| Clerk of Court | Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court — Online Search Services |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court, 1000 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601 (mail: P.O. Box 1030, Lake Charles, LA 70602) |
| Phone | (337) 437-3550 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (passports and vital certificates unavailable after 3:30 p.m.) |
| Earliest records noted | 1986 |
| Plain copy fee | $1.00 per page (statutory maximum for district-court clerks under R.S. 13:841; a clerk may charge less) |
| Certified copy fee | $5.00 certification fee per copy under R.S. 13:841, on top of the $1.00 per-page copy charge; several parish clerks (for example Livingston and Tangipahoa) post $10.00, so check the parish schedule |
Calcasieu Parish, centered on Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana, makes up the 14th Judicial District Court, and the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court at 1000 Ryan Street keeps that court's civil, domestic, succession (probate), and criminal files along with the parish's mortgage and conveyance records. The office is organized into separate Civil Records and Criminal Records departments, each with its own phone extensions, and both sit in the same courthouse in downtown Lake Charles.
Online access is split between two platforms. Civil suits, divorces, and successions are searched through the clerk's account on the multi-parish Clerk Connect portal, while the criminal index, case history, minutes, and land records run on the clerk's own e-Search system at search2.calcasieuclerk.gov. Both are subscription services priced by the day, month, or year, and since July 1, 2025 every account type pays $1.00 per page to view or print. The clerk has announced that beginning September 14, 2026, criminal record access will also require a Clerk Connect criminal account, so expect the two systems to converge.
Criminal records here are unusually well documented: the Criminal Records department holds case files from 1986 forward, criminal minutes from 1993, and can run background searches covering 1987 to the present, with an archive of criminal, civil, succession, and marriage records from 1910 through 1985. Cases from Lake Charles City Court and Sulphur City Court are a different matter — those courts keep their own records and the parish clerk cannot pull them.
Search Calcasieu Parish court records online
Clerk of Court
Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court — Online Search Services
- Cost
- Civil (Clerk Connect): $20 per day, $55 per month, $660 per year. Criminal and land (e-Search): $20 per day, $45 per month, $540 per year. All accounts $1.00 per page viewed or printed
- Coverage
- Criminal index, case history, and minutes; civil cases including divorces and successions; civil minutes; and mortgage, conveyance, marriage, and miscellaneous land records for the 14th Judicial District Court
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
Civil records are searched through Clerk Connect; criminal and land records through the clerk's e-Search login at search2.calcasieuclerk.gov. A PDF on the Online Search Services page lists the date range available for each record type. Viewing records at the public terminals in the courthouse is free; in-office prints are $1.00 per page.
Other courts
Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court — Criminal Records Department
- Cost
- $1.00 per page for copies; $5.00 certification (stamp and seal); $10.00 for an extract of court minutes
- Coverage
- Criminal case records from 1986, criminal minutes from 1993, background searches from 1987, and an archive of 1910–1985 criminal, civil, succession, and marriage records
- Records
- Criminal
Anyone may request a criminal record with the defendant's name, date of birth, charge, and approximate year; no form is needed except that records involving sexual offenses, juveniles, or violent crimes require a judge-signed order. On-site files take 5–10 minutes; records in off-site storage take about three days. Phone (337) 437-3558, ext. 165.
Other courts
Lake Charles City Court
- Coverage
- Traffic, misdemeanor, juvenile, and civil matters up to $50,000 arising in Ward 3 of Calcasieu Parish
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
A separate court at 118 West Mill Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601; traffic/criminal (337) 491-1565, civil (337) 491-1564; open Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. It offers an online eviction search and ticket payment but its case files are not held by the parish clerk of court.
What is available online
Two subscription systems cover the 14th JDC: Clerk Connect for civil suits, divorces, successions, and civil minutes, and the clerk's e-Search for the criminal index, case history, minutes, and land records. Criminal records are held from 1986 forward and criminal minutes from 1993; the clerk posts a PDF of exact online date ranges by record type. Every account type pays $1.00 per page as of July 1, 2025. The clerk also posts the District Attorney's criminal priority docket lists free of charge on its Court Dockets page. City court cases from Lake Charles and Sulphur are kept by those courts, not the parish.
Which clerk has your record
In Louisiana, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Louisiana page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| District Courts | Felony criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other domestic matters; Civil suits above the district court's minimum amount in dispute | Clerk of Court of the parish (in Orleans Parish, the Clerk of Civil District Court for civil/family/probate and the Clerk of Criminal District Court for criminal cases) |
| Family and Juvenile Courts | Divorce, custody, and child support (where a standalone family court exists); Juvenile delinquency and child-in-need-of-care cases | Clerk of the Family or Juvenile Court, or the parish clerk of court where no separate court exists |
| City Courts and Parish Courts | Civil suits up to the court's jurisdictional limit (commonly $35,000–$50,000); Misdemeanors and municipal ordinance violations within city limits; Small claims and traffic tickets | Clerk of the individual city or parish court |
| Justice of the Peace and Mayor's Courts | Small claims and minor civil disputes outside city limits; Municipal ordinance violations in towns without a city court | Justice of the peace or mayor's-court clerk for that ward or municipality |
Request records in person or by mail
Calcasieu Parish clerk offices
Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court, 1000 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601 (mail: P.O. Box 1030, Lake Charles, LA 70602)
Phone: (337) 437-3550
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (passports and vital certificates unavailable after 3:30 p.m.)
