New Orleans Recent Arrests
Recent arrests in New Orleans are processed through the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office and the New Orleans Police Department. The Orleans Parish Sheriff runs a free detainee search tool that shows current arrest booking data for anyone arrested in New Orleans and held at the parish jail. The New Orleans Police Department handles most New Orleans arrests, and all arrest bookings go through the Orleans Parish jail system. You can search for New Orleans recent arrests online or call the New Orleans detainee info line for help finding someone who was just arrested and taken into custody. New Orleans arrest records include criminal charges, bond amounts, mugshots, and booking info for each detained person.
New Orleans Quick Facts
OPSO Detainee Search for New Orleans
The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office runs a free online detainee search for New Orleans arrests. This is the main way to look up New Orleans recent arrests. The New Orleans arrest search tool is open to anyone. You do not need to make an account or pay a fee. It shows people who are arrested and held in the Orleans Parish jail right now, along with their arrest booking info, criminal charges, and mugshots.
To use the OPSO detainee search, go to the sheriff's office website and look for the detainee search page. You can search by the person's first name, last name, or booking number. Results show the date of arrest, the charges, and bond amounts when set. The system gets updated on a regular basis, so new bookings show up fairly fast after someone is processed at the jail. Keep in mind that if a person has been released or moved to a state facility, they may not show up in this tool anymore.
| Agency | Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 2800 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70119 |
| Phone | (504) 202-9339 |
| Detainee Info | (504) 822-8000 |
| Website | opso.gov |
If you can't find someone in the OPSO search tool, try calling the detainee information line at (504) 822-8000. Staff can check if a person was booked and tell you their current status. This is helpful right after an arrest when the online records may not yet be updated.
The OPSO detainee search page on the sheriff's website provides a look at current arrest data for New Orleans.
View the OPSO detainee search portal
The search results show booking date, charges, and bond info for each detainee held in Orleans Parish.
New Orleans Police Department Arrests
The New Orleans Police Department handles law enforcement across New Orleans. New Orleans Police officers make most of the arrests in New Orleans. After a New Orleans arrest, the arrested person is taken to the Orleans Parish jail for booking. From there, the arrest booking shows up in the OPSO detainee search system. The New Orleans Police Department does not run its own public inmate search, but the New Orleans Police Department keeps arrest records you can request.
NOPD headquarters is at 1615 Poydras Street in downtown New Orleans. The non-emergency line is (504) 821-2222. For records requests, call (504) 658-5455. You can ask for copies of arrest reports and incident reports from the records division. Under Louisiana's Public Records Act (R.S. 44:1), the initial arrest report from the investigating officer is a public record. Other parts of a case file may be restricted while the case is still pending.
The NOPD website on the City of New Orleans portal shows department info and contact details for recent arrests.
Visit the NOPD page on the city site
The NOPD site lists district stations, contact numbers, and links to public safety resources across New Orleans.
Note: NOPD patrol districts cover all parts of the city, so arrests from any neighborhood funnel into the same parish booking system.
How to Look Up Recent Arrests
There are several ways to find New Orleans recent arrest records. The fastest option is the OPSO online detainee search for New Orleans arrests. It is free and works from any device. You just type in a name and hit search. Beyond that tool, the Louisiana Automated Victim Notification System (LAVNS) through VINE Link lets you search for people in custody across Louisiana, not just Orleans Parish. VINE Link also lets you sign up for alerts so you get a call or email when someone's custody status changes.
If you want to search in person, you can visit the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office at 2800 Perdido Street. Staff there can help look up booking records. Bring a valid ID. The office is open during regular business hours on weekdays. For phone searches, call the detainee info line at (504) 822-8000. That line handles questions about people currently in custody at the parish jail.
For older arrest records or case details beyond what the booking system shows, contact the Clerk of Court or the NOPD records division. Court records for cases filed in Orleans Parish go through the Criminal District Court. The Municipal and Traffic Court at mtcourt.nola.gov handles minor offenses and traffic violations in New Orleans.
Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office
The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office manages the parish jail and handles all arrest bookings for New Orleans. The Orleans Parish Sheriff is in charge of housing New Orleans detainees and inmates, transporting them to court, and running the bail process. When someone is arrested by the New Orleans Police Department or any other law enforcement agency in Orleans Parish, they end up at the OPSO facility for arrest processing.
The OPSO website is the main hub for finding recent arrest information in New Orleans.
Go to the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office site
The site includes links to the detainee search tool, visitation schedules, and contact info for the jail.
All official New Orleans arrest searches through the Orleans Parish Sheriff are free. You do not have to pay to look up a name or check on someone's arrest status in New Orleans. Be careful of third-party sites that charge fees for the same arrest data the Orleans Parish Sheriff gives out at no cost. If a site asks for your credit card before showing you New Orleans arrest records, that is not the official OPSO system.
New Orleans Arrest Records and Louisiana Law
Louisiana is what officials call a "closed record" state when it comes to full criminal history. That means the general public cannot access someone's complete criminal background through the state system. Per R.S. 15:587, only authorized agencies and the person themselves can pull a full criminal history from the Louisiana Computerized Criminal History system. But that rule applies to the statewide database run by State Police. It does not stop you from looking up recent arrests at the local level.
Parish sheriff's offices across Louisiana post current inmate and booking info for the public. This is different from a full criminal history search. Recent arrest data, including charges and bond info, is treated as public information in most cases. The initial arrest report is a public record under the Louisiana Public Records Act. Other investigative records tied to a pending case may be held back until the case is resolved.
Under R.S. 15:574.12, certain offender records kept by the Department of Corrections are also public. These include the person's age, offense, conviction date, sentence length, and misconduct while locked up. Everything else in the DOC file stays private unless there is a specific legal reason to release it.
Note: If an arrest in New Orleans does not lead to a conviction, the person may be able to get the record expunged after a waiting period set by state law.
Reporting Crime in New Orleans
CrimeStoppers of Greater New Orleans lets people report tips about crimes and wanted individuals. The program works with NOPD and other agencies to track down suspects. If you have info about a recent crime or someone with an active warrant, you can call or submit a tip online through crimestoppersgno.org. Tips can be anonymous. CrimeStoppers may offer cash rewards for tips that lead to an arrest.
You can also use VINE Link to sign up for notifications about a person's custody status in Orleans Parish. This service is run through the Louisiana Automated Victim Notification System. It is free to use. You pick the person you want to track and choose how you want to be told when their status changes. Options include phone calls, emails, and text messages. This is a good tool for crime victims who want to know when someone is released from jail.
Statewide Arrest Search Tools
Beyond the local New Orleans tools, Louisiana runs several statewide databases that can help you find arrest and custody information. The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections has an offender locator you can reach by phone at (225) 383-4580. This automated system works around the clock and covers people in state prisons and on probation or parole. If someone arrested in New Orleans was sent to a state prison after sentencing, this is the tool to use.
The DOC also keeps a list of all state facility locations on its site. That page shows addresses, phone numbers, and types of facilities across Louisiana. For people under community supervision, the same phone system can tell you their assigned probation or parole office.
Orleans Parish Recent Arrests
New Orleans sits inside Orleans Parish, and the two share the same borders. All New Orleans arrest bookings go through the Orleans Parish jail system. For more info on New Orleans arrest records, the parish jail, inmate contact lists, and other arrest resources tied to Orleans Parish, check the parish page.
Nearby Cities
These cities near New Orleans also have arrest record pages you can search: