Search St. Landry Parish Background Check Records

St. Landry Parish background check records are maintained by the 27th Judicial District Clerk of Court in Opelousas, the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office, and through Louisiana's statewide systems, and this guide covers each of these sources so you know exactly where to look and what each office can provide for your records search.

St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court Background Check Records

The St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court in Opelousas holds all civil and criminal court filings for the 27th Judicial District. This office is the central source for court-based background check records in the parish. The clerk maintains case records going back many years, covering criminal charges and their outcomes, civil lawsuits and judgments, protective orders, and property-related filings like mortgages and liens. St. Landry is one of the larger parishes in central Louisiana, so the volume of records at this office is substantial.

The clerk's website at stlandry.org provides current contact information, office hours, and may offer links to online search tools. For an in-person search, visit the courthouse in Opelousas during business hours. Bring a valid ID and be prepared to provide the name and, ideally, the date of birth of the person you are looking up. The clerk's staff can run a name search and identify case numbers that match.

The screenshot below shows the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court website, which provides access to court records and office information for the 27th Judicial District in Opelousas.

Source: St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court

Mail-in requests to the clerk require a written request specifying the type of record, the name of the subject, and a date range if applicable. Include a money order or cashier's check for applicable fees along with a self-addressed stamped envelope. The clerk will confirm costs before processing if the exact fee is unclear. Personal checks are not accepted for many clerk transactions.

St. Landry Parish Sheriff Background Check Records

The St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office serves as the primary law enforcement agency for the unincorporated areas of the parish and maintains arrest and incident records for its jurisdiction. The sheriff's records are a key component of any background check that covers local criminal activity. If someone was arrested or cited in St. Landry Parish, the sheriff's office will have a record of that encounter even if the matter was never prosecuted in court.

The sheriff's website at slpsheriff.com lists contact information for the records division. When making a public records request to the sheriff, provide the full name, approximate date of the incident or arrest, and your own contact details. The sheriff's office responds to public records requests within the time frames set by Louisiana's public records law. Most non-exempt records must be produced promptly.

The screenshot below shows the Louisiana State Police background check page, which supplements local sheriff records with a statewide criminal history for St. Landry Parish residents.

Source: Louisiana State Police Background Checks

Warrant checks can be done through the sheriff's office as well. Active warrants in St. Landry Parish are tracked by the sheriff, and in some cases information about outstanding warrants is publicly accessible. Contact the records division directly to ask about this option. The answer can vary depending on the type of warrant and whether the case is still under active investigation.

Statewide Louisiana Background Check Process

Louisiana is a closed record state under RS 15:587. This statute controls who may access full statewide criminal history records. Authorized uses include licensing agencies, specific employment categories regulated by law, and legal proceedings. You cannot pull another person's complete criminal history without their consent or a legal basis for the request. This applies statewide, including records from St. Landry Parish.

The Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information at ibc.dps.louisiana.gov processes state background check requests. The fee is $31 plus a $5 technology fee. Individuals checking their own record pay $41 in person or $31 by mail. Processing by mail takes 15 to 21 business days. No cash or personal checks are accepted. The Bureau also posts a FAQ at ibc.dps.louisiana.gov/faq.aspx that answers common questions about access and fees.

Fingerprint-based background checks are more thorough. They are required for many licensing and regulatory purposes. Schedule fingerprint capture through IdentoGO at uenroll.identogo.com. Results from fingerprint checks cover Louisiana criminal history and, where applicable, federal records through the FBI database. These are the checks typically required for health care workers, teachers, and others in regulated fields.

Online Access to St. Landry Parish Court Records

For online record searches, two main platforms cover Louisiana parishes. The eClerksLA portal at evaultla.com is a statewide system that aggregates court records across many parishes. You can search by name or case number. The level of access depends on what the local clerk has integrated into the system. For St. Landry Parish, checking eClerksLA is a reasonable first step before making a trip to Opelousas.

ClerkConnect at clerkconnect.com is the other major platform. Some parishes use ClerkConnect for both searching and electronic filing. If St. Landry participates, you may be able to run a name search and view basic case information without visiting the courthouse in person. Results may not be complete for all years or case types, so follow up with the clerk for anything that seems incomplete.

The screenshot below shows the eClerksLA public records portal, which covers multiple Louisiana parishes and is one of the key online tools for St. Landry Parish court record searches.

Source: eClerksLA Louisiana Court Records

For the most reliable and current results, a direct contact with the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court in Opelousas remains the gold standard. Online systems are useful for initial searches but should be treated as a starting point rather than a definitive source.

Civil Records, Property Records, and Other Sources

A background check for St. Landry Parish is not limited to criminal history. The clerk's office also holds civil court records that may be relevant. Civil judgments show unresolved financial disputes. Liens filed in St. Landry Parish appear in the mortgage and conveyance records at the clerk. Tax liens from the Louisiana Department of Revenue and IRS federal tax liens may also be filed at the parish level.

Succession records, which are probate filings when someone dies, are also held by the clerk and are public once filed. These may include property inventories and the names of heirs or creditors of the estate. Divorce records filed in the 27th Judicial District are public court records, though some financial details within the record may be more restricted. Contact the clerk for guidance on what is available for a specific case type.

The St. Landry Parish Assessor's office holds property ownership records separate from the clerk. If you need to confirm whether someone owns real estate in the parish, the assessor is the right place to check. These records are often searchable online through the assessor's website or the Louisiana statewide property assessment portals.

Nearby Parishes

St. Landry Parish is a large central Louisiana parish that borders many neighbors. Each has its own clerk's office and court records system for background check searches.