Search Caddo Parish Court Records
The main district-court record path starts with the Caddo Clerk Web Inquiry page. That page points users to records, civil, criminal, and marriage license inquiry options, as well as account creation for Clerk Connect. Clerk Connect is the paid and free-index route for many First Judicial District Court records, but it is not the only channel. Shreveport City Court handles many city traffic and criminal matters, the sheriff holds current jail and active-warrant data, and federal cases use PACER.
Before searching, identify the record type. A civil suit, divorce, succession, or district criminal case usually starts with the Clerk of Court. A Shreveport Police ticket often belongs with Shreveport City Court. A booking, warrant, bond amount, or current custody check starts with the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office. Certified copies and older files often require a written clerk request, even when an index result appears online.
- Open the Caddo Clerk Web Inquiry page and choose civil, criminal, records, or marriage inquiry.
- Use Clerk Connect if the search requires account access, images, printing, or broader index tools.
- Search by party name, case number, docket number, or record group when those fields are available.
- Check whether the matter is actually city court, sheriff, DA traffic, state custody, or federal court.
- Request copies from the record custodian when the online result is incomplete or certification is needed.
The Clerk Connect portal is a multi-parish Louisiana portal, so Caddo Parish must be selected when the portal asks for an office. Caddo's free court-event inquiry is narrower than the full clerk search and was documented with current event-date limits during research. That makes it useful for near-term court-event checks, but not a complete case-history tool.
Caddo Parish Court System
Louisiana uses parishes rather than counties, and Caddo Parish belongs to the First Judicial District Court. That district court is the general trial court for civil, family, criminal, juvenile, and probate or succession matters. The court is organized into civil, family law, and criminal divisions with sections assigned to judges. Appeals from district-court judgments generally go to the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal, with further review possible in the Louisiana Supreme Court.
Lower courts still matter. Shreveport City Court handles city criminal and traffic cases, including Shreveport Police tickets. Justice of the peace, mayor's, and municipal courts may handle smaller local matters, ordinance cases, evictions, or traffic issues depending on the issuing agency and location. That local split is why a Caddo Parish court search should start with the case source, not only a name.
Case flow: local or city court matter › First Judicial District Court where applicable › Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal › Louisiana Supreme Court.
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| First Judicial District Court | General trial court for Caddo Parish | Civil, family, criminal, juvenile, probate, successions |
| Shreveport City Court | Lower local court for city matters | City criminal, traffic, payments, city court records |
| Justice of the Peace, Mayor's, and Municipal Courts | Limited local jurisdiction | Small claims, evictions, local ordinances, traffic by place and agency |
| Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal | Regional appellate court | Appeals from Caddo Parish district-court judgments |
Caddo Parish Courthouse Offices
The main Caddo Parish courthouse complex in downtown Shreveport is the local hub for district-court filings, clerk copies, sheriff courthouse services, and DA matters. The Clerk of Court is in Room 103, the sheriff courthouse office is in Room 101, and the District Attorney is on the fifth floor. Shreveport City Court and Caddo Correctional Center are separate locations, so a record search may require more than one stop.
Caddo Parish Clerk of Court
501 Texas Street, Room 103
Shreveport, LA 71101
318-226-6780
Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office
501 Texas Street, Room 101
Shreveport, LA 71101
318-675-2170
The Caddo Parish Clerk homepage shows the courthouse office location, hours, and clerk office role.
This is the starting point for local clerk services, including court filings, copies, marriage records, property records, elections, and jury functions.
Caddo Parish Court Record Types
Caddo Parish court records include civil suits, criminal case files, family and domestic matters, successions, traffic matters, juvenile court records, warrants, jail records, and marriage-license records. Civil filings may include petitions, answers, motions, garnishments, damage suits, collections, landlord-tenant matters, name changes, and judgments. Criminal files may include bills of information or indictments, minute entries, pleas, motions, bond details, dispositions, sentences, and post-conviction filings.
Not every record is held by the same office. The Clerk of Court keeps First Judicial District Court case records and marriage licenses. The sheriff keeps the active-warrant list and current jail roster. The DA handles prosecutor records and state traffic ticket routing. Shreveport City Court keeps city court traffic and criminal records. Juvenile, adoption, sealed, and expunged materials are not ordinary public lookup records.
- Criminal records show filed charges, pleas, hearings, disposition, sentence, and post-conviction events.
- Civil records cover lawsuits, judgments, garnishments, collections, landlord matters, and other noncriminal disputes.
- Family and divorce records are court files, while marriage licenses are clerk records.
- Probate and succession records cover wills, heirship, judgments of possession, tutorship, and estate orders.
- Traffic records may sit with the DA, sheriff, Shreveport City Court, or the Louisiana OMV depending on the record type.
