Are Louisiana Records Public?

Yes. Public records in Louisiana are accessible to interested public members. Under the Louisiana Sunshine Act, record seekers have the legal right to find and obtain public records and documents from custodian agencies. Per state law, the term “public records” generally covers most documents generated by local or state-level government agencies. Louisiana public records may include the following:

• Louisiana vital records, which cover marriage, death, birth, and divorce records
• Louisiana arrest records
• Property records
• Court records
• Inmate records
• Criminal records
• Sex offender records

Who Can Access Louisiana Public Records?

Under Part II of the General Provisions (RS 44:31), all individuals or entities are eligible to access most public records in Louisiana. However, the law prevents current inmates from accessing public records. Inmates can only access records if the document will aid their application for post-conviction relief.

Interested public members can request copies of Louisiana public documents from local or state custodian agencies. Upon receiving the request, custodian agencies will decide whether to release the record or not. For example, confidential documents, such as birth and death records, are only released to eligible requesters. Louisiana birth records are accessible to the record subject, family relations, and eligible legal representatives.

Note: You must provide a valid identification to access public documents. Custodial agencies will verify your identity and determine if you are eligible to receive the record.

Do I Need to State My Purpose and Use When Requesting Public Records in Louisiana?

No. Under Louisiana Revised Statutes §44.32, you do not need to state the reason for requesting public records in Louisiana. The law requires custodian agencies only to request the age and identification of the record seeker.

Furthermore, record seekers have the legal right to sue custodian agencies if they fail to honor their request. You can also initiate legal proceedings if the agency fails to respond to a request within five days.

Note: In Louisiana, custodian agencies can refuse to grant access to exempted records under the Sunshine Law. 

What Records are Public in Louisiana?

In Louisiana, multiple government-generated records are accessible to the general public. Examples of publicly accessible documents include arrest records, property records, and bankruptcy records. You can find records of these documents at designated custodian agencies. For example, the Louisiana Department of Health is the state-level custodian of birth records.

Louisiana Public Court Records

In Louisiana, court records consist of all data filed or created during court proceedings. These data may include summons, docket sheets, court calendars, case files, judgments, and injunctions. Civil court records include traffic offenses, tax liens, bankruptcies, small claims, property liens, and contract disputes, while criminal court records may include data on felonies, incarceration, arrests and warrants, lawsuits, and misdemeanors.

Louisiana court records fall under the purview of specific court clerks. For example, the Clerk of the District Court maintains records of all civil and criminal court documents. In addition to this, you can find records of court documents at the Louisiana Supreme Court. The records are obtainable via online search databases, mail, or by visiting the court locations. 

What Information Will I Find in a Louisiana Court Record? 

Louisiana court records generally contain this information:

• The record subject's personal details
• Information on legal representatives handling the case
• Case filing date
• Case information, which may include case type, status, number, and type
• The hearing date and location
• Claims and counterclaims
• Information on court summonses 
• List of case filings 
• Miscellaneous documents related to the court case. 
• Fines 
• Final judgment or probationary conditions

Which court records are exempt from public access in Louisiana?

Court records are exempt from public access if:

• It contains lawyer-client communication. 
• It has data that may violate an individual's or entity's right to privacy and security. 
• It has proprietary trade or security information. 
• It contains data on tax returns and other sensitive financial information. 

The Clerk of the Court may opt to redact or seal confidential portions of the record. To access sealed court records in Louisiana, the requester must be:

• A law enforcement agency. 
• Empowered by a court order to access the record. 
• A legal representative of the record subject. 

Louisiana Public Criminal Records

In Louisiana, criminal records contain histories of arrests and convictions. However, Louisiana criminal records are not public documents, except for some exceptions stated in LSA-R.S. 15:574.12. As a public member, you can only access these data in a criminal record:

• The record subject's age 
• The offense type 
• Duration of the sentence 
• The conviction date, and any misconduct while serving the sentence. 

The Louisiana Police Department, via the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (BCII), is the state-level custodian of criminal records. It provides access to criminal records via the following systems:

• Automated Fingerprint Identification System
• Louisiana Computerized Criminal History System (LACCH)

However, only the record subject and criminal or noncriminal government agencies can request and get full access to criminal records. To access confidential criminal records in Louisiana, eligible persons or entities must provide these documents either via mail or in person:

1. Right to Review Authorization Form 
2. Right to Review Disclosure Form
3. Attorney Or Authorized Representative Form (for attorneys representing the record subject) 
4. A copy of a valid government-issued identification card. 
5. A $250 money order or check payable to “The Louisiana State Police.”

