West Feliciana Parish Court Records

West Feliciana Parish court records are maintained by the Clerk of Court in St. Francisville and cover civil, criminal, land, marriage, and probate filings in the 20th Judicial District. The office provides an online public records search portal with separate dropdown menus for civil and criminal case records, and all records types including land, civil, criminal, marriage, and probates are accessible through the dedicated search tool on the clerk's website.

West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court

The West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court office is located on Prosperity Street in St. Francisville. The Clerk serves as the official custodian of all records filed in the 20th Judicial District Court, including civil pleadings, criminal case files, land filings, probate matters, and marriage records. The office receives and files all pleadings such as petitions, answers, and exceptions in civil, family, probate, juvenile, and adoption matters.

Like many Louisiana clerk offices, West Feliciana's Clerk of Court operates largely without tax support. The office notes that no tax money is provided for its operation except what is used for office space, utilities, and some modifications. The rest of the office's funding comes from fees charged for the services it provides. This means the fees you pay for copies, filings, and certifications go directly toward keeping the office running.

Note: For civil or criminal case records, you must select either "VERDICT CIVIL" or "VERDICT CRIMINAL" from the drop-down menu on the online search portal. Using the wrong selection will not return case results.

West Feliciana Parish Court Records Online Search

The West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court provides a dedicated public records search portal on its website at westfelicianaclerkofcourt.org. This portal covers land records, civil cases, criminal cases, marriage records, and probates in one place. The key detail is that for civil and criminal cases specifically, users must select the correct option from a drop-down menu. Choosing "VERDICT CIVIL" returns civil case results, and choosing "VERDICT CRIMINAL" returns criminal case results. The portal will not find case records if you leave the default selection or pick the wrong category.

The image below shows the West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court official homepage, which links to the public records search portal.

The clerk's homepage at westfelicianaclerkofcourt.org provides direct access to the public records search tool along with office contact information and announcements.

Louisiana public records law at La. R.S. 44:1 gives any person the right to inspect or copy a public record. Court records maintained by the West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court are public records under this law, and the online portal is one way to exercise that right without visiting St. Francisville in person.

Note: If you are looking for civil or criminal case records specifically, remember to select the correct VERDICT option from the drop-down. Land and marriage searches use a different part of the portal.

West Feliciana Parish Civil Court Records

Civil court records in West Feliciana Parish cover all non-criminal cases filed in the 20th Judicial District. The Clerk of Court receives and files all pleadings including petitions, answers, exceptions, and motions in civil matters. Family law cases, property disputes, contract claims, and other civil litigation are all part of this record set. Each case has a docket number and a file that contains every document submitted to the court.

Under La. R.S. 44:31, any person can inspect or get a copy of a public record. The Clerk is required under La. R.S. 44:32 to make records available during business hours and to charge reasonable fees for copies. West Feliciana Parish civil records can be searched through the online portal by selecting "VERDICT CIVIL," or you can visit the St. Francisville office in person and ask staff to search the civil index by party name or case number.

Civil records are open to the public unless a judge has sealed them. Cases involving adoption, some juvenile matters, and sensitive family proceedings may have sealed portions. The Clerk can tell you what is available in a specific case before you request copies.

Note: Sealed records in West Feliciana Parish are not accessible through the public portal or over the counter without a court order. The Clerk cannot release sealed material regardless of the reason for your request.

West Feliciana Parish Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records in West Feliciana Parish are part of the same public records search portal used for civil and land records, but they require selecting "VERDICT CRIMINAL" from the drop-down menu. Criminal records include bills of information, indictments, arraignment records, plea entries, trial verdicts, and sentencing orders for defendants in the 20th Judicial District.

The image below shows the court information page on the West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court website, which explains the court's jurisdiction and the types of matters it handles.

The court information page at westfelicianaclerkofcourt.org describes the types of cases handled in West Feliciana Parish and how records are organized in the Clerk's system.

Most criminal records in Louisiana are public. Exceptions include juvenile criminal records, which are sealed by statute, and cases that have been expunged by court order. Expunged records are removed from the public index and will not appear in a search even if the case existed. Under La. R.S. 44:33.1, if a request for a public record is denied, the requester may seek judicial review of that denial in the district court.

To search West Feliciana criminal records in person, visit the St. Francisville courthouse, give the name of the person you are searching, and ask the Clerk's staff to search the criminal docket index. Copies of specific documents can be requested and paid for at the standard rate.

Land Records and Property Filings in West Feliciana Parish

The West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court is the ex-officio recorder of conveyances and mortgages for the parish. All property sales, deeds, mortgage filings, liens, and related instruments must be recorded here to be effective against third parties under Louisiana law. The conveyance and mortgage indices are part of the public records search portal on the clerk's website and can be searched online along with civil and criminal records.

Title searches in West Feliciana Parish start with the Clerk of Court. The grantor/grantee index tracks ownership history, and the mortgage index shows liens and encumbrances. Both are necessary for a complete title search before a real estate transaction closes. The online portal allows preliminary research from a remote location, which is helpful for attorneys and title companies that handle West Feliciana Parish transactions from outside the parish.

Original documents filed for recordation in Louisiana are not returned to the sender. The West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court keeps them on file. Request a certified copy at the time of filing or later if you need a copy for your records. Certified copies are required when a document must be used as official proof in a legal proceeding. Plain copies are fine for reference but may not be accepted in court.

Probate Records in West Feliciana Parish

Probate and succession cases in West Feliciana Parish are filed in the 20th Judicial District Court and maintained by the Clerk of Court in St. Francisville. The online records portal includes probate records along with civil, criminal, land, and marriage records. This makes West Feliciana Parish one of the more accessible parishes for online probate research, since all record types are in one place.

Probate records include wills, succession petitions, bond filings, heir listings, inventory reports, and final judgments of possession. These are public records and can be searched through the portal or inspected at the courthouse. If you need to open a succession in West Feliciana Parish, the Clerk's office can provide the forms and the current filing fee schedule. More complex estate matters, particularly those involving community property or contested heirship, benefit from legal counsel familiar with Louisiana succession law.

The Clerk of Court office also handles adoptions and juvenile matters in the 20th Judicial District. These records are generally sealed and not accessible to the public. Do not expect the online portal or the office counter to provide access to sealed adoption or juvenile records without a court order specifically authorizing that access.

Note: The West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court public records portal covers land, civil, criminal, marriage, and probate records all in one system. Start there for any record type before calling the office for in-person assistance.

Nearby Parishes

Court records must be requested from the parish where the case was filed.