Caddo Parish Court Records

Caddo Parish court records are maintained by the Clerk of Court in Shreveport, covering civil suits, criminal cases, property filings, land records, and marriage licenses. This office serves as one of the busiest courthouses in northwest Louisiana, handling a high volume of filings each year for residents across the parish.

Caddo Parish Clerk of Court

The Caddo Parish Clerk of Court is the official keeper of all court records in the parish. The office is located in the Caddo Parish Courthouse in downtown Shreveport, which sits near the Red River at the heart of the region's legal community. Staff can help you find a case, pull a document, or point you to the right search tool. They do not do research on your behalf, but they can show you how to use the in-person terminals.

Shreveport is the largest city in northwest Louisiana and a major regional hub that draws cases from surrounding parishes. The Caddo courthouse handles filings from across the 1st Judicial District. Because of the volume of cases processed here, the office has invested heavily in digital access, including one of the most capable online portals in the state.

The official Caddo Parish Clerk of Court website provides links to online portals, forms, and office updates. The screenshot below shows the Caddo Clerk's official site, which lists contact details and links to digital search tools.

From this page, you can navigate to the ClerkConnect portal, check office news, and find links to important forms used in civil and criminal filings across the parish.

Note: The Clerk of Court also serves as Recorder of Mortgages and Conveyances for Caddo Parish, meaning property and land records are filed in the same office as court case records.

How to Search Caddo Parish Court Records

There are two main ways to search Caddo Parish court records: online through the ClerkConnect portal, or in person at the Shreveport courthouse. Online access is available around the clock, while in-person terminals are available during regular office hours.

To search online, go to ClerkConnect and select Caddo Parish from the parish list. You can search by name, case number, or date range. The portal covers civil suits, criminal cases, property records, and more. Some documents are free to view; others require a fee to print or download. Caddo is one of the few parishes in Louisiana that offers full e-filing through ClerkConnect, which means attorneys and parties can submit new filings electronically without coming to the courthouse.

To search in person, visit the clerk's office at 501 Texas Street during business hours. Bring the name of the person or business you are searching, the approximate date of the case, or the case number if you have it. Staff can direct you to public terminals where you can search the database yourself.

Note: For criminal case searches, you may also check the Louisiana Supreme Court's public docket at lasc.org, which lists appellate-level decisions from cases that have moved through the district court system.

Types of Court Records in Caddo Parish

The Caddo Parish Clerk of Court holds a wide range of record types. Civil case files cover lawsuits between private parties, including contract disputes, personal injury cases, and family law matters such as divorce and custody. Criminal case records document charges, hearings, pleas, verdicts, and sentences in cases brought by the state. These are public records under Louisiana law, with narrow exceptions for juvenile matters and sealed files.

Property records include conveyance records (sales and transfers of real estate) and mortgage records (liens and encumbrances). These date back many decades and are important for title searches. Land records in Caddo Parish can be searched online through ClerkConnect. Marriage licenses are also filed with the Clerk of Court and can be retrieved in person or, in some cases, online.

Probate records, including successions and interdictions, are also held at this office. These records deal with estates, wills, and guardianship matters handled by the district court. The clerk maintains these files and can help you locate a specific succession if you have the decedent's name and an approximate year.

Note: Juvenile records and records sealed by court order are not public and will not appear in general searches.

Online Access to Caddo Parish Court Records

Caddo Parish offers online access to court records through ClerkConnect, a platform used by several Louisiana parishes. The Caddo portal supports online inquiry, meaning you can search case indexes and view available documents from any computer or mobile device. This is a significant convenience for attorneys, title searchers, and members of the public who need to check records without traveling to Shreveport.

ClerkConnect for Caddo Parish also supports e-recording, which lets title companies and lenders submit documents for recording electronically. Beyond that, Caddo is one of only a handful of parishes in Louisiana with full e-filing capability. This means attorneys can file new pleadings and motions electronically, which cuts down on courthouse trips and speeds up the filing process.

The screenshot below shows the ClerkConnect portal interface used for Caddo Parish court records searches. You can access land records, civil case indexes, and criminal case summaries directly from this platform.

Once logged in, you can search by party name, case number, or filing date. Some features require a paid subscription or per-search fee, but basic index searches are often available at no cost.

Note: E-filing through ClerkConnect is a feature that sets Caddo Parish apart from many other Louisiana parishes, making it easier for legal professionals to manage cases remotely.

Court Record Fees in Caddo Parish

Fees for Caddo Parish court records are set by state law and local court rules. Copies of standard documents typically cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies carry an additional fee per document. The exact current fees are listed on the Caddo Parish Clerk's website. Online fees through ClerkConnect may differ from in-person copy fees, so check the portal's fee schedule before ordering documents remotely.

For e-recording and e-filing, ClerkConnect charges a service fee on top of the standard recording or filing fees set by state law. These fees vary based on document type and page count. Frequent filers can set up accounts that allow them to manage payments more efficiently. If you plan to request a large number of documents, it may be worth contacting the clerk's office in advance to confirm the current fee structure and any options for bulk requests.

Note: Fees can change, so confirm the current schedule directly with the clerk's office or check the ClerkConnect portal before your visit or online search.

Public Records Law in Caddo Parish

Louisiana's Public Records Law gives the public the right to inspect and copy government records, including court records. La. R.S. 44:1 defines what counts as a public record, and the definition is broad. It covers any document, instrument, or other item created or held by a public body in connection with public business. Most Caddo Parish court records meet this definition and are open to anyone who asks.

La. R.S. 44:31 gives every person the right to examine, copy, and reproduce public records. The Caddo Parish Clerk of Court cannot refuse a lawful public records request without a valid legal reason. La. R.S. 44:32 sets out the procedure for making a request, including that agencies must respond promptly. If a record is not immediately available, the clerk must give a specific date and time when it will be ready.

Some records are exempt from public access. Juvenile court records, records sealed by a judge, and certain law enforcement investigative files may not be disclosed. If your request is denied, the clerk must give you a written reason. You may then seek review in district court. Understanding these rights is useful when you need records and face any pushback from a records custodian.

Note: Even if a record is technically public, some documents may require redaction of sensitive personal information before release, which can add time to the response.

E-Filing and Regional Court Access in Caddo Parish

Caddo Parish's position on Louisiana's border with both Texas and Arkansas makes it a significant regional courthouse. Cases involving parties from neighboring states sometimes get filed here. The Shreveport courthouse serves as the legal hub for a wide area that extends into parts of east Texas and southwest Arkansas, and the Clerk of Court's office has built its systems to match that scale.

The full e-filing capability through ClerkConnect is one of the most notable features of the Caddo system. Most Louisiana parishes only allow online inquiry and e-recording. Caddo goes a step further by letting attorneys file new cases and pleadings electronically. This means you can start a lawsuit, file an answer, or submit a motion without ever going to the courthouse in person. For legal professionals who regularly practice in Caddo Parish, this saves time and reduces errors from paper filings.

If you are searching for records from a case that may have started in a neighboring parish or state but was transferred to Caddo, contact the clerk's office directly. Staff can help you determine if the records are held in Shreveport or if you need to contact another court system across the state or state line.

Note: Cases involving Caddo Parish that were appealed may appear in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal records at la2nd.org, which maintains a separate public docket for appellate decisions.

Cities in Caddo Parish

Shreveport is the largest city in Caddo Parish and the only city in the parish that meets the population threshold for a dedicated records page.

Nearby Parishes

These parishes border Caddo Parish. File in the parish where the case was originally heard.