Guide
Louisiana Judgments & Liens Search at a Glance
In Louisiana, money judgments come from the district, city and parish courts. A judgment becomes a judicial mortgage when it is filed with the recorder of mortgages, part of the records kept by each parish clerk of court. UCC financing statements are not filed with the Secretary of State: they go to any parish clerk of court and are indexed statewide.
Always confirm the official record by ordering a certified copy from the originating office when accuracy matters for closing, refinancing, or litigation.
Guide
Where to search court judgments in Louisiana
Louisiana has no single statewide court case search. Each parish clerk of court keeps the court, mortgage and conveyance records; the Secretary of State lists every clerk's contact information, and the Louisiana Clerks Remote Access Authority, a state entity created in 2014, runs a statewide portal of clerk land records.
Guide
Where liens are recorded in Louisiana
A judicial mortgage is created by filing a judgment with the recorder of mortgages (Civil Code art. 3300), and it burdens the debtor's property that can be mortgaged (art. 3302). On a private construction job, a claimant must file a statement of claim or privilege no later than 60 days after a notice of termination is filed, or after substantial completion if no notice is filed; different limits apply when a notice of contract was filed (R.S. 9:4822).
Guide
Louisiana UCC filings
UCC financing statements in Louisiana are not filed with the Secretary of State. A UCC-1 can be filed with any parish clerk of court, or online through the Secretary of State's website for a clerk, and amendments go to the office that took the original. A certified UCC search is requested in writing from a clerk of court for $30 per debtor name, and the Secretary of State sells a subscription to the statewide UCC database for $400 a year.
Guide
How long a judgment lien lasts in Louisiana
The recordation of a judgment creating a judicial mortgage stops having effect 10 years after the date of the judgment (Civil Code art. 3359). A signed notice of reinscription recorded before then continues the effect for 10 years from the date the notice is recorded (arts. 3362 and 3364).
Guide
Finding the debtor's assets after judgment in Louisiana
Louisiana's procedure is the judgment debtor examination in articles 2451 through 2456 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Under article 2451, in aid of execution the judgment creditor may examine the judgment debtor, his books, papers or documents, upon any matter relating to his property, either by the ordinary discovery devices in articles 1421 through 1515, which include depositions, interrogatories and requests for production, or by the examination procedure in articles 2452 through 2456. Third persons who may hold the debtor's property can be examined too.
The suit records often answer the questions first. A Louisiana divorce record is public under La. R.S. 44:31, and the sworn income and expense affidavit filed under the district's Title IV rule, the judgment of divorce and the community property partition judgment show income, employer and what each spouse kept. A bankruptcy file in the Eastern, Middle or Western District lists deposit accounts by institution and the employer by name. The Louisiana asset search page covers both.
Guide
Court forms and self-help in Louisiana
The Law Library of Louisiana, at the Louisiana Supreme Court, keeps a guide to online legal forms and other resources for people representing themselves.
Guide
Federal & National Authoritative Sources
By state
Judgments and liens in other states
Straight answers
Louisiana Judgments & Liens Search, questions
How long is a judgment lien enforceable in Louisiana?
In Louisiana, a money judgment is enforceable as a lien for 10 years from the date it is entered or properly docketed. Creditors who want to extend collection beyond that period must file a renewal motion with the issuing court before the lien lapses. Read the Louisiana statute.
What is the deadline for filing a mechanics lien in Louisiana?
In Louisiana, a mechanics lien (also called a construction or materialman's lien) must generally be filed within 180 days after the claimant last furnished labor or materials to the project. Different deadlines may apply to general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers, so check the exact statute before relying on this window. Source: Louisiana statute.
What property is protected from judgment creditors in Louisiana?
Louisiana protects a homestead, the debtor's primary residence, up to $35,000 in equity from forced sale by most judgment creditors. Personal property exemptions (motor vehicle, household goods, tools of trade, retirement accounts) are listed separately in the state code. Confirm the current amount on the official source.
Where do I file or search a UCC-1 in Louisiana?
UCC-1 financing statements for personal-property collateral in Louisiana are filed with the Secretary of State (or equivalent state filing office). Open the official Louisiana UCC filing portal. Real-property liens (mortgages, judgment-lien dockets, mechanics liens) are recorded at the county recorder/clerk where the property is located, not at the state level.