St. Landry Parish DUI Records

St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court

The Clerk of Court for St. Landry Parish is located at 118 South Court Street in Opelousas. The phone number is (337) 942-5606. This office is the primary keeper of all court records in the parish, including DUI and DWI criminal case files. Staff can help you search by name, case number, or date of offense. You can walk in during normal business hours or call ahead to confirm what you need before making the trip.

The clerk's office maintains records for cases filed in the 27th Judicial District Court. That court covers St. Landry Parish exclusively. DUI cases in Louisiana are criminal matters, so they fall under the clerk's criminal division. Filings include the bill of information, minute entries, sentencing records, and any plea agreements entered on the record.

The St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court website provides general information about the office, available services, and contact details. The site is a useful first stop before you visit or mail a request.

The source below shows the clerk's public-facing website, which lists office hours and services available to the public for DUI record searches in St. Landry Parish.

Check the site before visiting to confirm current hours, as holiday schedules and courthouse closures can affect walk-in availability.

Online DUI Record Search in St. Landry

St. Landry Parish DUI records can be searched online through eClerks LA, a statewide platform that gives access to court docket information from many Louisiana parishes. The system lets you search by name or case number and see basic case details, charges, and hearing dates. Access to some documents may require a subscription or per-document fee, but name searches are often available at low cost.

The image below is from eClerks LA, which is one of the main online portals for finding DUI docket data from St. Landry Parish and other Louisiana courts.

Results from eClerks LA are useful for getting an overview of a case, though certified copies must still be obtained directly from the clerk's office.

Another statewide option is Clerk Connect, which aggregates records from multiple parish clerks. If you are not sure which court handled a particular DUI case, searching both platforms can help you narrow it down quickly. Both tools are maintained by private vendors under agreements with participating clerk offices.

Note: Online records may not reflect the most recent case activity. Always confirm with the clerk's office if you need current status on an open case.

St. Landry DUI Laws and Charges

DUI offenses in St. Landry Parish are prosecuted under Louisiana state law. The main statute is La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98, which defines operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI). Louisiana uses OWI as the legal term, though DUI and DWI are used in everyday speech. A first offense is a misdemeanor. Repeat offenses carry harsher penalties under La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.1 for second offenses and La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.2 for third offenses.

A fourth or subsequent DUI conviction is a felony under La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.4. Felony DUI records are part of the public court record in St. Landry Parish just as misdemeanor records are, and they can be accessed through the same clerk channels. Felony cases may also appear in state-level court databases.

Louisiana's implied consent law at La. Rev. Stat. § 32:661 requires drivers to submit to chemical testing when an officer has probable cause to suspect impairment. Refusal to test can result in license suspension under La. Rev. Stat. § 32:667. Suspension actions are handled by the Office of Motor Vehicles, not the clerk of court. Those records are separate from the criminal court file.

City Courts in St. Landry Parish

St. Landry Parish has two city courts that handle certain DUI matters in their jurisdictions. The Opelousas City Court can be reached at (337) 948-2570. The Eunice City Court handles cases in that area and can be reached at (337) 457-6535. City court DUI records are kept by the city court clerk, not the parish clerk. If you are looking for a case that was heard in one of these courts, you should contact the relevant city court directly.

City courts in Louisiana often handle first-offense DUI cases that are charged as misdemeanors. More serious charges, including repeat offenses and felony DUI, are typically filed in the district court. If you are not sure which court handled a particular case, start with the parish clerk's office and they can direct you to the right place.

Crash Reports and Driving Records

Crash reports from DUI-related accidents in St. Landry Parish are available through the Louisiana State Police. You can request them at crashreports.dps.la.gov for $11.50 per report. These reports are separate from court records. They document what happened at the scene of an accident and may include officer observations about impairment, but they are not the same as a criminal court file.

Driving records that show license suspensions, DUI convictions, and points can be ordered through the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles via OMV ExpressLane. A three-year driving record costs $20. This record type is useful if you want to see how a DUI conviction affected a driver's license status rather than the details of the court case itself.

Note: Crash reports and driving records come from different agencies than court records. You may need all three depending on what information you are trying to get.

Public Records Access in St. Landry

Louisiana's public records law, La. R.S. 44:1, gives the public the right to inspect and copy most government records, including court records. DUI case files in St. Landry Parish are generally open to the public unless a judge has sealed them. Sealed records require a court order to access and are uncommon in standard DUI cases.

To get a copy of a DUI record from the St. Landry Parish Clerk, you can visit the office in person at 118 South Court Street in Opelousas, call (337) 942-5606 to ask about mail requests, or check the clerk's website for any online options. Copy fees vary but are typically a few dollars per page for standard copies. Certified copies cost more. Ask the clerk's office for the current fee schedule when you make contact.

Background checks that include DUI records are also available through the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (BCII). An internet-based search costs $26 and returns statewide criminal history. This can be a faster way to see if someone has a DUI record anywhere in Louisiana rather than searching parish by parish.

Nearby Parishes