Plaquemines Parish DUI Records
DUI records in Plaquemines Parish are filed with the 25th Judicial District Court and maintained by the Clerk of Court at 301 Main Street in Belle Chasse. This page covers how to access and search those records.
Plaquemines Parish Quick Facts
DUI Records in Plaquemines Parish
Plaquemines Parish is a narrow strip of land that runs south from the New Orleans metro area to the tip of Louisiana's boot, following the Mississippi River into the Gulf. Belle Chasse, just south of New Orleans, serves as the parish seat. All DUI cases filed in the parish go through the 25th Judicial District Court based there.
Louisiana's DUI law is at Revised Statute § 14:98. It covers driving while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or any other substance. The blood alcohol limit is 0.08% for most drivers, 0.04% for commercial license holders, and 0.02% for drivers under 21. Being under the limit doesn't guarantee a clean outcome. An officer can still make a DUI arrest based on observed impairment alone.
Every DUI arrest in Plaquemines Parish creates records. The sheriff's office or local law enforcement generates the arrest report. The district attorney files charges with the 25th JDC. The Clerk of Court records all filings, hearing dates, pleas, verdicts, and sentences. These documents are public records and accessible to anyone who requests them.
Repeat DUI offenders face increasingly serious charges under Louisiana law. A second offense falls under § 14:98.1. A third is prosecuted under § 14:98.2 as a felony. A fourth or later offense is handled under § 14:98.3 with mandatory prison sentences.
Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court
As listed in official records, "Plaquemines Parish - Clerk of Court, 301 Main Street, Suite 108, Belle Chasse, Louisiana, 70037, Phone: 504-297-5180." This is the office that holds all DUI court records for the parish.
Clerk of Court Contact
Address: 301 Main Street, Suite 108, Belle Chasse, LA 70037
Mailing: PO Box 40, Belle Chasse, LA 70037
Phone: (504) 297-5180
You can visit the clerk's office in person to request DUI records. Bring the name of the person whose records you need and the approximate year or case number if you have it. Staff can direct you to the right files. You'll pay a per-page fee for copies and an additional fee for certified copies.
Mail requests are also an option. Send your request in writing to the PO Box address above. Include the subject's full name, the approximate date of the case, the type of record you need, and a check or money order for the applicable fees. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Allow extra time for processing mail requests.
Searching Plaquemines Parish Records Online
The Louisiana Secretary of State maintains a clerk lookup portal that shows information about parish clerks across the state, including Plaquemines Parish. You can use this to confirm contact details and find links to parish resources. The portal is at voterportal.sos.la.gov/clerk.
For actual case searching, eClerks LA is the free public tool available for Louisiana parishes. Visit eclerksla.com and search by name. The system returns case index data including case numbers and filing types. Plaquemines Parish is included in the network. This is a good first step before visiting or calling the clerk's office.
eClerks gives you index data only. For full case documents, you'll need to contact the Clerk of Court directly or use a subscription service like Clerk Connect if Plaquemines participates in that platform.
Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office
The Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for the parish. The sheriff's office handles DUI stops on parish roads and in communities outside any city police jurisdiction. The office is located at 8344 LA-23 in Belle Chasse, reachable at (504) 391-2004.
When a DUI stop occurs, the arresting deputy files a report with the sheriff's office. That report documents the stop, the driver's behavior, the results of field sobriety tests or breath tests, and the charges. This arrest report is a public record under La. R.S. 44:1.
To request an arrest report, contact the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office. Provide the name and date of the incident. There may be a small fee for copies. For incidents in incorporated areas like Belle Chasse, the local police department may also have records depending on jurisdiction.
Implied Consent and License Actions
Louisiana's implied consent law at § 32:661 applies throughout the state, including in Plaquemines Parish. By driving in Louisiana, you agree to submit to chemical testing when lawfully requested following a DUI stop. Refusing a test triggers an automatic license suspension under § 32:667.
License suspension records are kept by the Office of Motor Vehicles. They don't appear in the court file. To check a suspension, use the OMV's Express Lane service at expresslane.org. This shows current and past license actions, including suspensions tied to DUI arrests and convictions.
The 25th Judicial District Court
The 25th Judicial District Court handles criminal and civil matters for Plaquemines Parish. The courthouse is at 301 Main Street in Belle Chasse, the same location as the Clerk of Court. This is where DUI cases are heard at the district level.
For felony DUI cases, the process goes through the grand jury or a bill of information, then arraignment, pretrial hearings, and either a plea or trial. Each step produces court documents. All of them are filed with the clerk and are available to the public.
If you need to attend a hearing or check on a scheduled court date, contact the clerk's office at (504) 297-5180. Court schedules are not always published online for smaller parishes. The clerk can confirm current docket information by phone.
Crash Reports and Statewide Tools
If a DUI in Plaquemines Parish involved a vehicle accident, the crash report is a separate public record from the court file. You can request it through the Louisiana State Police crash reports portal at crashreports.dps.la.gov. This portal lets you search by name, date, or location and request copies of official accident reports.
Crash reports and arrest reports are different documents. The court record is different again. If you need all aspects of a DUI incident documented, you may need to collect records from the sheriff's office, the crash reports portal, and the court clerk separately.
The Louisiana Traffic Records Unit at the State Police also maintains data on DUI incidents statewide. This is a back-end system, but the crash reports portal gives public access to the most relevant data.
Fees and Copy Procedures
The Clerk of Court charges fees for copies. Standard copies are typically $1 per page. Certified copies include an additional per-document fee. Name search fees may apply for written requests. Call the clerk's office at (504) 297-5180 before submitting a mail request to confirm the current fee schedule and payment methods accepted.
Certified copies are needed for legal use. If you're submitting a record to another court, an insurance company, or a licensing board, ask for certified copies. Regular copies are sufficient for personal reference or informal background research.
Cities in Plaquemines Parish
Belle Chasse is the largest community in Plaquemines Parish and its seat of government. No cities in Plaquemines Parish meet the population threshold for a dedicated city records page on this site. All DUI cases, regardless of which community in the parish they originate from, are handled by the 25th JDC and the Clerk of Court in Belle Chasse.
Nearby Parishes
To search DUI records in neighboring parishes, use these links: