Louisiana Booking Releases
Louisiana booking releases are public records held by parish sheriff offices across all 64 parishes. When someone is booked into a local jail, the initial booking report becomes available to the public under state law. You can search current inmate rosters through the LAVINE system, which covers every parish in Louisiana, or go directly to the parish sheriff website where most post live jail rosters that update every 24 to 30 minutes.
Louisiana Booking Releases Quick Facts
What Louisiana Booking Releases Show
A booking release is the record created when law enforcement books a person into jail. In Louisiana, the sheriff at the parish level handles most bookings. When someone is arrested, deputies process them at the jail by taking photos, recording fingerprints, and completing the required booking paperwork. That information becomes part of the public record under Louisiana law once the booking is complete.
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) manages the state prison system. Parish sheriffs run the local jails. Booking records from both systems are accessible, though limits apply. Initial booking reports are public. Full criminal histories are not. Louisiana is a closed record state under Louisiana Revised Statute 15:587, which means the Louisiana Computerized Criminal History system is not open to the general public.
The DPS&C Offender Information page explains how to locate people in state custody, including housing assignment, facility contact information, and projected release dates.
Family members and concerned citizens can use the DPS&C system to find current housing assignments for state inmates by calling the automated locator at (225) 383-4580 around the clock.
A typical Louisiana booking record includes the person's name, date of birth, race, sex, the charges, booking date, and bond amount if one is set. Some parishes also post booking photos. What shows up online depends on the parish and the system it uses. Most of the state feeds into the LAVINE system, which at minimum shows current custody status. Parishes like Caddo, Calcasieu, Ascension, East Carroll, and St. Mary post more detailed rosters with photos and full charge information.
How to Search Louisiana Booking Releases Online
The fastest way to find Louisiana booking releases is through the LAVINE system. Each parish has its own roster page at a URL like [parishname].lavns.org. These rosters update frequently. Most refresh every 24 to 30 minutes. You don't need to create an account or pay a fee to view them.
Several larger parishes have their own dedicated inmate search tools on the sheriff website. Caddo Parish at caddosheriff.org/inmates/ shows currently housed inmates with photos and charges. Calcasieu Parish at cpso.com/inmateRoster posts a complete roster with a search function. Ascension Parish at ascensionsheriff.com offers a full inmate query tool at no cost. Lafayette Parish uses a 365Labs Community Portal that shows currently housed inmates plus anyone booked in the last 72 hours. These dedicated tools often show more detail than the basic LAVINE pages.
VINELink at vinelink.com is the national network that powers LAVINE here in Louisiana. You can register there to receive automatic alerts when someone's custody status changes.
VINELink is available in 48 states and covers more than 2,900 incarceration facilities nationwide. It offers free notifications by email, text, or phone call in over 200 languages.
For state prison inmates, call the DPS&C offender locator at (225) 383-4580 any time of day. You need the person's DPS&C number or their full name and date of birth. The system gives you their current facility, the facility contact phone number, and their projected release date if one has been calculated. If no date shows yet, the time computation has not been completed and you should call again later.
Note: The DPS&C has to receive official paperwork from the sentencing court before it can calculate a release date. New court sentences may take some time to appear in the system.
The LAVINE System in Louisiana
LAVINE stands for Louisiana Automated Victim Notification System. It runs through VINELink and covers all 64 Louisiana parishes. Every parish jail feeds data into this system. The roster pages at [parish].lavns.org are public-facing views of that live data. You can search by name or ID number depending on the parish setup.
The system was built primarily for crime victims and their families. It lets people register to get automatic alerts when someone's custody status changes, whether that's a release, a transfer, an escape, or a death in custody. Anyone can register, not just victims. The service is free and available around the clock. Live operator support in more than 200 languages is available at the national VINE hotline 1-866-528-6748 (866-LAVNS-4-U).
Visit the Louisiana Victim Outreach Program page to learn about enrolling in LAVINE for notifications. Enrolled victims receive alerts covering initial housing location, parole board hearings, work release assignments, and release from prison by any means including death.
To reach the Louisiana Victim Outreach Program, call (225) 342-1056 or toll-free at 1-888-342-6110. You can also email gail.guerin@la.gov for information or assistance.
The Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (LCLE) at lcle.la.gov administers the LAVINE program and maintains a directory of all parish LAVINE roster URLs. Each parish name follows the same format: [parishname].lavns.org. So Caddo Parish is caddo.lavns.org, Jefferson Parish is jefferson.lavns.org, and so on across all 64 parishes.
Louisiana Public Records Law and Booking Records
Booking records in Louisiana are public under two laws working together. Louisiana Revised Statute 44:1 defines public records broadly to include all documents used in the performance of government functions. R.S. 44:3(4)(a) creates a specific rule for booking records: the booking of a person as provided in Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 228 is a public record. That means the initial booking report must be made available to anyone who asks.
The public portion of a booking record includes the narrative description of the alleged offense, the name and identification of the person booked, the time and date of the alleged offense, the location of the incident, property involved, and the names of investigating officers. Law enforcement cannot withhold this basic booking information just because a case is still pending. That's the key rule that makes jail rosters and inmate listings available to the public.
The DPS&C Public Information page notes that offender records held by the state Department of Corrections are confidential under R.S. 15:574.12. The only parts that can be disclosed are the offender's age, offense, date of conviction, length of sentence, and misconduct while incarcerated. Full case files and treatment records stay private.
To submit a public records request to the state DPS&C, mail it to the Deputy Secretary's Office at P.O. Box 94304, Baton Rouge, LA 70804, or email docpublicrecords@la.gov. The department also accepts fax at (225) 342-3095.
R.S. 44:32 requires the custodian of records to respond within three business days. If they don't have the records, they must provide a written statement naming the legal basis for any exemption they claim. Fees may apply for copies but must be reasonable under the law.
Note: An arrest or booking does not mean a person has been convicted. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
State Prison Inmates and Parish Jail Inmates
Louisiana has two main systems that hold people in custody, and they work differently for booking records. Parish jails hold pre-trial detainees, people serving short sentences (usually under a year or 12 months), probation violators, and those waiting to be transferred to state facilities. Parish sheriffs run these jails. State prisons hold people serving longer sentences after conviction. The DPS&C runs the state system out of Baton Rouge.
For parish jail inmates, check the parish sheriff website or the LAVINE roster at [parish].lavns.org. Most parish rosters show people currently in custody. Some show recent bookings from the past 24 to 72 hours. For state prison inmates, use the DPS&C offender locator at 225-383-4580 or search VINELink at www.vinelink.com. LAVINE also includes people on probation and parole in community supervision.
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections homepage connects you to the offender information search and explains the difference between state-supervised and parish-supervised populations.
DPS&C main office is reachable at (225) 342-6744 during business hours. The automated offender locator at (225) 383-4580 works any time of day or night.
Some people in state custody participate in the Transitional Work Program, formerly called Work Release. They work for employers outside the facility before their release date. LAVINE tracks their status in this program too. When an imprisoned person's work release eligibility date arrives, the Office of Adult Services evaluates their eligibility automatically.
How to Request Louisiana Booking Records
Most basic booking information is available online for free through parish rosters and LAVINE. If you need a copy of the actual booking report or arrest record, request it from the sheriff office that made the arrest.
Written requests work best. Include the full name of the person, the booking date or approximate date, and the charges if you know them. The custodian of records must respond within three business days under R.S. 44:32. Fees vary by parish. Many charge $5 per report page or $0.25 per standard copy. For state prison records, mail your written request to the DPS&C Deputy Secretary's Office at P.O. Box 94304, Baton Rouge, LA 70804, or email docpublicrecords@la.gov.
The Louisiana State Police handles background checks through the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information. Under R.S. 15:587, full criminal history records are restricted and not available to the general public. Background checks through the State Police are for authorized agencies in specific circumstances. Reach the Bureau at (225) 925-6095. You can also find more at lsp.org/services/background-checks/.
Browse Booking Releases by Parish
Each parish sheriff maintains booking records for their local jail. Pick a parish below to find inmate search tools, LAVINE roster links, contact information, and records request procedures.
View All 64 Louisiana Parishes
Major Louisiana Cities
Most large Louisiana cities rely on parish sheriff offices for jail operations. Pick a city below to find local booking search resources and law enforcement contact information.