Orleans Parish Public Records
Orleans Parish public records are spread across several distinct courts and offices in New Orleans, reflecting the unique consolidated city-parish government that exists nowhere else in Louisiana. Civil records, criminal case files, property documents, mortgage filings, and vital records are all maintained by separate offices rather than a single clerk's office as in most parishes. Under La. R.S. 44:1 and Louisiana Constitution Article XII, Section 3, any person has the right to inspect and copy public records held by these offices, in person in New Orleans or through available online tools.
Orleans Parish Quick Facts
Orleans Parish Clerk of Court and Court Structure
Orleans Parish operates under a consolidated city-parish government. It has no separate parish and city government. This structure also means the court system here differs from every other Louisiana parish. Rather than a single district court and clerk, Orleans Parish has both a Civil District Court and a Criminal District Court, each with its own clerk and its own records system.
The Orleans Parish Clerk of Court handles records for both courts. The main website is at clerkofcourt.org. Civil District Court is located at 421 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, phone (504) 592-9100. This court handles civil matters including family law cases, property disputes, succession proceedings, and contract suits. Criminal District Court is at 2700 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119, phone (504) 658-9000. This court handles felony and misdemeanor criminal cases charged in Orleans Parish.
Both courts maintain their own records and case files. When searching for Orleans Parish public records, you need to know which court your case or document belongs to before you visit or call. Civil records are at 421 Loyola Avenue. Criminal records are at 2700 Tulane Avenue. The clerk's website at clerkofcourt.org provides guidance on navigating both systems and accessing records online.
Note: Hours for both locations are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, except legal holidays. Always call ahead before visiting to confirm which office holds the specific record you need.
Online Access to Orleans Parish Records
The Orleans Parish Clerk of Court maintains online access to civil and criminal records through the clerk's website at clerkofcourt.org. This is the most direct way to search Orleans Parish court records online. Civil case filings and criminal case records are both accessible through the site.
The Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority statewide portal at laclerksportal.org also indexes Orleans Parish records alongside all 63 other Louisiana parishes. You can search by name, case number, or date range for index-level data on filings. The eClerks LA platform provides another statewide path to clerk records. ClerkConnect at clerkconnect.com offers subscription-based deeper access for frequent users.
Given the volume of records generated by New Orleans, the largest city in Louisiana with around 370,000 residents, the online search tools for Orleans Parish are especially important. Visiting in person for routine record checks is often unnecessary when the online tools have what you need.
The eClerks LA portal provides statewide clerk record access including Orleans Parish civil and criminal filings from both the Civil and Criminal District Courts.
This tool is useful for searching Orleans Parish records alongside filings from other Louisiana parishes in a single search.
Civil Court Records and Case Files
Civil records in Orleans Parish are held by the Civil District Court at 421 Loyola Avenue. These include divorce and child custody cases, succession proceedings, property disputes, contract suits, and civil damage actions. All are public records under La. R.S. 44:1 unless sealed by a judge. The volume of civil filings in Orleans Parish is among the highest in Louisiana due to the city's size and density.
To find a civil case, search the clerk's online system at clerkofcourt.org, use the LCRAA statewide portal at laclerksportal.org, or visit the Civil District Court at 421 Loyola Avenue during business hours. Bring the names of parties, the case number if you have it, or an approximate filing date. Staff can help locate cases in the index.
Certain civil records are restricted. Family court matters involving children may have limited access. Records sealed by court order are not open. La. R.S. 44:4 lists specific categories that are exempt from public access. But the default in Louisiana is openness, and most civil records at the Orleans Parish Civil District Court are available to anyone who requests them.
Criminal Court Records
Criminal records for Orleans Parish are maintained by the Criminal District Court at 2700 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119, phone (504) 658-9000. This court hears all felony and misdemeanor charges arising in Orleans Parish. Case files include charging documents, all court pleadings, hearing minutes, and the final disposition including any sentence or verdict.
These records are public under La. R.S. 44:1. You can search them through the clerk's website, the LCRAA portal, or in person at the Criminal District Court. For a statewide criminal history report, La. R.S. 15:588 authorizes the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information to provide criminal history records. You can request a full background check through the Louisiana State Police, which draws from court filings across all parishes including Orleans.
Arrest records from the New Orleans Police Department are held separately from court records. The NOPD can provide information on arrests in Orleans Parish even in cases where criminal charges were not ultimately filed in the Criminal District Court.
Property, Mortgage, and Notarial Records
Property records in Orleans Parish have a unique structure. Conveyance and mortgage records are filed with the Orleans Parish Clerk of Court. But Orleans also has the Notarial Archives at 1340 Poydras Street, Suite 225, phone (504) 407-0005. The Notarial Archives hold notarial acts, including older property transactions, acts of sale, and other notarized documents that form part of New Orleans' unique civil law heritage.
Real estate transactions in Orleans Parish must be recorded with the clerk of court to be legally effective against third parties. The conveyance records document ownership history for all property in the parish. Mortgage records show liens and encumbrances. Given the age and density of New Orleans real estate, these records are heavily used by title examiners and real estate attorneys. The Notarial Archives are also a key resource for older property research dating back to the colonial and antebellum periods.
Online property record searches are available through the clerk's website at clerkofcourt.org and through the LCRAA statewide portal. For certified copies, the standard fee is $1 per page plus any applicable certification charge.
Marriage and Vital Records
Marriage licenses in Orleans Parish are issued and recorded by the Orleans Parish Clerk of Court. If a marriage took place in Orleans Parish, the license and marriage certificate are on file through the clerk's office. Requests can be made in person at the Civil District Court at 421 Loyola Avenue or through the clerk's website.
Vital records in Orleans Parish have their own unique history. New Orleans has maintained birth and death registration separately from the state system for certain historical periods, and some older Orleans Parish vital records are held locally rather than at the state level. The Louisiana Department of Health issues certified copies of recent birth and death records. For historical vital records, the Louisiana Secretary of State's online index at sos.la.gov covers older records from Orleans Parish.
Note: Because of Orleans Parish's distinct history as a city-parish with its own registration system, older vital records research here may require checking both the state vital records index and local archives, not just one source.
The Louisiana vital records index and state archives at sos.la.gov/historicalresources/ hold historical documents from Orleans Parish, including older birth, death, and marriage records.
This is a key starting point for genealogy research involving Orleans Parish families going back before modern electronic records.
Statewide Resources and Public Records Law
The Louisiana Secretary of State at sos.la.gov manages business registrations, elections, notary commissions, and state archives. Business filings for companies based in or operating in New Orleans and Orleans Parish are searchable through the Secretary of State's system. The State Archives at sos.la.gov/historicalresources/ hold older historical materials of particular value for Orleans Parish research given the city's long history.
Louisiana Constitution Article XII, Section 3 gives every person a constitutional right of access to public records. La. R.S. 44:1 broadly defines what is a public record, covering documents, writings, photographs, and electronic data. Agencies must respond promptly to requests. Fees may not exceed actual reproduction costs. Denials must be in writing and must cite the specific statutory exemption. Courts in Louisiana have consistently supported broad public access to government records.
The Louisiana Secretary of State's website at sos.la.gov is the hub for state-level public records including business filings, elections, and historical archives relevant to Orleans Parish research.
Use this site for state-level records that supplement what the Orleans Parish Clerk of Court holds locally.
Nearby Parishes
Orleans Parish borders several southeast Louisiana parishes, each with its own clerk of court and public records system.