Plaquemines County Court Records
How To Find Court Records in Plaquemines County in 2026
Members of the public seeking court records in Plaquemines County may access publicly available case information through several official channels. PlaqueminesParishRecords.us aggregates publicly available data related to court records, property filings, and related civil and criminal case information. Records available through official sources may include civil case filings, criminal dockets, probate proceedings, family court matters, traffic citations, and judgment entries. The availability and completeness of any individual record depends on case type, court jurisdiction, filing date, and applicable confidentiality rules under Louisiana law.
Court records in Plaquemines Parish may be searched through the following methods:
1. Clerk of Court Office The Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court maintains the official record of all cases filed in the 25th Judicial District Court. Members of the public may visit the clerk's office in person to request case files, docket sheets, or certified copies of filed documents. Providing the full case number, party name, or filing date assists staff in locating records efficiently.
Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court
301 Main Street
Belle Chasse, LA 70037
Phone: (504) 297-5180
Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court
2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals Public access computer terminals are available at the clerk's office during regular business hours. These terminals allow members of the public to search case indexes and view docket entries without charge. Terminals do not provide access to sealed, expunged, or restricted case files.
3. Online Court Search The Louisiana Supreme Court's Louisiana Case Management System provides online access to case information for participating courts. Users may search by party name, case number, or attorney of record. Document images may not be available for all case types or filing periods.
4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools The Louisiana judiciary maintains statewide resources for locating court information across district, appellate, and supreme court levels. These tools are particularly useful when a case has been appealed beyond the district court level.
5. Written or Mail Requests Members of the public who are unable to appear in person may submit written requests to the Clerk of Court. Requests should include the full name of the parties, approximate filing date, case number if known, and a description of the documents sought. Fees for copies and certified documents apply and must be submitted with the request.
Are Court Records Public In Plaquemines County
Court records in Plaquemines Parish are public records under current Louisiana law. Louisiana Revised Statute § 44:1 defines public records broadly to include all documents, writings, and data prepared, owned, used, or retained by any public body in the conduct of its official business. The Louisiana Public Records Law establishes a strong presumption of public access, and custodians bear the burden of demonstrating that a record is exempt from disclosure.
The following categories of court records are public and available for inspection:
- Case dockets and docket entries
- Party names and attorney information
- Hearing dates, continuances, and scheduling orders
- Filed pleadings, motions, and responses
- Court orders, judgments, and decrees
- Minute entries and disposition records
- Sentencing entries and probation orders
Certain records are confidential, sealed, or restricted under Louisiana law or court rule:
- Juvenile delinquency and child in need of care records
- Adoption proceedings and related filings
- Mental health commitment records
- Expunged criminal records
- Records sealed by court order
- Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth in certain filings
A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While the public may inspect most records in person at the clerk's office, online availability is subject to the technical capabilities of the court's case management system and any applicable court rules governing remote access. As the Louisiana judiciary notes, not all district courts provide identical levels of online document access.
What Are Court Records in Plaquemines County?
Court records are the official documentary record of judicial proceedings created and maintained by the clerk of court from the moment a case is filed through its final disposition and any subsequent appeal. In practical terms, a court record encompasses every document, order, entry, and filing that becomes part of the official case file under the custody of the clerk.
A distinction exists between a docket entry and a full case file. A docket entry is a chronological index notation recording a specific event in a case, such as the filing of a motion or the entry of a judgment. The full case file contains the actual documents underlying those docket entries, including pleadings, exhibits, orders, and transcripts.
Civil court records document disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, covering matters such as contract claims, property disputes, personal injury actions, and debt collection. Criminal court records document the prosecution of offenses under state law, from initial charging instruments through arraignment, trial, and sentencing. Family court records address domestic matters including divorce, child custody, support, and interdiction. Probate records document the administration of decedents' estates, tutorships, and curatorship proceedings.
Public filings are those submitted to the court without a sealing order and accessible to any member of the public. Sealed or restricted filings are those placed under court order limiting access to designated parties or officials. Trial court records are maintained by the Clerk of Court for the 25th Judicial District. Appellate records, once a case is appealed to the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal or the Louisiana Supreme Court, are maintained by the respective appellate clerk.
Records are created at the moment of initial filing and updated continuously as new documents are submitted, hearings are held, and orders are entered. Upon final disposition, the record is closed but remains subject to inspection under § 44:1 of the Louisiana Public Records Law unless a specific exemption applies.
What's Included in a Plaquemines County Court Record?
A court record in Plaquemines Parish may contain the following information, depending on case type and applicable public-access rules:
- Case identification: Case number, court name, division assignment, and filing date
- Party information: Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and counsel of record
- Case classification: Case type, subject matter category, and current status
- Docket entries: Chronological log of all filings, hearings, and court actions
- Pleadings and motions: Complaints, petitions, answers, cross-claims, counterclaims, motions, and supporting memoranda
- Court orders and judgments: Interlocutory orders, final judgments, consent decrees, injunctions, and sentencing entries
- Hearing records: Minute entries, hearing dates, continuances, and trial records
- Outcome information: Dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
- Financial and administrative data: Filing fees, assessed court costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly reflected in the record
The following categories are excluded or restricted from public access:
- Sealed filings and documents placed under protective order
- Expunged criminal records
- Juvenile case files
- Adoption records
- Records containing unredacted protected personal identifiers
- Certain exhibits containing sensitive personal or financial data
- Mental health and substance abuse treatment records protected by state or federal law
Types of Courts in Plaquemines County
Plaquemines Parish is served by a defined set of courts operating within the Louisiana judiciary structure. The Louisiana judicial branch organizes courts into the Louisiana Supreme Court, five courts of appeal, 43 district courts, family and juvenile courts, city courts, and justice of the peace courts.
