Search Ascension Parish Public Records

Ascension Parish public records are maintained by the Clerk of Court with offices in both Donaldsonville and Gonzales, giving residents two locations to access civil, criminal, property, and court documents. Under La. R.S. 44:1 and the Louisiana Constitution Article XII, Section 3, Ascension Parish public records are broadly accessible to any person who requests them, with a limited set of exemptions.

Ascension Parish Public Records: Two Office Locations

Ascension Parish is served by two clerk's office locations, which is unusual among Louisiana parishes. The main office sits at 300 Houmas Street, Suite B, Donaldsonville, LA 70346. Phone there is (225) 473-9866, and fax is (225) 473-0758. The branch office is at 815 E. Worthey Street, Gonzales, LA 70737. That branch handles criminal matters at extension 3 and civil matters at extension 2, both reached at (225) 621-8400. Criminal fax at the Gonzales branch is (225) 644-8790. Civil fax is (225) 621-8403. Mail all written requests to P.O. Box 192, Donaldsonville, LA 70346.

Bridget Hanna is the Clerk of Court for Ascension Parish. Email is bhanna@ascensionclerk.com. Hours at both offices are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Ascension Parish Clerk's website is at ascensionclerk.com. Having two locations makes it more convenient for residents across this fast-growing parish to access public records without a long drive.

Note: Use the Gonzales branch if you live in the northern part of the parish — it is the closer location for most residents outside Donaldsonville.

Online Access to Ascension Parish Public Records

The Ascension Parish Clerk's office provides online access to court records and land records through its website. Subscription fees apply for full access: currently $50 per month or $500 per year. These subscriptions give you remote access to the same indexes that attorneys and title examiners use. Public terminals are available at no charge at both the Donaldsonville and Gonzales offices if you prefer to search in person without a subscription cost.

The LCRAA statewide portal at laclerksportal.org also covers Ascension Parish and offers a free index of public records statewide. This free tool is a good starting point. The ClerkConnect platform is another remote access option used by select parishes. eClerks LA provides additional online access to Louisiana court records across multiple parishes.

Court Public Records: The 23rd Judicial District

Ascension Parish is part of the 23rd Judicial District Court, which also covers Assumption and St. James parishes. The 23rd JDC website is at 23rdjdc.org. Court public records include civil filings, criminal cases, domestic matters, and other proceedings heard in district court. These records are managed by the clerk as custodian under La. R.S. 44:1.

Court records contain motions, pleadings, evidence documents, and judgments. They cover criminal cases, civil disputes, domestic matters, and juvenile cases (though juvenile records are restricted under La. R.S. 44:4 et seq.). Individuals may review their own criminal record under La. R.S. 15:588, which grants each person the right to inspect their own criminal history on file with the state.

Arrest Records and Inmate Public Records

Ascension Parish provides several ways to access arrest-related public records online. The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office Inmate Inquiry portal allows searching by name, booking number, or subject number. This gives the public direct access to current inmate and booking information without a visit to the courthouse or sheriff's office. Arrest records held by the clerk's office are part of the broader set of criminal public records available under state law.

Criminal background searches are part of the public record system in Ascension Parish. Fees apply for name searches through the clerk's office. Some exemptions under La. R.S. 44:4 apply to certain criminal records, including those sealed or expunged by court order. Military discharge certificates filed after July 1, 2000 are also exempt from public access under La. R.S. 44:20.

Vital Records in Ascension Parish

Birth and death certificates for Ascension Parish residents are handled through the Louisiana Department of Health. The local health unit serving Ascension Parish is at 1024 SE Ascension Complex Blvd, Gonzales, LA 70737. The phone number is (225) 450-4117. Vital records are separate from the clerk's court and property records. They are maintained under Louisiana's vital records statutes, and access is more restricted than general public records.

The Louisiana Secretary of State maintains a historical vital records index online at sos.la.gov. This free index covers older historical records and can help genealogists or others researching family history. Current vital records must be obtained through the health unit or the state vital records office.

Statewide Public Records and Legal Framework

Beyond the Ascension Parish clerk, several statewide tools exist for finding Louisiana public records. The Secretary of State at sos.la.gov handles business records and the State Archives at sos.la.gov/historicalresources/. Business entity searches run through GeauxBiz. Formal public records requests to state agencies are explained at sos.la.gov.

Louisiana's public records law is grounded in both statute and the state constitution. La. R.S. 44:1 gives a broad definition of what counts as a public record. The constitutional right under Article XII, Section 3 means access is presumed open. Agencies that deny requests must identify the specific statutory exemption. Ascension Parish public records follow these same rules, and the clerk's office must respond to requests without unreasonable delay.

Nearby Parishes

Ascension Parish borders several parishes, each with its own clerk and public records system under the 23rd JDC and adjacent judicial districts.