How to Search Jefferson Parish Court Records
Most Jefferson Parish court records sit with the Clerk of Court. The Clerk runs an online system called JeffNet, and it is the main way to pull case details and document images from home. JeffNet is not a free, open search. Remote users need a paid account. A 24-hour account costs $5.00, and a monthly subscription runs $50.00 per user ID. The system covers civil, criminal, traffic, marriage, and property records, though the dates of coverage change from one record group to the next.
Before you start, gather what you know. A party name or a case number speeds things up. You should also know which court heard the matter, because that tells you where the record lives. The 24th Judicial District Court hears felonies, large civil suits, family cases, and successions. The two parish courts hear smaller civil claims, misdemeanors, and traffic. The Clerk of Court website links to JeffNet directly.
The Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court site is the front door for online records and document images.
The screenshot below comes straight from the official Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court home page.
From that page you reach JeffNet, the fee schedule, and the marriage and property record desks. Here is the basic search path most people follow.
- Pick the right court first, since 24th JDC, parish court, and juvenile records are kept apart.
- Decide if free in-person inspection is enough, or open JeffNet for remote access.
- Buy a $5.00 24-hour account or a monthly subscription, then log in.
- Choose the record category, then search by party name or case number.
- Review the case activity, then download a PDF at $0.75 per page or order a certified copy.
Coverage dates matter, so check them before you assume an older case is online.
| Record group | Online activity | Document images |
|---|---|---|
| 24th JDC civil | From Jan. 1, 1986 | 1825 to present |
| 24th JDC criminal | From Apr. 28, 1994 | 1840 to present |
| First Parish Court civil | From 1983 | Folder images from 2001 |
| Second Parish Court civil | From 1986 | Folder images from 2001 |
| Parish courts criminal and traffic | From 1990 | Varies by case status |
| Marriage licenses | Indices from 1840s | Images 1825 to 1950 |
The JeffNet login page also lists the search categories you can pick once you sign in.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| User ID / Login | Text | Yes | Remote access is gated behind an account. |
| Password | Password | Yes | Set when the account is created. |
| Record category | Menu / tab | Yes | Civil, criminal, parish court, marriage, mortgage, conveyance, assessment rolls. |
| Name / party | Text | Varies | Search rules are not shown until you log in. |
| Case number | Text | Varies | Format is not posted on the public page. |
| Document / action | Link | No | View image, download PDF, or order a certified copy. |
The Jefferson Parish Judicial System
Louisiana builds its trial courts around district courts. In Jefferson Parish the district court is the 24th Judicial District Court, and it has original jurisdiction over almost all civil and criminal matters in the parish. It also hears appeals from the parish's city courts. Below it sit the First Parish Court, the Second Parish Court, and a parish-wide Juvenile Court. Above it, appeals from the 24th JDC go to the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal, and then to the Louisiana Supreme Court.
The parish government's public safety page links the courts, the District Attorney, the Sheriff, and the parish courts in one place.
This image is from the official Jefferson Parish public safety page.
That page is a useful hub when you are not sure which office holds a record. The case flow below shows how a matter moves up through the system.
Case flow: Parish or City Court › 24th Judicial District Court › Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal › Louisiana Supreme Court
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| 24th Judicial District Court | General trial court | Felonies, large civil suits, family, successions |
| First & Second Parish Courts | Limited jurisdiction | Misdemeanors, smaller civil claims, traffic |
| Juvenile Court | Parish-wide, specialized | Juvenile charges, adoptions, non-support |
| Louisiana Fifth Circuit | Intermediate appeals | Appeals from the 24th JDC |
You can read more about the trial court on the Jefferson Parish District Court page.
Jefferson Parish Courthouses
The 24th JDC sits in the Thomas F. Donelon Building in Gretna. The Clerk's criminal records desk is in Suite 1100, and civil records are in Suite 2400. The Clerk's central administration is in the General Government Building at the same address. The two parish courts and the Juvenile Court each have their own buildings, one in Metairie on the East Bank and the others on the West Bank.
