Washington Parish Criminal Records

Washington Parish criminal records are maintained by the Clerk of Court in Franklinton and processed through the 22nd Judicial District Court, which also covers St. Tammany Parish. This page covers how to search and request criminal case records in Washington Parish and where to find statewide criminal history records through Louisiana state agencies.

Washington Parish Clerk of Court

The Washington Parish Clerk of Court in Franklinton is the official keeper of criminal court records for Washington Parish. The office address is 908 Washington St, Franklinton, LA 70438. The main phone is (985) 839-4663. All criminal filings processed through the 22nd Judicial District Court for Washington Parish are indexed and maintained here. The Washington Parish clerk is the public criminal records custodian under Louisiana law and the first point of contact for anyone searching Washington Parish criminal case records.

Under Louisiana Revised Statute 44:31, the public has the right to inspect Washington Parish criminal records at no cost during business hours. You must present a valid photo ID. No reason needs to be stated for a Washington Parish criminal records inspection request. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. For routine name searches and criminal case file reviews, the Washington Parish clerk's staff typically pulls criminal files while you wait at the counter in Franklinton.

Fees for copies of Washington Parish criminal records follow the standard Louisiana schedule. Plain copies cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies of Washington Parish criminal records are $5.00 per document. A name search of the Washington Parish criminal index costs $5.00 per name. Mail requests for Washington Parish criminal records are accepted at 908 Washington St, Franklinton, LA 70438. Send a check or money order payable to the Washington Parish Clerk of Court along with the details of your criminal records request.

The Louisiana Clerks of Court Association at louisianaclerks.org provides a statewide directory and can help you locate clerks for other parishes if your criminal records search spans multiple jurisdictions beyond Washington Parish.

Searching Criminal Records in Washington Parish

An in-person visit to the Washington Parish Clerk of Court at 908 Washington St in Franklinton is the most direct way to search Washington Parish criminal records. Bring the full legal name of the person you are looking for and a date of birth if available. If you have a Washington Parish criminal case number, that speeds the process considerably. The Washington Parish clerk will search the criminal index and pull criminal case files for you to review during your visit.

Mail requests for Washington Parish criminal records are accepted for people who cannot visit in person. Write to 908 Washington St, Franklinton, LA 70438. Include the subject's full name, date of birth, the specific type of Washington Parish criminal records needed, and payment for applicable fees. Checks and money orders are accepted for Washington Parish criminal records requests. Do not send cash by mail. Mail processing for Washington Parish criminal record requests generally takes one to two weeks.

Washington Parish does not have a standalone public online criminal records portal. The best remote option is the Louisiana State Police Internet Background Check at ibc.dps.louisiana.gov, which provides name-based criminal history results drawn from all 64 parishes including Washington Parish. This tool is available at any time without needing to contact the Washington Parish clerk's office during business hours.

The IBC portal is faster than mailing a criminal records request to either the Washington Parish clerk or the State Police and gives statewide criminal history results rather than limiting you to a single parish's criminal records.

Note: A search at the Washington Parish Clerk covers only that parish's criminal records. Cases from other jurisdictions do not appear. Use the statewide IBC portal or BCII for a more complete criminal history picture when the subject may have had criminal cases in multiple parishes beyond Washington Parish.

Washington Parish Court System

Washington Parish is served by the 22nd Judicial District Court, which covers both Washington and St. Tammany parishes. The 22nd JDC is a large district given St. Tammany's population, and it holds criminal court in both parish seats. For Washington Parish, criminal court is held in Franklinton. All felony criminal cases filed in Washington Parish go through the 22nd JDC. The Washington Parish clerk in Franklinton maintains those criminal case files separately from St. Tammany criminal cases.

Appeals from Washington Parish criminal cases decided in the 22nd JDC go to the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal. The First Circuit covers the southeastern parishes of Louisiana including Washington Parish. From the First Circuit, further Washington Parish criminal appeals go to the Louisiana Supreme Court in New Orleans. Louisiana Supreme Court opinions and docket information are available at lasc.org.

