Bossier Parish Police Records Search

Bossier Parish police records are managed by the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office in Benton and include offense reports, inmate records, and sex offender registry data. Residents can request police reports at the Parish Courthouse, and the parish also maintains a detailed public records fee schedule and a Custodian of Records for broader record requests. This page covers the full process for finding and requesting Bossier Parish police records.

Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office

The Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office is located at 204 Burt Boulevard in Benton, Louisiana 71006. The mailing address is P.O. Box 850, Benton, LA 71006. You can reach the office by phone at (318) 965-2203 or by email at info@bossiersheriff.com. Their website is at www.bossiersheriff.com.

The Sheriff's Office maintains a database of written narratives for incidents responded to by deputies across the parish. These offense reports are available to the public, making Bossier Parish one of the more accessible parishes for police record requests in northwest Louisiana. When you need a report, you go to the Parish Courthouse during office hours.

How to Get Police Reports in Bossier Parish

To request a police report from the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office, you go to the Parish Courthouse during regular office hours. You'll need to provide three pieces of information: the names of the parties involved in the incident, the place and date the incident occurred, and the name of the deputy who responded. If you have the case number, bring that too — it speeds things up considerably.

The fee for a police report is $5.25. If you pay by credit card, a 5% service charge is added on top. Cash or check avoids the service fee. It's a modest cost compared to other parishes, and the process is relatively straightforward for closed cases.

Bossier Parish also has a formal Custodian of Records for broader public records requests that go beyond police reports. That office is at the Police Jury location: P.O. Box 70, Benton, LA 71006, and the phone is (318) 965-2329. The fax number is (318) 965-3703. The current Parish Secretary and Records Custodian can be reached by email at aezell@bossierparishla.org. For online information about the custodian's role and the fee schedule, visit the Bossier Parish records portal.

Bossier Parish Public Records Fee Schedule

The Bossier Parish public records fee schedule covers a range of document types. Black and white copies up to 8.5 by 14 inches cost $0.50 per page. Color copies are $1.00 per page. Records transmitted electronically cost $0.50 per page. Data provided on CD costs $10 per disk. These fees apply to records held by the Parish and its agencies, separate from the Sheriff's Office police report fee mentioned above.

If you want to look at records without getting copies, you can do that at no charge. The parish allows free onsite inspection of records at a mutually agreed time and location, with a parish employee present. You review the records, decide what you want copied, and pay only for the copies you take.

Once a request is made, the parish will notify you within three business days. If fees apply, they will give you a cost estimate within two business days after that. Copies are not made until you provide written confirmation that you want them and payment is received. If payment isn't received within 10 business days, you may need to submit a new request to restart the process.

Online Inmate Lookup and Jail Information

The Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office offers an online inmate search tool on their website. You can search by full name or booking date to see who is currently held in the parish. This is one of the more convenient tools available locally — no phone call or visit required for a basic check.

Bossier Parish operates two jail facilities. The Bossier Medium Security Facility is at 2984 Old Plain Dealing Road, Plain Dealing, LA 71064. The Bossier Maximum Security Facility is directly next door at 2985 Old Plain Dealing Road. The Corrections Division can be reached at (318) 326-4405 or (318) 326-5927.

Sex Offender Registry in Bossier Parish

The Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office maintains a sex offender registry online. You can search it by name, date of birth, registration number, or by geographic proximity to an address. This is separate from the state-level registry and can be a useful local resource. Most people find the proximity search helpful when they want to know what registered offenders live near a specific location in Bossier Parish.

Louisiana Public Records Law

Bossier Parish follows Louisiana's Public Records Act (La. R.S. 44:1), which gives any adult the right to inspect public records. Agencies must respond within three business days. The law covers a wide range of documents, but not everything qualifies. Under La. R.S. 44:3, records tied to active investigations, juvenile cases, and undercover operations are exempt. So if a Bossier Parish case is still open, the report stays closed until the investigation wraps up.

The three-day response rule applies to acknowledging the request, not necessarily to completing it. If the records take longer to pull, the agency should let you know with a timeline. Payment must be confirmed in writing before copies are made.

Criminal History Is Restricted in Louisiana

Louisiana does not make full criminal histories available to the general public. Under La. R.S. 15:587, the LSP Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (BCII-LCJIS) is the central repository for criminal history data in the state, and access is limited to authorized agencies — courts, law enforcement, and specific licensed employers. A Bossier Parish resident cannot walk into the Sheriff's Office and request a full criminal history on someone else. The offense report system covers closed incidents; a person's full criminal record is a different and restricted document.

If you need a background check for a licensed profession or other authorized purpose, go through the Louisiana State Police background check service. The fee is $36 ($31 plus $5 technology fee). Fingerprinting through the LAPS/IdentoGO network is typically required, with over 100 sites statewide. Find locations at the LSP fingerprinting page.

Your Own Criminal Record

Under La. R.S. 15:588, you can request your own criminal history from the state. A mail request costs $31. Going in person to LSP headquarters at 7919 Independence Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806 costs $41. Call (225) 925-6095 to confirm the current process. For professions covered by the IBC system, visit the IBC portal or the IBC FAQ.

Bossier Parish Clerk of Court

The Bossier Parish Clerk of Court is at 204 Burt Boulevard, Second Floor, Benton, LA 71006. You can reach them at (318) 965-2336. The Clerk maintains court records for civil and criminal matters in the parish, separate from the Sheriff's records. After a criminal case is resolved, the court record shows the full legal outcome: charges filed, plea or verdict, and sentence. If you need to trace a case from arrest through final disposition, combining the Sheriff's offense report with the Clerk's court record gives you the most complete picture.

Crash Reports for Bossier Parish

If you were involved in a traffic accident in Bossier Parish, crash reports are available through the LSP crash reports page. Reports for crashes after January 1, 2006 cost $11.50 plus fees and require a 15 working day wait. Fatal crashes require 60 days and must be picked up in person at an LSP Troop office. The LSP Traffic Records Unit handles questions about the process. DOC offender data including offense type, conviction date, and sentence is available at the DOC public information page.

Nearby Parishes

Bossier Parish is in northwest Louisiana adjacent to Caddo, Red River, Webster, and DeSoto parishes. If an incident occurred just across a parish line, records would be held by the neighboring parish's Sheriff's Office.