Sabine Parish Civil Court Records
Sabine Parish civil court records are filed and kept at the Clerk of Court office in Many, Louisiana, where the clerk maintains civil case filings, land records, and other official parish documents going back as far as 1843. You can search Sabine Parish civil records through the eSearch portal on the clerk's website, visit the Many courthouse in person, or contact the office by phone or mail to access civil case files and property documents.
Sabine Parish Quick Facts
Sabine Parish Clerk of Court
Shelly Salter serves as the Sabine Parish Clerk of Court. Her office is located at 400 South Capitol Street, Room 102, in Many. The clerk is responsible for maintaining all civil court filings, land records, and other official documents for the parish. One thing that stands out about the Sabine Parish office is how it operates financially. As the clerk notes, "The Clerk of Court's office is almost completely self sufficient and operates from the statutory fees it collects, not from taxes." That means the office does not rely on tax revenue to function. It runs on the fees collected for filings, copies, and recordings.
The scope of civil records maintained by the clerk is broad. According to the office, "Any divorce, collection, damage suit, small claim, expropriation, succession, tutorship or other civil litigation filed in Sabine Parish may be found in this department." That covers virtually every type of civil matter filed in the 11th Judicial District Court. The mailing address for written requests is P.O. Box 419, Many, LA 71449. The office can also be reached by fax at (318) 256-9037.
| Clerk of Court | Shelly Salter |
|---|---|
| Address | 400 South Capitol Street, Room 102 Many, LA 71449 |
| Mailing Address | P.O. Box 419, Many, LA 71449 |
| Phone | (318) 256-6223 |
| Fax | (318) 256-9037 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | sabineparishclerk.com |
How to Search Sabine Parish Civil Court Records
The Sabine Parish Clerk of Court website at sabineparishclerk.com hosts an eSearch portal at sabineparishclerk.com/online-access. This portal gives you access to civil suit indexes from January 1, 1985 to the present, with document images available from 1998 onward. Conveyance records go all the way back to 1843, which is one of the deepest historical records collections available online in any Louisiana parish.
The clerk makes a point of highlighting how far back the records go: "Yes, even our oldest indices and record book images are online. Click the tab 'Index Prior to 1964' to search and view: Conveyance Indices and Images from 1843-1963 and Mortgage Indices and Images from 1843-1968." This is significant for genealogy researchers, historians, and title attorneys who need to trace property ownership or family records going back generations.
Subscriptions for the eSearch portal are available at several price points. A daily pass costs $20.00. A one-month subscription is $100.00. A three-month plan runs $300.00. An annual subscription costs $1,200.00. These rates apply to the eSearch system on the clerk's own website. If you only need a quick look at a case index, the statewide eClerks LA portal provides free index searches and may have basic Sabine Parish case data without a subscription. Clerk Connect is another option for statewide online access.
To search by name, use the full legal name of at least one party. For property records, a parcel description or section-township-range reference helps narrow the search. Civil case numbers work well too. Staff at the Many courthouse can help you run a search or locate older files during regular business hours Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
The eClerks LA statewide portal provides free index-level searches for Sabine Parish civil records. Use this to check whether a case exists before subscribing to the eSearch portal for full document images.
The Sabine Parish Clerk of Court office in Many maintains civil case records from 1985 to the present and conveyance records dating back to 1843, all accessible through the eSearch portal on the clerk's website.
Civil Court Records in Sabine Parish
The Sabine Parish Clerk of Court maintains civil records for the 11th Judicial District Court. The range of civil matters in Sabine Parish covers most common case types. The clerk's own description is useful: "Any divorce, collection, damage suit, small claim, expropriation, succession, tutorship or other civil litigation filed in Sabine Parish may be found in this department." That means if it was filed in civil court in Sabine Parish, the clerk has it.
Under the Louisiana Public Records Act, La. R.S. 44:1-41, anyone can inspect civil court records at no charge. Inspection is free. You only pay when you request copies. Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 251 places the duty to maintain and provide access to filed records on the Clerk of Court. You do not need to be a party to the case to access the file. You do not need to give a reason for your request. These rights apply equally to all members of the public.
The depth of Sabine Parish's online records is worth noting for anyone doing property or genealogy research. Conveyance indices and images are available online going back to 1843. Mortgage indices and images go back to 1843 as well, with coverage through 1968 available through the pre-1964 index tab on the eSearch portal. These are primary historical documents, and having them available online without needing to visit in person is a real benefit for researchers.
Civil suit indexes are online from 1985 forward. If you need a civil case from before 1985, an in-person visit or written request to the clerk's office is the right path. Staff can pull older case files from the archives. Bring the names of the parties or any details you know about the case to speed up the search.
Records that are not public include sealed case files, adoption matters, juvenile court proceedings, and any documents restricted by court order. These are not available through the eSearch portal or in person at the front counter. If you believe a public record is being incorrectly withheld, La. R.S. 44:35 gives you a legal path to seek a court order requiring production of the record.
For those who do regular work in Sabine Parish, the annual eSearch subscription at $1,200.00 per year makes sense if you need frequent access to both civil case images and historical land records. For occasional lookups, the daily or monthly plans are more practical. The free eClerks LA portal is always a good first stop to confirm a case exists before spending money on a subscription.
Nearby Parishes
These parishes border or are close to Sabine Parish. Civil cases are filed in the parish where the parties live or where the events at issue occurred. Note that Sabine Parish shares a border with Newton County, Texas to the west. Texas records are separate and are not accessible through Louisiana clerk portals.