In person. Go to the clerk of court at 1000 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Public terminals let you view records at no charge; printed copies are $1.00 per page and a certified copy adds $5.00 per seal. For criminal files, the Criminal Records desk (ext. 165) needs the defendant's name, date of birth, charge, and approximate year.
By mail. Write to P.O. Box 1030, Lake Charles, LA 70602, with the case number or party names and year, the documents wanted, whether certification is required, and payment or a request for a quote. Call Civil Records at (337) 437-3558, ext. 460, or Criminal Records at ext. 165, first to confirm the fee. An extract of court minutes in a criminal case is a flat $10.00.
Online. Subscribe to Clerk Connect for civil records ($20 per day, $55 per month, $660 per year) or to the clerk's e-Search for criminal and land records ($20 per day, $45 per month, $540 per year); both charge $1.00 per page to view or print. Registration is by credit card on the clerk's website.
City court cases. Lake Charles City Court and Sulphur City Court records must be requested from those courts directly; the parish clerk only holds 14th JDC files.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Louisiana |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $1.00 per page (statutory maximum for district-court clerks under R.S. 13:841; a clerk may charge less) |
| Certified copy | $5.00 certification fee per copy under R.S. 13:841, on top of the $1.00 per-page copy charge; several parish clerks (for example Livingston and Tangipahoa) post $10.00, so check the parish schedule |
R.S. 13:841 sets the ceiling for district-court clerk fees in civil matters — copies $1.00 per page, certification of a copy $5.00, conformed copies $3.00 — and says each clerk's fee "may be less than, but shall not exceed" those amounts. In practice most parish clerks charge the full $1.00 per page; the certification fee varies from $5.00 to $10.00 by parish, and criminal-side copy fees are set separately. Many clerks also charge for a ClerkConnect or eSearch subscription to view records remotely. Confirm the current fee with the specific parish clerk before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Louisiana's Public Records Law (Revised Statutes Title 44) presumes public records — including most court filings — are open, and R.S. 44:31 gives any adult the right to inspect, copy, or reproduce a public record unless a specific law says otherwise. Several categories are removed from public view:
The Louisiana guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Are Calcasieu Parish court records online?
Yes, by subscription. Civil suits, divorces, and successions are on Clerk Connect; the criminal index, case history, minutes, and land records are on the clerk's own e-Search system. Both charge $1.00 per page on top of the daily, monthly, or yearly subscription.
How far back do Calcasieu Parish criminal records go?
The Criminal Records department holds case records from 1986 forward and criminal minutes from 1993, and can run background searches covering 1987 to the present. An archive of criminal, civil, succession, and marriage records covers 1910 through 1985.
What does a copy of a Calcasieu court record cost?
$1.00 per page for plain copies, $5.00 for a certified stamp and seal, and $10.00 for an extract of court minutes in a criminal case. Viewing at the courthouse terminals is free.
Where are Lake Charles traffic tickets and misdemeanors filed?
At Lake Charles City Court, 118 West Mill Street, which covers Ward 3 of the parish. Sulphur has its own city court as well. Neither court's records are held by the parish clerk of court.
Sources
- Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court — https://www.calcasieuclerk.gov/
- Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court — Online Search Services — https://www.calcasieuclerk.gov/online-search-services
- Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court — Fees and Costs — https://www.calcasieuclerk.gov/fees-and-costs
- Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court — Civil Records — https://www.calcasieuclerk.gov/civil-records
- Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court — Criminal Records — https://www.calcasieuclerk.gov/criminal-records
- Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court — Request Criminal Records — https://www.calcasieuclerk.gov/request-criminal-records
- Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court — Court Dockets — https://www.calcasieuclerk.gov/court-dockets
- Lake Charles City Court — https://www.lccitycourt.org/
- Louisiana Supreme Court — Judicial Branch overview — https://www.lasc.org/
- Louisiana Supreme Court Case Search — https://www.lasc.org/Search
- Louisiana State Police — Bureau of Criminal Identification & Information — https://lsp.org/about/leadershipsections/support/bcii/fingerprints-and-background-checks/
- eClerks LA — Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority — https://www.eclerksla.com/about/statewideportal
- re:SearchLA — https://researchla.tylerhost.net/CourtRecordsSearch/Home
- Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 971 — Expungement, legislative findings — https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=919662
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 44:31 — Right to examine records — https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=99688
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 13:841 — Enumeration of fees in civil matters — https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=78097
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana — https://www.laed.uscourts.gov/
- PACER — Federal court records — https://pacer.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Louisiana counties.