Find Criminal Records in Lafourche Parish

Lafourche Parish criminal records are held by the Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court in Thibodaux, covering criminal case indexes dating back to 1982, with minute entries from 2001 and criminal case document images from 2018 available through the Lafourche Parish online search portal for the 17th Judicial District Court.

Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court

The Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court in Thibodaux is the official custodian of criminal court records for the parish. The Lafourche Parish clerk's office maintains criminal case indexes, minute entries, and court document images for every case filed through the 17th Judicial District Court. Lafourche Parish criminal records can be searched in person at the Thibodaux courthouse or through the clerk's online portal. Staff at the Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court can help with in-person searches and requests for copies of criminal case documents during regular business hours.

The Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court is located at 303 W. 3rd Street in Thibodaux. This is the physical location where you go if you want to inspect Lafourche Parish criminal records in person or pick up certified copies. Bring the name of the defendant you are searching, or the Lafourche Parish case number if you have it. All criminal cases that came through the 17th Judicial District Court for Lafourche Parish are in this office's files. Lafourche Parish criminal records filed before the digital system exist in physical form at the Thibodaux courthouse.

Lafourche Parish Criminal Records Search Portal

The Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court has an online criminal records search system that gives public access to Lafourche Parish case data without having to visit the Thibodaux courthouse. The portal is tied to the Lafourche Parish clerk's own website and covers both civil and criminal records filed in the parish. If you need to look up a criminal case from Lafourche Parish, this is the fastest way to search without traveling to the courthouse.

The Lafourche Parish criminal records portal offers case index searches going back to July 1, 1982. Minute entries for Lafourche Parish criminal cases are available from January 1, 2001 to the present. Document images are available from March 2018 to the present. Lafourche Parish criminal records before those dates exist in the physical files at the Thibodaux courthouse but are not part of the digital search system. For older Lafourche Parish criminal records, you need to go in person or call the office.

Note: The Lafourche Parish online search system requires a subscription. Free in-person inspection of Lafourche Parish criminal records at the Thibodaux courthouse is still available under Louisiana's Public Records Law.

Lafourche Parish Records System Subscription Plans

Access to Lafourche Parish criminal records through the online system requires a paid subscription. The Lafourche Parish clerk offers three plans based on how long you need access to criminal case data. Fees are set by the parish and may change, so check the portal for current pricing before you sign up for Lafourche Parish criminal record access. Plans are purchased directly through the Lafourche Parish system.

The three Lafourche Parish subscription plans currently available are a 1-Day Unlimited plan at $20.00, a 30-Day Unlimited plan at $50.00, and a 1-Year Unlimited plan at $550.00. Each plan gives you full access to the Lafourche Parish criminal and civil records that are in the online system for that time period. The cost covers both Lafourche Parish criminal and civil records; you do not pay separately to look at different case types within the same subscription window. Lafourche Parish criminal cases, misdemeanor cases, and felony records are all accessible under the same plan.

If you need to access criminal records from multiple parishes, you may need separate subscriptions for each system. Ask the Lafourche Parish Clerk's office if you are not sure whether a criminal case is in the Lafourche Parish system or a different one. Do not assume one subscription covers all Louisiana parish criminal courts. Each parish criminal records system is separate, and Lafourche Parish uses its own dedicated portal.

Note: Lafourche Parish subscription fees are non-refundable once access is granted, so pick the right plan for how long you need to search criminal records before you pay.

17th Judicial District Criminal Court

The 17th Judicial District Court covers Lafourche Parish only. Unlike some Louisiana districts that span multiple parishes, this one is dedicated entirely to Lafourche. Felony charges and serious criminal cases in Lafourche Parish go through this court. Judges in the 17th District preside over criminal trials, hearings, and sentencing for all criminal matters filed in Lafourche Parish. The district court is where the most serious Lafourche Parish criminal cases are prosecuted, including felony charges, violent offenses, and major drug cases.

