St. John the Baptist Parish Court Records

St. John the Baptist Parish court records contain information on court activities in civil and criminal cases. Although they are primarily restricted to judicial (court case) documents, they encompass other document types, such as personnel records, court calendars, and financial records.

By law, their maintenance and preservation is mandatory. Furthermore, they enable the court to preserve legal history and inform the public about court actions. St. John the Baptist court records are preserved by the Clerk of Court’s Office in electronic and paper formats. They comprise different documents, including petitions, motions, transcripts, pleas, subpoenas, and orders.

Are Court Records Public in St. John the Baptist Parish?

Yes. Under the Louisiana Public Records Law, members of the public have the right to inspect and make copies of St. John the Baptist Parish public records, including court records. Note that the provisions of this law do not apply to confidential court records sequestered from dissemination because of other statutes or standing court orders. Additionally, courts typically restrict access to records if their dissemination poses security threats to any person or group or if such disclosure amounts to the unreasonable abuse of any person’s right.

General exemptions from the public record law are identifying information about juveniles and confidential informants, communications protected by client-attorney privilege, sealed or expunged records, and confidential personal data (such as phone numbers and social security numbers). To access non-public court records, one must be a case party, an involved attorney, or a person authorized by a judge in a court of competent jurisdiction.

St. John the Baptist Parish Court Records Search

The methods by which St. John the Baptist Parish court records can be obtained are as follows:

• By querying the clerk at the courthouse where a case of interest was heard
• By using the state's eCourts portal
• Third-party aggregate websites.

Below are the addresses and contact information of the various St. John the Baptist Parish courts.

St. John the Baptist 40th Judicial District Court
Edgard Courthouse
2393 Highway 18
P.O. Box 280
Edgard, LA 70049
Phone: (985) 497-3331
Fax: (985) 497-3972 (Civil)
Fax: (985) 497-6941 (Criminal).

St. John the Baptist 40th Judicial District Court - Eastbank Office
Arcuri Center
1020 Cambridge Drive
LaPlace, LA 70068
Phone: (985) 652-8041

Justice of the Peace District 1
2231 Highway 18
Edgard, LA 70049
Phone: (985) 497-3033

Justice of the Peace District 2
P.O. Box 61
Garyville, LA 70051
Phone: (504) 415-2981

Justice of the Peace District 3
143 East 25th Street
Reserve, LA 70084
Phone: (985) 536-6900

Justice of the Peace District 4
100 Lane A
LaPlace, LA 70068
Phone: (985) 651-6882

Justice of the Peace District 5
153 West 5th Street
LaPlace, LA 70068
Phone: (985) 703-0917

Justice of the Peace District 6
2237 Williamsburg Drive
La Place, LA 70068
Phone: (985) 652-4660

Justice of the Peace District 7
366 Shadow Lane
LaPlace, LA 70068
Phone: (985) 651-7483

St. John the Baptist Parish Criminal and Civil Records

In St. John the Baptist Parish, the district courts are trial courts with general jurisdiction over all kinds of criminal and civil matters, while Justice of the Peace courts hear both criminal and civil cases but with limited jurisdiction. The St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Courts is responsible for creating, maintaining, and preserving these records and their dissemination.

Under the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) 251, court clerks shall allow interested public members to examine, copy, or make photographs of St. John the Baptist Parish civil court records maintained by their offices. Likewise, criminal court records are public under certain circumstances. Record seekers can contact the courthouse clerk who heard a particular case or use the eClerks portal to search for cases.

Regardless of the chosen research method, a person must possess enough information about the case to retrieve the needed records. Although party names and case numbers are usually sufficient for a search, researchers should gather additional case information, such as court dates and attorney names, for improved searches.

NB: various courts have distinct operational guidelines for viewing and obtaining record copies. This could be fees, visitation schedules, IDs, et cetera. One is advised to gather relevant information from a court’s website or other relevant resources before proceeding with a record request. General inquiries should be channeled to the Clerk of Court at

Westbank: Edgard Courthouse
2393 Highway 18
Edgard, LA 70049

Eastbank: New Government Complex
1811 West Airline Highway.
LaPlace, LA 70068

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 280
Edgard, LA 70049
Email: info@sjbparishclerk.gov
Phone: (985) 497-3331 (Edgard), (985) 652-8041 (LaPlace)
Civil Fax: (985) 497.3972
Criminal Fax: (985) 497-6941

St. John the Baptist Parish Marriage Records

The St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court issues marriage licenses and is also responsible for maintaining official copies of St. John the Baptist Parish marriage records. To find a specific marriage record, one must know the names of the marriage participants and the marriage date. Please direct all inquiries regarding marriage records to this office.

St. John the Baptist Parish Divorce Records

St. John the Baptist Parish divorce records serve as official documentation of divorces granted in the parish’s courts. The St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court is the official record keeper of the parish and maintains a database of divorce records. Interested parties should contact this office for directives on how to obtain records.

St. John the Baptist Parish Birth Records

St. John the Baptist Parish birth records contain vital information about births that occur within the parish and are generally considered St. John the Baptist Parish vital records. Although a person’s St. John the Baptist Parish birth certificate is not public, the Louisiana Disclosure of Records Statute R.S. 40:41 affords certain third parties the right to view another person’s birth records.

Authorized parties include close family members of the record-bearer and beneficiaries of a trust or insurance policy provided to the record-bearer. Birth records are obtainable at the Clerk of Court’s Office Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. A $34 fee applies per certificate obtained from this office.

NB: birth records in Louisiana are non-public and only become public after 100 years. Public birth records are obtainable from the Louisiana State Archives. Statewide birth record searches can also be performed at the vital records central office.

St. John the Baptist Parish Death Records

Death records in Louisiana are non-public until 50 years have passed from the date of death. The Louisiana Department of Health maintains death records. It only releases them to a deceased person’s child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, other close relatives, estate or trust beneficiaries, or their legal representatives. Records can be requested in person at

Vital Records Central Office
1450 Poydras Street Suite 400
New Orleans, LA 70112.

St. John the Baptist Parish Probate Court Records

Probate cases include estate administration, trusts, wills, and dependency court cases. They are handled by the probate division of the St. John the Baptist Parish district courts and can be obtained from the parish clerk of court. However, information pertaining to probate matters is largely confidential, and record disclosure may be subject to strict regulations.

St. John the Baptist Parish Property Records

Property records document important information about sales, ownership, taxation, and valuation of real properties in St. John the Baptist Parish. They include plats, liens, mortgages, leases, and judgments. The St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court is the county's official custodian of property records. Interested parties should visit the clerk's office to look up land records.

Note that the clerk charges certain fees for this service. In addition, a requester must possess the name of a property owner, the property address, or a parcel number to find information on any given property.

St. John the Baptist Parish Court Records Online

Third-party sites like Louisianacourtrecords.us offer record seekers an alternative means for record retrieval. These sites are convenient because they aggregate records from several different judicial districts into one database and allow remote access/searches. While convenient, these sites typically operate independently of government resources, and the accuracy and currency of the information they provide may not be guaranteed. Inquirers are therefore advised to verify the records they receive from third-party sites before application; these records are also not suitable for official use.