Chauvin, Louisiana Public Records

For misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and city ordinance violations (in incorporated areas of the parish), cases are heard in Houma City Court at 606 Liberty Street, Houma, LA 70360, phone (985) 873-6603, though this court does not have jurisdiction over unincorporated Chauvin. Small claims matters under $5,000 are heard in Terrebonne Parish Small Claims Division at the main courthouse. Louisiana's Justice of the Peace Courts, which handle evictions, small civil disputes, and perform marriage ceremonies, serve various wards; Chauvin falls under Ward 10 Justice of the Peace Court. Court records for the 32nd Judicial District can be searched online through the Terrebonne Parish Clerk of Court website at www.terrebonne.org/clerk, which provides case searches by party name, case number, or attorney. The Louisiana Supreme Court also maintains a statewide case search at www.lasc.org for appellate matters. Certified copies of court documents cost $2.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee from the Clerk of Court's office. Marriage licenses cost $27.50 and require both parties to appear in person at the Clerk's office with valid identification and Social Security numbers.

The Assessor's online database at www.terrebonne.org/assessor allows free searches by owner name, property address, or parcel number (also called account number), displaying current assessed values, property characteristics, building details, exemptions including homestead exemption status, and tax assessment history. The office is headed by the elected Assessor and provides annual property valuations used to calculate ad valorem taxes. For recorded land documents including property deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, judgments, and mineral rights, residents must access the Terrebonne Parish Clerk of Court's Conveyance Records Division at 7856 Main Street, Houma, LA 70360, phone (985) 868-5660. The Clerk maintains all official land records dating back to the parish's founding. The Clerk's office website at www.terrebonne.org/clerk provides online access to recorded documents through a subscription-based system; free access is available for viewing indexes, but document images require payment or in-person research at the courthouse. Recording fees for new documents are based on document type and page count, typically starting around $110 for a standard deed plus $15 per page. Terrebonne Parish also provides a free GIS mapping system at www.terrebonne.org/gis where residents can search interactive property maps, view parcel boundaries, identify flood zones, and access basic ownership information linked to the Assessor's database. The GIS system includes aerial imagery and infrastructure layers useful for property research in Chauvin's coastal environment.

Major seafood companies and ice houses in Chauvin include Dean Blanchard Seafood (one of Louisiana's largest shrimp dealers), Motivatit Seafood, and numerous smaller seafood processors and distributors that ship Louisiana Gulf shrimp, crabs, and oysters nationwide. The offshore oil and gas industry provides significant employment through companies operating supply boats, crew boats, marine services, and fabrication facilities serving platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. C&C Machine and Fabrication, Danos & Curole Marine Contractors, and other marine service companies maintain facilities in the Chauvin area. The Terrebonne Parish School District operates South Terrebonne High School and Chauvin Elementary School, providing education and public sector employment. According to U.S. Census data, median household income in Chauvin's ZIP code area is estimated around $40,000, below both parish and state averages, reflecting the working-class character and seasonal nature of commercial fishing employment. The community has faced significant economic challenges from hurricanes (particularly Ida in 2021), coastal land loss, and fluctuating seafood market prices. Chauvin's economy is integrally connected to Terrebonne Parish's broader coastal economy, serving as a critical working waterfront community in a parish that produces more seafood by volume than any other in Louisiana and ranks among the nation's top fishing parishes. Population has gradually declined as coastal erosion and storm vulnerability have impacted the area's long-term viability.

Chauvin is an unincorporated community and does not have its own municipal police department. Law enforcement services for Chauvin residents are provided exclusively by the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 2295 St. Charles Street, Houma, LA 70360, phone (985) 876-2500, website www.tpso.net. The Sheriff's Office maintains a substation serving the lower bayou communities including Chauvin, and patrols all unincorporated areas of Terrebonne Parish. Sheriff Tim Soignet oversees operations including patrol, criminal investigations, narcotics enforcement, and marine division patrols of the extensive waterways in the Chauvin area. To request police reports or incident records, residents must submit a written public records request to the Sheriff's Office Records Division at the Houma headquarters, either in person, by mail, or through the contact form on the agency website. Louisiana Revised Statutes 44:1 through 44:41 (the Louisiana Public Records Act) establishes the right to access government records, requiring agencies to respond within three business days. Arrest records and jail bookings for Chauvin residents are searchable through the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex inmate roster at www.tpso.net under the "Inmate Information" or "Who's in Jail" section. The online roster displays current inmates' names, booking dates, charges, bond amounts, booking photographs, and housing location within the detention facility at 100 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Boulevard in Houma. Historical arrest records and case dispositions require a formal records request. The Sheriff's Office charges copying fees as permitted under Louisiana law, typically 25 cents per page for standard documents.

