Lafayette Parish Criminal Court Records
Lafayette Parish criminal court records are filed through the 15th Judicial District Court, with Louis J. Perret serving as Clerk of Court at the 800 South Buchanan Street courthouse. The clerk's office offers a subscription-based online records system, and a free case search is available through Lafayette City Court for lower-level matters. This page walks through every option for searching and requesting Lafayette Parish criminal court records, from the clerk's online portals to statewide tools and in-person access.
Lafayette Parish Quick Facts
The 15th Judicial District Court
The 15th Judicial District covers three parishes: Lafayette, Acadia, and Vermilion. Each parish has its own Clerk of Court, though they all fall under the same judicial district. For Lafayette Parish, the clerk office is at 800 South Buchanan Street, Lafayette, LA 70501. The main phone is (337) 291-6400, and the criminal department can be reached at (337) 291-6329. The mailing address is P.O. Box 2009, Lafayette, LA 70502.
The clerk's website is at lpclerk.com. The 15th JDC court site is at 15thjdc.org. These are two separate sites. The clerk site handles record access and court services. The district court site covers procedures, judges, and district-level information. Both are worth bookmarking.
Appeals from the 15th JDC go to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal. If a criminal case from Lafayette Parish was appealed after trial, those records would be separate from the trial-level files held by the Lafayette Parish Clerk. The 3rd Circuit maintains its own docket and is not part of the parish clerk's system.
Under La. R.S. 44:32(A), the clerk must make records available to any adult who requests them, regardless of whether you are a party to the case. Most adult criminal court records in Lafayette Parish are public. Juvenile records are sealed and are not available through any public search tool. Payment is required before criminal records requests are processed at this office, so have your docket number or case details ready when you contact the clerk's office.
The Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court website is the primary hub for all record access, online portals, and service information related to the 15th JDC.
The clerk's site links to both the court records portal and the land records portal, and it outlines the subscription and one-day access options available to the public.
How to Search Lafayette Parish Criminal Court Records Online
The Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court runs a subscription-based online records system at lpclerk.com/online-records-beta-2. This portal gives access to criminal, civil, and family non-support records. You can search by name or case number and get case details including charges, filing dates, and dispositions. A one-time setup fee of $100 applies for new accounts. Monthly access runs $65 per user per month. Criminal and traffic case minute entry copies cost $10 each. One-day access is also available for $10 for court records.
The online records portal covers criminal court filings at the 15th JDC level, making it possible to pull case data and minute entries without visiting the courthouse.
The land records portal at lpclerk.com land records login covers property conveyance and mortgage records separately from the court records portal. If you need both court and land records, each requires its own access setup.
The land records login is for property-related documents, not criminal case files. Make sure you are using the correct portal for the type of record you need.
For a free alternative, the eClerks LA statewide portal provides index-level access to Lafayette Parish criminal records without a fee for basic searches. This is a good option if you only need to confirm a case exists or find a case number before paying for copies. Lafayette Parish also participates in Clerk Connect, a subscription multi-parish portal that may offer more document detail for users who regularly need records from several parishes.
Note: The clerk's office requires payment before processing criminal records requests. Have the docket number, case caption, and document title ready when you contact them to speed up the process.
In-Person and Mail Requests
For in-person requests, go to 800 South Buchanan Street, Lafayette, LA 70501. Call (337) 291-6329 to reach the criminal department directly. Bring the full name, case number if known, and a date range. Staff can locate case files and tell you the exact fee before you pay.
The Lafayette Parish courthouse has strict rules on what you can bring inside. Items not allowed include weapons, cell phones, smart watches, cameras, recording devices, tobacco, and lighters. Leave your phone and all electronics in your car before entering. The courthouse does not provide storage for prohibited items at the door.
For mail requests, write to P.O. Box 2009, Lafayette, LA 70502. Include the case name or docket number, the type of documents you need, and a return mailing address. Include a check or money order for estimated fees. Call (337) 291-6400 to confirm the fee amount before sending. Copy fees follow standard Louisiana rates. Uncertified copies are typically $1 per page. Certified copies cost $5 per document. Allow at least one to two weeks for mail requests to be processed.
