Evangeline Parish Civil Court Records

Evangeline Parish civil court records are filed and maintained at the Clerk of Court office in Ville Platte, Louisiana, where Hon. Randall M. "Randy" Deshotel serves as the official custodian of all civil case filings, judgments, land records, and related documents for the parish. Records date back to 1911, when Evangeline Parish was created from part of St. Landry Parish. You can search civil records through the clerk's public records search portal, visit the Ville Platte courthouse in person, or pay court fines and fees online through nCourt.

Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court

Hon. Randall M. "Randy" Deshotel serves as the Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court. The office is at 200 Court Street, Suite 104, in Ville Platte. "Welcome to the official website of the Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court!" the office states on its site. The clerk and staff handle all civil case filings, land records, mortgages, conveyances, marriage licenses, and other official parish records. The office notes that "our expert staff is here to handle the recording and preservation of various legal instruments."

Evangeline Parish was created in 1911 from part of St. Landry Parish. That means all civil court records here go back to 1911 at the earliest. The clerk's office maintains those records on file for public inspection and copy requests. "Navigating civil matters is made easier with our dedicated support," the office notes, which means staff can help you search for a case, pull a file, or explain the copy request process.

The clerk also offers an online payment option for court fines and fees through nCourt at ncourt.com. That tool lets you pay court-related charges from home without visiting the courthouse. It is not a case search tool but is useful once you have a case number and need to handle payment.

Reach the clerk's office at (337) 363-5671 or (337) 363-5780, or by email at EVANGELINECOC@YAHOO.COM. The clerk's website is at evangelineparishclerkofcourt.com.

How to Search Evangeline Parish Civil Court Records

The Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court maintains a public records search tool on its website. That portal lets you search civil case indexes without visiting the courthouse. Go to evangelineparishclerkofcourt.com and look for the public records search link to start a search by party name or case number.

In-person visits to the courthouse at 200 Court Street are open Monday through Friday. The office opens at 8:00 AM, which is a half hour earlier than many other Louisiana parish clerk offices. Bring the name of a party to the case or a case number to help staff locate the file. Records go back to 1911. For cases from earlier periods, Evangeline Parish did not exist before that year, so you would need to look in St. Landry Parish for older records involving the same area.

Mail requests are also accepted. Send a written request to P.O. Drawer 347, Ville Platte, LA 70586 with payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The office will process your request and return any copies found. All requests should include the party name and an approximate date range or case number if known.

The Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court at evangelineparishclerkofcourt.com provides the public records search portal and contact details for civil record requests in Ville Platte.

Online Access and Fees for Evangeline Parish

The clerk's website offers a public records search for civil case index lookups. That is the main online tool available for Evangeline Parish. For document images, an in-person visit or mail request may be required depending on the record type. The nCourt payment system at ncourt.com is available for paying court fines and fees online. It is not a record search tool but is useful if you already have a case number and need to handle a payment from home.

Additional information on civil record services and the clerk's functions in Evangeline Parish is available through the office website at evangelineparishclerkofcourt.com.

Under the Louisiana Public Records Act, La. R.S. § 44:1-41, you can view any civil court record for free. You pay only for copies. Standard copy rates in Louisiana are $1.00 per page for plain copies and $5.00 to $10.00 for certified documents. Call (337) 363-5671 to confirm current fees before visiting or sending a mail request. In-person inspection is always free. No reason is needed to view a public record.

Civil Court Records in Evangeline Parish

The Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court handles all civil filings for the 13th Judicial District Court. Civil cases here include personal injury suits, contract disputes, property matters, debt collection actions, successions, and family law filings. The office records and preserves these "various legal instruments" as the clerk describes its mission. All filings and court orders are public unless sealed by the court.

Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 251 requires the clerk to maintain all filed documents and make them open to the public. Anyone can inspect a civil case file. You do not need to be a party. You do not need to give a reason. Viewing is free. You only pay if you want copies. That rule applies to all civil records filed since 1911 when the parish was formed.

Some records are not open. Adoption files, juvenile court matters, mental health filings, and court-sealed records are not part of the public record. If you need access to a sealed file, you must petition the court. The clerk cannot provide those files without a court order.

Bring a valid photo ID when visiting the Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court in Ville Platte to request civil record copies. The office opens at 8:00 AM, so early morning visits are welcome.

Nearby Parishes

These parishes border or are near Evangeline Parish. If you are not sure which parish handled a civil case, check the address of the parties at the time of filing. Civil suits go to the parish where at least one party lives or where the dispute arose.