Tensas Parish Criminal Records
Tensas Parish criminal records are maintained by the Clerk of Court in St. Joseph and cover all criminal cases, felony charges, arrests, misdemeanor offenses, and convictions filed through the 6th Judicial District Court, which serves East Carroll, Madison, and Tensas parishes.
Tensas Parish Quick Facts
Tensas Parish Clerk of Court
The Tensas Parish Clerk of Court in St. Joseph is the official keeper of all criminal court records for Tensas Parish. The office address is 203 Hancock St, St. Joseph, LA 71366. The main phone is (318) 766-3921. All criminal cases filed through the 6th Judicial District Court for Tensas Parish are indexed and stored at the Tensas Parish clerk's office, covering felony charges, misdemeanor cases, indictments, and all related criminal case documents. The clerk maintains public access to Tensas Parish criminal records under Louisiana law.
Louisiana Revised Statute 44:31 gives the public the right to inspect Tensas Parish criminal records at no cost during regular business hours. You must have a valid photo ID. No explanation is required for a Tensas Parish criminal records inspection request. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Because Tensas is a small parish with limited staff, calling ahead before you visit is a good idea to confirm office availability and the status of the criminal records you need.
Fees for Tensas Parish criminal record copies follow the standard Louisiana schedule. Plain copies cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies of criminal records are $5.00 per document. A name search of the Tensas Parish criminal index costs $5.00 per name. Mail requests for Tensas Parish criminal records are accepted at 203 Hancock St, St. Joseph, LA 71366. Include a check or money order payable to the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court along with the details of your criminal records request including the name, date of birth, and type of criminal documents needed.
The Louisiana Clerks of Court Association at louisianaclerks.org provides resources and a statewide directory of parish clerks, which is helpful if you need to contact multiple clerks across Louisiana parishes for criminal records from several jurisdictions.
| Address | 203 Hancock St, St. Joseph, LA 71366 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (318) 766-3921 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Copy Fee | $1.00 per page |
| Certified Copy | $5.00 per document |
| Name Search Fee | $5.00 per name |
Searching Criminal Records in Tensas Parish
To search criminal records in Tensas Parish, contact the clerk's office in St. Joseph. The most direct approach is to visit the Tensas Parish clerk in person during business hours. Bring the full legal name of the person you are searching and a date of birth if available. The Tensas Parish clerk can search the criminal index by name and retrieve any matching criminal case files, including felony charges, misdemeanor records, arrest entries, and any warrant information tied to the name. If you have a criminal case number, it will make the search faster and more precise.
Because Tensas is one of Louisiana's smallest parishes by population, the clerk's office operates with limited staff. Calling ahead at (318) 766-3921 before you visit is advisable. This lets the Tensas Parish clerk prepare for your criminal records request and confirm what criminal case records are available for the specific name you are searching. Tensas Parish criminal records requests are best handled with some advance notice given the small office size and limited staffing.
Mail requests for Tensas Parish criminal records are accepted at 203 Hancock St, St. Joseph, LA 71366. Send a written request with the subject's full name, date of birth, the type of criminal records you need, and payment for applicable fees. Allow extra time for mail requests from Tensas Parish, as processing can take longer than in larger parishes. For faster results, the Louisiana State Police IBC portal at ibc.dps.louisiana.gov provides remote access to statewide criminal history data including Tensas Parish criminal records and arrest information.
The Louisiana State Police background checks page at lsp.org explains the process and fees for requesting a BCII statewide criminal history check that covers Tensas Parish and all other Louisiana parishes.
The LSP background checks page is the main resource for understanding how to request a statewide criminal history check, which covers all 64 Louisiana parishes including Tensas Parish arrest records and conviction data.
Note: Tensas Parish does not have a public-facing online case search portal for criminal records. For digital remote access to criminal history covering Tensas Parish, the LSP IBC portal and the Louisiana Supreme Court's case search are the best available options.
Tensas Parish Court System
Tensas Parish is part of the 6th Judicial District Court, which covers East Carroll, Madison, and Tensas parishes. The 6th JDC handles all felony criminal cases, criminal indictments, and major criminal charges for these three parishes. For Tensas Parish criminal matters, court is held in St. Joseph. Judges rotate among the three parish seats within the district. The Tensas Parish clerk in St. Joseph maintains all Tensas Parish criminal case files from the district court, including every felony case and criminal prosecution filed in Tensas Parish.
Appeals from 6th JDC Tensas Parish criminal decisions go to the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal in Shreveport. The Second Circuit covers the northern and northeastern parishes of Louisiana, including Tensas Parish. If a Tensas Parish criminal case is appealed further, it goes to the Louisiana Supreme Court. The Supreme Court's docket and opinions are available at lasc.org. Reviewing those opinions can give useful context about how the appellate courts have handled Tensas Parish criminal cases from this region of Louisiana.
