How Sheriff Offices Work Across Louisiana's 64 Parishes

Louisiana is the only state that divides itself into parishes instead of counties, and that detail shapes everything about local law enforcement here. Each of the 64 parishes elects its own sheriff. The office is set up in the state constitution and the Louisiana Revised Statutes. Because our directory uses the word "County" in its web addresses, you will see names like Caddo Parish County and Plaquemines Parish County. They are the same parishes you know from road signs and court papers.

A Louisiana sheriff is elected to a four-year term and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the parish. No governor or state agency appoints or supervises the sheriff. Parish voters decide who holds the job, and the sheriff answers to them. The Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, based in Baton Rouge, offers training and legislative coordination, but it does not run any individual office.

In most parishes the sheriff also acts as the ex officio tax collector. That means the same office that patrols your road and runs the jail also sends out your property tax bill. The parish assessor sets the value of your property, and the sheriff collects the money. This surprises many people who move here from states where a separate county treasurer handles taxes.

What a Louisiana Sheriff's Office Handles Day to Day

The job is broader than patrol and arrests. Depending on the parish, one sheriff's office may cover most of the following:

The jail role deserves special mention. Louisiana relies heavily on parish jails, and sheriffs often hold both local arrestees and state prisoners. That is why several listings in our database combine the office and the jail under one name. The Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office and Rapides Parish Jail share an address at 701 Murray Street in Alexandria. The Acadia Parish Sheriff's Department and Acadia Parish Jail are listed together at 1037 Capitol Avenue in Crowley.

Metro Sheriffs Versus Rural Sheriffs in Louisiana

Where you live decides how you will deal with the sheriff. In the cities, municipal police departments handle most street-level calls. The sheriff stays focused on the jail, the courts and civil work. In the countryside, the sheriff is often the only full-time law enforcement agency for miles.

Urban and suburban parishes

Caddo Parish includes Shreveport. The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office lists its courthouse location at 501 Texas Street, phone 318-681-0677. Shreveport has its own police department, so the sheriff's role there centers on the courthouse, the jail and unincorporated areas. Our Caddo Parish County page lists every office we track in the parish.

Across the Red River, the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office spreads out through substations. We list one on Viking Drive in Bossier City (318-965-3500) and another on Louisiana Highway 3 in Benton (318-965-3065). Substations help in a fast-growing parish, but they may not offer every service. See the Bossier County page to compare locations before you drive.

East Baton Rouge Parish runs its sheriff's department and parish jail from 300 North Boulevard in Baton Rouge, phone 225-389-5000. Lafayette Parish has its sheriff's office at 811 Lee Avenue, phone 337-291-8725.

Orleans Parish is the biggest exception to the one-sheriff rule. It has a criminal sheriff who runs the jail, and a separate Civil Sheriff. We list the Orleans Parish Civil Sheriff's Office at 421 Loyola Avenue in New Orleans, phone 504-523-6143. The civil office deals with court-ordered civil process, not with crime reports. For those you would call the New Orleans Police Department.

Rural parishes

Smaller parishes run leaner. The Grant Parish Sheriff's Department sits at 205 Cypress Street in Colfax (318-627-3261). The Union Parish Sheriff Department is at 100 East Bayou Street in Farmerville (318-368-3124). East Carroll Parish is served from 301 1st Street in Lake Providence (318-559-2800). The La Salle Parish Sheriff's Office is at 2083 South 2nd Street in Jena (318-992-2151). In these places the same few people may take your crime report, serve your court papers and collect your taxes. Call ahead, because counter hours can be short and deputies are often on patrol.

You can browse these smaller parishes through our Rapides County and Acadia County pages. Both mix a regional hub city with surrounding farm communities.

Coastal and River Parishes: Sheriffs and Hurricane Season

South Louisiana adds a duty that northern parishes feel less often. Sheriffs help carry out evacuations, guard flooded neighborhoods and support recovery after storms. They work alongside parish emergency preparedness offices and the state's Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

The Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office is at 301 Main Street in Belle Chasse, phone 504-297-5120. It covers a long, narrow parish that stretches down the Mississippi River toward the Gulf and is exposed to storm surge. The St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office at 15045 River Road in Hahnville (985-783-6237) serves another river parish along the same corridor. Our Plaquemines Parish County page covers both Belle Chasse listings.

North of Lake Pontchartrain, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office operates from 313 East Oak Street in Amite City (985-748-8147). See Tangipahoa County for the full list. In a storm, expect phone lines to be busy and some offices to close or move operations. Check the sheriff's official social media page and parish emergency alerts before you go anywhere in person.

Finding the Right Louisiana Sheriff's Office Before You Go

Many wasted trips come from picking the wrong office. A sheriff's listing might be the main headquarters, a substation, a jail or a civil division. Use these steps to avoid that:

Be aware of listings that use a post office box. The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office is listed under PO Box 850 in Livingston (225-686-2241). A box number is fine for mail, but it does not tell you where to walk in. Phone first and get a street address for in-person visits.

For an emergency, always call 911. The numbers in this directory are for business matters. Use the parish pages above to narrow your search, then phone the office to confirm hours and services.

Sheriff offices in Louisiana are independently elected county agencies responsible for law enforcement, jail operations, and civil process service. Each county in Louisiana elects its own sheriff, who serves as the chief law enforcement officer for that county's unincorporated areas.

Sheriff locations are available in 76 cities across Louisiana. They are spread across 64 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of sheriff office listings include Shreveport, Vidalia, Arcadia, reflecting the population centers where multiple sub-offices or specialty divisions may be located.

Louisiana residents should note that sheriff offices handle civil law enforcement functions — such as serving eviction notices and foreclosure papers — in addition to criminal law enforcement, so the sheriff office is often the correct point of contact for civil legal matters at the county level.

Sheriff by Counties

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If you are a Louisiana resident looking to obtain a concealed carry permit, request a background check clearance letter, or serve legal documents through official channels, your county sheriff office is the starting point — contact them directly to confirm required documentation and current processing times.

Browse Sheriff by county across Louisiana to find the nearest location.

Practical Notes on Louisiana Sheriff Services

Louisiana's civil-law tradition gives its sheriffs a few duties that residents of other states rarely see. One is the sheriff's sale. When a court orders property seized to satisfy a judgment or a mortgage, the sheriff of the parish where the property sits advertises and conducts the sale, usually on the courthouse steps or at a set location. Notices appear in the parish's official journal, and bidders should read the terms carefully.

Another is the sheer variety of office structures. The Orleans Parish Civil Sheriff handles civil process at 421 Loyola Avenue, while the criminal sheriff runs the jail. West Baton Rouge Parish appears in our listings as a jail at 1150 Northwest Drive in Port Allen (225-346-6420). The Sabine Parish Sheriff's Department is paired with the Sabine Parish Womens Jail at 400 Capitol Street in Many (318-256-9241). If a listing sounds like a jail but you need a records clerk, ask which window handles your request.

Fees, hours and documents vary from parish to parish, so treat the sheriff's own staff as the final word. Small parishes can be slower to answer, but they are usually willing to point you to the correct counter or court clerk.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sheriffs in Louisiana

Not in name. Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes, and each one elects a sheriff. The role is similar to a county sheriff elsewhere, but the state's civil-law system and parish government give it some different duties, such as tax collection in most parishes. Our site uses "County" in its web addresses for consistency across states, so a page like Caddo Parish County or Rapides County refers to a parish. When you call or visit, use the parish name, such as the Vernon Parish Sheriff's Office in Leesville.

Orleans Parish splits sheriff duties between two offices. One runs the jail and related criminal functions. The Civil Sheriff, listed at 421 Loyola Avenue in New Orleans (504-523-6143), handles court-ordered civil work such as serving papers and conducting sheriff's sales. Crime reports go to the New Orleans Police Department. For a specific civil matter, such as an eviction, call the Civil Sheriff and the court that issued the order to confirm which office carries it out.

In most parishes, yes. The sheriff serves as ex officio tax collector and mails or posts the bills. The parish assessor, a separate elected official, sets the assessed value, so questions about your valuation or homestead exemption go to the assessor, not the sheriff. Taxes are generally due by the end of the year, and late payments add interest. Call your parish sheriff's tax division for exact due dates, accepted payment methods and online options, since these differ across parishes.

Start with the sheriff in the parish where the arrest happened. Many sheriffs publish an online inmate roster, and others will confirm custody by phone. For example, the Rapides Parish Jail is at 701 Murray Street in Alexandria (318-473-6700), and the Acadia Parish Jail is at 1037 Capitol Avenue in Crowley (337-788-8700). Have the person's full legal name and date of birth ready. Visitation rules, bonding hours and commissary methods are set by each jail, so ask before you travel.

Concealed handgun permits are issued by the Louisiana State Police, not by parish sheriffs, so apply through the state rather than at a local counter. Sex offender registration works differently. Offenders are generally required to register with the sheriff of the parish where they live, and the sheriff's office maintains local records and notification duties under state law. If you need to register or verify a registration, contact your parish sheriff directly and ask what documents to bring.

Louisiana's Public Records Law, found in Title 44 of the Revised Statutes, gives citizens the right to inspect and copy public records. Send your request to the sheriff's records custodian, in writing if possible, and describe the record clearly with dates, names and any report number. If the record is not immediately available, the custodian generally must respond within three business days. Offices may charge reasonable copy fees. Active investigations and certain sensitive details can be withheld, so expect some redactions.