St. Landry Parish Court Records

St. Landry Parish sits in the heart of south-central Louisiana, with Opelousas as the parish seat. The parish falls within the 27th Judicial District, and its court system handles criminal prosecutions, civil litigation, family law disputes, probate matters, and traffic cases. The St. Landry Parish Clerk of Courts Office is the central office for court records in the 27th Judicial District Court, while separate clerks manage filings for the Opelousas and Eunice City Courts. Knowing which office holds the record you need — and how to submit a request — will save you considerable time.

For a broader look at how Louisiana's courts are organized, LouisianaCourts.us offers an overview of the state's judicial structure. At the parish level, you can search records by visiting the Clerk of Courts office in person, submitting written requests by mail, or using online databases. The Clerk's Office offers two subscription-based platforms for remote searches: eClerksLA for land records and ClerkConnect for criminal, traffic, civil, and probate case records. The statewide eClerks LA portal also includes free basic search tools for locating land records, marriage licenses, and civil information across multiple parishes.

How to Look Up a Court Case in St. Landry Parish?

Three courts handle most of the litigation in St. Landry Parish. Identifying the right court is the essential first step.

27th Judicial District Court
Address: 118 South Court Street, P.O. Box 750, Opelousas, LA 70571
Phone: (337) 942-5606
Fax: (Court Division): (337) 948-1653
Fax: (Administration): (337) 948-9158

The 27th Judicial District Court has four divisions, each with its own judge:

Division	Judge	Phone
Division A	Hon. Gregory Doucet	(337) 948-0588
Division B	Hon. Laura Garcille	(337) 948-0586
Division C	Hon. Charles Cravins	(337) 948-0584
Division D	Hon. Jason Meche	(337) 948-0580

Opelousas City Court
Address: 127 East Grolee Street, Opelousas, LA 70570
Phone: (337) 948-2570
Fax: (337) 948-2575
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
City Judge: Hon. Shaunn Caillier-Harden

Eunice City Court
Address: 300 South 2nd Street, P.O. Box 591, Eunice, LA 70535
Phone: (337) 457-6535
Fax: (337) 457-6546
City Judge: Hon. M. Terrance Hoychick

The Courts Division of the Clerk's Office is in Suite 121 on the first floor of the Courthouse in Opelousas, and the main Clerk of Court office is in Suite 207. Both are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The main number, (337) 942-5606, connects to an automated directory where you can reach specific departments by extension:

Courts Division: ext. 5113
Land Records: ext. 5121
Marriage Licenses: ext. 5128
Birth Certificates: ext. 5161
Passports: ext. 5107
Archives & Research: ext. 5151

Steps to look up a case:

Determine the case type. Felonies, general civil suits, divorces, adoptions, probate and succession matters, juvenile cases, and non-support cases are filed in the 27th Judicial District Court. Misdemeanors and traffic violations within city limits may be handled by the Opelousas or Eunice City Courts.
Gather identifying details. You'll need the case number, names of the parties, or the filing date to conduct a search.
Visit the Clerk's Office in Suite 121 to search in person, or contact the office by phone.
Search online through ClerkConnect, which provides access to civil, criminal, traffic, family, and probate records. A one-day subscription costs $20, with an additional $1.00 per page for printing.
For land records, mortgages, conveyances, and UCC filings, use the eClerksLA platform, which offers daily ($20), monthly ($50), and yearly ($500) subscription tiers, each with a $1.00 per-page printing fee.

Indexes to all civil and criminal suits filed since the beginning of the parish are available, along with digital images of actual documents in each file from 1997 forward.

Are Court Records Public in St. Landry Parish?

Louisiana's Public Records Law (La. R.S. 44:1 et seq.) establishes that public records held by government bodies — including courts — are open for inspection and copying by any person of the age of majority. The Clerk of Court in St. Landry Parish is authorized under this statute to provide access to non-confidential and unsealed court records upon request.

When requesting copies, you'll generally need to provide sufficient identifying information (such as a case number, party names, or filing dates), present a valid government-issued photo ID, and pay the applicable copy and certification fees.

Copy fees at the Clerk of Court:

Service	Fee
Regular copies	$1.00 per page
Conformed copy	$5.00 + copy fee
Certified copy	$10.00 + copy fee
Postage	Actual amount

Records that are confidential or restricted from public access include:

Juvenile court records
Adoption records
Records sealed by court order
Information classified as confidential by federal statute or regulation
Medical records contained in court filings
Communications protected by attorney-client privilege
Certain law enforcement investigative records (La. R.S. 44:3)

With the exception of juvenile and adoption files, copies of all court records maintained by the Courts Division are available to the public for a fee. You don't need to provide a reason for seeking access to public court records.