Lafayette City Court Records
The Lafayette City Court handles lower-level criminal matters within Lafayette city limits, operating separately from the 15th JDC. This court is at 105 East Convent Street, Lafayette. The phone number is (337) 291-8720. City Court handles misdemeanors, traffic violations, and civil matters up to $20,000. Cases in this court do not go through the parish clerk's office.
A free case search is available at citycourtlafayettela.org/CaseSearch.aspx. This is a no-cost tool that lets you search Lafayette City Court cases by name or case number without any account or subscription. If you are not sure whether a case went through the city court or the district court, start with the offense type. Felonies go to the 15th JDC. Minor misdemeanors and traffic matters within the city typically go to city court.
Note: City Court records are held by the City Court clerk, not by the Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court at 800 South Buchanan. Going to the wrong office will result in a referral and extra travel time.
Types of Criminal Court Records in Lafayette Parish
The 15th JDC generates a wide range of criminal records for Lafayette Parish cases. These include charging instruments, grand jury indictments, bills of information, arraignment records, plea agreements, trial transcripts, jury verdicts, sentencing orders, and post-conviction filings. Probation and parole details may appear in some case files, though active supervision records are managed by state agencies, not the clerk's office.
Under La. R.S. 44:36, felony conviction records are permanent. Misdemeanor records are retained for 10 years. Traffic records are kept for 3 years. These rules apply to both the district court records and city court records in Lafayette Parish. Older records that predate the clerk's digitization may exist in paper format only; calling ahead before visiting the courthouse is always a good idea if you are researching older cases.
State-Level and Federal Criminal Record Resources
State-level tools extend beyond what the Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court and City Court hold.
The Louisiana State Police background check portal costs $31 and provides an official compiled statewide record. Louisiana is a closed record state under La. R.S. 15:587, so the check covers convictions only, not arrests without conviction. It covers all 64 parishes including Lafayette and is commonly required for employment and licensing.
The Louisiana Department of Corrections Offender Search is free and covers current and former DOC inmates. The Louisiana Sex Offender Registry is also free and searchable by name, address, or zip code. Lafayette Parish registrants appear alongside those from other parishes statewide.
For federal cases, Lafayette Parish falls under the Western District of Louisiana. Federal court records are available through PACER at $0.10 per page after a quarterly threshold. Federal charges do not appear in the district court clerk's records and are entirely separate from state court filings.
Expungement in Lafayette Parish
Expungement in Louisiana is governed by La. C.Cr.P. Art. 971 and related articles. To file in Lafayette Parish, you petition the 15th Judicial District Court at the 800 South Buchanan courthouse. The required fees are: $200 to the Clerk of Court, $250 to the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information, $50 to the district attorney, and $50 to the sheriff. Total fees run $550 before any attorney costs.
Not all records qualify. Non-violent first offenses and arrests without convictions are the most common eligible cases. Some conviction expungements are available after waiting periods defined by state law. Before filing, confirm eligibility by calling the clerk's office or consulting a local attorney. Once the court grants an expungement, the record is removed from the clerk's online portals, eClerks LA, and Clerk Connect. Law enforcement retains access under conditions set by state law. The Louisiana Supreme Court self-help page has expungement forms and step-by-step guidance for those handling the process without an attorney.
Cities in Lafayette Parish
Lafayette is the parish seat and the largest city in the parish, well above the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. Other communities in Lafayette Parish, including Scott, Youngsville, and Broussard, do not meet the threshold for individual city pages here. All district court criminal cases from anywhere in the parish go through the Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court at 800 South Buchanan. Lower-level matters within the city go through the City Court at 105 East Convent.
Nearby Parishes
Lafayette Parish borders several other parishes in south-central Louisiana. Each has its own clerk of court and may fall under a different judicial district.