Red River Parish Criminal Records Search

Criminal records in Red River Parish are kept by the Clerk of Court in Coushatta and handled through the 26th Judicial District Court, which also covers Bossier Parish. This page covers how to search Red River Parish criminal records at the clerk's office, what online options are available for Red River Parish criminal history, and how to access statewide criminal history through the Louisiana State Police and Department of Corrections.

Red River Parish Clerk of Court

The Red River Parish Clerk of Court is the official custodian of all criminal court records for the parish. The mailing address is P.O. Box 485, Coushatta, LA 71019. The office phone is (318) 932-6741. The Red River Parish clerk maintains files for every criminal case filed in the 26th Judicial District Court that originates in Red River Parish. Under Louisiana Revised Statute 44:31, the public has the right to inspect Red River Parish criminal records without charge during regular office hours. No explanation is needed to view a public Red River Parish criminal case file.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. When visiting, bring a valid photo ID and the full name or case number you are searching. Red River Parish is one of the smaller parishes in Louisiana, and the clerk's office reflects that scale. Staff can typically run a name search quickly and locate the relevant Red River Parish criminal case file. For older Red River Parish criminal records, some files may need to be retrieved from storage, so calling ahead saves time.

Every document added to a Red River Parish criminal case file is part of the permanent public record unless sealed by court order. Minute entries from each Red River Parish criminal court date summarize what happened and what orders were entered. These are usually the fastest place to start when you want basic facts about a Red River Parish criminal case without reading through the full file. The Red River Parish clerk's office can also tell you the current status of an active criminal case and when it is next scheduled to be heard.

Note: Red River Parish is a small parish, so the clerk's office has limited staff. Call ahead to confirm hours and to ensure someone is available to assist with a Red River Parish criminal records search.

Searching Criminal Records in Red River Parish

The direct route for Red River Parish criminal records is a visit to the Red River Parish clerk's office in Coushatta. Bring the subject's full name and any date of birth or case number you have. The clerk's criminal case index can be searched by name to show all cases filed under that name in Red River Parish. You can view any public Red River Parish criminal case file at no cost. Copies require payment of the applicable fee.

Online searches of Red River Parish criminal records are available through the ClerkConnect multi-parish portal. Red River Parish participates in this system, which lets you search criminal court index records from many Louisiana parishes in one place. A basic name search returns Red River Parish criminal case numbers and filing dates. Full document image access requires a paid subscription. Because Red River Parish is small, the full set of Red River Parish criminal cases in the online index is not large, but ClerkConnect is useful when you also need to check records in neighboring parishes like Bossier at the same time.

For a statewide criminal history that includes Red River Parish criminal records, use the Louisiana State Police Internet Background Check at ibc.dps.louisiana.gov. That system searches the central state repository for arrests, charges, and dispositions reported from all parishes including Red River Parish. The result gives a broad overview of someone's state criminal history but does not replace a full in-person search at the Red River Parish clerk's office for case-specific criminal documents.

The BCII forms page includes instructions for completing and submitting a mail-in background check request to the state police in Baton Rouge, covering Red River Parish criminal history and all other parishes.

Red River Parish Court System

Red River Parish is part of the 26th Judicial District, which also covers Bossier Parish. The district court handles all felony criminal proceedings in Red River Parish. Judges of the 26th JDC hear charges, arraignments, bond hearings, trials, and sentencing for Red River Parish criminal cases. Post-conviction matters including expungements of Red River Parish criminal records are also handled here. The 26th JDC operates out of Benton, the seat of Bossier Parish, for much of its work, though it maintains jurisdiction over all Red River Parish criminal cases.

Appeals from Red River Parish criminal convictions go to the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal, based in Shreveport. The Second Circuit covers northwest and north-central Louisiana. Records related to an appeal from a Red River Parish criminal case are at the Second Circuit, not the Red River Parish clerk. If you need those records, contact the Second Circuit directly.

