Plaquemines Parish Court Records Search
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Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, stretches along the southeastern tip of the state, running down both banks of the Mississippi River toward the Gulf of Mexico. Its court system centers on the 25th Judicial District Court, which handles major felony cases, probate successions, family disputes, and recorded property transactions. Records produced within the parish are official legal documents subject to Louisiana's open-records framework, though certain sensitive categories carry statutory confidentiality protections. Knowing which office holds the records you need, what identification and fees to bring, and whether online tools can handle your request will save you a lot of time.
You can search public court records in Plaquemines Parish through the Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court's eSearch portal, accessible directly from the Clerk's website, as well as through the 25th Judicial District Court online search function. Louisiana residents can also consult LouisianaCourts.us for statewide court information and publicly available case records across all judicial districts.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Plaquemines Parish?
Start with the Office of the Clerk of Court, which maintains the official docket for the 25th Judicial District Court. The Clerk's eSearch portal offers free access to land, criminal, and civil indices — you can sign in as a guest to search and retrieve records without a subscription. More detailed printed records or certified copies require payment of applicable fees.
If you prefer to visit in person or need physical copies, head to:
Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court
Address: 301 Main Street, Suite 108, Belle Chasse, LA 70037
(Plaquemines Parish Government Annex Building)
Phone: (504) 934-6610
Fax: (504) 934-6629
Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding legal holidays)
Email: info@clerk25th.com
Mail requests should include the full case number or the names of the parties involved, a description of the specific documents you need, and a check or money order for applicable fees. The Clerk also accepts credit card payments by email — ask for the Service Request/Credit Card Authorization Form. For civil e-filing, you can submit documents electronically through the Odyssey eFileLA platform, linked from the Clerk of Court's homepage.
The 25th Judicial District Court's online search portal gives you additional access to court dockets, case schedules, and procedural resources. The court's calendar lists scheduled hearings for traffic court, misdemeanors, juvenile court, felony motions, child support cases, and drug court proceedings.
Are Court Records Public in Plaquemines Parish?
Louisiana's Public Records Act, codified at Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 44, sets a broad presumption of public access to government records, including court filings. Under this framework, most criminal and civil court records in Plaquemines Parish are generally available to the public. That said, the law carves out specific categories of records that are confidential or restricted under separate statutes.
The following record types are exempt from public disclosure in Louisiana:
- Juvenile records — protected under the Louisiana Children's Code
- Adoption records — sealed by operation of law
- Mental health and interdiction records — restricted under health privacy statutes
- Domestic violence protective orders — access is limited to parties and their counsel
- Records sealed by court order — accessible only with court authorization
Louisiana is also a "closed record" state for vital statistics. Birth records remain confidential for 100 years from the year of birth, and death records are confidential for 50 years from the date of death under La. R.S. 40:36. Neither category is strictly a court record, but both are maintained in part by the Clerk's office, which partners with the Louisiana Bureau of Vital Records.
For public records requests directed to law enforcement rather than the court, the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office Public Records Requests page explains the written-request process. The applicable law is found at La. R.S. 44:1 et seq. Persons seeking records from the Clerk under La. R.S. 44:1 are charged $1.00 per page.
Plaquemines Parish Criminal Court Records
The 25th Judicial District Court holds general criminal jurisdiction over Plaquemines Parish, covering felony charges, misdemeanors, traffic offenses, DWI cases, and wildlife violations. The court operates in two divisions, with judges and the district attorney elected to concurrent six-year terms. Appeals from the 25th JDC go to Louisiana's Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal.
The Clerk of Court maintains criminal case records for all proceedings before the 25th JDC, and criminal indices are searchable at no cost through the Clerk's eSearch portal. Physical copies are subject to the following fee schedule under La. R.S. 13:847:
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Photocopy (per page) | $1.00 |
| Conformed copy | $3.00 |
| Certified copy | $5.00 (plus copy cost) |
| Criminal history search (per name) | $20.00 |
| Extract of court minutes | $10.00 ($15.00 certified) |
Arrest records, incident reports, and other law enforcement-generated documents are maintained separately by the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office Criminal Records Division, located at 8022 Highway 23, Belle Chasse, LA 70037. Phone: (504) 934-6808 or (504) 934-6776. The Sheriff's fee schedule (effective March 2026) is:
- Arrest report: $25.00
- Detailed incident/investigation report: $25.00
- Local criminal record/rap sheet (by appointment): $50.00
- Complete background check: $125.00
- Crash report: $16.50
- Expedited processing: $50.00 baseline
Traffic fines and court fines can be paid online through the Sheriff's payment portal at ppso.net. Incident reports are also available online via the Coplogic platform linked from the Sheriff's website.
If you need an expungement, the total filing cost is $550.00 for felony or misdemeanor cases, divided among the Clerk of Court ($200.00), Louisiana State Police ($250.00), District Attorney ($50.00), and the Sheriff ($50.00). DWI expungements carry a higher total of $600.00, with an additional $50.00 payable to the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Before filing, you must obtain a Review of Record from the Sheriff's Office — this costs a nonrefundable $50.00 cash fee. Expungement fees are nonrefundable even if the petition is denied, per La. Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 983.
Self-represented defendants looking for guidance on criminal court procedures can consult the 25th JDC Legal Self-Help Center, which offers plain-language explanations of rules, procedures, and court expectations.
