Find Civil Court Records in West Feliciana Parish

West Feliciana Parish civil court records are filed and kept at the Clerk of Court office in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Search online through eClerks LA, visit the courthouse in person, or send a written request by mail.

West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court

Stewart B. Hughes serves as the elected Clerk of Court for West Feliciana Parish. The office is on Prosperity Street in St. Francisville. It files all civil petitions, motions, answers, and judgments for the 20th Judicial District Court. West Feliciana shares that district with East Feliciana Parish. The clerk also records conveyances and mortgages, issues marriage licenses, and keeps a full set of parish documents going back well over a century.

The historical record collection at this office is worth noting. As the clerk's records state, the "Parish Clerk has marriage records from 1879, divorce, probate and court records from 1900 and land records from 1811." That is more than two centuries of land records in one office. Anyone doing genealogical research, a title search, or probate work in West Feliciana Parish will need to start here. The court administrator for the 20th JDC is Miranda Bourgoyne, reached at (225) 683-0613 or mbourgoyne@bellsouth.net.

The fees information page for the West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court shows copy rates, access procedures, and service options available to the public.

How to Search West Feliciana Parish Civil Court Records

There are three ways to search civil records in West Feliciana Parish. You can use the free eClerks LA portal online, visit the St. Francisville courthouse in person, or mail a written request to the clerk's P.O. Box. Each method works. Which one is best depends on what you need and how fast you need it.

West Feliciana Parish participates in the eClerks LA statewide portal at eclerksla.com. The Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority runs this system under La. R.S. 13:754, which requires all 64 Louisiana clerks to take part. The free index search lets you look up civil and land records by party name or document type across all parishes. Results show the names of the parties, the filing date, and the case type. To get the full document images, you need to visit the office or use a paid access plan. Clerk Connect at clerkconnect.com may also offer access to Winn Parish records through a subscription, with 24-hour and monthly access tiers available.

eClerks LA at eclerksla.com is free for public index searches and covers all Louisiana parishes, including West Feliciana.

In-person visits to the "West Feliciana Parish Courthouse, 4785 Prosperity St, St. Francisville, LA 70775. Phone: 225-635-3794" give you direct access to case files. Staff can search by party name or case number and pull the file while you wait. Inspection is free. If you want copies made, fees apply. For very old records from the 1800s or early 1900s, call ahead so staff can prepare. Those materials may be on microfilm or in archive storage and may need extra time to retrieve.

Mail requests go to P.O. Box 1843, St. Francisville, LA 70775. Include the party name, case type, and approximate filing year. Add payment for any copies you need and a self-addressed stamped envelope so the office can send your results back to you. Allow extra time for mail requests, especially if the records are older or the request covers a broad date range.

Civil Court Records in West Feliciana Parish

All civil cases in West Feliciana Parish are filed with the Clerk of Court and heard in the 20th Judicial District Court. Civil filings include personal injury suits, contract disputes, property actions, debt collection cases, successions, and family law matters such as custody and child support. Each case builds a file as documents come in. Every pleading, motion, and court order in that file is public unless a judge seals it.

Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 251 gives the Clerk of Court the legal duty to maintain all civil records and make them available to the public. You do not need to be a party in the case to ask for access. You do not need to give a reason. Inspection of public civil records is free. You pay only when you want copies. That is the same across all 64 Louisiana parishes.

The Louisiana Public Records Act, La. R.S. 44:1-41, guarantees your right to inspect and copy public records held by any government body in the state. Civil court records at the West Feliciana Parish Clerk's office are public records. The clerk cannot refuse access without a legal basis. Sealed records, adoption filings, juvenile court matters, and documents removed from public access by court order are the main exceptions. Those are held separately and require a court order to view.

Copy fees follow standard Louisiana rates. Plain copies run $1.00 per page. Certified copies cost more. In-person inspection is always free under state law. Call (225) 635-3794 or email wfelicianaclerk@bellsouth.net to confirm current rates before you visit or send a check, as fees can change and the office may not accept all payment types.

West Feliciana is a small parish, which has practical benefits when you are searching records. The office is not a large, busy bureaucracy. Staff can often locate a file quickly and give you time to review it at a pace that works for you. That said, small offices can run short on staff during busy periods or local events. A quick phone call before you make the drive from out of town is always a good idea.

For records from the 20th JDC that involve East Feliciana Parish, contact the East Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court in Clinton. The two parishes share the judicial district but each clerk manages its own separate docket and files. A civil case filed in West Feliciana Parish will not appear in East Feliciana's records and vice versa.

Nearby Parishes

These parishes border or are near West Feliciana Parish. Civil cases are filed in the parish where at least one party lives or where the subject of the dispute is located. Check the parties' addresses at the time of filing if you are not sure which parish holds the record you need.