadest is the eClerks LA statewide portal, which provides free name and case number searches across all 64 Louisiana parishes including Beauregard. The second is the Beauregard Parish Clerk's own website at beauregardclerk.org, which hosts some records going back many years.

The eClerks LA portal is shown below. It covers adult criminal court records across the state and gives you basic case details without charge.

eClerks LA is an index tool. Use it for case lookup and status checks, then contact the clerk's office for full documents or certified copies.

The Beauregard Parish Clerk's website offers additional historical records. Conveyance records date back to 1913, and the mortgage index is available from 1978. Mortgage documents are accessible digitally from 2008 onward. While these are primarily property records rather than criminal court records, the clerk's portal may also have links or access points for criminal case lookups. Check the clerk's site directly for the most current access options for criminal filings. For certified copies or full case documents, you still need to contact the clerk's office directly regardless of which online tool you start with.

In-Person and Mail Requests

To get records in person, go to the Beauregard Parish Courthouse in DeRidder and ask at the Clerk of Court's office. Bring the full name of the person you are searching for, and a case number if you have one. Staff can search by name and approximate date if you do not have a case number. The clerk's office handles docket sheets, case files, certified copies, and plain copies of criminal court documents.

Copy fees follow standard Louisiana clerk rates. Uncertified copies typically cost $1 per page. Certified copies carry an additional fee and include the clerk's official seal, needed for legal uses such as background verification or court filings in other jurisdictions. For mail requests, write to the Beauregard Parish Clerk of Court in DeRidder, include a check or money order for copy fees, and clearly identify the name and case you are requesting. Call ahead to confirm current fees before mailing your request.

Types of Criminal Court Records in Beauregard Parish

The 36th JDC clerk's office holds a wide range of criminal court records. These include charging documents such as bills of information and indictments, arraignment records, plea agreements, trial transcripts, verdicts, and sentencing orders. Bond records and probation conditions are also part of most case files. Arrest records where no charges were filed are typically held by the Beauregard Parish Sheriff rather than the clerk of court, so if you need booking information from an arrest that did not go to court, contact the sheriff's office.

Under La. R.S. 44:36, felony conviction records are retained permanently. Misdemeanor records must be kept for at least 10 years. Traffic violation records are held for a minimum of 3 years. This means many older cases are still on file, though records from decades ago may exist only in paper form and may not appear in the online search index. If you are looking for an old case, call the clerk's office before making the trip to DeRidder to confirm what is available and in what format.

State-Level Criminal Record Resources

Beyond the local courthouse, several state-level tools let you access criminal record information tied to Beauregard Parish cases.

The Louisiana State Police maintains the state's central criminal record repository under La. R.S. 15:578. Their background check service at LSP's background check portal costs $31 and returns a compiled statewide record. Louisiana is a closed record state under La. R.S. 15:587, so this check does not include arrests that did not result in conviction. It covers all 64 parishes including Beauregard and is the most reliable source for a comprehensive statewide conviction history.

The Louisiana Department of Corrections offers a free DOC Offender Search that shows current and former state-supervised offenders. If someone from Beauregard Parish received a state prison sentence, they should appear here. The Louisiana Sex Offender Registry is also free and searchable by name or geographic area. For federal cases involving Beauregard Parish residents, use PACER. Beauregard Parish falls under the Western District of Louisiana for federal court purposes.

Expungement of Criminal Records in Beauregard Parish

Louisiana expungement law is governed by La. C.Cr.P. Art. 971 and related statutes. Expungement removes a record from public view but does not permanently destroy the underlying data. Law enforcement retains access to expunged records under certain circumstances defined by state law.

To start the process, you file a motion with the 36th Judicial District Court in DeRidder. Several fees are required: the Clerk of Court charges $200, the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information charges $250, the District Attorney charges $50, and the Sheriff charges $50. Not all records qualify. First-time non-violent offenders who have completed their sentence typically have the clearest path to expungement. Arrests that did not lead to conviction can often be handled more quickly than conviction-based expungements.

Once granted, an expungement removes the record from public tools like eClerks LA and from the clerk's public files. It will no longer show up in standard background checks. If you are not sure whether your case qualifies, talking to a local attorney before you file is a good idea. Filing errors can delay the process and result in additional costs.

Cities in Beauregard Parish

DeRidder is the parish seat and largest city in Beauregard Parish. Other communities include Merryville, Ragley, and Singer. None of the cities in Beauregard Parish reach the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All criminal court records for the parish, regardless of which community a case originated from, are filed with the Beauregard Parish Clerk of Court in DeRidder through the 36th Judicial District Court.

Nearby Parishes

Beauregard Parish borders several other parishes in southwest Louisiana. Records from neighboring parishes are handled by their own clerks of court and may fall under different judicial districts.