Reviewed and updated October 7, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Orleans Parish, Louisiana, has about 363,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Every warrant for Orleans Parish comes from a judge of the District Court for Orleans Parish or the City Courts and Parish Courts, is served by whichever agency finds the person, and is recorded in the court file of the case it was issued in. This guide says who issues and serves warrants here, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one and how one is cleared.
This guide covers who issues warrants, who serves warrants, after a warrant arrest, checking for a warrant, clearing a warrant and common questions.
Related guides: Orleans Parish public records, Orleans Parish inmate search, Orleans Parish criminal records, Orleans Parish court records, Orleans Parish police reports, Louisiana arrest records and Louisiana inmate search.
Who Issues Warrants in Orleans Parish
In Louisiana an arrest warrant is signed by a judge. For Orleans Parish that means the District Court for Orleans Parish, which hears felonies, civil cases, divorces, probate and juvenile matters; the City Courts and Parish Courts issue their own warrants on the cases before them.
A bench warrant follows a missed court date in any of those courts. Whichever kind it is, the warrant is part of the file of the case it was issued in, and the Clerk of Court keeps that file.
Louisiana has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
Who Serves Warrants in Orleans Parish
The Orleans Parish Sheriff Office, LA | Official Website and the agency that reports for New Orleans serve warrants in Orleans Parish.
The FBI's agency list also places six campus police departments in Orleans Parish; each serves warrants on its own ground.
A warrant issued in Orleans Parish is good anywhere in Louisiana, so it is served by whichever agency finds the person, in a traffic stop as often as at the door.
New Orleans reported 14,694 arrests to the FBI for 2023; arrests on warrants are counted among them, not separately.
Where a Person Arrested on a Warrant from Orleans Parish Is Held
A person arrested on a warrant and kept in custody goes to the parish jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Orleans Parish Sheriff Office, LA | Official Website, held about 1,110 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at opso.gov. The Orleans Parish inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
A person arrested in Orleans Parish on a warrant from another parish is held at the same jail until that parish takes custody.
How to Check for a Warrant in Orleans Parish
The place to check for a warrant from Orleans Parish is the District Attorney, which can say whether charges were filed; a warrant on a complaint follows the filing.
Not one of the Orleans Parish pages SearchSystems verified (the sheriff's, the prosecutor's and the records request page) is a list of open warrants, so a check means asking the court or the prosecutor about a case by name.
The statewide criminal history kept by the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification is not open to the public in Louisiana, so it is not a route to a warrant check on someone else.
Clearing a Warrant from Orleans Parish
A warrant is recalled by the court that issued it, so clearing one from Orleans Parish starts with the Clerk of Court: the case goes back on the calendar and the judge recalls the warrant when the person appears.
A missed date in a case before the City Courts and Parish Courts is handled by that court, not by the District Court for Orleans Parish.
A lawyer can often arrange the appearance in advance. The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at orleansda.com/home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check for a warrant online in Orleans Parish?
Not from the Orleans Parish pages SearchSystems verified; none of them is a warrant list. The court that issued it keeps the record; ask the Clerk of Court.
Who serves warrants in Orleans Parish?
The Orleans Parish Sheriff Office, LA | Official Website, and the agency that reports for the city where the person is found; an Louisiana warrant is valid anywhere in the state.
Where is a person arrested on a warrant in Orleans Parish held?
At the parish jail, run by the Orleans Parish Sheriff Office, LA | Official Website, if kept in custody.
How is a warrant from Orleans Parish cleared?
By appearing before the court that issued it; the judge recalls the warrant in court. The case is put back on the calendar through the Clerk of Court.
Is this the official Orleans Parish website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official parish, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.