Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court
Calcasieu Parish uses a unified Clerk of Court structure. There is no separate county clerk and district clerk split for the court-record tasks covered here. The elected Clerk of Court is H. Lynn Jones, and the Clerk site states that Jones has served since 2004. Louisiana parish clerks keep district court records, serve as recorders for conveyances and mortgages, issue many court-related orders, and maintain official documents. In Calcasieu Parish, that means the same office is central to civil suits, divorce records, successions, criminal records, marriage records, recordings, UCC records, and certified copies.
Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court
Clerk: H. Lynn Jones
1000 Ryan Street
Lake Charles, LA 70601
337-437-3550
P.O. Box 1030, Lake Charles, LA 70602
Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
West Calcasieu/Sulphur Annex
Clerk annex service for West Calcasieu records users
Birth and death certificates are handled at this office
Passports and birth/death certificates are not processed after 3:30 PM
The Clerk Sulphur Annex source documents a separate West Calcasieu service point for certain clerk and vital-record services.
The annex is part of the access picture because not every clerk-related service is limited to the Lake Charles counter.
Calcasieu Parish Clerk Departments
The Clerk site lists Administration, Bookkeeping, Civil Processing, Civil Records, Civil Collections, Criminal Records, Elections, I.T. Services, Jury Pool Management, Minute Clerks, Mortgage Certificates, Mortgage and Conveyance, Recording, and Sulphur Annex. Civil Records keeps the library of civil suit records and distributes copies for civil lawsuits, mortgages, conveyances, UCC filings, divorces, and successions. Criminal Records keeps criminal records from 1986 forward, criminal background searches from 1987 forward, criminal minutes from 1993 forward, and archives for criminal, civil, successions, and marriage-license records from 1910-1985.
- Civil Records handles civil lawsuits, divorces, successions, and many copy requests.
- Criminal Records handles criminal case records, criminal minutes, background searches, and older archives.
- Recording handles marriage licenses and many recorded documents.
- Mortgage and Conveyance handles land, mortgage, and related official records.
- I.T. Services supports search account questions and online search access.
- Jury Pool Management supports jury-service functions tied to the district court.
Search Calcasieu Parish Clerk Records
The Clerk online search services page is the local gateway. It separates civil records through Clerk Connect from criminal and land records through eSearch and migration tools. It lists categories for mortgages, conveyances, marriages, miscellaneous records, criminal index, criminal case history, criminal minutes, civil cases, divorces, successions/probates, other civil suits, and civil minutes. That category list should be used before a third-party site because it reflects how Calcasieu Parish records are grouped by the official office.
Remote access is only one channel. In-office viewing remains available at the Clerk office, and official public records provided by the Clerk office control over online versions. The Clerk's disclaimer says online records are not official and may contain inaccuracies. Search support is available through it@calcasieuclerk.gov, search@calcasieuclerk.gov, and 337-437-3558 ext. 185. The research also lists Nancibelle Vallee Hardy, Director of I.T. Services, at extension 139 for search-service support.
| Field or account item | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| User Name / Clerk Connect Account Email | Account fields | Used for criminal search migration from current Index accounts to Clerk Connect Criminal. |
| I'm searching for | Category links | Mortgages, conveyances, marriages, criminal records, civil cases, divorces, successions, and civil minutes. |
| Subscription account | Login/account | Required for remote search and print access in subscription systems. |
| HelpDesk contact | Support channel | it@calcasieuclerk.gov, search@calcasieuclerk.gov, 337-437-3558 ext. 185. |
| Case or party details | Request data | Bring names, case number, docket number, filing year, record type, and copy need when searching in person. |
Request Calcasieu Parish Certified Copies
A certified copy is the official copy used when a clerk seal or certification is required. It may be needed for a divorce decree, judgment, criminal disposition, succession order, marriage license copy, property transaction, licensing matter, immigration record, or another formal use. The practical rule is simple: use the portal for locating or reviewing available records, then request the official Clerk copy when the document must be relied on outside informal research.