What Caddo Parish Court Records Show
A court record is more than a name match. In Caddo Parish, a case file or docket result may show a case number, docket number, filing date, party names, party roles, court section, judge, case type, current status, attorney names, pleadings, motions, orders, judgments, hearing settings, minute entries, costs, bonds, sentence terms, and copy status. Sheriff warrant and inmate records use different fields, such as warrant number, warrant date, charge description, booking agency, bond amount, booking date, location, age, and sex.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case or docket number | The court or agency identifier used for searches, requests, and payment questions. |
| Filing date | The date the case, charge, petition, or document was filed with the court or clerk. |
| Parties | Names and roles, such as plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, or defendant in a criminal case. |
| Charges or cause | The offense, claim, petition type, citation, or legal issue tied to the record. |
| Disposition | The outcome, such as dismissal, judgment, plea, conviction, acquittal, or amended charge. |
| Sentence or judgment | The court's order, penalty, possession judgment, probation term, or enforceable decision. |
The Caddo Clerk Web Inquiry page lists the local inquiry routes for records, civil, criminal, and marriage access.
That page is useful because it separates clerk-held court records from sheriff, city court, and state systems that may look similar to a reader.
Caddo Parish Public Access Laws
Louisiana law presumes access to public records unless a specific statute restricts the record. For Caddo Parish, that means the requester should start with the office that keeps the file. District-court civil, criminal, family, probate, succession, marriage, and property records usually start with the Clerk of Court. Sheriff booking, jail, warrant, and law-enforcement records start with the sheriff. Prosecutor records start with the District Attorney, and city traffic matters may start with Shreveport City Court.
The written-request route matters because online access is not complete. The clerk's public-record request process says copy requests must be made in writing, with copies charged at one dollar per page plus postage. Electronic delivery uses a 55-index-records-to-one-page conversion. Certified copies, older files, sealed files, and records that need staff review should not be treated as simple online screenshots.
Key Statutes:
La. R.S. 44:31 gives adults the right to inspect, copy, or reproduce public records unless another law restricts access.
La. R.S. 44:32 explains custodian duties, working-hour access, fees, clarification, and substantial-disruption limits.
La. R.S. 44:3 restricts many law-enforcement and prosecutive records while preserving access to listed arrest, booking, citation, and charging records.
Restricted Caddo Parish Records
Some Caddo Parish court records are not open in the same way as adult civil and criminal docket material. Juvenile court records are confidential under Louisiana Children's Code article 412 except for traffic violations and specific authorized disclosures. Adoption records are retained in confidential files and are not reached through ordinary public-record inspection. Expunged records are removed from ordinary public access but are not destroyed.
Sealed and expunged records require the proper court process or statutory authorization. Under Louisiana expungement law, an eligible person may seek to remove an arrest or conviction record from public access, but courts, prosecutors, law enforcement, and other authorized agencies can still have access. The Caddo Clerk lists separate nonrefundable money-order costs for the clerk, Louisiana BCII, sheriff, and DA when expungement filing fees apply.
Caddo Parish Diversion Programs
Official research did not confirm a standalone First Judicial District Court drug, veterans, or mental-health court page with named eligibility rules. The confirmed local specialty-style program is Caddo DA traffic pretrial diversion. That program may reduce an eligible moving violation to a non-moving violation if the driver completes the DA fee, approved school, amended fine, and deadline requirements. CDL drivers are not eligible, and several offenses are excluded.
Youth-related handling is also separate. Caddo has a juvenile clerk at the Juvenile Justice Center, and the DA traffic diversion page directs offenders age 16 or younger to the Juvenile Traffic Coordinator. Juvenile records are confidential, so public content should focus on contact points and process rather than treating youth cases like adult public docket records.
Caddo Parish Sheriff and Jail
The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office handles current jail custody, active warrants, sheriff records, courthouse law-enforcement functions, and the Caddo Correctional Center. The official sheriff site identifies Henry L. Whitehorn as sheriff. The public current-inmate roster is separate from historical bookings, which route to a gated login path. The active-warrant list is also separate and includes a warning that it does not cover fugitives from other agencies who may be in Caddo Parish.
Caddo jail and warrant searches can help explain where a criminal matter stands before a full court file is available. A current-inmate profile may show booking date, age, sex, location, charge descriptions, booking agency, and bond amount. The sheriff's CPSO app is an official free app for alerts, messages, services, and support, but the research did not confirm an app-only inmate or warrant lookup.
The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office homepage is the official route for sheriff services, detention links, alerts, and law-enforcement updates.
Sheriff records should be kept distinct from clerk case records because a booking, warrant, or bond entry does not prove the final court disposition.
Caddo Marriage Divorce Probate
Marriage records and marriage licenses are handled by the Caddo Parish Clerk of Court. The clerk's marriage page says marriage records date back to 1838 and that the online marriage index is a names-only index. A certified marriage-license copy can be ordered through the office, while the online marriage application helps begin the license process before the in-person clerk visit.
