Vermilion Parish DUI Records

Vermilion Parish Clerk of Court

The Clerk of Court for Vermilion Parish is located at 100 N State St, Suite 101, Abbeville, LA 70510. You can reach the office by phone at (337) 898-1992. The clerk handles civil filings, criminal records, elections, and passport services. DUI and DWI criminal case files are part of the criminal division. Walk-in visitors can search records in person or request certified copies directly from staff.

Vermilion is one of three parishes served by the 15th Judicial District Court. The other two are Acadia and Lafayette. All three share the same judicial circuit, though each parish has its own clerk's office and maintains its own court files locally. If a DUI case was heard in Vermilion Parish, the file stays with the Vermilion clerk, not with the Lafayette or Acadia offices.

The eClerks LA portal gives you remote access to many court records from the Vermilion Clerk's office. The portal below shows what the search interface looks like. You can search by name, case number, or date range to find DUI case filings and related documents.

The eClerks LA portal provides online access to Vermilion Parish court records, including DUI criminal case filings. This image shows the search interface you will use to look up cases by name or docket number.

Use the case search to find DUI filings, view docket entries, and check case status for Vermilion Parish criminal matters.

DUI Laws That Apply in Vermilion Parish

Louisiana's DUI law is set out in La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98, which defines operating a vehicle while intoxicated. A first offense can result in fines, jail time, and a license suspension. Repeat offenses carry heavier penalties. La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.1 covers second-offense DUI penalties, while La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.2 addresses third offenses, which are treated as felonies under Louisiana law.

Chemical test refusals are governed by La. Rev. Stat. § 32:661. Under implied consent rules, any person who drives on a Louisiana road is considered to have agreed to submit to a chemical test if lawfully stopped on suspicion of DUI. Refusing that test results in an automatic license suspension under La. Rev. Stat. § 32:667. These suspension records are separate from the criminal case file and are held by the Office of Motor Vehicles.

Fourth-offense DUI and aggravated DUI charges are addressed in La. Rev. Stat. § 14:98.4. Aggravated DUI can be charged when a minor is in the vehicle or when the driver's BAC is significantly above the legal limit. These cases appear in the criminal court docket just like standard DUI filings, but the charges are more serious and the records may include additional court proceedings.

How to Search Vermilion DUI Court Records

There are several ways to search for DUI court records in Vermilion Parish. The fastest option for most people is the eClerks LA online portal, which allows you to search criminal case filings without visiting the courthouse. You can search by party name or case number and view docket entries, hearing dates, and case status.

If you need certified documents, you will need to contact the clerk's office directly. The clerk is located at 100 N State St, Suite 101, Abbeville. Staff can pull case files, provide copies, and certify documents for legal use. Call ahead at (337) 898-1992 to confirm fees and processing times before making a trip.

For cases involving multiple parishes, keep in mind that the 15th JDC covers Acadia, Lafayette, and Vermilion. If you are not sure which parish handled a case, you may need to check with more than one clerk's office.

Note: The eClerks portal may not include all older records. For cases filed before the system was digitized, you may need to request physical records directly from the clerk.

Driving Records and Crash Reports

Court records show whether a person was convicted of DUI, but they do not show the full driving history. For a complete driving record, you need to contact the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. The OMV ExpressLane portal lets you order a three-year driving record online for $20. This report shows license status, suspensions, and any DUI-related points or restrictions on a Louisiana driver's license.

If you need a crash report tied to a DUI arrest, those are handled by Louisiana State Police. The LSP crash report portal lets you order official crash reports for $11.50 each. These reports may contain the officer's account of the incident, witness names, and notes about impairment at the time of the crash.

Both driving records and crash reports are separate from the court's criminal case file. You may need all three types of documents to get a full picture of a DUI incident in Vermilion Parish.

Background Check Records in Vermilion Parish

Louisiana's public records law, La. R.S. 44:1, makes most criminal court records available to the public. This means DUI convictions and case filings in Vermilion Parish are generally accessible without a court order. However, records that were expunged or sealed under court order are not public and will not appear in most searches.

The Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information handles statewide criminal history records. A BCII background check costs $26 when ordered online and will return a summary of a person's criminal history across Louisiana, including any DUI convictions. This is different from a court case search, which only shows records from one parish or court system.

The Clerk Connect platform is another option for searching court records across multiple Louisiana parishes at once. It aggregates filing data from participating clerk offices and can save time if you are searching across more than one jurisdiction.

Note: Expunged DUI records will not appear in public searches, even through official portals. A court order is required to access those records.

Nearby Parishes