St. Landry Parish Criminal Court Records

Felonies and serious misdemeanors are prosecuted in the 27th Judicial District Court, while the Opelousas and Eunice City Courts handle misdemeanor offenses and traffic violations within their respective city limits. The Criminal Division of the Clerk of Court files and maintains all criminal case records for the District Court — warrants, accusations, indictments, bills of information, motions, plea agreements, sentencing records, and judgments.

How to access criminal case records:

In person: Visit the Courts Division in Suite 121 at 118 South Court Street, Opelousas, with a valid photo ID and the case details.
Online: Subscribe to ClerkConnect to search criminal and traffic case records remotely.
By mail: Send a written request to the Clerk of Court at P.O. Box 750, Opelousas, LA 70571, including the case number or party information and a copy of your photo ID.

Exact court costs for criminal matters cannot be quoted in advance, because the final amount depends on the judgment or dismissal entered by the court. Only an estimated cost can be provided before the Clerk's Office receives the final disposition.

Arrest records may be obtained through the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office, located at 1592 East Prudhomme Street, Opelousas, LA 70570, Phone: (337) 948-6516

Statewide criminal history records are maintained by the Louisiana State Police, Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (BCII). If you want to review your own criminal history, you can do so through the Louisiana Applicant Processing System (LAPS). The process requires completing the Right to Review Disclosure Form and the Right to Review Authorization Form, scheduling an appointment at an IdentoGO fingerprinting location, submitting fingerprints, and paying the processing fee. Effective December 1, 2024, a $5 technology fee is added to all background check requests under La. R.S. 15:587 D(1).

Employers and agencies requesting employee criminal histories must submit a completed General Disclosure Form and Authorization Form along with the required fee. The state background check processing fee is $31 (including the $5 technology fee). Payments must be by business check, cashier's check, or money order. Mail requests to:

Louisiana State Police
Bureau of Criminal Identification
P.O. Box 66614, Mail Slip A-6
Baton Rouge, LA 70896

St. Landry Parish Civil Court Records

Civil lawsuits in St. Landry Parish are filed with the Courts Division of the Clerk of Court at Suite 121 of the Courthouse. The 27th Judicial District Court handles general civil matters — contract disputes, personal injury claims, property disputes, successions, and other civil actions — without a monetary jurisdictional limit. The Opelousas and Eunice City Courts hear civil cases within their respective statutory limits.

The Courts Division's civil filings include general civil matters, probates and successions, adoptions, and non-support actions. The office maintains indexes to all civil suits from the earliest days of the parish, with scanned document images available from 1997 to the present.

How to request civil records:

In person: Visit the Courts Division at 118 South Court Street, Suite 121, Opelousas, LA 70570. Provide the case party's name or case number. A valid state-issued photo ID is required, and applicable copy fees must be paid.
Online: Access civil case records through ClerkConnect ($20 for a one-day subscription plus $1.00 per printed page).
By mail: Send a written request describing the record sought, along with a copy of your photo ID, to the Clerk of Court, P.O. Box 750, Opelousas, LA 70571.

Property and land records are maintained by the Real Estate Division of the Clerk's Office and can be searched online through the eClerksLA portal. These records include deeds, mortgages, liens, UCC filings, and conveyances. The recording fee schedule is set by Act 173 of the 2017 Regular Legislative Session. Key recording fees include:

Document Type	Fee
1 to 5 pages (single index type)	$110
6 to 25 pages	$210
26 to 50 pages	$310
51+ pages	$310 + $5 per additional page
Index fee after 10th name	$5 per name
Cancellation/Partial Release (single)	$60
Mortgage/Lien Certificate (10-year search, 1 name/tract)	$20
Each additional name	$10
Each additional tract	$20

Property valuation and tax assessment records are available separately through the St. Landry Parish Assessor's Office, which offers an online property search tool. The Assessor's Office is at 118 South Court Street, Suite 230, Opelousas, LA 70570.

St. Landry Parish Family Court Records

Family law matters in St. Landry Parish — divorce, child custody, child support, protective orders, and adoptions — are all heard by the 27th Judicial District Court. There is no separate family court; all domestic relations cases are filed through the Courts Division of the Clerk of Court.