For mail requests, send the completed files to the following address:

Louisiana State Police

BCII-LCJIS

Post Office Box 66614, Box A-6

Baton Rouge, LA 70896

The BCII also accepts in-person requests for criminal records. So, you can visit the BCII between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on weekdays at this address:

Louisiana State Police, Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (BCII),           

7919 Independence Boulevard 

Baton Rouge, LA 70896-6614 

Phone: (225) 925-6095.

Louisiana Public Arrest Records

Louisiana arrest records are public documents and are accessible via the local and state law enforcement agencies. These agencies maintain hard and online copies of these records. To access arrest records, you must provide a valid ID and enough data about the record subject's details. 

Note: There are no time restrictions for accessing recent arrest records. 

Louisiana Public Bankruptcy Records

Bankruptcy records in Louisiana are all documents generated in a bankruptcy court case, from case filing to the final judgment. 

What do Louisiana bankruptcy records contain? 

Bankruptcy records in Louisiana may include these details:

• The debtor's or record subject's birth name;
• The name of the legal representative(s) 
• Case type and number 
• Name of the presiding judge 
• Case disposition 
• Case status 
• Name of the bankruptcy trustee

Under the Louisiana Sunshine Law, bankruptcy records are public files and are under the purview of the bankruptcy courts. To get copies of bankruptcy records in Louisiana, you must submit a written request and a valid ID to the bankruptcy court that handled the case. Louisiana is home to three bankruptcy courts, which include:

United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Louisiana

707 Florida Street 

Room 119 

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Phone Number: (225) 346-3333

Email Address: Bankruptcy_Court@lamb.uscourts.gov

United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana

300 Fannin Street

Suite 2201

Shreveport, LA 71101

Phone Number: (318) 676-4267

United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

Hale Boggs Building

500 Poydras Street

Room B-601

New Orleans, LA 70130

Phone Number: (504) 589-7878

Email Address: CMECF_LAEB@laeb.uscourts.gov

Louisiana Public Birth Records

Louisiana public birth records are legal documents that may provide information on the following:

• The record subject's name at birth 
• Date and Parish where the birth event occurred
• Hospital of Birth 
• The parent's full name and initials
• The parent's age at the time of birth 
• The file and issue date of the birth event. 

The Louisiana Department of Health, via the State Registrar and Vital Records, maintains birth records that are less than 100 years old. It issues both short-form (birth cards) and long-form birth certificates to eligible requesters.

Only the record subject, close relatives, and legal representatives can obtain copies of Louisiana birth records. The record subject can also authorize others to obtain the records.

You can find Louisiana birth records via mail or in person at the:

Louisiana Department of Health.

P. O. Box 629

Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0629

Phone: (225) 342-9500

Louisiana Public Death Records

Louisiana death records are legal files on recorded death events and may feature these details:

• The deceased's name and other personal details, such as age, sex, and race,. 
• Marital status 
• The parent's name and birthplace 
• Location of death 
• Medical cause of death. 

The Louisiana Department of Health, via the State Registrar and Vital Records, maintains records of all death events in the state. Note that Louisiana death records that are less than 50 years old are not public documents. Only eligible requesters can obtain the document.

To obtain Louisiana death records, you must provide a copy of a photo ID and a written statement via mail or in person to the:

Louisiana Department of Health.

P. O. Box 629

Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0629

Phone: (225) 342-9500

Note: Confidential death records are accessible to the deceased's close relatives, legal representatives, or beneficiaries of the deceased's insurance policy. 

Louisiana Public Marriage Records 

The Louisiana Department of Health provides online or physical copies of marriage certificates less than 50 years old, while the Louisiana State Archives keeps records of marriage certificates older than the 50-year mark. Eligible parties may find these details in a Louisiana public marriage record:

• The couple's full birth names
• The date and location of the marriage event 
• Names of the couple's parents or guardians 
• The names of witnesses at the event. 

To obtain public Louisiana marriage records, you may send a request to one of these agencies:

1. The clerk of the parish where the event took place. 
2. The Louisiana State Archives ( for marriage records older than 50 years)
3. The Louisiana Health Department (for records less than 50 years from the calendar year it was issued). 

Clerk of the Louisiana Supreme Court 

400 Royal Street

# 4200

New Orleans, LA 70130

Phone: (504) 310-2300

Louisiana State Archives 

3851 Essen Lane 

Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Phone: (225) 922-1000

Note: Marriage certificates less than 50 years old are confidential records and are only accessible to the following:

• The record subject
• Parents, descendants, and spouse of the record subject 
• Legal representatives of the named subject. 

