Lafayette Parish Police Records

Lafayette Parish police records are available through the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office Records Division, which handles incident reports, arrest logs, clearance letters, and other public safety documents for one of Louisiana's largest and most active parishes. The Records Division has defined hours, specific contact information, and a set fee schedule that makes the process fairly straightforward once you know where to go and what to bring.

Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office

The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office main office is at 316 West Main Street, Lafayette, LA 70501. The main line is (337) 232-9211, and you can also email the office at lpsoinfo@lafayettesheriff.com. The sheriff's website is at lafayettesheriff.com. The sheriff's office patrols unincorporated areas of the parish and handles most of the parish jail operations through the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center (LPCC) at 916 Lafayette Street, Lafayette, LA 70501, phone (337) 236-5400.

Lafayette Parish is one of the busier parishes in Louisiana for records activity given the size of its population. The sheriff's office has structured its records process to handle the volume. There is a dedicated Records Division with its own address, phone number, and email. Using those specific contacts is important, as explained below.

Records Division: How to Request

The Records Division operates from a different address than the main sheriff's office. Go to 303 West Vermillion Street, Lafayette, LA 70501 for records requests. Call (337) 236-5845, or email recordsrequest@lafayettesheriff.com. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., and Friday from 8 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

You can also submit requests by mail. Send written requests to Captain John Mowell, Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, P.O. Box 3508, Lafayette, LA 70502. One rule the office enforces strictly: your request is not considered received if you send it to any other LPSO employee. It must go to the Records Division contact above, or by mail to the P.O. Box addressed to Captain Mowell. Requests sent elsewhere may not be processed on time.

For additional details about the records process, see the sheriff's records page at lafayettesheriff.com/divisions/administrative-services/records/.

Records Division Fee Schedule

Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office has a published fee schedule for most records types. Knowing these costs before you request can save time. Background checks cost $25. A Call for Service report is $15 plus $1 for each additional page. A notarized Clearance Letter is $30. Daily Booking Reports cost $10. Fingerprints by ink roll are $20. Incident and Initial Reports are $10. A Letter of Incarceration is $5. Property Reports are $10. Standard copy fees are $1 per page. Audio and video records cost $1 per minute plus $10 for storage media. Body-worn camera footage is $30 per recording, and dash camera footage is also $30 per recording.

Accident reports have a slightly different process. Allow 7 to 10 business days after the incident before requesting. Reports are available online. The cost is $8 for the accident report plus a $14 online service fee. If you prefer to come in person, speak with Records Division staff about that process.

What Criminal Records Are Public

Lafayette Parish follows state law when it comes to what records can be released. Criminal records are considered privileged until a case is adjudicated. During an open investigation, many records are not available. The items that remain exempt even after a case closes include investigative reports, supplemental reports, statements, reports on sexual offense victims, reports on investigative techniques, and the identities of undercover officers. Information on juvenile offenders, confidential informant identities, and internal security procedures are also withheld.

Under La. R.S. 44:1, any person 18 or older can request public records. Agencies must respond within three business days. La. R.S. 44:3 sets out the exemptions that apply in Lafayette Parish, including pending cases and juvenile records. If a request is denied, the agency must give a written reason, and you may appeal.

Online Inmate Lookup: JADES

Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office provides a live jail database called JADES. This is a free online tool that shows who is currently incarcerated and who has been arrested within the last 48 hours. You can search by first name, last name, middle initial, year of birth, or criminal case number. The database is public and does not require registration. For questions about a specific incarceration, email corrections@lafayettesheriff.com. This is one of the more transparent inmate lookup tools available in Louisiana at the parish level.

Lafayette City Police Department

The city of Lafayette has its own police department separate from the sheriff's office. The Lafayette Police Department is at 900 East University Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70503. The main number is (337) 291-8200. The Records Division for city police can be reached at (337) 291-8600. City police records cover incidents within the incorporated city limits of Lafayette. For incidents outside those limits, the sheriff's office is the right contact. City public records requests go through the City-Parish Attorney's office; the city portal is at lafayettela.gov/legal/public-records-request.

Clerk of Court

The Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court sits at 800 South Buchanan Street, Lafayette, LA 70501. The main number is (337) 291-6400. For criminal records specifically, call (337) 291-6329 or email CriminalRecordsRequest@lpclerk.com. The 15th Judicial District Court also uses this address. The clerk's office has a subscription-based online records system: $50 for 30 days of access. Printing costs $10 per minute. Available records include offense dates, case history, service records, minutes, and case dispositions.

State-Level Records and Background Checks

Louisiana is a closed-record state for criminal history under La. R.S. 15:587. Full criminal history reports are not available to the general public. Formal background checks go through the Louisiana State Police BCII at 7919 Independence Blvd, Baton Rouge, phone (225) 925-6095, open Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The fee is $36 total. See lsp.org/services/background-checks/ for details. If you want to view your own record, La. R.S. 15:588 gives you that right through BCII.

Crash reports for Lafayette Parish incidents handled by state police are at lsp.org/services/crash-reports/. There is a 15-day wait after the incident date. Reports go back to January 1, 2006. Cost is $11.50 plus fees online. Fatal crashes require an in-person request after 60 days.

City Pages in Lafayette Parish

The city of Lafayette has its own city page with additional details about police records resources within the city limits.

Nearby Parishes

Lafayette Parish borders several other south-central Louisiana parishes, each maintaining separate records systems.