Orleans Parish Traffic Court Records

Orleans Parish traffic court records are managed by three separate court systems in New Orleans. The Municipal and Traffic Court handles most routine citations, while the Civil District Court and Criminal District Court deal with other case types. Orleans Parish shares its borders with the city of New Orleans, so all traffic records fall under these same courts. Finding the right court is the first step to pulling your record. Each court keeps its own files, and you can search or pay fines through different offices depending on how your case was filed.

Orleans Parish Municipal and Traffic Court

Most traffic court records in Orleans Parish start at the Municipal and Traffic Court. This is where routine citations go. Speeding tickets, red light violations, and other moving offenses are processed here. Administrative Judge Paul N. Sens oversees the court. The permanent location is 727 South Broad Street, but the court has been operating from a temporary site at 1601 Perdido Street in New Orleans. Call (504) 658-8500 to check which address is in use before you go.

The court handles cases for all traffic stops made within Orleans Parish. Since Orleans Parish and New Orleans share the same boundaries, every citation issued by NOPD or other local officers within the parish ends up here. State Trooper citations work a bit differently. If a state trooper wrote your ticket, you need to add the prefix "S" before your citation number when looking it up. This is a common source of confusion for people trying to find their records online or pay a fine.

One thing that catches people off guard is that camera tickets are not part of this court's system. Red light camera and speed camera violations go through a separate vendor. You handle those at violationinfo.com instead. Parking tickets are also separate. The city runs that through its own portal at nola.gov/pay-parking-ticket.

The screenshot below shows the New Orleans Municipal and Traffic Court page, where you can find court dates, contact info, and links to pay fines.

This city page lists court hours, the current address, and phone numbers for the Municipal and Traffic Court in Orleans Parish.

Pay Orleans Parish Traffic Tickets Online

Orleans Parish lets you pay traffic fines online at traffic.nola.gov. The site accepts Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. You will need your citation number to look up the fine. For state trooper tickets, add an "S" before the number. The system is straightforward and available around the clock.

If you would rather not pay online, there are other ways. You can pay by phone at (504) 658-8500 during business hours. In-person payments are taken at the court in cash, money order, cashier's check, or debit and credit cards. Mail is also an option, but you must send a money order made out to the City of New Orleans. Your payment has to be postmarked before your court appearance date. Do not send cash or personal checks by mail.

The screenshot below shows the online traffic payment portal for New Orleans, the main tool for paying Orleans Parish traffic fines from home.

This portal lets you search by citation number and pay your Orleans Parish traffic fine with a credit or debit card.

Note: Camera tickets and parking tickets cannot be paid through the traffic court portal and must be handled through their own separate systems.

Orleans Parish Civil District Court Records

The Orleans Parish Civil District Court is a separate court from the traffic court. Chelsey Richard Napoleon serves as Clerk of Court. The office is at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402, New Orleans, LA 70112. Phone: (504) 407-0000. While most traffic cases do not go through civil court, some related matters do end up here. Insurance disputes from car accidents, civil suits tied to traffic incidents, and certain license-related filings can all land in the civil clerk's files.

The civil clerk maintains records going back decades. Online records are available through a subscription service, with some data reaching back to 1985. This is useful if you need older case files or want to check for any civil filings linked to a traffic matter. Under La. R.S. 44:1, these are public records. Anyone can request to see them.

The screenshot below shows the Orleans Parish Civil Clerk of Court website, the main portal for civil case searches and filings.

The civil clerk's site provides access to case search tools, filing information, and contact details for the Orleans Parish Civil District Court.

Criminal District Court in Orleans Parish

Serious traffic offenses in Orleans Parish go to the Criminal District Court. DWI charges, hit and run cases, and driving on a suspended license are the types of cases handled here. The court is at 2700 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119. Call (504) 658-9000 for information. Criminal traffic court records are kept indefinitely in Orleans Parish, which means a DWI from years ago will still be in the system.

The criminal court keeps its own set of records apart from the traffic court and civil court. If you got a minor speeding ticket, your case is not here. But if you were arrested for a traffic-related crime, this is where your record lives. La. R.S. 44:33.1 requires the custodian of records to make contact information available to the public, so you can always reach out to the clerk's office to ask about your case status or get copies.

The screenshot below shows the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court website, where you can find case lookup tools and court schedules.

This site covers the Criminal District Court in Orleans Parish, including information on records access and court divisions.

Note: The criminal court and the municipal traffic court are two different places with different addresses and different records systems.

Other Court Resources in Orleans Parish

Orleans Parish also has the First City Court, located at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 201, New Orleans. The clerk is Donna M. Glapion, and the phone number is (504) 407-0400. This court handles small claims and some civil matters. It does not process traffic tickets, but it can come into play if a traffic-related dispute leads to a small claims filing or a civil matter.

The Orleans Parish court system is more complex than most parishes in Louisiana. Three separate courts handle different parts of the traffic record picture. Knowing which court has your case saves time. A routine ticket goes to Municipal and Traffic Court. A civil dispute from a wreck might go to Civil District Court. A DWI goes to Criminal District Court. Each court has its own clerk, its own building, and its own records. There is no single place to search all three at once.

Be aware of scam calls. The courts have warned that fraudulent callers pretend to be from the jury duty office and demand payment over the phone. No court in Orleans Parish will call you and ask for money. If you get a call like that, hang up.

Get Traffic Court Records in Orleans Parish

Getting a copy of your traffic court record in Orleans Parish depends on which court has your case. For most traffic tickets, call the Municipal and Traffic Court at (504) 658-8500. They can tell you the status of your case and how to get a copy. For criminal traffic cases, call the Criminal District Court at (504) 658-9000. For any civil matters tied to a traffic incident, contact the Civil Clerk at (504) 407-0000.

In-person requests are free to view at the clerk's office under Louisiana public records law. You can walk in during business hours and ask to inspect your file. Copies cost money. The exact fee depends on which clerk's office you visit and whether you need a certified copy or a plain one. Mail requests are also possible, but expect a slower turnaround. Include your full name, case number if you have it, and the date of the citation.

Here are the main ways to get your Orleans Parish traffic court records:

• Online at traffic.nola.gov for citation lookup and payment
• By phone at (504) 658-8500 for Municipal and Traffic Court
• In person at the court's current address in New Orleans
• By mail with a money order for payment, postmarked before your court date

Cities in Orleans Parish

Orleans Parish and the City of New Orleans share the same boundaries. They are one and the same. Every traffic court record in this parish is a New Orleans traffic court record. The Municipal and Traffic Court, Civil District Court, and Criminal District Court all serve the city and the parish equally.

Nearby Parishes

Orleans Parish sits in southeast Louisiana along the Mississippi River. These neighboring parishes each run their own court systems and keep separate traffic records.