Union Parish Arrest Records

Union Parish arrest records are held by the Union Parish Sheriff's Office at 710 Holder Road in Farmerville, Louisiana. The sheriff's website at unionsheriff.com includes a Records Request option in the navigation, along with community programs and contact forms for submitting crime tips, case follow-ups, and formal records requests. Booking records and initial arrest reports are public under LRS 44:3. This page covers how to find Union Parish arrest records using the sheriff's office, the LAVNS system, and the other tools available to the public.

Union Parish Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Dusty Gates leads the Union Parish Sheriff's Office in Farmerville, Louisiana. The office and the Union Parish Detention Center share the same address at 710 Holder Road, Farmerville, LA 71241. The main phone number is (318) 368-3124 and the fax is (318) 368-7817. The sheriff's website at unionsheriff.com is where you can go to submit a records request online without calling or visiting in person.

The website offers several community-facing tools. The Records Request option is in the main navigation. You can also submit a crime tip, request a follow-up on a case, and access information about community programs including Sex Offenders, Crime Stoppers, the Mobile App, D.A.R.E., and Neighborhood Watch. This makes the site one of the more interactive sheriff websites in the northern Louisiana parishes.

Louisiana's Public Records Act at LRS 44:1 requires every government agency, including the Union Parish Sheriff's Office, to respond to public records requests within three business days. All initial arrest reports and booking records in Union Parish are public under LRS 44:3. The sheriff cannot require you to explain why you need these records, and any denial must be in writing with a stated legal reason.

Union Parish Inmate Search and VINE Notifications

The Union Parish Sheriff's Office participates in the Louisiana Victim Notification System. You can search for inmates and register for custody status notifications at the statewide VINE portal at vinelink.vineapps.com/state/LA. The VINE system covers all Louisiana parishes including Union Parish, and lets you track when a specific person is released from the Union Parish Detention Center. The service is free and anonymous.

The screenshot below shows the Union Parish Sheriff's Office website, which includes the Records Request navigation link and community program information relevant to arrest records and law enforcement in the parish.

The sheriff's site at unionsheriff.com provides a direct path to submit a records request and access other public services offered by the Union Parish Sheriff's Office.

The statewide VINE database at vinelink.vineapps.com/state/LA is the main tool for searching inmate status and setting up notifications. If someone was arrested in Union Parish and you want to know when they are released, register on the VINE site. You will get a phone call, text, or email when their custody status changes. You do not need to use your real name to register.

The VINE database shown above covers Union Parish and the full Louisiana jail network, allowing statewide searches and custody tracking if a person is transferred to a different facility.

How to Request Union Parish Arrest Records

The easiest way to request records from the Union Parish Sheriff's Office is through the Records Request form on the sheriff's website at unionsheriff.com. This lets you submit your request online without a phone call or office visit. You can also call (318) 368-3124 or fax to (318) 368-7817. In-person requests are accepted at 710 Holder Road in Farmerville during normal business hours.

When submitting a records request, include the full name of the person, the approximate date of arrest, and a description of the documents you need. This helps staff locate the right records quickly. Under LRS 44:3, initial arrest reports and booking records are public, so you do not need to state your reason for requesting them. The office must respond within three business days under LRS 44:1.

For your own criminal history, the process runs through the Louisiana State Police under LRS 15:588. This is separate from local arrest records and requires fingerprints and a fee. Local records at the sheriff's office cover bookings that happened in Union Parish. If you are looking for charges across multiple parishes, the state police process gives you a more complete picture.

The Union Parish Sheriff's website also has a Case Followup form. If you made a report or have an open case with the sheriff's office and want an update, that form goes directly to the office without requiring you to call. This is different from a public records request but can be useful for tracking your own case status.

Union Parish Community Programs

The Union Parish Sheriff's Office runs several public safety programs. The Sex Offenders section of the website lets you view registered sex offenders in the parish. This information is public and updated by the office. Crime Stoppers is a program where you can submit tips about criminal activity anonymously. The office also offers a Mobile App for the community, which can include alerts and updates from the sheriff's office.

D.A.R.E. and Neighborhood Watch are community education programs run through the office. These do not directly relate to arrest records but show that the sheriff's office is focused on community contact and public information. The same office that runs these programs also holds the arrest records and responds to records requests under Louisiana law.

Note: Community program information, including the sex offender registry, is separate from booking records but is accessible through the same sheriff's website at unionsheriff.com.

Union Parish Arrest Record Laws

LRS 44:3 is the primary statute for arrest records in Louisiana. It makes initial arrest reports, booking records, summons, citations, and bills of information public from the moment they are created. These are open to any adult without restriction. The agency cannot ask why you want them. A case that is dropped or dismissed does not retroactively seal the original arrest record unless a court orders expungement through a separate process.

The full Louisiana criminal history database held by the state police is restricted under LRS 15:587. That database is not available to the general public for open searches. It is distinct from the local booking records held by the sheriff's office. Local arrest records and the jail roster are public. The statewide criminal history database is not open for public access without a lawful purpose under that statute.

LRS 44:1 is the foundation of public records law in Louisiana. Every government agency in Union Parish, including the sheriff's office, is subject to this law. It gives any adult the right to inspect or copy public records, requires agencies to respond within three business days, and allows a court order to compel disclosure if a request is wrongly denied. If you have trouble getting records you believe are public, a legal aid organization in Louisiana can help you understand your options.

Cities in Union Parish

There are no qualifying cities in Union Parish with dedicated arrest records pages on this site. All communities in the parish, including Farmerville, Bernice, and Marion, are served through the Union Parish Sheriff's Office at 710 Holder Road in Farmerville. Call (318) 368-3124 or visit unionsheriff.com to submit a records request for any location in the parish.

Nearby Parishes

Union Parish is in northeastern Louisiana. It shares borders with several other parishes in the region, each with its own sheriff and records process.