Louisiana Public Records

How the Louisiana Public Records Law Actually Works

Louisiana's public records law is codified at La. R.S. § 44:1 (Louisiana Public Records Law). It gives any person — resident or not, citizen or not, journalist or not — the right to inspect and copy public records held by state and local agencies. In most cases, you do not have to explain why you want the record.

Response time: 5 business days, longer if compilation needed. The agency's response is not necessarily a deadline to deliver records — it tells you whether the records exist and when they'll be produced.

Fee rules: reasonable copying costs; no charge for inspection. Agencies cannot inflate charges to discourage requests.

If your request is denied or unreasonably delayed, the law typically provides a mechanism to appeal — either administratively or by filing a petition in state court. Many states award attorney's fees to requesters who prevail on a wrongfully denied request.

What You Cannot Get in Louisiana (the honest answer)

Many directory sites promise things Louisiana law specifically restricts. Here's what's actually true:

• Rap sheet access: Subject only via fingerprint. Third-party "instant background check" sites that promise a full Louisiana criminal history are typically aggregating older court data — not the official state record.
• Sealed and expunged records: records cleared under Louisiana's expungement law (La. C.Cr.P. art. 971-995) are removed from public criminal history reports.
• Juvenile records are generally confidential under Louisiana law and not available without court order.
• Active investigation records, attorney-client privileged documents, draft notes, and personnel files are exempt under standard exceptions to the Louisiana Public Records Law.
• Booking photos (mugshots) have increasingly restricted commercial use across Louisiana and most states — paid "mugshot removal" sites are exposed to civil liability in many jurisdictions.

Expungement and Record Clearing in Louisiana

Louisiana's record-clearing law is found at La. C.Cr.P. art. 971-995.

Eligibility: misdemeanors after 5 years; many felonies after 10 years from completion of sentence.

The petition or application is typically filed in the court of conviction. Filing fees, waiting periods, and exclusions vary by offense type — serious violent crimes and most sexual offenses are commonly excluded. Many states are moving toward automatic ("Clean Slate") sealing for qualifying records.

If you believe your Louisiana record contains an error or includes an offense that should have been cleared, you have the right to challenge it through the state criminal history repository — typically by submitting a written claim with documentation.

How to Get Your Own Louisiana Criminal Record

If you need your own Louisiana criminal history — for an employer, a licensing board, an immigration application, or just to know what's there — the state record is maintained by the Louisiana State Police (LSP) Bureau of Criminal Identification.

Walkthrough:

1. Choose your method: LSP fingerprint-based check $26 (in-state) or $39 (out-of-state).
2. Complete the required form (most states use a standard request form available from the Louisiana State Police website).
3. Submit your request along with the fee. Fingerprint-based methods provide the most complete and accurate record but take longer.
4. Turnaround: 2-4 weeks.
5. Review the response. If you find errors, the law at La. R.S. § 15:577 provides procedures for correcting or challenging inaccurate criminal history information.

Fingerprint-based criminal history checks are considered the official record. Name-based checks are faster and cheaper but can miss records or include records belonging to people with similar names — verify identity carefully.

Notable Louisiana Record Laws You Should Know

• Act 145 (2018): Expanded expungement eligibility, automatic for non-violent first offenses.
• La. R.S. § 15:577: the statute governing the maintenance, dissemination, and inspection of state criminal history records in Louisiana.
• Federal interaction: the FBI maintains a separate national criminal history database (the Identification, Information & Investigation Services / NGI). Some Louisiana background checks include a fingerprint forward to the FBI for $13–$32 additional fee, depending on purpose.