Search Plaquemines Parish Court Records
Plaquemines Parish court records begin with the Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court when the file is a civil suit, criminal case, probate or succession matter, divorce file, family filing, marriage record, conveyance, mortgage, or UCC record. The official Clerk of Court site identifies the clerk as the record keeper for the District Court and the parish recorder. Sheriff records use a different path. Arrest reports, arrest warrants, incident reports, crash reports, mugshots, traffic citations, and local criminal background services are handled through the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office rather than through the court index.
The clerk's Cott eSearch portal is the main online index. Guest access is free for indexes, while scanned images require a paid subscription and per-page image charges. The portal also warns that online records are not the official public record. A certified copy or official file review must come from the Clerk of Court office.
- Start by deciding whether the record is a court case, sheriff record, traffic citation, custody record, marriage license, or probate filing.
- Use Clerk eSearch as a guest for free land, civil, criminal, and marriage index research.
- Check coverage dates before treating a missing result as proof that no record exists.
- Use the 25th Judicial District Court calendar for hearing categories and court-date context.
- Request certified copies, older files, and official records from the clerk by phone, mail, email, or in person.
The Plaquemines Parish Clerk homepage shows the local eSearch access point and clerk contact path.
That source matters because Plaquemines Parish uses one unified Clerk of Court for court filings, recorded instruments, copies, certifications, and election-related duties.
Plaquemines Parish Court System
The local trial court is the 25th Judicial District Court. Plaquemines Parish is unusual in Louisiana because this district is not shared with another parish. The court has Division A and Division B, with one judge in each division. The court hears civil, criminal, felony, misdemeanor, traffic, juvenile, family, adult drug court, probate, DWI, and wildlife matters. Appeals from the 25th Judicial District Court go to the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit, with Louisiana Supreme Court review when available.
| Court or office | Role in Plaquemines Parish records | Key record types |
|---|---|---|
| 25th Judicial District Court | General jurisdiction trial court for the parish | Civil, criminal, traffic, family, juvenile, probate, drug court |
| Clerk of Court | District court clerk, recorder, copy office, and records custodian | Case files, indexes, filings, certified copies, marriage records, land records |
| Sheriff's Office | Law-enforcement and detention records custodian | Arrests, warrants, crash reports, citations, jail custody, local background records |
| District Attorney | Prosecuting authority for filed criminal charges | Charging decisions, victim assistance, prosecution status |
| Louisiana appellate courts | Review route after trial-court action | Appeals, writs, court rules, supervisory review |
The official 25th Judicial District Court site is the court source for divisions, courthouse rules, calendars, jury updates, and court notices.
The court source is separate from the clerk index, so a records search often needs both the clerk's file access and the court's calendar or notice page.
Plaquemines Parish Court Record Indexes
Clerk eSearch separates access by record type and subscription level. Guest access is useful for finding index references, but it does not include image viewing or printing and does not provide docket information. Paid access is offered by category, including marriage, mortgage, conveyance, UCC, civil, criminal, or combined packages. Image printing is charged per page, with card surcharges unless prepaid account funds are used.
| eSearch area | What the research confirms | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Guest sign in | Free index access | No images, no printing, no docket details |
| Civil records | Indexes from December 1924 and images from December 1924 | Certified copies still come from the clerk |
| Criminal records | Indexes from January 4, 1966 and images from September 6, 2006 | Earlier images are not fully online |
| Marriage records | Indexes from January 1, 1896 and images from July 2, 1896 | A certified copy may be needed for legal use |
| Released status | Recorded, indexed, verified, and released for public viewing | In Progress records are not yet verified |
The Plaquemines Parish eSearch login shows the guest and subscription access model.
Index research can point to the right file, but official proof still requires a record supplied by the Clerk of Court.
Plaquemines Parish Court Record Types
Plaquemines Parish court records vary by source. Civil files may include petitions, answers, motions, orders, judgments, service returns, exhibits, appeals, and minute entries. Criminal files may show filed charges, arraignment, pleas, motions, hearings, verdicts, dispositions, sentences, probation, and post-conviction filings. Probate and succession files often sit within civil coverage rather than a separate probate court. Divorce is a district court record, while marriage licenses are issued and recorded by the Clerk of Court.
