Houma Police Blotter Records

Houma police blotter records come from two agencies: the Houma Police Department, which covers the city, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office, which covers the broader parish. This page explains how to get incident reports, arrest logs, and public records from both agencies.

Houma Police Department

The Houma Police Department serves the incorporated city of Houma. The department is located at 300 Lafayette Street, Houma, LA 70360. The main number is 985-873-6381. For police blotter records and incident reports from inside city limits, contact the Records Division at that number. Walk-in requests are accepted during normal business hours.

The Houma Police Department handles patrol, investigations, and records for incidents that occur within the city. If you are not sure whether an incident happened inside or outside city limits, you can call both agencies and ask. They can usually tell you quickly based on the address of the incident.

Louisiana State Police maintains traffic records and other state-level data that can complement city police blotter records. The LSP Traffic Records Unit at lsp.org handles statewide crash report requests and can be useful when an accident involved a state highway that passes through or near Houma.

When a crash in Houma or Terrebonne Parish involves a state highway, the Louisiana State Police Traffic Records Unit may hold the official report rather than the local agency.

Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office

The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office (TPSO) covers all of Terrebonne Parish, including areas outside the city of Houma. If you need records for an incident that occurred outside city limits, or if you want parish-level arrest and blotter information, contact the TPSO. Sheriff Tim Soignet leads the office, which is located at 7856 Main Street, Houma, LA 70360. The main line is 985-876-2500.

The TPSO has a specific fee schedule for records. Crash reports cost $10.00 per report. Paper copies of other records are $1.00 per page. Audio or video recordings are $1.00 per minute of content, plus a $30.00 media fee for the storage device. These fees are set by the Sheriff's Office and must be paid before copies are released. An online request form is available at tpso.net/recordsform along with the full fee schedule.

Using the online form at tpso.net is often the fastest way to start a request. You can complete the form at home, submit it electronically, and then pay when the records are ready. For questions before you submit, call the main office at 985-876-2500 and ask to speak with the Records Division.

What the Houma Police Blotter Contains

The police blotter in Houma covers daily law enforcement activity from both the city police department and the parish Sheriff's Office. Typical entries include arrests, traffic stops, major incidents like thefts or assaults, vehicle accidents, and calls for service. Each entry usually lists the date, time, location, and type of incident. Arrest entries may include the name of the person taken into custody, since arrests are public record under Louisiana law.

La. R.S. § 44:1 defines public records broadly to include any document made or kept by a public body in connection with public business. The blotter and individual incident reports fall under that definition. La. R.S. § 44:31 gives any adult the right to inspect or copy those records. If you submit a written request, La. R.S. § 44:32 requires the agency to respond within three business days.

If a record relates to an ongoing criminal investigation, it may be withheld under La. R.S. § 44:3. The agency must tell you in writing if they are denying the request and cite the legal reason. Juvenile records are not part of the public blotter and are protected under separate state law.

Note: Court records for cases that came out of Houma or Terrebonne Parish are held by the Clerk of Court for the 32nd Judicial District. Those are separate from what the police department and Sheriff hold. If you need to know the court outcome of an arrest, contact the clerk's office directly.

How to Submit a Public Records Request

For Houma PD records, call 985-873-6381 and ask for the Records Division. They will tell you what form to complete, what identification to bring, and what the fee will be. Walk-in requests are accepted at 300 Lafayette Street during business hours.

For TPSO records, use the online form at tpso.net/recordsform or call 985-876-2500. The form lets you specify the type of record, the date range, and any relevant names or case numbers. After you submit, the office will contact you when the records are ready and let you know the total cost before you pay. Mail requests can be sent to 7856 Main Street, Houma, LA 70360.

Under La. R.S. § 44:32, the agency has three business days to respond. If they need more time, they must let you know. Vague requests take longer because staff may not be able to run an effective search without enough detail. Give as much information as you can when you submit, including the incident date, location, and any names involved.

For crash reports specifically, use the online TPSO form and note that the fee is $10.00 per report. If the crash was on a state highway and worked by State Police, request the report through the LSP Traffic Records Unit instead. Both agencies can tell you which one handled the investigation if you are not sure.

Background Checks and Criminal History in Terrebonne Parish

If you need a criminal history check for someone who was arrested in Terrebonne Parish or elsewhere in Louisiana, the Louisiana State Police maintains a statewide criminal history database. You can request a background check at lsp.org/services/background-checks/. That check covers statewide data, not just local records. It is more thorough than asking the Sheriff's Office for an arrest history.

For local arrest records only, the TPSO can provide what it holds. But if you need a complete record spanning multiple parishes or years, the state-level check is the better option. Both types of records have their uses depending on what you need and why you need it.

Nearby Cities

Houma is the largest city in Terrebonne Parish and is located in the bayou region of south Louisiana. Other qualifying Louisiana cities are north and east of the area.