Search Union Parish Court Records
Union Parish court records begin with the Union Parish Clerk of Court, which advertises eFiling, eRecording, eSearch, and online marriage application access. The clerk is the practical custodian for district court filings, civil records, criminal case files, probate or succession filings, divorce records, marriage licenses, mortgage records, conveyance records, and certified copies. Online record images may require a subscription through the clerk's eSearch path, so a failed online search does not mean no file exists.
The Third Judicial District Court supplies judge information, forms, local rules, services, and the court calendar for Lincoln and Union Parishes. Sheriff-created reports, crash reports, local background checks, and some arrest records use the Union Parish Sheriff's Office records custodian instead of the clerk. State prisoner searches, VINELink custody notices, federal cases, and bankruptcy records each have separate systems.
- Identify the record type before searching. Court cases, marriage records, probate files, and divorce decrees normally route to the Clerk of Court.
- Use the clerk's eSearch access page when online images or subscription search is the right channel.
- Check the Third Judicial District Court calendar for hearing-date context, then verify case documents with the clerk.
- Call or visit the clerk when a certified copy, older file, restricted record, or non-imaged document is needed.
- Use the Sheriff's records process for crash reports, incident reports, arrest reports, and local background checks.
The Union Parish Clerk services page shows the range of records and filings handled through the office.
That services menu is useful because it separates clerk records, civil filings, criminal filings, marriage services, expungement resources, and downloadable forms.
Union Parish District Court System
Union Parish is in the Third Judicial District Court, a two-parish district serving Lincoln and Union Parishes. Louisiana district courts are general-jurisdiction trial courts, so Union Parish civil, criminal, family, divorce, probate or succession, and felony matters are normally filed in district court and maintained by the Clerk of Court. Appeals go to the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal, with possible further review by the Louisiana Supreme Court.
The Third Judicial District Court site lists Judge Monique B. Clement, Judge Thomas W. Rogers, and Judge Bruce E. Hampton. The Union Parish Judges' Office is in the courthouse complex at 100 East Bayou, Suite 202, Farmerville, LA 71241, phone (318) 368-9734. Lower local matters can involve justice of the peace or mayor's court channels, especially traffic or ordinance matters, but no parish-wide lower-court search portal was located in the official research.
Case flow: local citation or complaint > Clerk of Court filing or lower-court channel > Third Judicial District Court > Second Circuit Court of Appeal > Louisiana Supreme Court.
| Court or Office | Local Role | Record Access Point |
|---|---|---|
| Third Judicial District Court | General trial court for Lincoln and Union Parishes | Calendar, rules, forms, judge office |
| Union Parish Clerk of Court | Custodian for district court filings and many local records | Counter, phone, eSearch, certified copies |
| Justice of the Peace and Mayor's Courts | Lower local matters where authorized | Local office or municipality fallback |
| Second Circuit Court of Appeal | Intermediate appellate review | Appellate court records and opinions |
The Third Judicial District Court homepage confirms the district serves Lincoln and Union Parish.
The district court site is the better place for court rules and calendars, while the clerk remains the source for filed records and certified copies.
Union Parish Court Contacts
Farmerville is the parish seat and the courthouse city. The core public counter for court records is the Union Parish Clerk of Court at the courthouse address. The same courthouse complex also includes the Union Parish Judges' Office for the Third Judicial District Court. Sheriff records and bonding paperwork use the Union Parish Sheriff's Office, while detainee bond and charge information starts with the Union Parish Detention Center.
Union Parish Clerk of Court
100 E Bayou St #105
Farmerville, LA 71241
(318) 368-3055
Weekdays 8:30am - 4:30pm
Third Judicial District Court
100 East Bayou, Suite 202
Farmerville, LA 71241
(318) 368-9734
Union Parish Court Record Types
Union Parish records are not all held in one database. Civil case files can include petitions, answers, motions, judgments, garnishments, writs, property disputes, tort claims, collection matters, and foreclosure-related filings. Criminal court records begin after charges are filed and can include charging documents, arraignment minutes, motions, pleas, trial minutes, sentencing minutes, fines, costs, probation terms, and post-conviction filings.
Marriage licenses are issued and recorded by the Clerk of Court. Divorce records are district court civil or family files. Louisiana probate is usually called succession, and those filings are district court matters kept by the clerk. Traffic citations split by issuing agency: UPSO and Louisiana State Police citations issued in Union Parish may be paid through the Sheriff's Civil Office, but Farmerville, Marion, Bernice, and Junction City citation money is not collected by UPSO.
- Civil records: suits, judgments, writs, garnishments, and sheriff sale-related filings.
- Criminal records: filed charges, plea entries, court minutes, dispositions, sentencing, and post-conviction filings.
- Marriage and divorce: clerk marriage licenses and district court divorce judgments.
- Probate or succession: wills, heirship affidavits, judgments of possession, and estate filings.
