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LA · Find someone in custody

How do I find someone in jail or prison in Louisiana?

Take a breath. You can find where your person is being held in Louisiana using official sources — here is exactly where to look and what to have ready.

State locator
No online DOC search (records office + VINE)
VINELink
Covers Louisiana
Last verified
2026-07-23
Jurisdiction
Louisiana

Which system is holding them in Louisiana?

There is no single search that covers everyone. Match the situation to the right official locator — most families start with the first one.

If the arrest was recent

Start with the county jail

Someone who was just arrested in Louisiana is almost always in a PARISH JAIL run by the parish sheriff (Louisiana uses parishes, not counties), not in a state prison.

Louisiana has 64 parishes, each sheriff running its own jail, and there is no single statewide jail roster; some sheriffs post an online roster (larger parishes such as Orleans, New Orleans, and East Baton Rouge) while many do not.

Louisiana is also distinctive in that many people sentenced to state DPS&C custody are actually held in local parish jails, so the same LA VINE system is the best single starting point whether the person is pre-trial or sentenced.

The reliable paths for a recent arrest are the arresting parish sheriff's jail roster, LA VINE, or calling the jail's booking desk.

Louisiana has 64 parishes (not counties), each sheriff running its own jail and roster (some with no online search); because many state-sentenced people are held in parish jails and there is no unified statewide search, LA VINE (VINELink) is the practical statewide starting point.

Search VINELink (choose Louisiana)

If they were sentenced to prison

Use the state prison locator

Louisiana's Department of Public Safety & Corrections (DPS&C) does NOT operate its own public inmate-search webpage.

On its official 'Inmates & Families Information' page, the department instructs the public to locate an incarcerated person through LA VINE (the Louisiana Victim Information and Notification Everyday system, Louisiana's VINELink instance, updated about every 24 hours), or to call the DPS&C Imprisoned Person Locator, which requires the person's DPS&C number, or their name and date of birth, to give the housing assignment and the facility where the person is held.

Because Louisiana houses many state-sentenced people in LOCAL parish jails, LA VINE is the practical single starting point for both jail and prison.

Open the official Louisiana DOC page

If the charge is federal

Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons

A federal charge means the person is in the federal system, not a Louisiana state or county facility. Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator by name or register number — it is separate from every state and county tool.

Search the Federal BOP locator

Find your county in Louisiana

A recent arrest is handled at the county jail. Open the county where the arrest happened for its facilities, phone numbers, and the exact locators to search — all 64 Louisiana jurisdictions are here.

64 counties

Finding your person in Louisiana, step by step

Work through these in order. Each step points to an official source — you do the searching there, on the government site.

  1. Step 1

    Figure out which system is likely holding them

    A person arrested in the last hours or days is almost always in the parish jail where the arrest happened. In Louisiana, even many people sentenced to state (DPS&C) custody are held in local parish jails rather than a state prison. A person facing federal charges is in federal custody. Match the situation to the right official locator below.

    Official source

  2. Step 2

    For a recent arrest, check the arresting parish jail roster or search LA VINE

    Look up the sheriff's office for the parish where the arrest happened and check its online jail roster if it has one (for example, Orleans Parish for New Orleans arrests). Or use LA VINE / VINELink, the custody-status system Louisiana DPS&C itself points the public to, which pulls booking information from participating Louisiana parish jails and state facilities and lets you register free for alerts when custody status changes.

    Official source

  3. Step 3

    For a sentenced person, use LA VINE or the DPS&C Imprisoned Person Locator (there is no state DOC search webpage)

    Louisiana DPS&C does not publish its own inmate-search webpage; it directs the public to LA VINE, or to call the DPS&C Imprisoned Person Locator. To use the phone locator you must have the person's DPS&C number, or their name and date of birth, to get the housing assignment and the facility where the person is held. See the DPS&C 'Inmates & Families Information' page for the current locator phone number.

    Official source

  4. Step 4

    If the charge is federal, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator

    The federal BOP inmate locator at bop.gov covers people held in federal custody and is separate from state and parish systems.

    Official source

  5. Step 5

    If no online roster shows them, call the parish jail's booking or records line

    Smaller Louisiana parish jails may not post inmates online, and someone booked in the last few hours may not appear yet. Call the arresting parish sheriff's booking or records desk and ask whether the person was booked, their booking number, any bond amount, and the next court date.

What you’ll need to search

You can start with just a name, but these make a match faster and surer.

