Search Louisiana Traffic Court Records
Louisiana traffic court records are filed and stored by the Clerk of Court in each of the state's 64 parishes. These records cover traffic citations, hearing dates, case dispositions, and fine payment histories. You can search traffic court records online using statewide tools, visit your parish Clerk of Court in person, or contact the court that handled your case. This guide covers where to find these records, how to pay a ticket fine, and what to do if you missed your court date.
Louisiana Traffic Court Records Quick Facts
How Louisiana Traffic Court Records Work
Traffic violations in Louisiana are handled at the parish level. Each parish has a Judicial District Court that hears traffic cases. Some larger cities also run their own city courts. Shreveport, New Orleans, Bossier City, and Kenner all have city courts that handle traffic tickets issued inside city limits. When an officer writes a ticket, the case goes to the court that has authority over the area where the stop took place.
The Clerk of Court in each parish keeps official records of all traffic cases filed in district court. The Clerk records the citation when it comes in, tracks hearing dates, stores the final disposition, and maintains the full case file. Traffic violations fall into two main groups under Louisiana law. Title 32 violations cover the Uniform Traffic Code: speeding, running stop signs, driving without a license. Title 14 violations fall under the Criminal Code and cover more serious acts like OWI and hit and run. Both types create public records held by the parish Clerk.
The Louisiana Supreme Court court directory lists all district courts and Clerk of Court offices statewide, organized by judicial district. Use it to find the right court if you are not sure which one handled a case.
The Clerk of Court does not handle fine payments in most parishes. That job falls to the Sheriff's Office or the District Attorney's traffic section. The Clerk handles records, case filings, and certified copies. Know the difference before you make a trip to the courthouse.
Note: If your ticket was issued in a city with its own city court, contact that city court directly for records and payment details.
Find Louisiana Traffic Court Records Online
Louisiana offers several statewide tools for searching traffic court records from home. ClerkConnect gives subscribers access to civil, criminal, and land records from many parishes. Parishes on ClerkConnect include Allen, Natchitoches, Claiborne, Jackson, Richland, Bossier, Caddo, Lafourche, Lincoln, and East Baton Rouge. Subscriptions run from $20 per day to about $55 per month depending on the parish. You can search by name, case number, or date range.
ClerkConnect also supports e-recording and e-filing for select parishes. E-filing is live for East Baton Rouge, Lincoln, Ouachita, St. John, Caddo, Bossier, and Lafourche parishes. You can search records for free and pay only for the pages you print or save. The portal is one of the most widely used tools for Louisiana court record searches.
The Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority, known as eClerks LA, runs at eClerksLA.com. This statewide portal offers a free criminal search across all 64 parishes. The free search covers adult records and some specific juvenile records. You can also search land records, civil cases, and marriage licenses through the free index search. The eClerks Alert tool sends a text or email any time something is recorded in your name at any parish clerk office in Louisiana. That service is free to set up.
To search traffic court records online in Louisiana, you typically need the full name of the person on the ticket, the parish where the citation was issued, and the approximate year of the offense. A case number makes the search faster. If you do not have a case number, a name search usually finds the record.
Pay a Traffic Fine in Louisiana
Most parishes route traffic fine payments through the Sheriff's Office or the District Attorney's traffic section. The Clerk of Court does not accept fine payments in most parishes. Confirm which office handles payment before you mail anything or make a trip.
Many parishes use the nCourt system for online payments. nCourt lets you pay by credit or debit card using your ticket number. You must pay before your court date. Online payment is only available if the court date has not passed yet. In East Baton Rouge Parish, the system requires your court date to be more than 48 hours away. Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office accepts phone payments at (855) 873-9715, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Payments by mail require a money order or cashier's check in most parishes. Personal checks are not accepted. Write your ticket number on the payment and include the citation stub. Avoyelles Parish routes all traffic fine payments through the Sheriff's Fines and Tax office at 675 Government Street in Marksville. Madison Parish requires mail payments to be postmarked on or before the court date and sent to the Madison Parish Sheriff's Office.
Before you pay a ticket, check if a diversion program is available. Some parishes offer pre-trial diversion options that can keep a violation off your record. Bienville Parish recommends calling the District Attorney at (318) 263-7408 before paying any ticket to ask about eligibility. The 4th Judicial District Attorney serving Morehouse and Ouachita parishes also offers a traffic pre-trial diversion program for eligible first-time offenders. Contact the DA's office in the parish where the ticket was issued to find out more.
Missed Court Dates and Bench Warrants
Missing a traffic court date creates serious problems fast. A bench warrant will be issued for your arrest. The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles may suspend your driver's license. Additional court costs and contempt fees can be added to what you owe.
If you have a bench warrant for a traffic ticket, you must go in person to clear it. You cannot resolve a warrant by phone or online in most parishes. In East Baton Rouge Parish, each warrant is tied to a specific ticket. Clearing one does not clear others. The rule there is firm: warrants must be resolved at the Traffic Office on the 2nd floor of the courthouse. Bring a valid ID. If the ticket was related to an accident, bring a letter from your insurance company. You may ask for up to two extensions to pay your fine. To contest a ticket, come to the clerk's office and ask for a new court date.
Note: Paying a ticket is treated as a guilty plea in most parishes. If you want to contest the charge, you must appear in court and plead not guilty in person.
Louisiana Traffic Court Records and Public Access
Traffic court records in Louisiana are public under the Louisiana Public Records Act. Under La. R.S. 44:1, any person has the right to inspect and copy these records. You do not have to be a party to the case. You do not have to give a reason for your request. This covers traffic citations, case files, and court dispositions held by the Clerk of Court.
Under La. R.S. 44:33.1, each Clerk of Court office must post its public records custodian's contact information. You can find this on the Clerk's website or by calling the office. The standard copy fee at most parish Clerk offices is $1.00 per page. Certified copies cost an additional $5.00 per document. Online search subscriptions range from about $20 per day to $100 or more per month depending on the parish and type of records. Act 352 of the 2025 Louisiana Legislature, effective January 1, 2026, made updates to civil and criminal pleading requirements that may affect how some records are filed going forward.
Most Clerk of Court offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some close at 4:00 p.m. Branch offices in parishes like Lafourche have limited hours and are closed some days. Call ahead before making a trip to a branch location.
The official Louisiana state government site at louisiana.gov/local-louisiana lists contact details for all 64 parishes. Each parish page links to the Clerk of Court, Sheriff, and District Attorney. This is a fast way to find an address or phone number for any parish you do not know well.
Louisiana Law Help at louisianalawhelp.org has a practical guide on how to use the Clerk of Court's office. It covers what records the Clerk keeps, how to request copies, and how fees work. Clerk staff are professionals but cannot give legal advice. For legal questions, contact a licensed attorney or visit a law library.
Juvenile traffic records have special access rules. Contact the court that handled the case for details on any records that may be sealed or restricted. Most adult traffic records are fully public unless a judge has issued a sealing order.
Louisiana Traffic Court Records by Parish
Each of Louisiana's 64 parishes has a Clerk of Court who keeps all traffic court records for that area. Pick a parish below to find local contact information, online search tools, and resources.
View All 64 Louisiana Parishes
Traffic Court Records in Major Louisiana Cities
Residents of major cities file traffic cases at their parish courthouse or at a local city court. Pick a city below to find resources specific to that area.