St. Tammany Parish Court Records

St. Tammany Parish court records describe the documents that detail the business of the court in every legal proceeding held in St. Tammany Parish. While some of these documents are filed in court by the litigants, others are generated by the court to reflect the judge’s decisions on specific matters. Information often found in court records includes:

• Docket sheets
• Pleadings
• Summons and complaints
• Exhibits
• Affidavits
• Warrants
• Witness statements
• Motions
• Judgements and orders

Court records play vital roles in guaranteeing transparency in legal matters in St. Tammany Parish. They boost the confidence of the public in the legal system and aid the clear interpretation of the law. St. Tammany Parish court records are also important for the following reasons:

• Policy formation
• Legal research
• Legal education
• Criminal background checks
• Judicial precedent
• Appeals
• Statistical analysis
• Legal compliance

Are Court Records Public in St. Tammany Parish?

Yes. Except subject to exemptions, all records kept and maintained by public entities (including courts) are public information under the Louisiana Public Record Law. This is in furtherance of Louisiana’s constitutional provisions that give any person of the age of majority the right to observe any public body’s deliberations and examine their documents.

However, some court records are designated confidential or private by operation of law or a court order. Records that fall under this exception include:

• Documents pertaining to pending criminal litigation
• A confidential source’s identifying information
• Documents that reveal security procedures and investigative training information
• Specific proprietary information
• Arrest records of a person who has not been convicted or pleaded guilty to a crime (excluding initial reports of officers investigating a complaint)
• Specific juvenile information

A detailed breakdown of the exceptions to the Louisiana Public Record Law can be found in RS 44:3 of the law.

St. Tammany Parish Court Records Search

The options for performing a general search for court records in St. Tammany Parish include:

• In-person visits to the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court's Office
• Online
• Third-party websites

St. Tammany Parish Court Records Search by Name

Individuals can perform a search for St.Tammany Parish court records with the name of a party to the case as search criteria by visiting the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Courts office at the location below:

Justice Center 701 North Columbia Street
Covington, LA 70433

Alternatively, they can conduct an online name-based search for court records filed or generated in St. Tammany Parish by leveraging the Clerk of Court’s online services.

Generally, it costs $1 per page to obtain copies of documents and $10 per page for certified documents.

St. Tammany Parish Courts

The St. Tammany Parish court system falls under the 22nd Judicial District Court and comprises district, city, mayor, and justice of the peace courts. Their locations are highlighted below:

St. Tammany Parish Superior Court Case Search

Louisiana’s judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court, 5 courts of appeal, 43 district courts, 5 family or juvenile courts, 48 city courts, and 3 parish courts. There is no Superior Court in St. Tammany Parish and throughout Louisiana.

St. Tammany Parish District Court Records

As the principal trial court of general jurisdiction, St. Tammany Parish District Court is the court of first instance for the majority of the cases originating in the Parish. To obtain records from this court, one can explore the following channels:

• In-person visits to the St. Tammany Parish District Court Clerk’s Office

The St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court is the official custodian of court records generated by the District Court in the Parish. As such, interested members of the public can obtain publicly-accessible records at the Clerk of Court’s office during regular business hours. They only need to provide essential details about the record they seek to access relevant documents. The staff at the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court’s office are available to help requesters with their searches to ensure a smooth process.

Note: Archival court records dating back 1810 can be found in the Clerk of Court's Archives Department.

• An online search through the Clerk’s official website

St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court provides online search services for members of the public. To access the online portal, one is expected to register an account and sign in to the platform with the provided credentials. After signing in, they are presented with options for accessing court cases, hearings, and fillings. They can also conduct a keyword search for court records using their preferred criteria.

