Search St. James Parish Court Records
The most important St. James Parish court record fact is the portal limit. The St. James Parish Clerk of Court records page links to the LCRAA Clerk's Portal, but the clerk says that route is for "Conveyance and Mortgage Records only." It is not documented as a full civil, criminal, divorce, succession, traffic, or docket database. Anyone looking for a filed court case should start with the correct custodian instead of assuming the land-record search covers the whole court system.
The clerk is the local court-record custodian for district-court case files and certified copies. Civil matters use the civil lines. Criminal case files use the criminal lines. The sheriff handles arrest, custody, warrant, crash, ticket-payment, public-records request, and other law-enforcement records. Federal cases go through the federal courts for the Eastern District of Louisiana, PACER, or CM/ECF.
- Decide whether the record is a court case, land record, sheriff record, jail record, ticket, or federal case.
- Use LCRAA only for St. James Parish conveyance and mortgage records.
- Use the clerk civil division for civil suits, divorce, successions, tutorships, adoptions, name changes, garnishments, and subpoenas.
- Use the clerk criminal division for filed criminal case records, court minutes, pleas, dispositions, and sentencing records.
- Use the sheriff for custody, incident, crash, warrant, ticket, and public-records request material.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCRAA / Clerk's Portal | External portal | Unspecified | Official local page limits coverage to conveyance and mortgage records. |
| Parish selection | Portal context | Unspecified | Use St. James Parish for land records. |
| Instrument search | Portal fields | Unspecified | Full field list was not exposed on the local clerk page. |
St. James Parish Judicial System
St. James Parish is part of the 23rd Judicial District Court, which serves Ascension, Assumption, and St. James Parishes. The court's official site states that the district has original jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters in those three parishes. It has six elected judges, Divisions A through F, and two hearing officers. That shared-district structure explains why the court site is not limited to St. James alone.
The state structure moves from local and lower court channels to district court, then to Louisiana courts of appeal, and then to the Louisiana Supreme Court when review is available. Justice of the peace and local mayor or municipal courts may matter for small local matters, ordinances, traffic, and warrant consequences, but the local research did not locate an official St. James city court docket source.
The manifest assigns the 23rd Judicial District Court homepage to the St. James Parish home page.
The district court source is the anchor for judge divisions, district services, and the courthouse structure that supports St. James Parish filings.
| Court or Office | Role | St. James Parish Use |
|---|---|---|
| 23rd Judicial District Court | Primary trial court of general jurisdiction. | Civil and criminal matters for St. James Parish. |
| St. James Parish Clerk of Court | Unified clerk office. | Local filings, certified copies, civil and criminal record channels. |
| Justice of the Peace / local mayor or municipal courts | Lower local channels where created. | Small matters, ordinances, some traffic or warrant consequences. |
| Louisiana Courts of Appeal | Intermediate appellate review. | Appeals from district-court judgments when available. |
St. James Parish Courthouse Location
The local courthouse, clerk, and sheriff records access all center on the Convent campus. The St. James Parish Courthouse is listed by the 23rd JDC at 5800 Louisiana 44, Convent, LA 70723. The Clerk of Court contact page places the clerk at 5800 LA Hwy 44, 2nd Floor, Convent, LA 70723, with mailing address Clerk of Court, P.O. Box 63, Convent, LA 70723. The sheriff main office also uses 5800 LA-44, Convent, LA 70723.
St. James Parish Clerk of Court
5800 LA Hwy 44, 2nd Floor
Convent, LA 70723
Civil: 225.562.2270 or 225.562.2360
Criminal: 225.562.2389 or 225.562.2271
St. James Parish Court Record Types
St. James Parish court records include civil, criminal, family, divorce, traffic, succession, tutorship, adoption, name-change, garnishment, and related district-court matters. The clerk's civil filing schedule lists many of those categories, including damages, open account, promissory note, executory judgment, garnishment, successions, double successions, tutorships, adoptions, mandamus, amended petitions, subpoenas, rules, and judgment debtor exams.
Criminal case records show the court side of prosecution. They can include filed charges, arraignment, pleas, motions, court minutes, dispositions, sentencing, and related orders. Arrest, booking, jail custody, offense report, and warrant records are sheriff records or sheriff-linked records, not the same as the filed criminal case file. For a full filed criminal case, use the St. James Parish criminal court records route.
- Docket
- A list of court events, filings, hearing activity, or case movement.
- Minute entry
- A short court record of what happened during a court event.
- Disposition
- The result of a charge or case.
- Succession
- Louisiana's probate process for a deceased person's estate.
- Tutorship
- A Louisiana guardianship-type proceeding involving a minor.
St. James Parish Sheriff Records
The sheriff's official web and app system is a major record access channel. It includes inmate search, public records request, pay ticket, accident reports, online reporting, crime map, sex offender links, submit-a-tip, direct division contacts, and other public safety tools. Sheriff Claude J. Louis Jr. is listed in the official app contact data. The sheriff site states that the website improves communication with residents and is not for emergencies.
