Plaquemines Parish Police Records

Plaquemines Parish police records are maintained by the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office in Belle Chasse and by the Louisiana State Police for statewide criminal history matters. This guide explains how to request incident reports, background checks, crash data, and other public law enforcement records for this southeastern Louisiana parish.

Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office

The Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office is at 8025 Highway 23 in Belle Chasse. Their main phone number is (504) 564-2525. The sheriff serves as the chief law enforcement officer for the parish, covering both unincorporated areas and providing jail and court services. You can find current information about the office and any available online services at ppso.net.

Plaquemines Parish runs along the lower Mississippi River and Gulf Coast, a geography that means the sheriff's office covers a large and spread-out area. To request records, call the office directly at (504) 564-2525. They can tell you what information you need to submit, whether your request can be handled over the phone, in person, or by mail, and whether any fees apply to document copying.

Walk-in requests are handled at the Belle Chasse headquarters during regular weekday business hours. If you are requesting records from the southern part of the parish and do not want to drive to Belle Chasse, ask whether a mailed request is an option for your type of record. Not all records are available to the general public. The sheriff's office cannot provide full criminal history reports; those go through Louisiana State Police.

Clerk of Court for Plaquemines Parish

The Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court office is at 301 Main Street, Room 1, Belle Chasse. The phone is (504) 934-6610. The clerk maintains all civil and criminal case records for the Twenty-Fifth Judicial District. These records include case filings, court orders, judgments, and dispositions for matters heard in the district court.

Court records differ from police records. If someone was arrested and prosecuted, the clerk has the court-side documentation of that process. You can search by case number or name. The clerk can tell you the current copy fee and what formats are available, whether printed or digital. For older records, the search may take more time depending on how archived files are stored.

Louisiana Public Records Act

Louisiana's Public Records Act, at La. R.S. 44:1, establishes that any person has the right to inspect and copy government records. Agencies must respond to a request within three business days. They must provide the records, deny the request in writing with the legal exemption stated, or give a date when the records will be ready if additional processing is needed.

Law enforcement agencies in Louisiana can withhold records under La. R.S. 44:3. This exemption covers active investigations, confidential informants, and certain operational records. The agency must tell you which exemption it is using when it denies your request. If you believe the denial was improper, you can challenge it in state court.

Criminal history data is a separate category under La. R.S. 15:587. Louisiana treats criminal history as a closed record. The public does not have access to full criminal history reports through local law enforcement. Those can only be obtained by going through official state channels for authorized purposes.

Louisiana State Police Background Checks

For an official background check that covers Plaquemines Parish and the rest of Louisiana, requests go through the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information. Their Baton Rouge office is at 7919 Independence Blvd. Phone: (225) 925-6095. Walk-in service is available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The cost is $36 total: $31 for the check itself plus a $5 technology fee. Under La. R.S. 15:588, people have the right to review and dispute their own state criminal history. Full details on submitting a background check request, including fingerprint requirements, are at the LSP fingerprints and background checks page. General information on available services is at lsp.org/services/background-checks.

Crash Reports in Plaquemines Parish

Traffic accident reports for crashes that occurred in Plaquemines Parish can be ordered through Louisiana State Police. The fee for an online order is $11.50 per report. Standard reports are available 15 days after the crash. Fatal reports carry a 60-day wait for in-person pickup.

Order crash reports at the LSP crash reports page. You will need the crash date, location, and names of the drivers. Given the geography of Plaquemines Parish, many crashes occur on Louisiana Highway 23 or on the bridges and roads near the river, and all of those should be on file with State Police if an officer responded. For questions about a specific report, the Traffic Records Unit at LSP can help.

Louisiana Department of Corrections

If someone you are searching for is or was housed in a Louisiana state prison, the Department of Corrections keeps those records separately from parish-level jail data. The DOC public information office handles requests for current and former state inmates. Check the DOC public information page for instructions on how to submit a request.

Nearby Parishes

Plaquemines Parish borders Orleans and Jefferson to the north and St. Bernard to the northeast. Find records information for those parishes using the links below.