Minor criminal matters and traffic violations in Tensas Parish may be handled at the justice of the peace level in some parts of Tensas Parish. For questions about which court holds a specific Tensas Parish criminal record, call the clerk's office at (318) 766-3921. Given the Tensas Parish small size, the clerk's staff is usually familiar with most criminal cases in the file system and can direct you to the right court for your Tensas Parish criminal records search.
State Criminal Records Resources
The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information handles statewide criminal history records. For a small parish like Tensas where online Tensas Parish criminal records access is limited, a BCII background check is often the most practical way to get a comprehensive criminal history that covers the subject's criminal activity across multiple Louisiana parishes. The BCII compiles criminal data, arrest records, conviction information, and sentence history from all 64 parishes, including Tensas Parish.
The Louisiana State Police website at lsp.org provides everything you need to request a BCII criminal history check, including the forms, fee schedule, and mailing address for submissions. Name-based Tensas Parish criminal history checks are submitted by mail. Fingerprint-based checks provide more precise criminal history results and are required for certain licensing applications under Louisiana law, as they tie records to a specific person rather than just a name.
The BCII forms page at lsp.org provides current versions of all forms needed to request a criminal history check from the Louisiana State Police covering Tensas Parish and all other Louisiana parishes.
The BCII forms page is the right place to download the current version of the criminal history request form before mailing a background check request to the State Police, ensuring you use the most up-to-date version for your Tensas Parish criminal records request.
The Louisiana Department of Corrections at doc.la.gov maintains an offender search tool for people currently incarcerated in state facilities or on supervised release. If someone convicted in Tensas Parish is serving time in a state prison following a felony conviction, the DOC search will show their facility and expected release date without requiring a criminal records request from any clerk's office.
Expunging Criminal Records in Tensas Parish
Louisiana's expungement law at La. R.S. 44:9 allows eligible individuals to petition the court to remove certain Tensas Parish criminal records from the public index. In Tensas Parish, expungement petitions go through the 6th Judicial District Court and are filed with the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court in St. Joseph. Before you file, confirm that your specific Tensas Parish criminal offense qualifies. Crimes of violence, sex offenses, and other specified categories are not eligible under state law regardless of how much time has passed since the Tensas Parish criminal conviction or the date of the arrest.
The standard cost for a Louisiana criminal record expungement is approximately $550.00 total. The Tensas Parish clerk receives $300.00 and the Louisiana State Police receives $250.00. The LSP portion must be paid by USPS money order only. Neither fee is refundable. For that reason, checking eligibility with a Louisiana attorney before paying is the smart move. A denied Tensas Parish expungement petition still costs you the full amount in fees with no criminal record removed from public access.
Waiting periods under R.S. 44:9 depend on the type of criminal case. Misdemeanor convictions require a two-year wait after sentence completion. First-offense felony convictions set aside under Article 893 require a five-year wait. Arrests that did not result in a criminal conviction may be eligible for expungement sooner. The Tensas Parish clerk in St. Joseph can provide the petition form but cannot advise on criminal eligibility. That determination requires an attorney's review of your full Tensas Parish criminal record.
Note: After an expungement is granted by the 6th JDC, the Tensas Parish clerk removes the criminal case from the public index. Law enforcement agencies may retain limited access under conditions specified in R.S. 44:9.
Record Access and Copy Fees
Public criminal records in Tensas Parish are free to inspect under R.S. 44:31. You can visit the Tensas Parish clerk's office at 203 Hancock St in St. Joseph during regular business hours and view criminal case files at no cost. Bring a valid photo ID. No reason needs to be given for the criminal records inspection request. The clerk's staff will pull the criminal case files you need and let you review them at the Tensas Parish office. This free inspection right covers all public criminal records maintained at the Tensas Parish clerk's office.
Copies of Tensas Parish criminal records carry fees. Plain copies are $1.00 per page. Certified copies of criminal records cost $5.00 per document. A name search of the Tensas Parish criminal index runs $5.00 per name. Payment is accepted by check or money order. Because this is a small parish office, calling ahead at (318) 766-3921 to let the Tensas Parish clerk know you are coming helps ensure someone is available to assist you when you arrive with your criminal records request.
Mail requests for Tensas Parish criminal records are accepted. Send a written request and payment to 203 Hancock St, St. Joseph, LA 71366. Include the full name and date of birth of the subject, the type of Tensas Parish criminal records you need, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of the criminal documents. Allow extra time for Tensas Parish mail requests, as small Tensas Parish offices may take longer to process criminal records requests than a large urban clerk's office would given the difference in staffing and volume.
Nearby Parishes
These parishes are near Tensas Parish. Each has its own clerk of court and maintains separate criminal records.