Plaquemines Parish Civil Court Records
Civil jurisdiction at the 25th Judicial District Court covers a wide range of non-criminal legal matters — contract disputes, property foreclosures, evictions, workers' compensation claims, torts, and successions, among others. Justice of the Peace courts handle limited civil jurisdiction in their respective wards throughout the parish for smaller matters.
Filing a new civil suit in the 25th JDC requires an advance deposit. Standard advance deposits are:
| Filing Type | Advance Deposit |
|---|---|
| New petition with one service | $350.00 |
| New petition, no service | $250.00 |
| Each additional defendant/service | $100.00 |
| Executory process | $450.00 |
| Interdiction | $1,000.00 |
| Subsequent pleading with one service | $200.00 |
| Subsequent pleading without service | $100.00 |
The base filing fee for subsequent documents is $6.00 for the first page and $4.00 for each additional page. Exhibit pages cost $2.00 per paper page and $5.00 for all other exhibits. Certified copies of recorded civil documents cost $10.00 per copy plus $1.00 per page for photocopies. Conformed copies are $3.00 each.
All civil fees are established under La. R.S. 13:841 and related statutes. If you need help estimating the cost for a specific pleading, call the Clerk's office directly at (504) 934-6610.
Civil e-filing is available through the Odyssey eFileLA system. You can also fax documents to the Clerk at (504) 934-6629, with a flat fax-filing fee of $5.00 plus applicable per-page charges. If you are navigating civil court without an attorney, the 25th JDC Self-Help Center's civil court procedure section explains filings, service, and hearings in plain language.
Plaquemines Parish Family Court Records
Family law matters in Plaquemines Parish — divorce, child custody and support, domestic relations, and name changes — are heard by the 25th Judicial District Court. The court handles both contested and uncontested divorce proceedings and can address related matters such as the division of community property, spousal support, and interim custody arrangements within the same case.
Divorce petitions are filed with the Clerk of Court at the Belle Chasse Government Annex location. The 25th JDC's divorce resources page walks self-represented litigants through the procedural steps, noting that the court can terminate a marriage and resolve custody, support, and property division in a single proceeding. Child custody determinations — addressed on the 25th JDC's custody guidance page — apply in divorce cases, situations involving relocation, the death of a parent, or allegations of abuse or neglect.
Marriage licenses are issued by the Clerk of Court at a cost of $35.00. By Louisiana law, $12.50 of that fee is transferred to the Program for Victims of Family Violence. After the ceremony, the license is returned to the Clerk's office, and a certified copy is typically included with the initial filing. Subsequent certified copies of marriage licenses cost $10.00 each; uncertified copies are $5.00 each. Marriage indices dating from January 1, 1896, and digitized images from July 2, 1896, are searchable online through the Clerk's eSearch portal.
Divorce records are maintained by the Clerk as well. You can search the eSearch portal for divorce cases or contact the Clerk in person or by mail. Index searches are free, but fees apply to copy requests.
Birth and death certificates for Plaquemines Parish residents can be obtained in person at the Clerk's office, which partners with the Louisiana Bureau of Vital Records. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Fees at the Clerk's office are:
- Birth certificate: $34.00
- Birth certificate with birth card: $48.00
- Death certificate: $26.00
Applicants must present a primary government-issued photo ID. If you prefer to avoid the Clerk's $15.00 service component, apply directly through the Louisiana Bureau of Vital Records at the Benson Tower, 1450 Poydras Street, 4th Floor, New Orleans, LA 70160. You can also submit a mail application through the Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records office, where base fees are $15.00 for a birth certificate and $7.00 for a death certificate.
Plaquemines Parish Probate Court Records
Succession and probate matters — including the administration of decedents' estates, will filings, guardianships, conservatorships, and interdictions — fall under the jurisdiction of the 25th Judicial District Court. The Clerk of Court maintains all probate and succession case records, and you can access them through the Clerk's eSearch portal or by requesting documents in person or by mail.
Probate records document the legal transfer of a deceased person's property, the validation of wills, and the appointment of administrators or executors. The 25th JDC's civil division handles these matters, and succession petitions follow the same advance deposit structure as other civil filings. Interdictions — the civil process of placing a person under another's legal care due to incapacity — carry an advance deposit of $1,000.00, which includes recording costs.
Property records relevant to probate and succession are also maintained through the Clerk's mortgage and conveyance records. Deeds, mortgages, and other instruments affecting title are recorded in the Clerk's office and are searchable online. The Plaquemines Parish Assessor's Office provides a complementary Assessment Search tool that lets you look up ownership information, assessed values, and tax status for real property in the parish — helpful for establishing the composition of an estate.
Document recording fees at the Clerk's office follow La. R.S. 13:844 and range from $105.00 for documents of 1–5 pages to $305.00 for documents of 26–50 pages, with $5.00 per page thereafter. Certified copies of recorded instruments cost $10.00 per copy plus $1.00 per page for photocopies. The Plaquemines Parish Clerk's records repository dates back to the 1790s — predating the parish's formal establishment in 1807 — making it one of the more historically complete land and succession archives in southern Louisiana.
Justice of the Peace courts throughout the parish handle minor civil matters and can be a useful first point of contact for localized legal questions. A full directory of Justice of the Peace courts with ward-specific contact information is available through the Plaquemines Parish Government's Justice of the Peace and Constables page. For district court rules applicable to the 25th JDC, parties and attorneys may consult the Louisiana Supreme Court's published Title IV District Court Rules.