Orleans Parish Civil Court Records

Orleans Parish civil court records are managed by the Clerk of Court for the Civil District Court, with offices at 421 Loyola Avenue in New Orleans. Orleans Parish has a unique court structure compared to other Louisiana parishes, with separate courts handling different types of civil matters. The Civil District Court handles major civil cases including personal injury, successions, and foreclosures. Two city courts handle smaller civil matters and evictions. Land records and the historic Notarial Archives are maintained at a separate location on Poydras Street. You can search civil records online, visit the courthouse, or submit a written request to get what you need.

Orleans Parish Clerk of Court

Chelsey Richard Napoleon serves as the Orleans Parish Clerk of Court. The Civil Division office is at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402, in New Orleans. Land records and the Notarial Archives are kept at a separate location: 1340 Poydras Street, 4th Floor, New Orleans. The clerk's office describes its structure clearly: "Our office consists of two divisions - Land Records and Civil. Civil Division handles personal injury, accidents, successions and foreclosures." That gives you a quick sense of which division to contact depending on what type of record you need.

Orleans Parish has a court setup you will not find elsewhere in Louisiana. Most parishes have one district court that handles all civil matters. Orleans has the Civil District Court (CDC) for major civil cases, First City Court at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 201, which handles evictions and small claims up to $25,000 on the Eastbank, and Second City Court for civil matters in the Algiers and Westbank areas. If you are looking for a record, it matters which court heard the case. A personal injury suit would go through CDC. An eviction action or a smaller civil claim might be in one of the city courts instead.

The Orleans Parish Clerk of Court Civil Division is at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402, in New Orleans. The office maintains civil case files for the Civil District Court and connects to online records at orleanscivilclerk.com.

The historical depth of Orleans Parish records is significant. "The Notarial Archives Research Center contains documents dating back to the 1700s." These are notarial acts, conveyances, mortgages, and other legal instruments that go back to the colonial era. Researchers looking at very old property or civil matters will find that the Notarial Archives at 1340 Poydras is a separate research destination from the standard civil case records. Call ahead before visiting to confirm hours and access rules for the archives. Note also that a filing fee increase took effect January 1, 2026, so confirm current fees before submitting any new documents.

Search Orleans Parish Civil Court Records Online

The Orleans Parish Clerk of Court offers online record access through its own portal at orleanscivilclerk.com/onlinerecords.html. This is not a Clerk Connect or eClerks LA subscription. It is a standalone system specific to Orleans Parish. Access costs $20 for 24 hours, $100 for a monthly subscription, or $700 for a full year. The system covers civil case records that have been scanned and indexed. "To make the information more accessible, all documents are scanned and can be accessed electronically online." That means you can pull up actual document images, not just index entries, for records that have been digitized.

If you want free index-level access, the statewide eClerks LA portal covers Orleans Parish along with all other Louisiana parishes. You can search by party name or document type and get basic case details at no cost. This is a good way to confirm a case number before paying for full document access through the Orleans Parish system. The records room can be reached at (504) 407-0036 if you want to ask about a specific file before you visit or subscribe.

The Orleans Parish online records portal at orleanscivilclerk.com/onlinerecords.html provides subscription access to scanned civil case documents and land records.

For in-person searches, go to Room 402 at 421 Loyola Avenue for civil case records. Bring a case number or a party name to give staff something to search. Uncertified copies cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies run $3.00 per page. If you need probate records, the probate division line is (504) 407-0047. For land records and Notarial Archives research, head to 1340 Poydras Street, 4th Floor, a separate location from the Civil Division. Call ahead to confirm that location's hours before going. Written requests can be directed to cdcclerk@orleanscivilclerk.com for email inquiries.

Civil Court Records in Orleans Parish

Orleans Parish civil court records come from several courts depending on the case type. The Civil District Court at 421 Loyola Avenue hears major civil matters: personal injury suits, accident claims, contract disputes, successions, foreclosures, and other cases where the amount in dispute is high or the legal issue requires a district court judge. First City Court, also at 421 Loyola but in Room 201, handles Eastbank eviction cases and small civil claims up to $25,000. Second City Court covers the Algiers neighborhood and Westbank civil matters of a similar nature. Knowing which court handled your case tells you which records room to contact.

All of these courts generate public records that fall under the Louisiana Public Records Act, La. R.S. 44:1-41, which entitles anyone to inspect civil court documents for free. Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 251 requires the Clerk of Court to maintain filed records and make them available to the public. You do not need to be a party to a case to look at the file. You do not need to explain why you are asking. Inspection is free at the courthouse during regular business hours. The cost comes in only when you request copies: $1.00 per page for uncertified copies, $3.00 per page for certified copies in Orleans Parish. Records that are sealed by court order, adoption files, and juvenile court matters are not part of the public record and cannot be accessed through a standard records request. The Notarial Archives at Poydras Street hold documents going back to the 1700s, making Orleans Parish one of the richest civil record repositories in the entire country for historical research.

Nearby Parishes

Orleans Parish is the city of New Orleans. These surrounding parishes each have their own civil court records and clerk offices. If a case involves parties from more than one parish, or if you are not sure which courthouse handled a filing, check where the parties lived or where the disputed property sits.