Catahoula Parish Criminal Records

Catahoula Parish criminal records are kept by the Clerk of Court in Harrisonburg and cover all criminal cases, felony charges, misdemeanor offenses, arrests, convictions, and warrants processed through the 28th Judicial District Court serving the parish.

Catahoula Parish Clerk of Court

The Catahoula Parish Clerk of Court is the official keeper of criminal court records in the parish. The office is at 301 Bushley Street, Harrisonburg, LA 71340. The phone number is (318) 744-5497. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The clerk's office handles all criminal case filings, minute entries, and document requests for criminal matters heard in the 28th Judicial District Court. Every felony indictment, misdemeanor charge, and criminal case docket for Catahoula Parish is maintained at this location.

Anyone can inspect Catahoula Parish public criminal records at no cost under Louisiana Revised Statute 44:31. You do not need a reason to look at Catahoula Parish criminal case files. You do need to appear in person during business hours and be prepared to identify the criminal case you want to view. The Catahoula Parish clerk's staff can help you locate criminal records if you have a name, case number, or approximate date of the offense or arrest. For older Catahoula Parish records, give yourself extra time since paper criminal case files may need to be pulled from storage.

If you need copies of criminal records from Catahoula Parish, the Catahoula Parish clerk will charge standard copy fees. Plain copies cost $1.00 per page. A certified copy runs $5.00. A name search of the Catahoula Parish criminal index costs $5.00. These fees apply to most criminal record requests at the Catahoula Parish Clerk's office. Bring cash or a check made out to the Clerk of Court when you visit to search Catahoula Parish criminal cases.

How to Search Criminal Records in Catahoula Parish

The primary way to search criminal records in Catahoula Parish is in person at the Catahoula Parish clerk's office in Harrisonburg. Catahoula Parish does not have its own online criminal case search portal, so you need to visit or contact the Catahoula Parish office directly. If you can call ahead to confirm they have criminal records on the person or case you need, that can save a trip to the Catahoula Parish courthouse.

When you visit the Catahoula Parish clerk's office, bring the full name of the person whose Catahoula Parish criminal records you are searching. A date of birth helps narrow results. A case number, if you have it, is the fastest way to pull a specific Catahoula Parish criminal file. If you only have a name, the Catahoula Parish clerk can run a name search of the criminal index for $5.00. Be aware that common names may return multiple results and you may need to review several Catahoula Parish criminal case files to find the right defendant.

For statewide searches, the ClerkConnect multi-parish portal lets you search criminal records across many Louisiana parishes from one place. Catahoula Parish may not have all criminal records available through ClerkConnect, but it is worth checking for broader searches across the state. The Louisiana State Police Internet Background Check portal at ibc.dps.louisiana.gov is another option for a statewide name-based criminal history check that covers Catahoula Parish and all other parishes.

The Louisiana State Police portal at lsp.org is the starting point for understanding background check options in Louisiana.

The LSP site covers both the Internet Background Check system and the fingerprint-based process handled by the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information for statewide criminal history searches covering Catahoula Parish and all other parishes.

Note: Catahoula Parish does not have an online clerk portal, so in-person or mail requests are the main options for getting local Catahoula Parish criminal case records directly from the courthouse in Harrisonburg.

Catahoula Parish Court System

Catahoula Parish is part of the 28th Judicial District. The 28th JDC also covers LaSalle Parish. Both parishes share the district, though each has its own clerk of court and courthouse. Criminal cases in Catahoula Parish go through the 28th JDC, with the Catahoula Parish courthouse in Harrisonburg serving as the local venue for district court criminal proceedings. Felony charges, serious criminal offenses, and indictments from Catahoula Parish are all prosecuted here.

Appeals from the 28th JDC go to the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal. The Third Circuit covers central and southwest Louisiana. If a Catahoula Parish criminal case is appealed, the Catahoula Parish criminal record moves to the Third Circuit. That court's opinions and dockets are accessible through the Louisiana Supreme Court website. For most people looking for criminal records, the case file at the Harrisonburg courthouse is what matters for Catahoula Parish cases.

Justice of the peace courts also operate in Catahoula Parish for minor civil and criminal matters. Misdemeanor offenses and local ordinance violations may be handled at a lower level before reaching the Catahoula Parish district court. Criminal records for those Catahoula Parish proceedings are kept separately from the district court clerk's records. If you are looking for a minor offense in Catahoula Parish, check with the clerk about whether it was filed at the district court level.