• Filing and submitting a records copy request form

Individuals can also conduct a St. Tammany Parish court record search by filling out and submitting a records copy request form via fax or mail to the department in custody of the record. Forms are to be mailed with correct payment via check or money order. For copies of documents prior to 1986, parties can call (985) 809-8745 to contact the Archives Department or send an email to Archives@sttammanyclerk.org. Searchers are to input their personal information including:

• Name
• Phone number
• Mailing and email address
• City, state, and zip code

St. Tammany Parish Criminal Records

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office is the primary agency for compiling and disseminating records of St. Tammany Parish arrests and offenses in the Parish. Interested parties may visit the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office Criminal Records Department for copies of criminal records or visit the Sheriff's Office public records request portal to submit a request for criminal records.

After clicking “submit request,” they will be directed to a page with options to request different categories of records including enforcement records and criminal history/background check. A criminal history/background check request will provide them with a breakdown of the subject's interactions with law enforcement agencies in St. Tammany Parish from arrest to final resolution of the case.

The Tammany Parish Clerk of Court's office also conducts criminal background checks. Individuals searching criminal history information through the Clerk's office are charged $20 per name to pull a file.

Note: Individuals using the service for the first time are expected to create an account which they can log in to using their email and password before conducting the search.

St. Tammany Parish Criminal Court Case Lookup

Parties can obtain St. Tammany Parish criminal court case information by visiting the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court's criminal department. This department is responsible for processing all public requests for criminal court case records including misdemeanors, felonies, juvenile cases, and traffic violations. Individuals can locate the department at Basement Level (Elevator C) of the St. Tammany Justice Center. The criminal department also conducts criminal background checks for $20 per name to pull files, report findings and certify the relevant documents. More information on associated costs for obtaining criminal court case records can be found on the Criminal Department Fees page.

Parties can also find St. Tammany criminal court case records by downloading, filling, and submitting a Criminal Records Copy Request Form via fax to (985) 809-8779 or mail to:

St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court
Attn: Criminal Customer Service Department
P.O. Box 1090
Covington, LA 70434

Searchers are expected to indicate the docket number, defendant's name, date of birth, and document type to facilitate the search. They should also specify the number of copies or certified copies they require.

St. Tammany Criminal Court Case information can also be accessed through the Clerk of Court’s online search portal by using keywords relevant to their searches and choosing criminal case-related options under the “Case Type” section.

Get St. Tammany Parish Civil Court Records

St. Tammany Parish Civil court records refer to documents pertaining to litigation between individuals or companies who wish to defend or enforce their legal rights. Examples of public St. Tammany Parish civil court cases include personal injury, employment, breach of contract, and property disputes. Public records related to these cases can be accessed by querying the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court in-person, online, or via mail.

Individuals can research and obtain copies of public St. Tammany Parish Civil court records physically at the Clerk of Court's Civil Department. Alternatively, they can fill and submit a Civil Records Copy Request Form along with the correct copy fees via mail to:

St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court Attention: Civil Customer Service Department
P.O. Box 1090
Covington, LA 70434

Individuals should provide the following information in the mail form to facilitate the search:

• Suit number
• Plaintiff/defendant's name
• Document type
• Date filed
• Number of copies
• Number of certified copies

One can also access St. Tammany Parish civil court case information through the Clerk of Court’s online search platform. To efficiently conduct a search for civil records, searchers are to filter their queries by choosing the appropriate option in the “case type” section.

Details of fees associated with obtaining civil court records can be viewed on the Civil Department Fees page.

St. Tammany Parish Family Court Records

In St. Tammany Parish, family law cases are heard in the family court divisions of the St. Tammany District Courts (Division K and Division L). These courts have jurisdiction to hear a wide range of domestic matters including adoption, child custody, child support, divorce, partition of property in connection with a matrimonial regime, protective orders, and paternity cases.

Parties can obtain family court records in St. Tammany Parish by:

• Visiting the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court's Civil Department in person
• Filing and submitting a Civil Records Copy Request Form to the the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court's Civil Department via mail
• Conducting an online search of family court records using the Clerk of Court’s online search portal

St. Tammany family court records are necessary for numerous reasons tracing a person's genealogy or paternity and verifying a subject's marriage and divorce.