Misdemeanor and minor criminal matters in Red River Parish may be handled by a justice of the peace court rather than the district court. Those proceedings have their own Red River Parish criminal records, which are not filed with the district court clerk. If you need records from a minor offense or local ordinance matter in Red River Parish, ask the clerk's office which court handled it and where to find those criminal records.

State Criminal Records Resources

The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information maintains the statewide criminal history database. BCII collects arrest and disposition records from courts and law enforcement agencies in all 64 parishes, including Red River Parish. You can request a Red River Parish criminal history by mail using the forms at the BCII forms page, or by running an online search through the Internet Background Check portal. Both methods search the same state repository that includes Red River Parish criminal records.

The IBC portal processes requests quickly and returns a result based on criminal records reported to the BCII repository from agencies across Louisiana, including Red River Parish arrests, charges, and convictions.

The Louisiana Department of Corrections at doc.la.gov offers a free offender search tool. It shows current and former DOC inmates and individuals under active probation or parole. If you are looking for someone from Red River Parish serving a state sentence, this is a faster tool than a clerk search. The DOC database is separate from the BCII repository and covers people who have passed through the state corrections system following Red River Parish criminal convictions.

For the state's official portal with links to agencies and services, visit louisiana.gov. That site connects to state police, corrections, courts, and other agencies that maintain public records in Louisiana, including Red River Parish criminal records.

Expunging Records in Red River Parish

Louisiana's expungement statute is La. R.S. 44:9. That law sets who can seek an expungement of Red River Parish criminal records, what the process requires, and what fees must be paid. The standard total cost for a Red River Parish criminal record expungement in Louisiana is approximately $550. This breaks down as $300 paid to the Red River Parish clerk of court where the original criminal case was filed and $250 paid to the Louisiana State Police by USPS money order only. All fees are non-refundable regardless of outcome.

For Red River Parish criminal cases, the expungement petition is filed with the clerk in Coushatta. After filing, you must serve copies on the Red River Parish clerk, the district attorney, the arresting agency, and the Louisiana State Police. Each has 60 days to object. If no objection is filed, the court may enter an order of expungement without holding a hearing. If an objection comes in, the court schedules a hearing to decide the Red River Parish expungement matter.

Crimes of violence, sex offenses, and a range of serious felony convictions are not eligible for expungement under the statute. Red River Parish arrests that did not result in conviction and dismissed criminal charges may qualify, subject to waiting periods that vary by offense type. First-time certain drug offense convictions may have additional options under a separate provision. Review the statute carefully or consult an attorney before filing a Red River Parish expungement petition, since the fees are non-refundable if the petition is denied.

Note: Because the 26th JDC covers both Red River and Bossier parishes, make sure your Red River Parish expungement petition is filed with the Red River Parish Clerk of Court in Coushatta if your original criminal case was there, not with the Bossier Parish clerk.

Record Access and Copy Fees

Inspecting public Red River Parish criminal records at the Clerk of Court is free under La. R.S. 44:31. Fees apply when you request document copies of Red River Parish criminal records. Standard copy fees in Louisiana are typically $1.00 per page for plain copies. Certified copies cost more, usually around $5.00 per document plus the per-page rate. A Red River Parish criminal name index search may carry a separate charge. Call the clerk at (318) 932-6741 to get the current fee schedule before you visit or send a criminal records request by mail.

To request Red River Parish criminal records by mail, send a written request with the subject's full name, date of birth if known, case number if available, the type of criminal document you need, and a check or money order payable to the Red River Parish Clerk of Court. Include enough funds to cover the expected copy fees for the Red River Parish criminal records. If more is needed, the clerk will let you know before sending the documents.

Online searches of Red River Parish criminal records through ClerkConnect carry subscription or per-document fees depending on the access level. The Louisiana State Police Internet Background Check requires a per-search fee at the time of the request. That fee is non-refundable. Check the current fee schedule on the LSP website before submitting a search for Red River Parish criminal history, since fees may be updated periodically.

Nearby Parishes

These parishes are near Red River Parish. Each has its own clerk and court system for criminal records.