Louisiana Public Divorce Records

In Louisiana, public divorce records may contain the following information:

• The couple's full names 
• The filing date for the divorce. 
• The Parish where the divorce was granted. 
• The presiding judge's name. 
• Orders of appearances and notices 

The clerk of the court keeps records of all divorce events in a parish and may redact confidential data from public access. Furthermore, it will only release sensitive data and certified copies to:

• The record subject. 
• The couple's parents
• The couple's grandparents 
• Adult descendants of the couple 
• Legal representatives of the couple. 

Interested public members can send a written request via mail or in-person to get informational copies of divorce records. The written request must contain:

• The record subject's name
• Divorce certificate number 
• Case file number 
• The year of the divorce. 

Note: For mail requests, you must include a valid ID and a money order or check that's payable to the Clerk of the Court. 

Louisiana Public Inmate Records

Louisiana’s public inmate records are official reports that provide information on offenders held in state and county-level correctional facilities. However, inmate records are not entirely public documents since they may contain confidential data. For example, juvenile inmate records are not publicly available. Only the record subject, legal representatives, and parents/guardians can request and obtain it. Offender records are also redacted from public view. 

To find Louisiana inmate records, you must contact the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C). The DPS&C maintains an Inmate Locator System, which shows the following:

• Inmate's housing assignment
• Release date
• Address of the correctional facility. 

Alternatively, you can obtain records by calling the department and providing these details:

• The inmate's name or DOC number 
• The inmate's birth date. 

Note: The DPS&C is not the only state-level custodian of inmate records in Louisiana. The Louisiana Victim Notification System also allows access to these records. Interested record seekers must sign up on the platform to find inmate records and stay informed about an inmate's status. 

What Information Can I Find in Louisiana Public Inmate Records? 

Louisiana inmate records may contain the following data:

• The inmate's birth name and aliases
• Inmate's biodata, such as age, sex, race, and height
• Offender registration number 
• Details of the conviction and prison sentence. 
• The inmate's current legal status

You may also opt for an in-person request by visiting the DPS&C at:

Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 94304

Baton Rouge, LA 70804

Physical Address:

504 Mayflower Street

Building 6

Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Phone: (225) 342-6622

Fax: (225) 342-2289

Email: paroleboard@la.gov

Louisiana Public Sex Offender Information

In Louisiana, sex offender information is public record. Per RS 15:542, convicted sex offenders must register their information with the law enforcement agency. In most cases, the offender must register with law enforcement agencies in the places where they work, study, or live. 

Both state and local law enforcement agencies keep and allow access to this data. At the state level, the Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections maintain a searchable registry for sex offenders. However, the LSP has a larger sex offender database. 

How to Lookup Sex Offender Information In Louisiana 

You can find and view Louisiana sex offenders via these steps:

1. Visit the Louisiana State Police website. 
2. Click on “View Registry” and select the parish where the sex offender resides, studies, or works. 
3. Scroll down till you find “Search for Sex Offenders in Your Area.”
4. Also, you may opt to search by name, aliases, emails, or phone number. 
5. Based on the selected preference, fill out the required data to view sex offender records. 

Note: Record seekers must not use the sex offender record to harass, intimidate, or threaten record seekers. If there's a misuse of this data, the offender may face civil liability or criminal prosecution.

Louisiana Public Property Records

Louisiana’s Office of State Lands serves as the state-level custodian agency of property records, which may include:

• Official survey plats 
• Tract books 
• Property tax records 
• Sale documents 
• Register of receipts
• Register 
• Real estate property owned or leased by designated government agencies under the SLABS real estate inventory program. 

Conversely, the Clerk of Parish Courts is responsible for maintaining and issuing these records at the local level. For example, the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Courts allows access to property records such as liens, maps, and land surveys. 

How to Find and Get Public Property Records in Louisiana 

Visit the Louisiana Division of Administration - Office of State Lands website. The agency has a searchable database of property records, which are divided into these search options :

• Historical records search 
• Tax records search 
• Slab records search 

The historical records search option contains data on over 40 property record types. To use this option, select the preferred document type and fill out other details like Doc ID number and land district.

The tax records option only covers properties seized for non-payment of state tax. Moreover, it features data between 1880 and 1973. You'll find property tax records from 1973 to the present at individual parishes. 

In the SLAB records search, you can find property records owned or leased by state government agencies. Fill out this information to access records under this option:

• Doc ID number 
• Agency 
• Department
• Business Entity 
• Parish 
• Status 

Download the property record in image format or request a copy via mail.

