Search Ouachita Parish Civil Court Records
Ouachita Parish civil court records are filed with the Clerk of Court in Monroe, Louisiana, where the office serves as the official custodian of all civil case filings, judgments, and related documents for the 4th Judicial District. You can access Ouachita Parish civil court records online through Clerk Connect or the 4th JDC Online Docket, visit the Monroe courthouse in person, or send a written request by mail. As of January 1, 2025, the office went fully paperless, and all official records are now electronic.
Ouachita Parish Quick Facts
Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court
Clerk of Court Dana Benson runs the Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court office at 301 South Grand Street in Monroe. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except on legal holidays. Staff can help with civil case searches, certified copy requests, land record lookups, and other services. As the office notes, "We cannot respond to specific or general legal questions or issues," so if you need legal advice, you will need to contact an attorney.
The Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court is a self-supporting office. It runs on fees collected under state law rather than tax money. That keeps the office independent of the parish general fund. Dana Benson was elected to run this office and handles all civil, criminal, and land records for the parish. The office also handles marriage licenses, notarial acts, and other official parish documents.
The official website for the Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court is at opclerkofcourt.com, where you can find contact details, fee schedules, and links to online access portals.
| Clerk of Court | Dana Benson |
|---|---|
| Address | 301 South Grand St., Suite 104 Monroe, LA 71201 |
| Phone | (318) 327-1444 |
| Fax | (318) 327-1462 |
| danab@opcoc.la.gov | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | opclerkofcourt.com |
Ouachita Parish Goes Paperless in 2025
Ouachita Parish made a major shift on January 1, 2025. The clerk's office went entirely paperless. All new filings are now electronic. "The official record is now the electronic record, eliminating chance of misfiling," as the office has stated. This affects how civil court records are filed and stored going forward. Paper documents filed before that date are still on record, but new filings are digital only.
Non-attorneys who need to file civil documents can use free filing stations set up at the clerk's office. You don't need a paid subscription to file. "Documents filed by non-attorneys may be filed by using the free access to Clerk Connect," the office notes. So if you're filing a civil suit on your own, you can go in person and use the station at no charge. This is a notable change from how the office operated before.
Attorneys and regular filers use the Clerk Connect platform to submit documents online. Non-attorneys can also get free Clerk Connect access for viewing records, not just filing. This is worth knowing if you're trying to research a case and don't want to pay a subscription fee. Free access is limited, but it lets you look up basic case index information.
How to Search Ouachita Parish Civil Court Records
You have a few ways to find civil court records in Ouachita Parish. Online is the fastest. In-person works well if you need documents on the same day. Mail requests take more time but work fine for basic copy requests.
The Clerk Connect portal at clerkconnect.com is the main platform for Ouachita Parish civil record searches. Subscriptions run $20 for 24-hour access, $75 for a monthly pass, and $800 per year. Printing costs $0.50 per page through the online portal. Non-attorneys can get free access for in-office use at the clerk's terminals. A 3.49% card processing fee (minimum $1) applies when you pay by card.
The 4th JDC Online Docket is another tool for searching civil case activity in Ouachita Parish. It covers the 4th Judicial District Court docket and lets you look up cases by party name or case number. This is a good starting point if you just need to check whether a case exists or find a case number before paying for full document access.
To search in person, go to Suite 104 at 301 South Grand Street in Monroe. Staff can run searches by name for $5 per name. Bring the full legal name of at least one party to the case. In-person copy fees are $1 per page. Certified copies carry an extra $5 charge. You can pay by card, but the 3.49% processing fee still applies.
The statewide eClerks LA portal also covers Ouachita Parish. Under La. R.S. 13:754, all 64 Louisiana clerks participate in this system. Free index searches are available without a subscription, though full document access may require a paid plan depending on the parish.
The Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court website has a screenshot of the Clerk Connect search interface below.
The Clerk Connect portal at opclerkofcourt.com shows the online civil record search options for Ouachita Parish, including subscription tiers and free access for non-attorneys.
Clerk Connect at clerkconnect.com is the primary portal for searching Ouachita Parish civil court records online, with subscription access and free in-office terminals for non-attorneys.
Online Civil Record Access for Ouachita Parish
The Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court maintains the 4th JDC Online Docket for public access to civil case information. This covers cases filed in the 4th Judicial District Court. You can check case status, view party names, and see filed documents through this system. Combine this with the Clerk Connect subscription for full document access and search tools.
The 4th Judicial District Court docket page for Ouachita Parish is accessible through the clerk's website at opclerkofcourt.com, giving users access to civil case activity and filings.
Under La. R.S. § 44:1-41, the Louisiana Public Records Act, inspection of public records including civil court files is free of charge. You only pay when you request copies to be made. Birth certificates through the clerk's office cost $34. Death records cost $26. Standard copy fees for civil case documents run $1 per page in person. Certified copies add $5 to the base copy cost.
Civil Court Records in Ouachita Parish
The Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court handles all civil filings in the 4th Judicial District Court. Civil cases filed in Ouachita Parish include personal injury lawsuits, contract disputes, property disputes, debt actions, successions, domestic matters, and injunctions. Each case file grows as new documents come in. All pleadings, motions, and court orders are public unless a judge seals them.
Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 251 places the duty to keep and share court records on the Clerk. Under this rule, the clerk must keep all filed documents and make them available to the public. You do not need to be a party to a case to search for records. You don't need to explain why you want to see a file. Inspection is always free under Louisiana law. You only pay when you ask for copies.
Some records are sealed or restricted by law. Adoption cases, juvenile court records, mental health filings, and any file sealed by court order are not open to the public. Expunged criminal records are also not available. If you are unsure whether a record is public, ask the clerk's office staff. They can tell you what is available without giving legal advice.
The clerk maintains land records too. Conveyances, mortgages, and other property documents are filed at the same office. These are separate from civil court case files but are also public records under Louisiana law.
Ouachita Parish Civil Record Fees
Here is what to expect when requesting civil court records in Ouachita Parish. Fees are set by state law and follow standard Louisiana clerk rates.
| 24-Hour Online Access | $20 |
|---|---|
| Monthly Online Access | $75 |
| Annual Online Access | $800 |
| Online Printing | $0.50 per page |
| In-Person Copies | $1.00 per page |
| Certified Copies | $1.00/page + $5.00 certification fee |
| Name Search | $5.00 per name |
| Birth Certificate | $34.00 |
| Death Record | $26.00 |
| Card Processing Fee | 3.49% (minimum $1.00) |
Non-attorneys can use the free filing stations at the clerk's office to file documents or search records without paying subscription fees. This free access applies to Clerk Connect terminals inside the courthouse. Call the office at (318) 327-1444 before your visit if you have questions about what you need to bring or what fees apply to your request.
Monroe Civil Court Records
Monroe is the parish seat of Ouachita Parish and the largest city in northeast Louisiana. Civil cases filed by Monroe residents are handled by the Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court at the 4th Judicial District courthouse in Monroe. For more on civil records specific to Monroe, see the Monroe civil court records page.
Nearby Parishes
Civil cases are filed in the parish where a party lives or where the dispute arose. If you are not sure which parish handled a case, check nearby parishes as well.