Orleans Parish Jail & Inmate Roster
Orleans Parish, Louisiana runs its own jail and its own booking list. Anyone arrested in the county and awaiting trial will appear there rather than in the state prison system.
Orleans Parish jail and sheriff
| County | Orleans Parish |
|---|---|
| Population | 362,701 (2024) |
Where a field is blank, the county does not publish that detail on an official source we can cite.
How to find someone in the county jail
- If the person has already been sentenced, search the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections offender locator instead.
- Have their date of birth ready — it is the detail that separates people with common names.
- If the charge is federal, search the Bureau of Prisons system, which is separate from both.
- Call the jail directly if the name does not appear; online rosters lag behind actual bookings.
- Search the county's official roster for the person's full legal name.
Cities in Orleans Parish
1 city in Orleans Parish is covered, each with its own inmate search and bail information.
The Louisiana state prison system
Sentenced prisoners in Louisiana are held by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections, not by Orleans Parish. A person stops appearing on the county roster once transferred.
How the Orleans Parish jail system works
Orleans Parish is the facility that takes bookings for arrests in Louisiana. County jails are short-stay by design: people move through them to court, to release, or on to a state prison. That turnover is why a roster can look empty one day and full the next.
From booking, a case moves to a first appearance and then to whatever the court decides about release. Everything that follows — plea, trial, sentencing — depends on that first decision.
What to ask when you call
A single call to the jail or the sheriff's office can answer most of what a family needs to know in the first days. Having the questions ready makes the call much shorter.
- The booking number and the facility housing unit.
- The next court date and the courtroom.
- The bail amount and the accepted payment method.
- Whether the person has already been assigned counsel.
- What identification you need to visit, and the visiting hours.
- Whether there are any restrictions on calls or visits in this case.
Bail in Louisiana
Bail for arrests in Orleans Parish is set under Louisiana law. The governing provisions are listed below.
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La. Code § RS 13:846
Additional fees; attending court sessions; transcripts of appeal in criminal cases; costs of prosecution; forfeited bail bond
In addition to other fees fixed by law, the clerks of the several district courts throughout the state of Louisiana, the parish of Orleans excepted, shall be entitled to demand and receive the following fees of office: (1)(a)(i) For preparing transcripts of appeal in each criminal case, exclusive…
Louisiana Revised Statutes (official, Louisiana State Legislature) (opens in a new tab) -
La. Code § RS 22:1574
Bail Bond Apprentice Program
A.(1) The Bail Bond Apprentice Program is hereby created. (2) The Bail Bond Apprentice Program shall be available only to persons who meet current bail bond producer licensing requirements as provided for in this Chapter and who are not sexual offenders or serial sexual offenders as defined in R.S. 15:536.
Louisiana Revised Statutes (official, Louisiana State Legislature) (opens in a new tab)
Bail in Louisiana
-
La. Code § RS 13:846
Additional fees; attending court sessions; transcripts of appeal in criminal cases; costs of prosecution; forfeited bail bond
In addition to other fees fixed by law, the clerks of the several district courts throughout the state of Louisiana, the parish of Orleans excepted, shall be entitled to demand and receive the following fees of office: (1)(a)(i) For preparing transcripts of appeal in each criminal case, exclusive…
Louisiana Revised Statutes (official, Louisiana State Legislature) (opens in a new tab) -
La. Code § RS 22:1574
Bail Bond Apprentice Program
A.(1) The Bail Bond Apprentice Program is hereby created. (2) The Bail Bond Apprentice Program shall be available only to persons who meet current bail bond producer licensing requirements as provided for in this Chapter and who are not sexual offenders or serial sexual offenders as defined in R.S. 15:536.
Louisiana Revised Statutes (official, Louisiana State Legislature) (opens in a new tab)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · retrieved 2026-09-16
Frequently asked questions
Where are people arrested in Orleans Parish held?
At the county jail, operated by the county. Cities within the county generally do not run their own long-term jails, so bookings are transferred to the county facility.
How do I find someone in Orleans Parish jail?
Contact the Orleans Parish sheriff's office directly. Where no public online roster is published, a phone call is the only reliable route.
What is the county seat of Orleans Parish?
Orleans Parish publishes its county seat, as does the U.S. Census Bureau.
How do I post bail in Orleans Parish?
Bail is set by a judge under Louisiana law and is normally paid to the court or the county, not to the jail. Confirm the accepted payment method and the exact amount with the court before travelling.
Does Orleans Parish publish mugshots?
Some sheriffs publish booking photographs and some do not. Where a roster is published, the sheriff's own site governs what is shown and for how long. We do not republish individual records.
How long are people held in Orleans Parish jail?
That depends on the case. People awaiting trial are held until bail is posted or the case concludes; people serving a sentence are held for its duration, then transferred or released.
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