Divorce records are court records, not marriage-license records. They are handled through First Judicial District Court civil, family, or domestic filing channels and searched through civil inquiry or written clerk request. Probate-type matters in Louisiana are often called successions. Caddo succession records are filed through the district-court and clerk structure rather than a separate surrogate court.
- Succession
- Louisiana probate process for transferring a deceased person's estate.
- Judgment of possession
- Court judgment placing heirs or legatees in possession of estate property.
- Tutorship
- Louisiana proceeding involving legal authority over a minor's person or property.
Caddo Parish Court Records Fees
Caddo Parish fees depend on the office and record. Clerk Connect access has subscription charges for broader online access, and image printing is billed per page. Written public-record requests to the clerk are charged per page plus postage. Criminal copies, certified criminal copies, marriage copies, expungement filings, and succession filings each have separate amounts in the research.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Clerk Connect day access | $20 for 24 hours |
| Clerk Connect monthly access | $50 |
| Clerk Connect yearly access | $500 |
| Image printing | $0.60 per page |
| Public-record copy | $1 per page plus postage |
| Certified criminal copy | $5 certification plus copy cost |
| Certified marriage copy | $6.78 |
| Successions large and small | $450 |
Read Caddo Parish Case Files
Several terms appear across Caddo Parish case records. A docket is the court schedule or list of case events. A minute entry is the clerk's official summary of what happened in court. A disposition is the outcome of a charge or case. A bond is money or security tied to release from custody or appearance in court. A conviction is a guilty finding or plea, not merely an arrest or filed charge.
Charges can change. A charge shown after arrest may be amended, reduced, dismissed, refused, or replaced by a bill of information or indictment. The full criminal case file is the better place to confirm plea, verdict, disposition, and sentence. For civil and probate matters, the final judgment or order is more important than a single docket setting.
The Clerk Connect portal connects Caddo users to the broader Louisiana clerk-access environment.
Portal results should be read with the clerk's fee, copy, and certification rules in mind, especially when the document will be used for court, licensing, or another formal purpose.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
Caddo Parish online records are useful, but they are not all updated in the same way. A court-event inquiry may be narrower than a full case search. A sheriff jail record may update on a different schedule from a clerk docket. A DA criminal case search carries its own accuracy disclaimer. State custody through Louisiana DPS&C and LAVNS is separate from the Caddo current-inmate roster and is updated through state systems.
For errors, contact the originating office. A clerk case-entry issue should be raised with the Caddo Clerk department that holds the file. A warrant amount question may go to the sheriff's Fines and Bonds Division. A Shreveport Police ticket should be checked with Shreveport City Court. A driver-record issue belongs with the Louisiana OMV, not the court file alone.
Note: Confirm dates, charges, warrants, balances, and certified-copy needs with the office that created the Caddo Parish record.
Caddo Parish Court History
Caddo Parish is centered on Shreveport, the parish seat and largest city in northwest Louisiana. The local court system reflects Louisiana's parish structure and civil-law heritage. Probate matters are often called successions, and the parish Clerk of Court handles court, records, election, jury, marriage, conveyance, and mortgage functions that may be split among different offices in other states.
Historical records require special care. The clerk's property-record page says computer indexing began in the early 1980s, scanning has been used since 1995, conveyances are indexed back to 1914, and records have been back-scanned to 1838. A modern portal search may still require older index research or staff help for early estate, land, marriage, or court-linked records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are Caddo Parish court records searched?
First Judicial District Court records usually start with the Caddo Parish Clerk of Court and Clerk Connect. Shreveport City Court records use the city court and municipal payment portal. Sheriff jail and warrant records use sheriff systems. Federal records use PACER for the Western District of Louisiana.
Can online records be used as certified copies?
No. Online index results and screenshots are not the same as certified court copies. Certified copies must come from the clerk or the official custodian that holds the record. Caddo Clerk copy requests may require a written request, copy fees, certification fees, and postage.
Are juvenile records public in Caddo Parish?
Juvenile court records are confidential under Louisiana law except for traffic violations and authorized disclosures. Public search tools should not be expected to show juvenile delinquency, child in need of care, adoption, or similar juvenile files like adult court records.
Who handles Caddo Parish traffic tickets?
It depends on the issuing agency. Caddo Sheriff, Louisiana State Police, constables, and other listed agencies route state traffic-law violations through the Caddo DA traffic process and sheriff payment channels. Shreveport Police tickets go to Shreveport City Court.
The Caddo Parish District Attorney homepage identifies the prosecutor's office, address, phone, and prosecution context.
The DA's role matters most for criminal charges, traffic diversion, prosecution records, and public-record questions tied to prosecutor files.
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