Online ordering is available through VitalChek at www.vitalchek.com with additional convenience fees. Louisiana birth records are confidential for 100 years; only the registrant (if age 18+), parents listed on the certificate, legal representatives, or those with court orders may obtain certified copies, and valid government-issued photo identification is required. Death certificates cost $7 each and are restricted for 50 years to immediate family members, legal representatives, or those with tangible interest. Requests require completion of form VS-3 for births or VS-4 for deaths, available on the Louisiana Department of Health website. Marriage licenses for Chauvin residents are issued by the Terrebonne Parish Clerk of Court at 7856 Main Street, Houma, LA 70360, phone (985) 868-5660, with a fee of $27.50. Louisiana has no waiting period or blood test requirement. Both parties must appear in person with valid photo identification, Social Security numbers, and certified birth certificates. If previously married, proof of divorce or death certificate of former spouse is required. Marriage records are public documents maintained permanently by the Clerk's office. Divorce records are court proceedings filed in the 32nd Judicial District Court and maintained by the Clerk of Court as part of the civil case record system, searchable online at www.terrebonne.org/clerk. Certified copies of marriage certificates cost $5.00 each from the Clerk's office.

The Terrebonne Parish Government at 8026 Main Street, Houma, LA 70360, phone (985) 868-5050, website www.terrebonne.org, administers occupational licenses for certain business types. Many Chauvin businesses, especially in the commercial fishing and marine services sectors, must also obtain Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries commercial licenses. Fictitious name registrations (trade names or "doing business as" filings) for businesses in Terrebonne Parish are filed with the Terrebonne Parish Clerk of Court at 7856 Main Street, Houma, LA 70360, phone (985) 868-5660, in the Commercial Records Division. Registration typically costs around $75 and must be renewed every five years. For formal business entity formation—corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), partnerships, and nonprofit organizations—businesses must register with the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division, P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804, phone (225) 925-4704, website www.sos.la.gov. The Secretary of State's GeauxBiz website at https://coraweb.sos.la.gov/CommercialSearch provides free online searching of all registered business entities in Louisiana by business name, charter number, or registered agent, displaying entity status, formation date, registered agent information, and officers/directors. UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) lien searches for secured transactions are also conducted through the Louisiana Secretary of State's UCC database at www.sos.la.gov. Business personal property is assessed by the Terrebonne Parish Assessor's Office at 8026 Main Street, Houma, LA 70360, phone (985) 876-6620, and business owners must file annual personal property tax returns listing equipment, inventory, and furnishings. Commercial real estate assessments are searchable online at www.terrebonne.org/assessor.

Chauvin voters are served by the Terrebonne Parish Clerk of Court Elections Division, located at 7856 Main Street, Houma, LA 70360, phone (985) 868-5660, website www.terrebonne.org/clerk. The Clerk of Court serves as the parish's Registrar of Voters, maintaining all voter registration records and administering elections for the unincorporated Chauvin area. Louisiana voters can register online through the Louisiana Secretary of State's GeauxVote portal at www.GeauxVote.com, which allows new registration, address updates, and party affiliation changes. The voter registration deadline in Louisiana is 30 days before any election (20 days for online registration). Registration requires a valid Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana Special ID card number, Social Security number, and date of birth. Louisiana does not require party registration for primary voting. As an unincorporated community, Chauvin has no municipal elections for mayor or city council; residents vote for Terrebonne Parish President (chief executive), Parish Council representatives (Chauvin is in District 10), Sheriff, Clerk of Court, Assessor, Coroner, and School Board members in parish-wide elections typically held on consolidated election dates established by Louisiana law. Parish general elections occur every four years; the next Terrebonne Parish President and Council elections are scheduled for fall 2027. Chauvin voters also participate in state legislative elections for Louisiana House District 54 and Louisiana Senate District 20, which represent Terrebonne Parish's coastal communities. To find their assigned polling place, Chauvin residents can use the polling place locator at www.GeauxVote.com by entering their address, or contact the Clerk of Court Elections Division. In Louisiana, voter registration lists are public records available for purchase from the Secretary of State; precinct-level election results are posted on the Secretary of State's election returns website at www.sos.la.gov after each election. Campaign finance reports for state and parish candidates are searchable through the Louisiana Board of Ethics at www.ethics.la.gov. In the November 2024 presidential election, Terrebonne Parish reported approximately 42,000 total votes cast with turnout around 58% of registered voters; the parish voted approximately 70% Republican. For the November 3, 2026 election cycle, Chauvin and Terrebonne Parish voters will decide several significant races: U.S. Senator (Louisiana's Class III seat currently held by John Kennedy is up for election in 2026), all of Louisiana's six U.S. House seats including District 1 which represents Terrebonne Parish, statewide elections for Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer, and other constitutional offices, and potentially parish-level measures or special elections. Louisiana Governor and Lieutenant Governor elections occur in off-years (last held 2023), so will not appear on the 2026 ballot. Louisiana uses a jungle primary system where all candidates regardless of party appear on the primary ballot; if no candidate receives 50%+ of votes, the top two advance to a general election runoff. Absentee voting by mail in Louisiana requires voters to request an absentee ballot application from the Registrar of Voters; Louisiana allows mail-in voting for specific reasons including absence from the parish on election day, those 65 or older, persons with disabilities, or those hospitalized. Early voting in Louisiana is available at designated locations (typically the Registrar's office and satellite locations) during the 14-day period before election day excluding Sundays. The Terrebonne Parish Clerk of Court Elections Division provides detailed information on upcoming elections, sample ballots, and candidate qualification information on their website and through the Louisiana Secretary of State's GeauxVote system.