Louisiana State Criminal Records

The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (BCII) maintains the statewide criminal history repository. This database pulls together arrest records, conviction data, and court dispositions from across all 64 Louisiana parishes, including Catahoula Parish. A BCII background check gives you a broader picture of someone's criminal history than a single Catahoula Parish clerk search. You can request a check through the Louisiana State Police background checks page.

The Internet Background Check (IBC) portal at ibc.dps.louisiana.gov lets you run a name-based criminal history search online. The fee is $26.00 per request and results come back quickly. This is a good option if you want a summary of statewide criminal history without visiting multiple courthouses across Louisiana. Keep in mind that name-based searches can return false matches. A fingerprint-based check through LSP BCII is more definitive for Catahoula Parish defendants and others.

The LSP BCII forms page at lsp.org/services/background-checks/bcii-forms/ has the forms you need for fingerprint-based background checks.

The BCII forms include the request form for name-based searches and the fingerprint card instructions for identity-confirmed criminal history checks covering Catahoula Parish and all other Louisiana parishes.

The Louisiana Department of Corrections at doc.la.gov runs an offender search tool you can use to find current inmates and recently released offenders who received sentences after Catahoula Parish criminal cases and cases across the state. This is free and does not require a formal records request. The DOC site covers people in state custody, but does not include those held in local Catahoula Parish jails by the Catahoula Parish sheriff.

Note: A statewide IBC search through LSP covers arrests and convictions reported to the state, but some local Catahoula Parish criminal records may not be fully reported to state systems, so a Catahoula Parish clerk search can fill in gaps.

Expunging Records in Catahoula Parish

Louisiana law allows for the expungement of certain criminal records under Louisiana Revised Statute 44:9. If you qualify, an expungement removes the Catahoula Parish criminal record from public view and limits who can access it going forward. Not all offenses qualify in Catahoula Parish. Crimes of violence and sex offenses are generally excluded from Catahoula Parish expungement eligibility. The type of conviction or disposition matters, as does the amount of time that has passed since the Catahoula Parish criminal case ended.

The total cost of a standard Catahoula Parish criminal expungement is about $550.00. That includes $300.00 to the Catahoula Parish clerk of court and $250.00 to the Louisiana State Police. The LSP portion must be paid by USPS money order. For a DWI expungement in Catahoula Parish, add $50.00 to the Office of Motor Vehicles, also by USPS money order. At the Catahoula Parish Clerk's office, you pay the $300.00 clerk fee when you file the petition. Fees are not refunded if the Catahoula Parish court denies the expungement petition.

To file in Catahoula Parish, you bring the completed expungement petition to the Catahoula Parish clerk's office at 301 Bushley Street in Harrisonburg. The Catahoula Parish clerk stamps the petition and files it with the 28th JDC. The court then sets a hearing date. The district attorney's office and law enforcement agencies have the right to object to the Catahoula Parish expungement. If no one objects in time, the court may grant the expungement without a hearing. An attorney can prepare the petition and represent you at any hearing in Catahoula Parish.

Note: Confirm your eligibility before paying any fees, because Catahoula Parish expungement costs are non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the petition.

Criminal Record Copy Fees in Catahoula Parish

When you request copies of criminal records from the Catahoula Parish Clerk of Court, you pay per page and per service type. These fees are set by Louisiana law and apply across most parish clerk offices in the state. Plain copies are $1.00 per page. A certified copy of a Catahoula Parish criminal record costs $5.00. A name-based Catahoula Parish criminal records search runs $5.00 per name. If you need to mail a request for Catahoula Parish criminal records, include a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check or money order for the applicable fees.

In-person inspection of Catahoula Parish public criminal records is free under RS 44:31. You only pay if you want the Catahoula Parish clerk to print or certify copies for you. The Catahoula Parish clerk does not charge to let you read a criminal case file at the office. If you know what Catahoula Parish criminal records you need before you go, ask the clerk for a cost estimate so you have the right amount ready. The clerk's office in Catahoula Parish does not accept credit cards, so cash or a check is required for Catahoula Parish copy fees.

Nearby Parishes

These parishes border or sit near Catahoula Parish. Each has its own clerk of court and court system for criminal records.