  • The person's full legal name, plus any middle name, maiden name, alias, or spelling variations (common names return many results).
  • Their date of birth, which official locators and the DPS&C phone locator use to tell apart people with similar names.
  • If you have it, the assigned booking number (parish jail) or DPS&C number (state custody); the DPS&C Imprisoned Person Locator specifically needs the DPS&C number, or the name plus date of birth.

Use official, free sources — and a few things to watch for

  • Use only official government sources: LA VINE / VINELink, the arresting parish sheriff's jail roster, the DPS&C Imprisoned Person Locator, or the Federal Bureau of Prisons. All are free.
  • Be wary of paid 'inmate search' and mugshot websites that rank high in search results. They often charge fees for information the official sites provide free and may show stale, incomplete, or already-expunged records.
  • Custody information changes constantly, and LA VINE is updated about every 24 hours, so someone booked in the last few hours may not appear yet; if you cannot find them, call the parish jail's booking or records line directly.
  • This tool only links to official sources. It does not store, search, or republish any inmate records itself.

If you need to bail them out in Louisiana

Finding the person comes first. Once you know where they are, this is how getting them out works in Louisiana.

Commercial bail available

In Louisiana, commercial bail exists. If a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash directly with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee. A judge may also release the person on their own recognizance or on set conditions, so ask the court or the jail what applies before paying anyone.

Louisiana has a legal commercial bail-bond industry.

After an arrest, a court sets bail, which can be satisfied by release on a personal surety or recognizance (ROR) where allowed, a cash or property bond posted with the court, or a commercial surety bond posted through a licensed bail bond agent (a licensed insurance producer) for a fee.

Commercial bail bond agents and their insurers are licensed and regulated by the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

Louisiana uses parishes rather than counties, and bail and court records are handled at the parish level.

A commercial surety bail bond carries a non-refundable premium set under Louisiana law, commonly around 12 percent of the face amount of the bond, and additional statutory fees may apply; the exact figure varies, so confirm it with a licensed Louisiana bail agent. A cash bond posted directly with the court is refundable at the end of the case, subject to any fees the court applies.

The person’s rights. The person in custody has the right to talk to a lawyer about their case, and if they cannot afford one, the court can appoint a public defender.

Other official Louisiana contacts

County jails are run by the sheriff where the arrest happened — call that jail’s booking or records line for a very recent booking or the bail amount. These statewide sources can also help.

Common questions about finding someone in Louisiana

How do I find someone who was just arrested in Louisiana?

Someone who was just arrested in Louisiana is almost always in a PARISH JAIL run by the parish sheriff (Louisiana uses parishes, not counties), not in a state prison. Louisiana has 64 parishes, each sheriff running its own jail, and there is no single statewide jail roster; some sheriffs post an online roster (larger parishes such as Orleans, New Orleans, and East Baton Rouge) while many do not. Louisiana is also distinctive in that many people sentenced to state DPS&C custody are actually held in local parish jails, so the same LA VINE system is the best single starting point whether the person is pre-trial or sentenced. The reliable paths for a recent arrest are the arresting parish sheriff's jail roster, LA VINE, or calling the jail's booking desk.

How do I find someone in state prison in Louisiana?

Louisiana's Department of Public Safety & Corrections (DPS&C) does NOT operate its own public inmate-search webpage. On its official 'Inmates & Families Information' page, the department instructs the public to locate an incarcerated person through LA VINE (the Louisiana Victim Information and Notification Everyday system, Louisiana's VINELink instance, updated about every 24 hours), or to call the DPS&C Imprisoned Person Locator, which requires the person's DPS&C number, or their name and date of birth, to give the housing assignment and the facility where the person is held. Because Louisiana houses many state-sentenced people in LOCAL parish jails, LA VINE is the practical single starting point for both jail and prison.

Is there a free way to check if someone is in custody in Louisiana?

Yes. VINELink (the free national custody service) covers Louisiana. Search by name for custody status and register for free alerts. County jail rosters and the state locator are also free and official.

What do I need to look someone up in Louisiana?

The person's full legal name, plus any middle name, maiden name, alias, or spelling variations (common names return many results). Their date of birth, which official locators and the DPS&C phone locator use to tell apart people with similar names. If you have it, the assigned booking number (parish jail) or DPS&C number (state custody); the DPS&C Imprisoned Person Locator specifically needs the DPS&C number, or the name plus date of birth.

Does Louisiana have commercial bail bondsmen?

Yes. Commercial bail exists in Louisiana: if a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee, and a judge may also grant own-recognizance or conditional release.

Sources & last verified

Everything here links out to official government or public-safety sources. We don’t store, search, or republish records.

Last verified 2026-07-23 · 10 sources