Louisiana Division of Administration - Office of State Lands 

1201 North, 

Third Street, 

Suite 7-210, 

Baton Rouge, LA 7080. 

Phone: (225) 3427000

What is Exempted Under the Louisiana Public Records Act?

Under RS 44.4.1, all records are public documents unless they are listed as an exception under Chapter 1 of Title 44. In addition to this, records not listed under exceptions may also become exempt if they violate the subject's constitutional right to privacy or security.

Per Title 44 of the Louisiana Public Records Act, here are a few examples of exempted public documents:

• Accident records or reports, according to R.S. 32:398
• Building plans of the interior of public buildings like schools
• Investigative records, including pending criminal litigation, that are currently in the possession of law enforcement agencies, district attorneys, and attorney general
• Video or audio recordings from law enforcement body cameras may violate the record subject's right to privacy. 
• Names of minors in a police record. However, the law allows victims to access the names of minor delinquents. 
• Personnel data of some public employees (R.S. 44:11(E))

How Can I Gain Access to Exempt Records in Louisiana? 

Per R.S. 44:35, you can kickstart a legal process to compel custodian agencies to release public records. However, the law does not apply to exempt records under Chapter 1 of Title 44.

Note that you stand a chance to access exempted records in Louisiana under these conditions:

• The document is not listed under Chapter 1 of Title 44. 
• The document is exempt based on an invasion of personal privacy rights. In this case, you must be the record subject or have a legal right to access the record.

The state law requires custodian agencies to send a written note stating reasons for denying the request.

How Do I Find Public Records in Louisiana?

Here is a step-by-step guide to finding public records in Louisiana.

Step 1: Find the custodian agency responsible for maintaining the records. 

Here's a simple trick to achieve this: Court-related documents are often under the control of the clerk of the parish court. At the state level, you may find such records at the Supreme Court. In contrast, local and state-level health departments maintain records on life events, such as birth and death.

Step 2: Check if you have the legal requirements to access the record. 

To access public records in Louisiana, you must be over 18 years old. You must also present a valid government-issued ID. However, these requirements are not enough when retrieving confidential records, such as divorce records, criminal records, and birth records. In such cases, the agency will release the record to the record subjects, close relatives, and legal representatives.

Step 3: Check and choose your preferred method of retrieving the record. 

Online, mail, or in-person requests are the most common methods of accessing public records in Louisiana. Some agencies may offer one or more of these options. It's preferable to use the online method if the agency is far from your physical location.

Step 4: Create and send a request to retrieve the Louisiana public record. 

• Some record custodians provide an online form for filling out the necessary request details. In the absence of such forms, you may send a written letter stating your intentions to the agency. Request letters may contain one or more of the following information:
• The record subject's full name or aliases 
• The requester's full name 
• Case number or ID number (for court-related public documents) 
• The requester's contact details, including a phone number and address 
• The calendar year when the record was created;

Can I Find Free Public Records in Louisiana Using Third-Party Sites?

Yes. Some Louisiana public records are accessible for free on third-party sites. These sites offer free access to public documents, such as marriage and divorce records. While most third-party sites do not request your personal details, you'll need to input the requester's details to get the records. 

Note: Free third-party sites are not a perfect substitute for government websites or agencies. They may contain incomplete data and outdated information. Consider cross-checking with a government website when accessing public documents. 

How Much Do Public Records Cost in Louisiana?

State-level agencies may charge $0.25 per page for an A4 printout. However, there is no set fee for accessing public records in Louisiana. In most cases, the custodian agency is largely responsible for setting a reasonable fee to cover the cost. Agencies may charge more for certified copies, while informational copies come at a fraction of the cost. For example, the Louisiana Department of Revenue charges an additional $5 for certified copies.

Can I waive the public records fee in Louisiana? 

Yes. Record seekers can request a fee waiver if the disclosure of the record is in the public interest. Note that you can't request a waiver based on your inability to pay the fees. 

What Happens if I Am Refused a Public Records Request?

If a custodian agency denies your public records request, here are some steps to take:

Step 1: List out the possible reasons behind the refusal. 

Custodian agencies may refuse requests based on these reasons:

• The document is exempt under the public records law. 
• You do not have the legal right to access the document. 
• The disclosure of the record may violate the record subject's right to privacy and security.

Step 2: Appeal and Challenge the Denial 

If the aforesaid reasons don't apply, you can appeal the decision by contacting the local district attorney or the attorney general. Furthermore, you may hire a lawyer to sue the custodian agency. Under the public records law, you are eligible to receive compensation in the form of legal fees if the agency was unfair in its decision.