The manifest assigns the St. James Parish Sheriff's Office homepage to the home page.
The sheriff source supports the law-enforcement side of St. James Parish records, including jail custody and public-records request paths.
The sheriff public-records page lists written request methods and copy costs. It says requests may be sent by U.S. mail, email, or personal delivery to Public Information Officer Amanda Pertuis, P.O. Box 83, Convent, LA 70723, pio@stjamessheriff.com. It also says no fee is charged for examination, while copying and reproduction fees apply.
St. James Parish Sheriff App
The official sheriff manifest shows that the mobile and web app are not just a brochure. The app exposes high-value record channels such as inmate search, public records request, pay ticket, accident reports, Police to Citizen online reporting, crime map, sex offender map, Nixle, and direct contact features. The Apple listing names the app "St James Parish Sheriff's, LA," and the Google Play package is com.ocv.stJamesLASheriff.
The related manifest source is the official sheriff app web manifest.
The manifest is useful because it lists app links and service features that are harder to see from the JavaScript shell alone.
The manifest also assigns the sheriff contact data to the home page.
The contact data separates sheriff divisions, records functions, warrant contact, corrections, court minutes, and the Westbank Sub-Office.
St. James Parish Court Records Fees
The clerk and sheriff publish different fee sets. Clerk filing fees apply to court filings, civil matters, successions, and related district-court work. Recording fees apply to conveyance and mortgage records. Sheriff fees apply to copies of law-enforcement records and media. Always match the fee to the office that holds the record.
| Item | Official amount or rule |
|---|---|
| Divorce filing | $400 |
| Successions | $400 |
| Double successions | $500 |
| Tutorships | $300 |
| Certified copy of marriage record | $35, cash or money order |
| Clerk copies | Up to $2 per page |
| Certified copy for recorded document | $10 plus copy fee |
| Sheriff incident report | $5 per report |
| Sheriff crash report | $20 per report |
St. James Parish Public Access Rules
Louisiana public records law starts with access but then checks for restrictions. La. R.S. 44:31 gives the right to inspect, copy, or reproduce public records unless another law restricts the record. La. R.S. 44:1 defines public records and public bodies. Sheriff records also reference restrictions for criminal investigative material, juvenile identifiers, sexual-offense victim information, confidential sources, investigative methods, and security procedures.
Key Statutes:
La. R.S. 44:31 gives public access unless a specific restriction applies.
La. C.Cr.P. art. 971 defines criminal expungement terms.
La. R.S. 32:398 treats crash investigative reports separately from ordinary public records.
Restricted categories include juvenile records, sealed or expunged files, adoptions, mental-health-related proceedings when applicable, social security numbers, minor identities, sexual-offense victim identifiers, confidential sources, and security or investigative methods.
Marriage Divorce and Successions
Marriage licenses are issued by the Clerk of Court. The clerk's marriage process says a Louisiana marriage license may be issued in any parish regardless of where the ceremony occurs or where the parties live. The official page lists identification, birth certificate, Social Security number or passport/visa alternatives, signature, waiver, minor consent, covenant marriage, and prior divorce or death information rules. Certified copies are listed at $35.
Divorce records are district-court civil case files, and the clerk civil filing schedule lists divorce at $400. Successions, double successions, and tutorships are Louisiana probate-equivalent matters handled through district court and the clerk rather than a separate probate court. Adoption appears in the civil fee schedule, but adoption records should be treated as confidential or restricted unless legal authority allows access.
Federal Court Records
St. James Parish is in Louisiana, but federal court records are not local parish records. Federal civil and criminal cases use the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Bankruptcy cases use the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Federal appeals go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. PACER is the official federal case access system, and CM/ECF is the filing system for registered federal filers.
Do not call the St. James Parish Clerk of Court for a federal PACER docket. Do not use PACER for a local parish succession file. Use the court that created the record, then ask for the docket, document, order, judgment, or certified copy needed.
St. James Parish Mobile Access
The manifest assigns the Apple App Store listing for the St James Parish Sheriff's, LA app to the home page.
The Apple source supports the app name and official distribution channel for sheriff records-adjacent tools.
The manifest also assigns the Google Play listing for the sheriff app.
The Google Play source confirms the app package used for Android access to sheriff services.
St. James Parish Court Records FAQ
Is there one St. James Parish court case portal?
No official all-case public portal was located in the research. The clerk's published online search route is LCRAA for conveyance and mortgage records only.
Who keeps St. James Parish criminal case files?
The criminal case file is a court and clerk record. Sheriff arrest, custody, and offense records are separate and may have different access limits.
Where are successions handled?
Successions and tutorships are handled through the district court and Clerk of Court. St. James Parish does not use a separate probate court for those records.
Can the sheriff app replace the clerk?
No. The sheriff app is useful for inmate search, ticket payment, public-records requests, accident reports, crime map, and related sheriff services. Filed court case records still route to the clerk.
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