- Traffic records: citation, payment, court, or municipal records depending on the issuing agency.
What Union Parish Records Show
A Union Parish court record can be as simple as a docket entry or as detailed as a full case file with pleadings and images. The clerk eSearch public page does not expose all field labels in static text, and full record images may require subscription access. Certified copies still require clerk action. Online entries should be treated as a search aid, not a substitute for the official file when a legal copy is needed.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case or suit number | The clerk-assigned number for a district court case or filing. |
| Filing date | When the petition, bill, motion, or pleading was filed. |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, State of Louisiana and defendant, petitioner and respondent, or succession parties. |
| Docket entries | Filings, hearings, orders, continuances, judgments, minutes, and returns of service. |
| Disposition | How a charge, motion, or case was resolved. |
| Financial fields | Costs, fines, restitution, bonds, service fees, or payment status where shown. |
Union Parish Public Access Law
Louisiana public access starts with the custodian that holds the record. For Union Parish district court files, that is usually the Clerk of Court. For sheriff reports, crash reports, local background checks, and certain arrest records, the Union Parish Sheriff's Office records custodian is the direct channel. Court rules, redaction duties, sealed orders, and confidentiality statutes can limit what is released even when the general public-records law applies.
Key Statutes:
La. R.S. 44:1 defines public records broadly for Louisiana public bodies, subject to legal exceptions.
La. R.S. 44:32 requires custodians to permit inspection and copying unless an exception applies.
La. Ch.C. art. 412 keeps juvenile records confidential except where law or court order permits access.
La. C.Cr.P. art. 971 defines expungement and explains that expunged records are removed from public access.
Restricted Union Parish Records
Some Union Parish records should not be expected online. Juvenile case records are confidential under Louisiana Children's Code Article 412. Expunged criminal records are removed from public access but may still be available to some criminal-justice agencies under statutory exceptions. Sealed records, adoption records, mental-health proceedings, protected addresses, Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, driver license numbers, minor names, and sensitive protective-order details may be withheld or redacted.
For expungement, the Union Parish Clerk has an expungement services page, and Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Articles 971 and 978 supply the state framework. A person normally identifies the arrest or case, checks eligibility, prepares the statutory petition and order forms, files in the proper court, serves required agencies, and waits for responses or a hearing. The clerk can accept filings but cannot give legal advice.
Union Parish Sheriff Records
The Union Parish Sheriff's Office is the channel for sheriff-created reports and several court-adjacent processes. The records page says requests may be made by USPS mail, email, phone, or in person. Required information includes the requestor's name, contact phone number, date, location, and type of report. Dy. Holli Finklea is named as the records custodian, and UPSO asks requestors to allow five business days after all required information is received.
UPSO is also important for bonding, but the detention center itself is not operated by the Sheriff's Office. The Union Parish Detention Center is at 707 Rodeo Circle, Farmerville, LA 71241, and the sheriff FAQ says it is operated by the Union Parish Police Jury and overseen by a jail commission. For bond and charges on a detainee, call UPDC at (318) 368-9827 first. The full custody fallback is covered in Union Parish inmate records.
| Sheriff Record or Fee | Amount or Channel |
|---|---|
| State crash report | $15.00 |
| Vehicle incident report | $10.00 |
| Other reports | $10.00 |
| Reports over five pages | Additional $1.00 per page |
| Printed photos or paper copies | $1.00 per page |
| CD or digital media | $10.00 each |
The Union Parish Sheriff's records page gives the clearest local public-records request process for law-enforcement reports.
Those sheriff report fees should not be treated as clerk copy fees, which were not located in the official clerk text captured for this build.
Union Parish Traffic Records
Traffic records in Union Parish require close attention to the issuing agency. The Sheriff's Civil Office says citations issued within Union Parish by UPSO or Louisiana State Police can be paid during normal business hours at UPSO, by mail, or online through the Civil Office page. It also says UPSO cannot collect citation money for Farmerville, Marion, Bernice, or Junction City, which means a municipal citation may need a separate local court or town payment channel.
The Sheriff's Civil Office also collects court fines for the Third District Court of Union Parish and handles civil service, seizure, sale, and court-ordered enforcement work. For citation payment, in-person payments are cash only. Mailed payments must use money order or cashier's check and include the original citation. Personal checks are not accepted. The detailed citation split is covered on the traffic court records page.
The UPSO Civil Office page is a key Union Parish court records source because it joins citation payments, court costs, civil service, and sheriff sale context.
That split helps readers avoid sending Farmerville, Marion, Bernice, or Junction City citation payments to the wrong office.
Union Parish Marriage and Probate
Marriage licenses are handled by the Clerk of Court. The clerk's marriage page links a free online application through eClerksLA, but final processing still happens with the clerk. The application asks for information for both parties, a security code, and submission through the portal. The confirmation number or printed confirmation page must be brought to the clerk for final processing.
Louisiana probate is usually called succession. Union Parish succession records are district court filings maintained by the Clerk of Court. Files may include petitions, wills, affidavits of death, domicile and heirship, small succession affidavits, descriptive lists or inventories, judgments of possession, letters testamentary or administration, tutorship or curatorship filings, and creditor notices. Certified copies should be requested from the clerk.
- Succession
- Louisiana probate process used to transfer a deceased person's estate.
- Executor
- Person named to administer a will.
- Judgment of possession
- Court judgment placing heirs or legatees in possession of estate property.
Union Parish State and Federal Records
Not every search belongs with the Union Parish Clerk. State-prison custody information is searched through the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections imprisoned-person locator. Custody notifications may be available through VINELink Louisiana. Federal civil, criminal, bankruptcy, and appellate records are outside the parish clerk system and use PACER, Western District of Louisiana CM/ECF, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana, and the Fifth Circuit.
The Louisiana VINELink page is a custody-notification channel, not a Union Parish district court case file.
VINELink may help with custody-status checks, but court outcomes and certified case records still come from the court or clerk that holds the file.
Union Parish Clerk Tools
The clerk's modern access tools matter because they show where digital access may exist and where it does not. eSearch is the online record/image path and may require subscription access. eFiling is for submitting documents, not public case search. eRecording is for recording instruments, not a court-case lookup. Online marriage application starts the marriage license workflow, but applicants still finish with the clerk.
| Tool | Use | Access Note |
|---|---|---|
| eSearch | Online records and images | Subscription or account access may apply. |
| eFiling | Electronic court filing | Filing channel, not public lookup. |
| eRecording | Recording instruments | Recording submission channel. |
| OMA | Online marriage application | Start online, finish with the clerk. |
The clerk homepage presents eFiling, eRecording, eSearch, and OMA as the office's main online service paths.
Those tools reduce some counter visits, but certified copies, restricted files, and older records can still require direct clerk contact.
Union Parish Court Calendar
The Third Judicial District Court calendar is the official web channel located for court-date context. A calendar entry is not the same as the full case file. It may help confirm a hearing setting, but the underlying pleadings, orders, minutes, and certified copies are clerk records. Continuances can also change dates, so calendar details should be confirmed with the court or clerk when timing matters.
The Third Judicial District Court calendar is the calendar channel identified for Union Parish district court matters.
Use the calendar for scheduling context and the Clerk of Court for filed documents, copies, and case-history questions.
Interpret Union Parish Records
Court records use short terms that can change the meaning of a case. A charge is an allegation filed by a prosecutor or grand jury. A conviction is a finding or plea that establishes guilt. A disposition is how a charge or case was resolved. A docket is the chronological list of filings and events. A capias is a Louisiana term often used for a warrant or order to take a person into custody.
Read financial fields with care. A fine, bond, court cost, sheriff service cost, docket fee, or restitution entry may point to a different office for payment. UPSO's Civil Office can collect certain citation monies, court fines, docket fees, and court costs, but municipal citation money may be outside that channel.
Note: Online entries can lag behind court action, so verify urgent hearing, bond, or payment information with the originating office.
Union Parish Court History
Official courthouse-history detail was thin in the sources located, so Union Parish history is best read through the current court, clerk, and sheriff roles. The Clerk of Court keeps district court and land records. The district court supplies judge and courtroom authority. The Sheriff's Civil Office serves and executes court-issued documents, handles seizures and sheriff sales, collects property taxes, and collects certain citation monies and court costs.
The sheriff's civil-law role has deep roots. The Civil Office page explains that civil law enforcement was the original function of a sheriff's office, tracing the role to old England, and notes that tax collection remains a major Louisiana sheriff duty. In Union Parish, that history is practical: court records, civil service, traffic citation payment, sheriff sales, and court-ordered enforcement can overlap.
Union Parish Records FAQ
Where are Union Parish court records kept?
District court filings are kept by the Union Parish Clerk of Court. The Third Judicial District Court provides calendar, rules, forms, and judge information, but certified copies and filed case documents usually come from the clerk.
Is there a free Union Parish court search?
The clerk offers an eSearch path, but the public page says subscriptions are available for online records and images. If online access is limited, call or visit the clerk.
Who handles sheriff reports?
The Union Parish Sheriff's Office records custodian handles crash reports, incident reports, arrest reports, and related sheriff records. Requests can be made by mail, email, phone, or in person.
Who operates the jail?
The sheriff FAQ says the Union Parish Detention Center is operated by the Union Parish Police Jury and overseen by a jail commission. UPSO handles bonding paperwork for Third District charges.
Where do traffic tickets go?
UPSO and Louisiana State Police citations issued in Union Parish may route through the Sheriff's Civil Office. Farmerville, Marion, Bernice, and Junction City citations are not collected by UPSO.
Are juvenile records public?
No. Louisiana Children's Code Article 412 makes juvenile records confidential except where law or court order permits access.