St. Tammany Dissolution of Marriage Records

The processes for accessing records related to the dissolution of marriage in St. Tammany Parish include:

• A physical visit to the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court's Civil Department
• An online search via the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court's search platform
• Filling and submitting a Civil Records Copy Request Form to the civil department of St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court

St. Tammany Parish Marriage and Divorce Records

Marriage and divorce records in St. Tammany Parish are open to the public for inspection and copying, subject to a few exceptions. The processes for obtaining St. Tammany Parish divorce records are the same as every other civil/family court case record described above. However, obtaining marriage records requires a different process.

Members of the public can view information regarding a person’s marriage status in St. Tammany Parish by accessing the subject's marriage records. These records are maintained by the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court's Personal Document Services. Individuals can visit the department at regular business owners to conduct a physical search of marriage records or fill out and submit a Marriage License Copy Request Form with the associated fees via mail to:

St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court
Attention: Personal Document Services
P.O. Box 1090
Covington, LA 70434

Requesters should provide the following information to enable the relevant officials search the requested documents:

• Groom/Spouse name
• Bride/Spouse name
• Date of marriage

The fees for requesting marriage records are detailed in the marriage license fees page.

St. Tammany Birth and Death Records

Records of births and deaths in St. Tammany Parish are confidential per Louisiana law, making them inaccessible to members of the public. To access a birth or death record in St. Tammany Parish, the researcher must be:

• Named on the document
• A parent, sibling, grandparent, or adult grandchild of the subject of the record
• A named beneficiary of an insurance policy or trust (for death certificates)

Eligible persons can obtain birth and death records from the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court's Personal Documents Department in person at the ground level of the justice center (address previously highlighted) during regular business hours. Individuals can view the Birth Certificate, Birth Card, Death Certificate Fees for information regarding charges for obtaining copies of documents.

St. Tammany Parish Probate Court Records

Probate court records are documents that highlight legal proceedings involving the administration of a deceased person's estate. They include successions where the deceased person's property and assets are transferred to someone else and tutorships where the court appoints an adult to act as a minor's guardian or an incapacitated adult's conservator.

St. Tammany Parish probate court records are maintained by the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court's civil department. These records can be accessed in the same way every other St. Tammany civil court record is obtained, such as:

• A physical visit to the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court's civil department at Elevator C
• Filing out and submitting a Civil Records Copy Request Form
• Conducting an online search through the Clerk of Court's portal

St. Tammany Parish Property Records

St. Tammany Parish property records are documents that highlight numerous details regarding a piece of real estate, especially as it relates to ownership, encumbrances, and transfer. Information often found in a property record includes:

• Property owner's details
• Legal description of the property
• Property value/assessment
• Deed information
• Sales history
• Mortgage and lien details
• Plat maps and land surveys
• Judgments of possession
• Property tax details

The channels for accessing St. Tammany Parish property records depend on the type of document requested. For example, individuals can search records of mortgage and conveyance at the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court's Land Records Department in person during normal work hours. One can also fill out and submit a Land Records Copy Request Form via mail to:

St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court
Attention: Land Records Department
P.O. Box 1090
Covington, LA 70434

Information required to facilitate the search includes:

• Inofficestrument number
• Name and type of party
• Document type
• Date filed

On the other hand, property assessment details can be found by querying the Office of the St. Tammany Parish Assessor. The Assessor's Office maintains an online assessment search portal where members of the public can conduct a property search by owner's name, assessment number, property address, property description, or “in care of”.

Meanwhile, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office is responsible for collecting property taxes in the Parish and has a Property Tax Department for this purpose. The Sheriff's Office also maintains an online property tax system that allows members of the public to verify property tax information by conducting a property search. Individuals can search this portal by assessment number, property address, or name on the tax roll.

St. Tammany Parish Court Records Online

Accessing St. Tammany Parish court records via third-party online resources such as Louisianacourtrecords.us offers convenience, speed, and accessibility. However, limitations exist, such as fees for comprehensive records. Users are also advised to use official records for legal purposes.