Orleans Parish DUI Records Lookup
DUI records in Orleans Parish are filed with the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court and kept by the Clerk of Criminal District Court at 2700 Tulane Avenue in New Orleans. This page explains how to search, request, and access those records.
Orleans Parish Quick Facts
Orleans Parish DUI Records
Orleans Parish is Louisiana's most populated parish and home to New Orleans. The parish has its own separate Criminal District Court that handles all felony and serious misdemeanor cases, including DUI charges. This structure is unique in Louisiana. Most parishes share their district court with civil matters, but Orleans has fully separate courts for criminal and civil cases.
A DUI charge in Louisiana is covered by Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:98. This law makes it illegal to drive while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or any other substance. The 0.08% blood alcohol limit applies to most drivers. Commercial drivers face a 0.04% limit. Drivers under 21 are held to 0.02%.
Each DUI arrest in New Orleans triggers a paper trail that runs through multiple agencies. The New Orleans Police Department makes the arrest and files the initial report. The district attorney's office decides whether to prosecute and files charges with the Criminal District Court. The Clerk of Criminal District Court keeps every document generated by the court proceedings.
DUI records are public under La. R.S. 44:1. Anyone can request them without needing to show a reason. Orleans Parish is larger and more active than most Louisiana parishes, so the volume of DUI records is high. The online tools available here are better developed than in many rural parishes.
Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal District Court
The Clerk of Criminal District Court for Orleans Parish is Hon. Darren Lombard. As listed in official state directories, "Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal District Court: Hon. DARREN LOMBARD, Physical Location: 2700 TULANE AVE., RM. 114, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70119."
Clerk of Criminal District Court
Address: 2700 Tulane Avenue, Room 114, New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone: (504) 658-9000
Judicial Administration: 2700 Tulane Avenue | (504) 658-9100
The criminal clerk's office is where you go for DUI court records. You can visit in person or contact them by phone to ask about records access and copy fees. In-person requests are typically the fastest way to get copies. Staff can help you find cases by name or case number.
Orleans Parish also has a separate Civil District Court at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402, New Orleans, LA 70112, phone (504) 407-0000. Civil court handles civil lawsuits, not criminal DUI matters. Make sure you go to the Criminal District Court for DUI records.
Online Search: Louisiana Supreme Court and re:SearchLA
Orleans Parish participates in the Louisiana Supreme Court's e-filing system, which gives public access to case information through the court's website. The Louisiana Supreme Court portal is available at lasc.org. This system supports e-filing and offers some public case lookup functions for cases in the Louisiana courts system.
The re:SearchLA web-based platform is another tool for Orleans Parish records. This platform is accessible online and provides case search functions for Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. It's a good option if you can't visit in person and need to search for case index information before making a formal records request.
For eClerks LA access to Orleans Parish records, visit eclerksla.com. This free public portal provides name-based searches for court case indexes in many Louisiana parishes, including Orleans. It's a fast way to check whether a DUI case exists and get the case number.
New Orleans Police Department Arrest Records
The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) is the primary law enforcement agency within the city. All DUI arrests made by NOPD officers generate an arrest report. The Louisiana State Police also has jurisdiction on state roads in and around New Orleans.
Arrest reports are public records under La. R.S. 44:1. Contact NOPD to request copies. Provide the name of the person arrested and the date of the incident. There may be a processing fee. Active investigations may have limited release of certain information.
The Louisiana State Police maintains a crash reports portal at crashreports.dps.la.gov. If the DUI involved a vehicle accident, the crash report is a separate public record from the court case. These can both be relevant to a full records review.
Crash reports and arrest reports are different documents from different agencies. Neither one replaces the court record. For the full picture on any DUI incident in Orleans Parish, you may need to gather documents from more than one source.
Implied Consent and License Records
When someone is stopped for DUI in New Orleans, Louisiana's implied consent law applies. Under § 32:661, all licensed drivers agree to chemical testing as a condition of driving in Louisiana. Refusing the test triggers an automatic license suspension under § 32:667.
License suspension records are kept by the Office of Motor Vehicles, not the court. You can check a driving record for suspensions through the OMV at expresslane.org. This shows past and current suspensions and any DUI-related entries on the driving history. It's a separate record from the criminal court file.
Felony vs Misdemeanor DUI in Orleans Parish
First-time DUI in Louisiana is a misdemeanor. The Criminal District Court in Orleans Parish handles both misdemeanor and felony DUI cases. Second offenses under § 14:98.1 are still misdemeanors but carry heavier penalties. Third offenses under § 14:98.2 become felonies. Fourth and later offenses under § 14:98.3 carry the most serious consequences.
Felony cases in Orleans Parish generate more extensive records because they involve grand jury proceedings or bills of information, multiple hearings, and often sentencing documents that specify prison terms or probation conditions. These are all part of the public case file.
Traffic court in New Orleans handles some lower-level traffic matters, but DUI charges, even misdemeanor ones, typically go through the Criminal District Court. If you're not sure which court handled a specific case, call the criminal clerk's office at (504) 658-9000 and they can check.
Fees for Orleans Parish Records
The Criminal District Court clerk charges fees for copies and certified documents. Standard copy fees apply per page. Certified copies carry an additional certification fee. Contact the clerk's office directly to get current rates. Orleans Parish handles a large volume of records, so phone wait times can vary.
Some records may be available through the online platforms at no cost for basic index searches. Full document copies, especially certified copies, require contacting the clerk's office and paying the applicable fee.
Louisiana State-Level DUI Record Tools
Several statewide tools are useful for Orleans Parish DUI research beyond the local courthouse. The OMV Express Lane at expresslane.org provides driving records including suspensions. The crash reports portal at crashreports.dps.la.gov gives access to accident reports. The Louisiana State Police traffic records unit also maintains data on DUI-related incidents statewide.
For Orleans Parish specifically, the size and complexity of the local court system means more resources are available online than in smaller parishes. Use the re:SearchLA platform and the Louisiana Supreme Court portal as starting points before visiting in person.
Cities in Orleans Parish
Orleans Parish and the city of New Orleans are essentially the same jurisdiction. The parish has one major city with dedicated resources for DUI record research.
Nearby Parishes
If the records you need are in a neighboring parish, use these links: