Orleans Parish Traffic Ticket Records

Orleans Parish traffic ticket records are handled through the Municipal and Traffic Court of New Orleans, which has its own dedicated court system separate from other Louisiana parishes. Orleans Parish is coextensive with the city of New Orleans, and it operates under a unique judicial structure that includes both civil and criminal district courts. This page covers how to find your traffic record, search cases online, pay citations, and understand your options after receiving a ticket in New Orleans.

Orleans Parish Court Structure for Traffic Tickets

Orleans Parish has a court structure unlike any other parish in Louisiana. Traffic citations issued in New Orleans are processed through the Municipal and Traffic Court of New Orleans, not the district court system that most parishes use. This court handles traffic violations, municipal code violations, and other local offenses. It operates separately from the Civil District Court and Criminal District Court.

The Municipal and Traffic Court is located at 727 South Broad Street, New Orleans, LA 70125. The court returned to this location on January 5, 2026, following repairs made necessary by Hurricane Ida. The phone number for that court is (504) 658-8500.

For civil matters and major criminal cases, the Orleans Civil District Court is at 421 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, reachable at (504) 407-0000. The Orleans Criminal District Court is at 2700 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119, and can be reached at (504) 658-9000.

Chelsey Richard Napoleon is the Clerk of Court for Orleans Parish. The clerk's website is at orleansclerk.com. The clerk maintains official records for civil and criminal proceedings in the parish.

Note: Parking tickets are handled separately from moving traffic violations in Orleans Parish. If you received a parking citation, contact the city's parking authority rather than the traffic court.

Orleans Parish Traffic Citations: Free Online Case Search

The Municipal and Traffic Court of New Orleans offers free online case searches. You can look up traffic citations by case number, name, or other search criteria without visiting the courthouse. This is one of the more accessible traffic records systems in the state, and most traffic cases are visible shortly after they are filed.

The online traffic records search at lacourt.org/online/traffic lets you find traffic citations, docket information, court dates, and payment options from any device with internet access.

The online portal provides access to traffic citations, municipal code violations, docket entries, and payment status. You can also find your court date and, in many cases, pay your fine directly through the portal. This makes Orleans Parish one of the easier places in Louisiana to resolve a traffic ticket without going to the courthouse in person.

If your case does not appear in the online system, allow a few business days after your citation date before checking again. Newer tickets sometimes take time to enter the system. If the ticket still does not appear after a week, call the court at (504) 658-8500 to confirm the filing status.

Paying Orleans Parish Traffic Tickets

Orleans Parish gives you several ways to pay a traffic ticket. The easiest is through the online portal at lacourt.org/online/traffic, where you can search for your case and pay by card. In-person payments can be made at the Municipal and Traffic Court at 727 South Broad Street during court hours.

As with all Louisiana traffic tickets, paying is a guilty plea. The conviction will go on your record with the Louisiana OMV. If you want to dispute the charge, you need to appear at your scheduled court date, not pay the fine. Show up on time — missing a court date in Orleans Parish can result in a bench warrant and a license suspension through the OMV.

For license status and reinstatement, use the ExpressLane portal from the Louisiana OMV. You can check your current license status, order a driving record, and pay reinstatement fees online without visiting an OMV office.

Orleans Parish Traffic Records and the Law

Traffic records in Orleans Parish are public under R.S. 44:1, Louisiana's public records law. Court records, including traffic case files and docket information, are accessible to any person who requests them. The clerk's office and the Municipal and Traffic Court both process public records requests.

Traffic convictions are reported to the Louisiana OMV under R.S. 32:393. This applies to convictions in Orleans Parish just as it does anywhere else in the state. Convictions from the Municipal and Traffic Court will appear on your Louisiana driving record and can be seen by insurance companies. The Louisiana Department of Public Safety maintains these records statewide.

If your traffic citation came out of a collision, an accident report may be part of the record. R.S. 32:398.2 governs accident reporting. Those reports are held by the Louisiana State Police and can be requested separately from the court record.

State Resources for New Orleans Traffic Tickets

The Louisiana Department of Public Safety is the primary state agency handling traffic enforcement and driver licensing records. Their site at dps.louisiana.gov links to the OMV, State Police, and the ExpressLane portal. Louisiana does not use a point system, but serious violations can still result in suspension through other mechanisms.

ExpressLane is the fastest way to handle OMV business online, including checking your license status after an Orleans Parish traffic matter.

Cities in Orleans Parish

Orleans Parish and New Orleans are the same jurisdiction. If you received a traffic ticket in the city, you are in Orleans Parish.

Nearby Parishes

Orleans Parish is surrounded by several other Louisiana parishes, each with their own court systems for traffic matters.