The 17th Judicial District Court operates out of the Thibodaux courthouse. All Lafourche Parish district court criminal records, including felony filings and case histories, are kept at the Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court. Appeals from 17th District criminal decisions go to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge. If you are looking for a Lafourche Parish criminal case that went to trial or ended in a plea deal, the district court file at the Lafourche Parish Clerk's office is the right place to look.

Note: City and municipal court criminal records in Lafourche Parish are kept by those individual courts and are not part of the 17th Judicial District clerk's system.

Criminal Record Searches in Lafourche Parish

Searching Lafourche Parish criminal records comes down to two options: online through the clerk's portal or in person at the Thibodaux courthouse. Each has its uses. Online is faster and works from anywhere, but it requires a paid subscription to Lafourche Parish criminal records. In person is free for basic inspection and lets you see physical Lafourche Parish criminal files that may not be in the digital system yet.

When you go to the Lafourche Parish Clerk's office in person, you can ask staff to search criminal records by name or case number. You do not need to pay to look at a Lafourche Parish criminal record. That is your right under Louisiana's Public Records Law. If you want a printed copy of a Lafourche Parish criminal case document, you pay a per-page fee. If you want a certified copy, that costs more. The Lafourche Parish clerk's staff can tell you the current copy fees for criminal records when you visit.

For an in-person search of Lafourche Parish criminal records, bring as much information as you can. The full legal name of the defendant is the starting point. A date of birth helps if the name is common. The Lafourche Parish case number is the fastest way to find a specific criminal file. Knowing the year the case was filed also helps staff pull the right Lafourche Parish criminal index. For Lafourche Parish criminal records before 1982, ask the clerk directly about what is available and how to access those older files.

If you need a certified statewide criminal history rather than just a Lafourche Parish court record, contact the Louisiana State Police BCII. Lafourche Parish court records at the clerk's office only cover criminal cases filed in Lafourche Parish. The State Police database covers the whole state and is used for official criminal history checks across all parishes, including Lafourche.

Expungements in Lafourche Parish

Louisiana law at RS 44:9 sets the rules for expunging a Lafourche Parish criminal record. An expungement seals the Lafourche Parish criminal record from public view so it no longer appears in most searches. Not every Lafourche Parish criminal case qualifies, but many arrests in Lafourche Parish that did not result in a conviction, first-time non-violent offenses, and some criminal convictions after a waiting period may be eligible. A local attorney can review a specific Lafourche Parish criminal record and tell you whether it qualifies for expungement.

To file for an expungement in Lafourche Parish, you submit a motion to expunge to the Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court. The motion is served on the Lafourche Parish district attorney and other agencies that hold the criminal record. There is a hearing period during which those agencies can object. If no one objects and the judge grants the motion, the Lafourche Parish clerk updates the criminal file and notifies law enforcement agencies to seal their Lafourche Parish criminal records too. The total cost for a Louisiana expungement, including Lafourche Parish criminal cases, is typically around $550, covering the clerk's filing fee, sheriff service fees, and court costs.

Note: An expunged Lafourche Parish criminal record is sealed, not destroyed. Law enforcement agencies and certain licensing boards may still access it in specific circumstances allowed by law.

State Resources for Criminal Records

For Lafourche Parish criminal records that go beyond what the local clerk holds, the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information is the main resource. This agency handles certified statewide criminal history checks that include Lafourche Parish arrests and convictions. If you need to know whether someone has criminal records in Lafourche Parish and other Louisiana parishes, a State Police background check covers all of them in one search. The Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court only holds criminal records for cases filed in Lafourche Parish.

The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections also maintains records on people who have been incarcerated in state facilities after convictions in Lafourche Parish or elsewhere. If a Lafourche Parish criminal case resulted in a state prison sentence, the DOC database at doc.la.gov may have current status information. DOC records cover incarceration and supervision, not the Lafourche Parish criminal court case itself.

Nearby Parishes

Lafourche Parish is in the southeastern part of Louisiana. If a criminal case was filed in a neighboring parish, you need to contact that parish's clerk of court. Each parish keeps its own criminal records separately from Lafourche Parish.