- Identify the record type and department, such as Civil Records, Criminal Records, Recording, or Mortgage and Conveyance.
- Gather the names, case or instrument number, filing year, court or department, and document title if known.
- Contact the Clerk or visit the appropriate counter to confirm availability and whether the record is restricted, archived, or online.
- Ask for a certified copy and confirm the copy fee, certification fee, and postage if the copy must be mailed.
- Pay by an accepted method and keep the receipt or request reference until the copy is received.
Note: Clerk staff can direct users to forms and records, but the Clerk site warns that staff cannot give legal advice.
Calcasieu Parish Clerk Fees
The Clerk fee page documents search subscriptions, copy charges, certified-copy fees, marriage fees, and separate costs for emailed or faxed recording copies. Remote search systems are managed separately. Civil Records through Clerk Connect and criminal or land records through eSearch may require different accounts. Online accounts are bought by credit card, while in-office viewing is still available without charge and printed copies cost per page.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Records via Clerk Connect, 1 day | $20 plus $1/page | Subscription search and print access. |
| Civil Records via Clerk Connect, 1 month | $55 plus $1/page | Monthly civil account. |
| Civil Records via Clerk Connect, 1 year | $660 plus $1/page | Annual civil account. |
| Criminal and Land Records via eSearch, 1 day | $20 plus $1/page | Separate from civil service. |
| Criminal and Land Records via eSearch, 1 month | $45 plus $1/page | Monthly criminal and land account. |
| Criminal and Land Records via eSearch, 12 months | $540 plus $1/page | Annual criminal and land account. |
| In-office printed copies | $1/page | Documents may be viewed in the Clerk office at no charge. |
| Certified copy | $10 plus copy fee | Official certification for legal use. |
| True copy fee | $10 | Listed separately from standard copy charges. |
| Email or fax copy for mortgage certificates/recordings | $5 first page plus $1 each additional page | Applies to listed recording-copy channels. |
| Marriage license | $27.50 | Cash and credit card only, no bills larger than $20. |
Calcasieu Parish Request Fields
Not every Clerk form exposed a complete field inventory in the research crawl. The official department page lists forms such as birth/death certificate application, Civil Case Cover Sheet R.S. 13:4688, Runner Cover Sheet instructions, In Forma Pauperis Affidavit, cancellation forms, lost-note affidavits, mortgage certificate requests, marriage license application, and assumed business name registration. For a records or certified-copy request, use the verified access fields and practical record identifiers below.
| Request field | Required? | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Party, decedent, spouse, or business names | Yes | Primary lookup data for civil, divorce, succession, marriage, and recorded records. |
| Case, docket, license, or instrument number | If known | Speeds lookup and reduces false matches. |
| Record category | Yes | Routes the request to civil, criminal, marriage, succession, land, or mortgage records. |
| Filing, marriage, or recording year | Strongly recommended | Important for archives and older records from 1910-1985. |
| Plain or certified copy choice | Yes for copies | Controls fee and whether the copy can be used officially. |
| Return address or pickup instructions | Yes if mailed | Postage may apply when no self-addressed stamped envelope is supplied. |
| Requester contact information | Yes | Needed for fee confirmation and questions about restricted or archived records. |
Calcasieu Parish Clerk Forms
The Clerk departments page is the official starting point for forms and department routing. Use it for civil cover sheets, pauper affidavits, mortgage and cancellation forms, marriage license application material, and other department forms. The LCRAA portal and eClerks LA can help with statewide access where participating offices and account rules permit. The Clerk's own office remains the official source for certified Calcasieu Parish documents.
Several limits should shape a records request. Online records are a convenience, not the official record. Separate online systems may require separate accounts. Adoption, juvenile, sealed, expunged, mental-health, and sensitive family details may be restricted. Lake Charles City Court and other lower courts may hold records that are not Clerk district-court files. For sheriff or DA records, use the Sheriff or District Attorney channels rather than treating the Clerk as the custodian for every public record in the parish.