Bankruptcy, Federal Court System

Louisiana Bankruptcy Search

Louisiana has three federal bankruptcy districts: Eastern, Middle and Western. Bankruptcy cases are filed only in federal court, never in a state court.

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Louisiana Bankruptcy Search at a Glance

Louisiana's bankruptcy cases are split among three federal courts by where the debtor lives. The court links below open each court's own site, and PACER, in the federal list further down, searches all three at once.

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Louisiana Bankruptcy Court Resources

Use the resources below to identify the correct federal bankruptcy court, check electronic filing or docket access, and locate related bankruptcy guidance for Louisiana.

Under Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9037, filed papers may show only the last four digits of a Social Security number, the year of birth and a minor's initials. To tell apart two debtors with the same name, compare the home address and those four digits on the petition, Official Form 101. All three courts also give free case status by phone through McVCIS at 1-866-222-8029.

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Louisiana bankruptcy files: districts and access

Louisiana has three federal bankruptcy districts. The Eastern District of Louisiana (laeb.uscourts.gov) sits in New Orleans, the Middle District (lamb.uscourts.gov) in Baton Rouge, and the Western District (lawb.uscourts.gov) covers the rest of the state. A name search without a parish starts at the PACER Case Locator, which covers all three. Dockets and documents are public under 11 U.S.C. 107 at $0.10 per page on PACER, $3 at most per document, free in a quarter at $30 or less, and free to view at the courthouse. Schedule A/B lists deposit accounts by institution and Schedule I the employer; the Louisiana asset search page explains how they are read.

Straight answers

Louisiana Bankruptcy Search, questions

Are bankruptcy records public?

Yes. All documents filed in a bankruptcy case are public records under 11 U.S.C. § 107, subject only to narrow sealing for trade secrets and certain personal identifiers.

Do states have their own bankruptcy courts?

No. Bankruptcy is exclusively federal under Article I of the U.S. Constitution and Title 11 of the U.S. Code. Each U.S. judicial district has a bankruptcy court.

How long does a bankruptcy stay on a credit report?

Chapter 7 discharges remain on a consumer credit report for 10 years from the filing date. Chapter 13 remains 7 years from filing. This is controlled by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. § 1681c).

Is there a fee to use PACER?

Registration is free. Per-page viewing is $0.10 per page, capped at $3.00 per document. Users who accrue less than $30 per quarter pay nothing.