Guide
Louisiana Expungement Research Resources
Louisiana expungement is filed with the clerk of court in the parish of arrest or conviction, and the State Police then update the state record. The official Louisiana sources are listed below.
- Louisiana State Police, ExpungementsFile with the clerk of court in the parish of arrest
- Code of Criminal Procedure Article 977Expunging a misdemeanor arrest and conviction
- Code of Criminal Procedure Article 978Expunging a felony arrest and conviction
This directory is for informational and research use only. Expungement eligibility, waiting periods, filing fees, notice rules, and the effect on background checks can differ significantly depending on the state, offense level, case outcome, and later law changes.
Guide
Sealing a divorce or civil file in Louisiana
Louisiana treats a divorce suit record as a public record. La. R.S. 44:1 defines public records to include all books, records, writings and papers of a public body, which includes the clerks of court, and La. R.S. 44:31 gives any person of the age of majority the right to inspect, copy or reproduce them except as the Public Records Law or another specific law provides otherwise. There is no code article that seals divorce records as a class, and the income and expense affidavits filed under the district court's Title IV rules are in the public record with the judgment.
Closing a document therefore takes a motion to seal in the district court and an order. The Public Records Law has no court order exception; a court seals a document under its inherent power in La. C.C.P. art. 191 after a specific showing that privacy interests outweigh the public's right of access, so a sealed document is withheld by the clerk while the suit remains in the index. The statutes are at La. R.S. 44:1 and La. R.S. 44:31.
Guide
Research Notes
- Start with the court and the originating agency. Expungement or sealing requests are often handled through the court that heard the case, sometimes with supporting records from police, prosecutors, or corrections agencies.
- Terminology differs by state. Some jurisdictions use terms such as sealing, set-aside, vacatur, dismissal relief, or nondisclosure instead of expungement.
- Verify current law. Eligibility rules can change through legislation or court decisions, so always confirm the current process before relying on older instructions or third-party summaries.
- Understand downstream effects. Even after record relief, treatment of court, police, private-background check, and federal records may differ depending on the system involved.
By state