Louisiana Expungement Cost: Complete Fee Breakdown for 2026

The $550 Statutory Filing Fee

Under Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 983, the standard expungement filing fee is capped at $550. That fee is split across four agencies, and each one requires a separate payment:

• $250 — Louisiana State Police (Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information)
• $200 — Parish Clerk of Court (in the parish where you were arrested)
• $50 — District Attorney (of the prosecuting parish)
• $50 — Arresting Agency (Sheriff's Office or Municipal Police Department that booked you)

Each payment must be made by U.S. Postal money order or a national bank-issued cashier's check. Personal checks and cash are generally not accepted, though some urban courts (like Orleans Criminal District Court) accept cash or credit cards at the clerk's window. Rural parishes almost universally require physical postal money orders.

The money order to Louisiana State Police must be valid for at least one year. LSP rejects money orders with shorter expiration windows. Altered money orders are also rejected automatically.

If your arrest involved multiple charges arising from the same booking, Article 983(K) limits you to a single $50 fee to the arresting agency — you do not pay per charge.

Costs Beyond the $550

The filing fee is not the total cost. Plan for these additional expenses:

Right to Review background check: $26-$50. A fingerprint-based background check through the Louisiana Applicant Processing System is required before filing. At LSP headquarters in Baton Rouge, the fee is $26 plus a $10 fingerprinting fee. Jefferson Parish charges $50.

Certified court minutes: $20-$60. The Parish Clerk of Court charges for certified copies of the bill of information and the court minutes showing your case's final disposition. Costs vary by parish.

Article 893/894 set-aside affidavit: ~$60. If your case requires a prior set-aside of a deferred sentence, the Clerk of Court charges an additional fee for processing this motion.

Money orders: ~$1.30 each. You need at least four money orders for the four agency payments.

Notary fees: Variable. The In Forma Pauperis affidavit and certain certifications require notarization.

Certified mail postage: ~$4-$8 per recipient. After the judge signs your order, you need to mail certified copies to private background check companies. Multiple mailings add up.

Courthouse parking: ~$3/hour. In urban parishes like Orleans and East Baton Rouge.

A realistic total for a standard, non-waived expungement filing runs $600 to $700, all in.

The Reduced Marijuana Fee

First-offense misdemeanor convictions for simple possession of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, or chemical derivatives qualify for a reduced total fee of $300 under Act 342 of 2023. The breakdown: $150 to the Clerk of Court, $50 to LSP, $50 to the DA, and $50 to the Sheriff. You can also file after just 90 days from the date of conviction instead of the standard five-year wait.

DWI Cases Cost More

DWI expungements carry the standard $550 filing fee plus an additional $50-$100 Department of Public Safety/Office of Motor Vehicles fee to clear the administrative driving record. This OMV fee is separate from the court filing and is required for all DWI-related expungements.

Fee Waivers: The In Forma Pauperis Path

If you cannot afford the filing fees, Louisiana provides two waiver mechanisms:

DA Certificate of Fee Waiver

The District Attorney can issue a fee waiver certificate if your case ended in acquittal, dismissal, or refusal — and you have no prior felony convictions anywhere in the country and no pending felony charges. Diversion program completions do not qualify for the DA waiver.

In Forma Pauperis (IFP) Affidavit

Under Article 983(L), individuals who are indigent can petition the court to waive all filing costs. Qualifying criteria include receiving SNAP, SSI, or Medicaid, or earning below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. You must complete the standardized IFP affidavit (Appendix 8.0 from the Louisiana Supreme Court), have it notarized, and submit it with your expungement packet.

One important exception: under Article 983(F), the LSP's $250 fee cannot be waived if you have any past felony conviction — even a felony that was previously expunged. This creates a situation where someone with an old, already-expunged felony still pays at least $250 out of pocket even with an otherwise complete fee waiver.

Every Fee Is Non-Refundable

This is the detail that makes cost planning critical. If your petition is rejected for a paperwork error — a booking date mismatch, an outdated form version, a missing attachment — you do not get your $550 back. You pay again to refile.

The Louisiana Expungement & Record Sealing Guide walks through the entire fee structure, money order preparation, and fee waiver applications so your filing goes through the first time.

See more Louisiana guides →