Orleans Parish Civil and Criminal Court Records
The City Archives holds all records of the Orleans Parish civil courts (1804-1926) and records of the Orleans Parish criminal courts (1830-1931). Indexing for most of the Orleans Parish civil courts is available either in published volumes or on microfilm. In addition, City Archives staff and volunteers have prepared indexes for several courts that came to the Archives with no indexing. Indexing for the Orleans Parish criminal courts is fragmentary prior to 1880 and after 1918.
The Orleans Parish court system has undergone several significant changes and reorganizations since 1803. The Timeline of Orleans Parish Court Systems below provides an overview of the civil and criminal court systems and their jurisdictions.
Court System Timeline
An overview of the civil and criminal court systems and their jurisdictions.
Learn MoreOrleans Parish Court Systems
Court of Pleas, 1804
- The only existing record from the Court of Pleas is a minute book. None of the suit records in this court have survived.
- Indexing for the Court of Pleas Minute Book.
- The Court of Pleas Minute Book has been digitized as part of the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Collection of the Louisiana Digital Library.
County Court, 1804-1807
- Original County Court records are closed to researchers.
- Civil and criminal cases from the County Court have been digitized as part of the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Collection of the Louisiana Digital Library.
- Index to County Court Civil Suit records, 1804-1807
- Index to Criminal Suit Records tried in County Court and City Court, 1805-1812
Superior Court, 1804-1813
- Superior Court records are not microfilmed. Suit records are available to researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- Index to suit records (1804-1813)
Court of Probates, 1804-1846
- Court of Probate suit records are available on microfilm, call number: mf VCH281
- Court of Probates succession records have been digitized and are available on Family Search under the collection “Orleans Parish Estate Files, 1804-1846.”
- Index to successions filed in the Court of Probates, 1805-1846
- If the deceased left a will, the index refers to it by volume and page number of the separate Will Books (mf VRD410). Will Books, 1805-1920, have been digitized and are available on FamilySearch.
- If there is an inventory of the deceased’s estate (see below), the index records the year that it was made. Estate Inventories, 1803-1877, were filed in a separate series in the Court of Probates; however, the series of inventories extends into the next court system.
- A separate index to the Estate Inventories (1803-1877), extending into the next court system, is also available.
- Suits filed against estates, executors, and heirs were given docket numbers and were filed separately in the Court of Probates Numbers Series.
- Index to Court of Probates Numbered Series, 1823-1845
City Court, 1807-1813
- City Court suit records, 1807-1803, are not microfilmed; they are available to researchers by appointment. Please request by docket number.
- Index to City Court Civil Suit records, 1807-1813
- Index to Criminal Suit Records tried in County Court and City Court, 1805-1812
- City Court civil and criminal suits have been digitized as part of the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Collection of the Louisiana Digital Library.
- City Court filed a separate series of Insolvency Suits, available to registered researchers by appointment. Please request by docket number.
- Index to City Court Insolvency Suits, 1807-1813
- Marriage Licenses and Bonds of Priests and Ministers granted in the City Court are available on microfilm under the call number: mf VSG300.
- Index to Marriage Licenses in City Court, 1807-1808.
The Court of Probates continues to handle all successions throughout the First State System.
Parish Court, 1813-1846
- Parish Court records, 1813-1846 have been microfilmed, call number: mf VCP 290.
- Index to Parish Court suit records, 1813-1835
- The Parish Court docket books and plaintiff’s index have been digitized and are available on Family Search.
- Petitions for the Emancipation of Enslaved People, Parish Court, 1813-1843, have been digitized as part of the Free People of Color of Louisiana collection at LSU.
- Index to Emancipation Petitions, 1813-1843
First Judicial District Court, 1813-1846
- First Judicial District Court suit records have been partially microfilmed, call number: mf VSM290
- Unmicrofilmed materials should be requested by docket number.
- Index to First Judicial District Court records, 1813-1835
- Indexing does not exist for suit records from 1835-1846; researchers should consult the general docket book, call number: VMA 350.
- The general docket and the index to the general docket of the First Judicial District Court has been digitized and is available on Family Search.
- Habeas Corpus Records, 1831-1846, are indexed. The suits themselves are partially microfilmed.
Criminal Court of the First District, 1830-1846
- The only existing records from this court are Minute Books; they are not microfilmed., call number: VMZ300.
- Materials should be requested by volume number.
Commercial Court, 1839-1846
- Commercial Court records are not microfilmed; they are available to registered research by appointment. Suit records should be requested by docket number.
- The general docket and index to the general docket of the Commercial Court has been digitized and is available on Family Search.
- Commercial Court suits relating to the mutiny aboard the brig Creole, 1841, are available on microfilm, call number: mf VCC 290.
First District Court, 1846-1880
- First District Court records are partially available on microfilm. Dockets #1-10,000 of the 1st series are available on microfilm, call number: mf VSA290.