Some records that people expect to find in court are actually sheriff records. Jail custody, incident reports, crash reports, mugshots, traffic citations, arrest warrants, DWI citation workbooks, and local rap sheet appointments route through PPSO Criminal Records. For custody detail, use Plaquemines Parish inmate records. For the charge and disposition side, use the court and clerk record path.
- Civil court records: torts, foreclosures, real estate cases, workers' compensation claims, evictions, interdictions, and domestic disputes.
- Criminal court records: felony, misdemeanor, DWI, traffic, wildlife, plea, disposition, and sentencing filings.
- Family and divorce records: divorce, custody, support, spousal support, community property, and related orders.
- Probate records: successions, wills, judgments of possession, small succession affidavits, interdictions, and estate filings.
- Law-enforcement records: arrest reports, warrants, crash reports, citations, mugshots, and media records held by PPSO.
Plaquemines Parish Record Access Law
Louisiana public-records law supports inspection and copying of public records, but it does not make every court, child, adoption, sealed, mental-health, or protected-identifier record open to public search. Plaquemines Parish court records are also shaped by clerk rules, e-filing practices, and the difference between an online index and an official record. Sheriff public records requests must be submitted in writing through the proper PPSO channel, and records are not released until required fees are paid.
Key statutes: La. R.S. 44:1 defines public records; La. R.S. 44:32 covers inspection and copying duties; La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 253 supports electronic records and redactions; La. Ch.C. art. 412 limits many juvenile records.
The Louisiana Supreme Court and judiciary site is the statewide source for Louisiana court system materials and court-managed programs.
Statewide court rules matter most when a Plaquemines Parish filing involves e-records, sealed records, juvenile matters, or appellate review.
Plaquemines Parish Sheriff Records
The Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office is the main local source for law-enforcement records. PPSO Criminal Records manages arrests, incident and offense reports, arrest warrants, traffic citations, vehicular crash reports, local criminal record services, DWI records, mugshots, photos, audio, video, and related public-records requests. The sheriff also links an inmate roster, most-wanted channel, traffic ticket payment, records request portal, sex-offender resources, alerts, crime tips, and a mobile app.
Criminal charges are filed through the District Attorney and court process, so a sheriff arrest record is not the same thing as the final criminal case record. The 25th Judicial District Attorney site identifies District Attorney Charles Ballay and publishes prosecution, victim assistance, payment, and office information.
DA information helps connect arrest allegations to filed charges, pleas, indictments, guilty pleas, sentences, and victim-notice resources.
Plaquemines Parish Traffic and Jail
Traffic records split across the District Court, PPSO Criminal Records, the nCourt payment channel, ppsotix.net, and Louisiana OMV driver records. The 25th Judicial District Court hears traffic, DWI, and wildlife matters, but PPSO is the practical channel for many citation copies, payment questions, traffic fines, court fines, bonds, crash reports, and DWI supporting records. A court traffic case is not the same file as a Louisiana OMV driver record.
Jail lookup is also separate from the clerk's court index. PPSO links the Plaquemines LAVNS inmate roster for local custody, while VINELink and Louisiana DOC serve statewide custody or sentenced-person lookups. The detention center contact numbers in the research are the fallback when the roster is unavailable. The sheriff app is an added public-safety communication channel, but the research did not confirm app-only inmate or warrant lookup.
| Need | Primary channel | Fallback |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic ticket payment | PPSO nCourt or ppsotix.net | PPSO traffic fine phone line |
| Citation copy | PPSO Criminal Records | Written records request |
| Local jail custody | Plaquemines LAVNS roster | Booking Desk or Main Control |
| State prison custody | Louisiana DOC or VINELink | Parish jail if the person has not transferred |
Plaquemines Parish Marriage and Probate
Marriage licenses are issued by the Clerk of Court. A Louisiana parish marriage license may be used anywhere in Louisiana, but not outside Louisiana. Plaquemines Parish marriage licenses have a waiting period and expiration period, and the fee includes one certified copy after recording. Divorce records are different. They are District Court family records filed with the Clerk, not marriage-license counter records.