The 24th JDC contact page lists divisions, commissioners, and the Clerk record departments by suite.
The screenshot is from the official 24th JDC contact information page.
Use the addresses below to plan a visit or mail a request to the right desk.
24th Judicial District Court
Thomas F. Donelon Building
200 Derbigny Street
Gretna, LA 70053
504-364-3998
Note: the Juvenile Court sits at 1546 Gretna Boulevard in Harvey, and its records are closed to the public.
Types of Court Records Available in Jefferson Parish
The Clerk of Court keeps a wide range of records across all four courts. Some are open to anyone. Others are sealed by law or held back while a case is active. Civil and criminal records make up the bulk of what people search. Family, probate, and traffic records round out the rest, and juvenile files stay closed.
Each record type is produced by a specific court, which is why the court you pick on JeffNet matters so much.
- Criminal records - felony and misdemeanor charges, pleadings, bonds, and dispositions in the 24th JDC and parish courts.
- Civil records - suits for damages, name changes, foreclosures, judgments, and garnishments.
- Family records - divorce, custody, support, and protective-order filings, some of them restricted.
- Probate records - successions, tutorships, and interdictions filed through the 24th JDC civil divisions.
- Traffic records - tickets and citations heard in the two parish courts.
What Jefferson Parish Court Records Show
A court record is built from fields. Once you open a case in JeffNet, you see the parties, the dates, the filings, and the outcome. Criminal records add the charge, the bond, and the sentence. Civil records add the claim and the judgment. The Clerk does not publish the exact case-number format on its public page, so the number you see depends on the court and the record type.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The court's file identifier for the matter. |
| Court / Division | 24th JDC Division A through P, a parish court, or a commissioner. |
| Filing Date | When the case or activity was entered. |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, or the State and the accused. |
| Docket Entries | Filings, motions, orders, hearings, and judgments. |
| Disposition | The final outcome, such as a judgment or sentence. |
For a deeper breakdown of these fields, see the Jefferson Parish court records page and the court dockets page.
Public Access Laws for Jefferson Parish Court Records
Louisiana starts from a strong rule that public records are open. The Public Records Law sits in Title 44 of the Revised Statutes, and Jefferson Parish offices point right to it. The Clerk lets you inspect open court records for free during weekday hours, and you pay only for copies. The 24th JDC handles its own records through a written request to the Judicial Administrator. Some records are held back by clear exceptions, such as juvenile files and active investigations.
Key Statutes:
Louisiana R.S. § 44:1 - defines public records broadly to include nearly all documents kept by a public office.
Louisiana R.S. § 44:31 - gives any person 18 or older the right to inspect and copy public records.
Louisiana R.S. § 44:32 - sets the duties a custodian must follow when producing or denying records.
Louisiana R.S. § 44:4.1 - lists the exceptions and limits that keep certain records out of public view.
The Jefferson Parish public records page walks through how to file a request and what it costs.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Not every record is open. Louisiana law and the Clerk's own notices set clear limits. Juvenile Court records are closed, and you must petition that court to view one. Adoption files are confidential. Sealed and expunged criminal records drop out of ordinary public search, though some criminal-justice and licensing bodies can still see them. Records tied to an active police investigation can be held back too.
To view a sealed record, a person usually files a motion in the court that holds it and shows a legal basis for access. Marriage license images from 1950 forward are also kept offline because of the sensitive data they hold, even though the index entries are searchable.
Specialty Courts in Jefferson Parish
The 24th JDC runs several problem-solving courts that work alongside the regular divisions. The court's own home page lists Drug Court, DWI Court, Intensive Probation Services, Reentry Court, and Swift & Certain Probation. Each of the 16 divisions has referral forms for these programs, which shows that referrals are built into the normal court process rather than run as a separate office.