- Unfilmed 1st and 2nd series suits are available to registered researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- There is no general indexing for these records; researchers should consult the general docket for the First District Court, available on microfilm, call number: mf VSA350.
- Index to Successions, 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th District Courts, 1846-1853
Second District Court, 1846-1880
- Second District Court records are partially available on microfilm, call number: mf VSB290.
- Unfilmed records are available to registered researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- Index to successions, Second District Court, 1846-1880.
- The successions, suit records, general docket books and indexes for the Second District Court have been digitized and are available FamilySearch.
Third District Court, 1846-1880
- Third District Court records are partially available on microfilm, call number: mf VSC290.
- Unfilmed suit records are available to registered researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- The general docket and index to the general docket of the Third District Court has been digitized and is available on FamilySearch.
- Index to Successions, 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th District Courts, 1846-1853
Fourth District Court, 1846-1880
- Fourth District Court records are partially available on microfilm, call number: mf VSD290.
- Unfilmed suit records are available to registered researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- The general docket and index to the general docket of the Fourth District Court has been digitized and is available on FamilySearch.
- Index to Successions, 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th District Courts, 1846-1853
Fifth District Court, 1846-1880
- Fifth District Court records are partially available on microfilm, call number: mf VSE290.
- Unfilmed suit records are available to registered researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- The general docket and index to the general docket of the Fifth District Court has been digitized and is available on FamilySearch.
- Index to Successions, 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th District Courts, 1846-1853
Sixth District Court, 1853-1880
- Sixth District Court records are partially available on microfilm, call number: mf VSF290.
- Unfilmed suit records are available to registered researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- The general docket and index to the general docket of the Sixth District Court has been digitized and is available on FamilySearch.
Seventh District Court, 1868-1872
- Seventh District Court records are partially available on microfilm, call number: mf VSG290.
- Unfilmed suit records are available to registered researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- The general docket and index to the general docket of the Seventh District Court has been digitized and is available on FamilySearch.
Eighth District Court, 1870-1872
- Eighth District Court records are partially available on microfilm, call number: mf VSH290.
- Unfilmed suit records are available to registered researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- There is no extant indexing for suit records from the Eighth District Court; researchers should consult the plaintiff and defendants’ indexes to the general docket book, call number: VSH350id and VSH350ip.
Superior District Court, 1872-1877
- Superior District Court records are not microfilmed. Suit records are available to registered researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- There is no indexing for Superior District Court records; researchers should consult the general dockets and the defendant’s index, call number: VSS350id
Superior Criminal Court, 1874-1880
- Superior Criminal Court records are not microfilmed. Suit records are available to registered researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- Index to Superior Criminal Court Case Records, 1874-1880
Second Judicial District Court, 1876-1880
- Second Judicial District Court records are not microfilmed. Suit records are available to registered researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- Index to Second Judicial District Court Criminal Cases, 1876-1880.
- Civil records of Second Judicial District Court are not indexed; access is through the general docket.
The City Archives’ collection of court records stop in the later 1920s/ early 1930s. Researchers interested in records of the Civil District Court from 1927-present should contact the Clerk of Civil District Court. For records of the Criminal District Court from 1933-present, contact the Clerk of Criminal District Court.
Civil District Court, 1880-1927
- Civil District Court records are partially available on microfilm, call number: mf VT290
- Unmicrofilmed records are available to registered researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- Index to Successions filed in Civil District Court, 1880-1903
- Indexing for Civil District Court is incomplete. Indexes to docket books are available on microfilm for Docket 1 (Successions), Docket 5 (Divorces, Annulments, etc.), and general docket, call number: mf VT350i.
Criminal District Court, 1880-1918
- Criminal District Court records are not microfilmed. Suit records are available to registered researchers by appointment; please request by docket number.
- Defendants Index to Criminal District Court case records, 1880-1918
Quick Links for Researchers:
Index to Successions
Indexing for successions filed in the Court of Probates and 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th District Courts.
Court of Probates, 1805-18461st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th District Courts, 1846-1853Index to Successions
Indexing for successions filed in Second District Court, 1846-1880, and the Civil District Court, 1880-1903.
2nd District Court, 1846-1880Civil District Court, 1880-1903Stray Court Records
A collection of court records that were separated from their court of origin.
Stray Civil and CriminalAdditional CriminalCivil District Court Records
Records of the Civil District Court, 1880-1927.
Learn MoreIndex to Successions, 1880-1903Criminal District Court Records
Records of the Criminal District Court, 1880-1932.
Learn MoreDefendants Index, 1880-1918Civil Court Records for Genealogy Research
An overview of the civil records in our collection used for genealogy research, including probates/ successions, wills, and estate inventories.
Learn More
