Find Calcasieu Parish Criminal Court Records

Calcasieu Parish criminal court records cover all felony, misdemeanor, and traffic cases filed in the 14th Judicial District Court in Lake Charles. This guide covers how to search those records online, request copies in person, and understand what fees and access rules apply to criminal case files in Calcasieu Parish.

Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court

The Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court at 1000 Ryan Street in Lake Charles is the central office for all criminal court records in the parish. The main phone number is (337) 437-3550, and the mailing address is P.O. Box 1030, Lake Charles, LA 70602. The clerk's office is housed in the Historic Calcasieu Courthouse, built in 1912 and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. That building has served as the center of parish court operations for over a century.

Criminal records fall under several specialized extensions within the clerk's office. For criminal appeals, call Extension 176. For archived criminal records, use Extension 193 or 207. Bond-related matters go to Extension 152. Juvenile record inquiries use Extension 206 or 131. If you need to coordinate a subpoena, that is Extension 134. Fax for the criminal division is (337) 437-3833. Civil records are handled separately at (337) 437-3558.

The Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court at 1000 Ryan Street in Lake Charles handles all criminal court records for the 14th Judicial District.

The office is housed in the Historic Calcasieu Courthouse, built in 1912 and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Fees for Calcasieu Parish Criminal Court Records

The Calcasieu Parish Clerk charges $20 per record for a criminal background search. Certification of a document adds $5 per copy. Confirmed copies cost $3 per document. Standard plain copies are $1 per page. These fees are consistent with rates charged by many Louisiana clerks, though specific fees can vary by parish and by the type of document requested.

When requesting records, it helps to have the defendant's full name, date of birth, the charge or charges, and the approximate year the case was filed. Having this information ready speeds up the search process. Staff can pull records while you wait if documents are stored on-site. If the file has been moved to offsite storage, plan for a wait of up to three business days before copies are ready.

Note: Cases involving sexual offenses, juvenile defendants, or violent crimes may require a court order before the clerk can release the file. This rule has been in place since October 2025 and applies to in-person requests as well as written requests.

Search Calcasieu Parish Criminal Records Online

The statewide eClerks LA portal covers Calcasieu Parish and provides free index searches across all 64 Louisiana parishes. Index results show basic case data such as defendant name, case number, and filing date. Full document access may require a subscription or an in-person visit depending on the document type and the age of the record.

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Records

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office is located at 5400 East Broad Street in Lake Charles and handles law enforcement records distinct from court filings. The main sheriff number is (337) 491-3700. For records specifically, call (337) 491-3715. Sheriff records include arrest reports, booking data, and incident reports. These are separate from the criminal court records held by the clerk, though both sets of records relate to criminal cases.

If you are looking for active warrant information in Calcasieu Parish, the sheriff's office is the right place to call. Warrant data is not always reflected in the clerk's case index in real time, so a direct inquiry to the sheriff is often faster for that specific question.

The 14th Judicial District Court is located at 1001 Lakeshore Drive in Lake Charles and can be reached at (337) 437-3400. That office handles scheduling, docket matters, and judicial administration. The clerk and the court are separate offices with different functions, even though they share a connection to the same cases.

Louisiana Public Records Law and Criminal Cases

Louisiana treats most criminal court records as public records under La. R.S. 44:1 and La. R.S. 44:32(A), which gives any adult the right to inspect and copy public records without providing a reason. This open-access rule applies to Calcasieu Parish criminal court records the same as it does across the state.

Record retention standards set by La. R.S. 44:36 require that felony case records be kept permanently. Misdemeanor records must be retained for at least 10 years. Traffic offense records are kept for a minimum of three years. Juvenile records are sealed and not available through the standard public records process. For juvenile record access, a court order is required.

When a court grants an expungement under La. C.Cr.P. Art. 971, the clerk seals the record. Expungement costs in Louisiana include a $200 clerk fee, a $250 bureau fee, a $50 DA fee, and a $50 sheriff fee. Once sealed, the record will not appear in a standard public search of Calcasieu Parish criminal court records. The Louisiana Supreme Court oversees the rules and procedures governing expungements statewide.

Statewide and Federal Criminal Record Sources

If you need a certified criminal history report covering all of Louisiana rather than just Calcasieu Parish, the Louisiana State Police background check at ibc.dps.louisiana.gov is the best option. The fee is $31 and the report is based on the state criminal repository governed by La. R.S. 15:578. It draws on all 64 parishes rather than just one clerk's records.

The Louisiana DOC Offender Search at doc.louisiana.gov is free and shows current and recent DOC offenders. The Louisiana Sex Offender Registry covers registered offenders statewide at no charge. Federal cases involving defendants in southwest Louisiana, including the Lake Charles area, are filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District and searched through PACER.

Note: The state LSP background check and the clerk's criminal index are separate systems. A record may appear in one and not the other depending on when it was entered and whether it has been updated.

Cities in Calcasieu Parish

Calcasieu Parish includes Lake Charles, the parish seat and the largest city in southwest Louisiana. Criminal cases filed within Lake Charles that go to district court are handled by the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court. Other communities in the parish include Sulphur, Westlake, and DeQuincy, none of which meet the population threshold for a separate city page.

Nearby Parishes

Calcasieu Parish borders five parishes in southwest Louisiana. Each maintains its own clerk of court and judicial district for criminal case filings.