Divorce records are maintained by the Clerk's Office and can be obtained in person or by mail. Submit a written request containing the names of the parties, the date of the divorce or filing, or the case number — along with a copy of a valid state-issued photo ID and payment for applicable fees. Direct inquiries to:

St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court — Courts Division
118 South Court Street, Suite 207
Opelousas, LA 70570
Phone: (337) 942-5606
Fax: (337) 948-9158

Adoption records are confidential under Louisiana law and are not available for public inspection.

Marriage licenses are issued and maintained by the Clerk of Court. The Marriage Licenses division handles applications and record requests. A marriage license may be issued in any Louisiana parish regardless of where the ceremony takes place or where the parties live; however, the completed license must be returned to the parish of issuance after the ceremony.

Marriage license fees:

Service	Fee
Marriage License (includes souvenir certificate)	$32.50 ($27.50 license + $5.00 souvenir certificate)
Certified Copy of Marriage License	$7.00
Mail-out Copy of Marriage License	$7.00 + postage
Regular Copies	$1.00 per page
Other Certified Copies	$1.75

Contact the Marriage Licenses division at (337) 942-5606, ext. 5128.

Birth certificates for individuals born in Louisiana from 1915 to the present can be obtained through the Clerk's Office, provided the birth record is on file with the state Vital Records Office. You'll need to present a photo ID and provide the applicant's name, date of birth, parish or city of birth, parents' names, and mother's maiden name. The fee is $34.00 for a birth certificate. A birth card may only be purchased together with a birth certificate for a combined fee of $48.00. Contact the Birth Certificates division at (337) 942-5606, ext. 5129, 5161, or 5136.

Alternatively, the Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records Central Office issues certified copies of birth certificates. The state charges $15.00 for a long-form certificate or $24.00 for a birth certificate and birth card combined, plus a $0.50 state fee for mail requests. Payment must be by check or money order payable to Louisiana Vital Records. Walk-in payments may also be made by cash, debit card, or credit card. Mail requests to:

Vital Records Central Office
P.O. Box 60630
New Orleans, LA 70160

Death certificates from 2011 to the present are available at the Clerk's Office for $26.00 each. Only immediate surviving family members or named beneficiaries may obtain death certificates. Beneficiaries must present a copy of the insurance policy or last will and testament showing their name. The same identifying information and photo ID requirements apply. The Louisiana Department of Health also provides death certificates; each copy from the state office costs $7.00, with the same $0.50 state fee for mail requests.

St. Landry Parish Probate Court Records

Louisiana does not have separate probate courts. In St. Landry Parish, all probate matters — referred to in Louisiana law as successions — are handled by the 27th Judicial District Court. The Clerk of Court's Courts Division maintains records for successions, estate administration, wills, trusts, and related proceedings.

Probate-related filings in the Courts Division include petitions for possession, independent administrations, judicial openings of succession, inventories, accountings, and petitions for authority to sell estate property. These records are indexed from the earliest parish records, and document images are available digitally from 1997 forward.

How to obtain probate records:

In person: Visit the Courts Division at 118 South Court Street, Suite 121, Opelousas. Provide the name of the deceased, the case number if known, and a valid photo ID. Pay the applicable copy fees ($1.00 per page for regular copies; $10.00 plus copy fees for certified copies).
Online: Subscribe to ClerkConnect to search probate and succession case records. The one-day subscription fee is $20, with a $1.00 per page printing charge.
By mail: Write to the Clerk of Court, P.O. Box 750, Opelousas, LA 70571, describing the succession or estate matter and providing identifying details. Include a copy of your photo ID and payment for anticipated fees. Postage for returned documents will be billed at the actual amount.

Succession proceedings in Louisiana follow the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure and the Louisiana Civil Code provisions on successions. Heirs may open a succession judicially or, when eligible, by affidavit. The 27th Judicial District Court handles contested successions, will challenges, interdiction proceedings, and the appointment of tutors and curators.

For historical and genealogical research involving older probate files, the Clerk's Office maintains an Archives division reachable at (337) 942-5606, ext. 5151. This division houses historical documents dating back to the founding of the parish and can assist researchers in locating older succession, estate, and family records. The St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court also operates the Charles Jagneaux Election and Archives Center at 306 West Landry Street in Opelousas, which houses an extensive collection of historical documents available to the public.