Probate is handled through the 25th Judicial District Court and Clerk of Court rather than a separate probate court. Succession files, wills, judgments of possession, small succession affidavits, interdiction records, and estate filings may be indexed with civil coverage. Older probate and property-linked records may require in-office help because the Clerk's repository reaches back to the 1790s and not every old record behaves like a modern digital case.
- Succession
- Louisiana probate process used to transfer property after death.
- Judgment of possession
- Court judgment that places heirs or legatees in possession of property.
- Interdiction
- Civil proceeding about decision-making authority for an incapacitated adult.
Plaquemines Parish Court Fees
Fees depend on the office and record type. Clerk fees cover filings, copies, certifications, marriage licenses, recording copies, and court documents. PPSO fees cover law-enforcement records such as arrest reports, citations, crash reports, arrest warrants, mugshots, background checks, and media. Online eSearch images have a separate per-page print cost through the portal.
| Item | Amount or note |
|---|---|
| Clerk plain copy | $1.00 per page |
| Certification of copy | $5.00 |
| Marriage license | $35.00, including one certified copy after recording |
| eSearch image print | $0.50 per page, with card surcharge unless prepaid funds are used |
| PPSO arrest report | $25 |
| PPSO traffic citation copy | $15 |
| PPSO arrest warrant record | $25 |
Plaquemines Parish Courthouse Access
The primary courthouse is in Pointe-a-la-Hache, while the clerk annex, sheriff administration, district attorney main office, and public defender are in Belle Chasse. Court visitors should plan for the parish's geography, ferry status, screening rules, and limited food options near the courthouse. The court warns that weapons, dangerous items, illegal contraband, and unauthorized electronic devices are not allowed. Jurors are told to check the juror line or court updates after 4:30 p.m. before reporting.
Plaquemines Parish Courthouse
18055 Highway 15
Pointe-a-la-Hache, LA 70082
(504) 934-6715
Court proceedings and District Court divisions
Clerk of Court Annex
301 Main Street, Suite 108
Belle Chasse, LA 70037
(504) 934-6610
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
The Plaquemines Parish public safety page links the main local court, district attorney, and sheriff institutions.
That parish-level source is useful when a record search needs to move from court files to sheriff or district attorney channels.
Plaquemines Parish Court Updates
Plaquemines Parish court access can be affected by ferries and same-day court notices. The 25th Judicial District Court posted a June 2026 notice telling arraignment attendees to use the Pointe-a-la-Hache ferry because the Belle Chasse ferry was out of service. Jury notices also remind jurors to check the court site, social media, or juror line before appearing because trial settings can change.
The Louisiana Gateway Port ferry page publishes ferry status and landing information for travel around the courthouse area.
Ferry status is a records-access issue in Plaquemines Parish because missed travel time can affect hearings, arraignments, and in-person copy requests.
Plaquemines Parish Court History
The Clerk of Court history is unusually important for record searches. The clerk is repository for records dating to the 1790s, even though Plaquemines Parish was established in 1807. Many 1800s records were handwritten in French and include property transactions, marriages, and civil lawsuits. A courthouse fire in January 2002 damaged the old courthouse, but the clerk's office did not close. Staff worked from temporary space, protected records, and later moved into Belle Chasse office space while the courthouse system recovered.
The current courthouse was dedicated in August 2019 after construction began in late 2015. The clerk has also moved toward paperless case records through digital imaging, electronic filing, electronic signatures, and back-imaging plans. That history explains why Plaquemines Parish court records can involve both very old handwritten materials and modern electronic search tools.
Plaquemines Parish Court Records FAQ
Can Plaquemines Parish court records be searched online?
Yes. Clerk eSearch provides free guest index access for several record categories. Scanned images require paid access, and the portal states that online records are not the official public record.
Where are Plaquemines Parish criminal records kept?
The court case file is kept by the Clerk of Court after charges are filed in District Court. Arrest reports, warrants, mugshots, and incident reports are PPSO records.
Does the parish have a separate probate court?
No. Probate and succession matters are handled through the 25th Judicial District Court and Clerk of Court structure, often within civil record coverage.
Are juvenile records public in Plaquemines Parish?
Many juvenile records are restricted under Louisiana law. Public search tools should not be treated like open adult civil or criminal case searches for juvenile matters.