Find Criminal Court Records in Red River Parish
Red River Parish criminal court records are filed and maintained through the 11th Judicial District Court in Coushatta, the parish seat. This page explains how to search Red River Parish criminal court records online through eClerks LA, how to request records in person or by mail, and what state-level tools are available for broader background checks.
Red River Parish Quick Facts
The 11th Judicial District Court
The 11th Judicial District Court covers three northwest Louisiana parishes: Red River, DeSoto, and Sabine. Criminal cases filed in Red River Parish go to the courthouse in Coushatta. The Clerk of Court based there handles all filings, docket access, and copies for cases originating in Red River Parish. If a case was filed in Red River specifically, Coushatta is where you send mail requests and in-person visits, rather than the offices for the other two parishes in the district.
Cases decided at the 11th JDC can go to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal. The 2nd Circuit handles matters from north and northwest Louisiana parishes. If you are researching a case that was appealed after a decision in Red River Parish, the 2nd Circuit records would be a separate step from the district court file in Coushatta.
La. R.S. 44:1 establishes the public's right to access government records in Louisiana. Under La. R.S. 44:32(A), the clerk of court must give records to any adult who requests them. No special reason is needed. You can ask for records even if you have no connection to the case.
Searching Red River Parish Criminal Court Records Online
eClerks LA is the primary online tool for searching Red River Parish criminal court records. The eClerks LA statewide portal is free and covers all 64 Louisiana parishes, including Red River. You can search by name or by case number. The results give you index-level information: charges, filing dates, and case disposition. No account or login is needed for a basic search.
Below is a screenshot of the eClerks LA portal that serves as the online access point for Red River Parish criminal court records.
eClerks LA shows you that a record exists and gives you key case details, but full documents and certified copies require a direct request to the clerk's office in Coushatta.
The portal is an index tool. It works well for confirming whether a case was filed and getting basic facts, but it does not give you access to full scanned case documents. For complete court files or certified copies, contact the Red River Parish Clerk of Court directly. Also keep in mind that eClerks LA covers adult criminal records only. Juvenile records are sealed by Louisiana law and are not accessible through any public search tool.
In-Person and Mail Requests
For records in person, go to the Red River Parish Courthouse in Coushatta. The Clerk of Court's office is where you ask for case files, docket sheets, and certified copies. Bring the full name of the person and any case number you have. If you have no case number, a name and date range will help staff search the files.
Mail requests are accepted as well. Write to the Red River Parish Clerk of Court, include a check or money order for copy fees, and give as much detail as you can about the case you need. Standard Louisiana clerk fees apply. Uncertified copies run around $1 per page. Certified copies are more expensive and carry the official seal, which some legal uses require. Turnaround time depends on how busy the office is and how large the request is.
Under La. R.S. 44:36, felony conviction records are retained permanently. Misdemeanor records must be kept for at least 10 years. Very old records may only be in paper form rather than accessible through an online portal, so calling ahead to check availability saves time if you are researching a case from many years ago.
Types of Criminal Records Available
Criminal court records from the 11th JDC in Red River Parish include a range of document types. You can find charging documents, indictments, plea agreements, trial transcripts, verdicts, and sentencing orders. Arrest records and booking information are typically held by the Red River Parish Sheriff's Office rather than the clerk of court. If you need information about an arrest that did not lead to a court case, contact the sheriff's office directly rather than the clerk.
Probation and parole status may appear in some case files, but the detailed records of supervision are held by the relevant state agency. The clerk's office holds the court-side documents: the filings, hearings, rulings, and final disposition. If you need the supervision side of a sentence, contact the Louisiana Department of Corrections or the relevant probation and parole office for the region.
State-Level Criminal Record Tools
Beyond the local courthouse, several state-level resources cover Red River Parish criminal case data.
The Louisiana State Police runs 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 produces an official compiled record. Louisiana is a closed record state under La. R.S. 15:587, meaning this report covers convictions only, not arrests without a conviction. It draws on statewide data including cases from Red River Parish.
The Louisiana Department of Corrections provides the free DOC Offender Search. This tool shows current and former DOC-supervised individuals, which is helpful when you know someone received a state prison sentence after a case in Red River. The Louisiana Sex Offender Registry is also free and searchable by name or location.
Federal criminal cases involving Red River Parish fall under the Western District of Louisiana. Use PACER to search federal court records. Federal cases are separate from the state court records at the 11th JDC and are not accessible through eClerks LA or the clerk's office.
Expungement in Red River Parish
Expungement in Louisiana is governed by La. C.Cr.P. Art. 971 and related articles. In Red River Parish, you file the expungement motion with the 11th JDC in Coushatta. Not all records qualify. First-time non-violent offenders who have finished their sentence are often eligible. Arrests that did not result in a conviction can sometimes be expunged on a faster timeline.
The fees required to file for expungement in Louisiana are set by state law: $200 to the clerk of court, $250 to the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information, $50 to the district attorney's office, and $50 to the sheriff. These fees apply throughout the state. Once a court grants expungement, the record is removed from public tools like eClerks LA. Law enforcement agencies can still see expunged records under certain conditions, but the record will not appear in public searches at the clerk's counter.
Cities in Red River Parish
Coushatta is the parish seat and the main town in Red River Parish. Other communities include Edgefield and Clarence. None of the towns in Red River Parish meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All criminal court cases from any part of the parish go through the Red River Parish Clerk of Court in Coushatta.
Nearby Parishes
Red River Parish sits in northwest Louisiana and borders several parishes, each with its own clerk and judicial district.