Minor criminal matters, traffic violations, and local ordinance criminal cases in Washington Parish may be handled at the justice of the peace level or through the district court depending on the specific criminal charge. Call the Washington Parish clerk at (985) 839-4663 if you are unsure which court holds the Washington Parish criminal record you are looking for. They can direct you to the right office based on the criminal charge type and approximate date.

State Criminal Records Resources

The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information is the central criminal history repository for the state. BCII collects criminal arrest and conviction records from all Louisiana law enforcement agencies, including the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office. A BCII criminal background check covers the entire state in one request and is the most reliable way to get a complete picture of someone's criminal history across all parishes including Washington Parish.

The Louisiana State Police website at lsp.org is the starting point for BCII criminal history requests. The site explains the forms to use, the fees for name-based and fingerprint-based criminal history checks, and where to mail the completed request. Name-based criminal history checks are suitable for most general research purposes. Fingerprint-based criminal history checks are more thorough and are required for certain professional, government, and licensing applications.

The LSP homepage is updated regularly and provides the most current information on fees, forms, and procedures for requesting a Louisiana State Police criminal background check that covers Washington Parish and statewide criminal history data.

The Louisiana Department of Corrections at doc.la.gov runs a free online offender search. If someone convicted in Washington Parish is serving time in a state prison or is on supervised release, the DOC search will show their current criminal status. The search is available without registration and can be done at any time online without contacting the Washington Parish clerk.

Expunging Criminal Records in Washington Parish

Louisiana's expungement law at La. R.S. 44:9 allows eligible individuals to file a petition to have certain Washington Parish criminal records removed from the public index. In Washington Parish, expungement petitions are filed through the 22nd Judicial District Court via the Washington Parish Clerk of Court in Franklinton. The first step is confirming that the specific Washington Parish criminal offense qualifies for expungement. Crimes of violence, sex offenses, and other excluded categories cannot be expunged under state law.

The standard total cost for a Louisiana criminal record expungement is approximately $550.00. The Washington Parish clerk receives $300.00 and the Louisiana State Police receives $250.00 by USPS money order. All fees are non-refundable. If the court denies the Washington Parish criminal expungement petition, you do not get the money back. This makes it essential to verify eligibility with a Louisiana attorney who handles criminal expungements before you spend money on non-refundable filing fees for Washington Parish criminal records.

R.S. 44:9 sets waiting periods for Washington Parish criminal record expungements by offense type. Misdemeanor convictions have a two-year waiting period after sentence completion. First-offense felony convictions set aside under Code of Criminal Procedure Article 893 require a five-year wait. Arrests that did not result in a criminal conviction may qualify for expungement sooner. An attorney can assess your specific Washington Parish criminal record and tell you the exact timeline for filing an expungement petition.

Note: After the court grants a Washington Parish criminal expungement, the clerk removes the case from public view. Law enforcement may retain restricted access to the Washington Parish criminal record under specific conditions set out in R.S. 44:9.

Record Access and Copy Fees

Public criminal records in Washington Parish are free to inspect under R.S. 44:31. Anyone can visit the Washington Parish clerk's office at 908 Washington St in Franklinton during business hours and review public criminal case files at no cost. Bring a valid photo ID. You do not need to provide a reason for your visit or for the specific Washington Parish criminal records you want to see. The Washington Parish clerk's staff will pull the criminal files you request.

Copies of Washington Parish criminal records carry fees. Plain copies are $1.00 per page. Certified copies of Washington Parish criminal records cost $5.00 per document. A name search of the Washington Parish criminal index is $5.00 per name. Payment at the Washington Parish office is by check or money order payable to the Washington Parish Clerk of Court. For mail requests, send your written request and payment to 908 Washington St, Franklinton, LA 70438. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope to speed the return of your Washington Parish criminal records documents.

The BCII forms page at the Louisiana State Police is useful if you plan to request a statewide criminal history check to supplement a Washington Parish clerk search. Go to lsp.org/services/background-checks/bcii-forms to download the current form and check the applicable fees before submitting your criminal history request by mail to the State Police.

Always download the criminal history request form directly from the BCII forms page before mailing a request to ensure you are using the most current version, since outdated forms may cause your Washington Parish criminal records request to be returned.

Nearby Parishes

These parishes are near Washington Parish. Each maintains its own criminal records through a separate clerk of court.