Drug Court and DWI Court steer qualifying defendants into supervised treatment instead of a standard sentence. Reentry Court helps eligible people return to the community after custody. The court does not post program length or graduation data on its public pages, so contact the relevant division for the current rules.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff and Jail
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office runs the parish jail and the public inmate search. Sheriff Joseph P. Lopinto III leads the office from the Westbank Administration Complex in Harvey. The Sheriff's website links to the inmate search, bail bonds, visitation, mail, and records request pages. The jail is the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center, and a procurement document put its average daily population near 1,025 with a maximum near 1,200.
The Sheriff's home page is the launch point for the inmate roster and records desks.
This screenshot is from the official Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office website.
For the full roster fields and how to read results, see the Jefferson Parish inmate records page. Active warrant and attachment terms are covered on the warrant records page.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
The Clerk of Court issues marriage licenses and keeps divorce filings, which run through the district court family divisions. A license costs $27.50 and stays valid anywhere in Louisiana for 30 days. Probate in Louisiana is called succession, and those cases file through the 24th JDC civil divisions. The terms below come up often in succession files.
- Testator
- The person who made a will.
- Executor
- The person named to carry out the will, called an executor or administrator.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will, so state law decides who inherits.
- Tutorship
- A court setup that protects a minor or that minor's property.
Details and fees sit on the marriage and divorce records page and the probate records page.
Jefferson Parish Court Records Fees
Inspecting open records at the Clerk is free. You pay when you want copies, certified documents, or remote access. JeffNet charges a flat fee for short-term access and a per-page fee for downloads. The table lists the fees people ask about most.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| JeffNet 24-hour access | $5.00 |
| JeffNet monthly subscription | $50.00 per user ID |
| Document PDF download | $0.75 per page |
| Certified court copy | $0.75 per page plus $5.00 certification |
| Public records copy | $1.00 per page |
| Marriage license | $27.50 |
The Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court page lists the full fee schedule, including succession and tutorship deposits.
How to Interpret Jefferson Parish Court Records
Court files use shorthand. A docket is a list of every step in a case, in date order. A minute entry is the court's summary of what happened on a given day. An arrest or a charge is not the same as a conviction, and a record can show charges that were later dropped or refused. In Louisiana, the word "attachment" often means a court order tied to a missed court date.
Read the disposition before you draw a conclusion. A pending case has no final outcome yet. A disposition such as "sentence imposed" tells you the case ended in a conviction and a sentence.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
Online records can lag behind the paper file. JeffNet updates often, but a brand-new filing may not show right away, and image availability differs by case age. Always confirm a key fact with the office that made the record before you rely on it.
Note: Verify any name, date, or disposition with the Clerk of Court or the relevant court before you use a record for a legal or financial purpose.
History of Jefferson Parish Courts
The 24th JDC sits in the Thomas F. Donelon Building, once the Annex to the parish courthouse. The Annex went up in 1969 with two floors, then gained three more in the late 1970s. For years it housed the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal and the District Attorney, and both moved out in the early 2000s. A full renovation ran from October 2004 to January 2007.
The court's first judge, L. Robert Rivarde, took the oath on December 22, 1924, and was the only district judge in the parish until 1944. As the parish grew, the court grew to its current 16 elected divisions. The Clerk's JeffNet system, sponsored since 2004, now holds more than 140 million images.
The court's home page links the judges, the magistrate, and the specialty courts in one place.
This screenshot is from the official 24th Judicial District Court home page.
It is the launch point for court rules, public information, and forms used across the parish.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search Jefferson Parish court records online?
Use JeffNet through the Clerk of Court. It is not a free anonymous portal. Remote users need a $5.00 24-hour account or a monthly subscription. JeffNet covers 24th JDC civil and criminal activity, parish court matters, marriage indices, and property records, but the coverage dates change by record group.
Can I inspect court records for free?
Yes. The Clerk lets the public inspect open civil, criminal, traffic, marriage, and property records during weekday business hours at the right office. There is no charge to look. You pay only for the copies you ask for.
Are juvenile records public in Jefferson Parish?
No. The Clerk states that Juvenile Court records are closed and not open to public examination. A person who wants to view a juvenile record must petition the Juvenile Court for permission.
More answers sit on the Jefferson Parish court records FAQ page.