The primary trial court serving Plaquemines Parish is the 25th Judicial District Court, which exercises general jurisdiction over felony criminal matters, civil cases exceeding the jurisdictional limits of lower courts, family law proceedings, probate matters, and juvenile cases. The Clerk of Court for the 25th Judicial District maintains the official record for all cases filed in that court.
25th Judicial District Court
301 Main Street
Belle Chasse, LA 70037
Phone: (504) 297-5180
25th Judicial District Court
Appeals from the 25th Judicial District Court are heard by the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal, which maintains its own clerk's office and case records.
Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal
400 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: (504) 412-6000
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal
What Types of Cases Do Plaquemines Parish Courts Hear
The 25th Judicial District Court hears the following categories of cases:
- Felony criminal: Prosecutions for offenses carrying sentences of imprisonment at hard labor
- Civil: Contract disputes, tort claims, property matters, and cases exceeding the jurisdictional threshold of city or justice courts
- Family: Divorce, legal separation, child custody, child support, community property partition, and protective orders
- Probate: Succession proceedings, interdictions, tutorships, and curatorship matters
- Juvenile: Delinquency proceedings and child in need of care matters, subject to confidentiality restrictions
- Traffic: Serious traffic offenses beyond the jurisdiction of lower courts
Misdemeanor criminal matters and minor civil claims may be handled by city courts or justice of the peace courts operating within the parish. Small claims proceedings for limited monetary amounts are also available through the appropriate lower court.
How to Search Plaquemines County Court Records for Free?
Members of the public may inspect court records at no charge through in-person review at the Clerk of Court's office or through courthouse public access terminals during regular business hours. The right to inspect public records without charge is grounded in Louisiana Revised Statute § 44:32, which provides that the custodian shall permit any person to inspect, copy, or reproduce any public record.
| Access Method | Cost |
|---|---|
| In-person inspection of records | Free |
| Courthouse public access terminal | Free |
| Standard copy (per page) | $1.00 per page (standard clerk fee) |
| Certified copy | Additional certification fee applies |
| Online case index search | Free where available |
| Electronic document images (where available) | Varies by system |
Fees for copies and certified documents are set by the clerk of court pursuant to applicable Louisiana statutes governing clerk fees. Members of the public seeking only to review a record without obtaining copies may do so at no cost during regular business hours. The Louisiana Case Management System provides free online access to case index information for participating courts, though document images may carry access fees depending on the platform.
How Long Does Plaquemines County Keep Court Records?
The retention of court records in Louisiana is governed by judicial retention schedules established under the authority of the Louisiana Supreme Court and applicable state archival law. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.
Permanent retention applies to the following record types:
- Judgment books and judgment indexes
- Minute books recording court proceedings
- Docket books and case indexes
- Final judgments in civil and criminal matters
- Succession and probate records
Records subject to defined retention periods include traffic case files, minor civil matters, and certain administrative filings, which may be retained for periods ranging from five to ten years depending on case classification and disposition. Criminal case files involving felony convictions are retained for extended periods consistent with the nature of the offense and applicable post-conviction remedies.
Paper files may be transferred to microfilm, digital imaging, or archival storage after the active retention period. Physical destruction of paper originals is permitted after imaging or archival transfer under applicable records management authority. Older records, particularly those predating electronic filing systems, may exist only in paper form, microfilm, or bound volumes held in the clerk's office or transferred to the Louisiana State Archives.
A distinction exists among destruction, archival retention, sealing, redaction, and expungement. Destruction removes a record from existence after its retention period expires. Archival retention preserves a record in a non-active repository. Sealing restricts access to a record that continues to exist. Redaction removes specific information from a document while preserving the remainder. Expungement, available under Louisiana law for certain criminal matters, removes a record from public access and may result in its physical destruction or transfer to a restricted repository.
How To Find a Court Docket in Plaquemines County
A court docket is the official chronological index of all actions taken in a case, distinct from the full case file. While the case file contains the actual documents filed with the court, the docket is a running log of events, including filing dates, motion titles, hearing dates, continuances, orders entered, and disposition entries. The docket does not contain the full text of filed documents but serves as the navigational index to the case file.
Dockets for cases filed in the 25th Judicial District Court may be accessed through the following methods:
- In-person at the Clerk of Court: Staff can provide a printed docket sheet for any public case upon request. The case number or party name is sufficient to locate the docket.
- Courthouse public access terminals: Terminals at the clerk's office allow users to search the case index and view docket entries for public cases at no charge.
- Louisiana Case Management System: The statewide Louisiana courts case search portal provides online docket access for participating courts. Users may search by party name, case number, or attorney.
- Federal cases: For cases filed in federal court, public access to federal court records is available through the PACER system, which provides electronic access to dockets and documents for a per-page fee.
A docket entry reflects the title or description of a filed document or court action but does not reproduce the document itself. Full document images, where available online, are accessed separately through the case management portal. Sealed docket entries, juvenile case entries, and entries in restricted matters are not visible to the general public through any access method.
Hearing calendars and motion dockets may be separately available through the clerk's office or posted at the courthouse. Daily hearing rosters reflect scheduled proceedings and are distinct from the case docket, which covers the full history of a case from filing through disposition.