Louisiana State Police Expungement: The LSP Fee, Processing, and Certificate of Compliance

LSP's Role in Every Louisiana Expungement

Louisiana State Police is not just another agency you pay a fee to. The Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (BCII) operates the state's central criminal history repository — the master database that every background check in Louisiana ultimately draws from. When you file for expungement, LSP is one of the three entities that receives formal service of your motion and has 60 days to object.

After the judge signs your Order of Expungement, LSP is the agency that actually modifies your state rap sheet to remove the record from public view. Until LSP processes the order, your record remains visible in their system regardless of what the court has ruled.

The Right to Review Background Check

Before you can file for expungement, you must obtain a fingerprint-based "Right to Review" background check from LSP. This is not optional — it is a required attachment for your expungement packet, and it must be dated within 60 days of your filing date.

The check runs through the Louisiana Applicant Processing System (LAPS). You can complete it:

• In person at LSP Headquarters in Baton Rouge. $26 processing fee plus $10 fingerprinting fee.
• By mail using fingerprint cards submitted to the BCII.

The resulting printout is your certified state criminal history. Every detail on your Motion for Expungement must match this document exactly. The booking date on your motion must match the booking date on the Right to Review — not the date of the offense, not the court date, not the date charges were filed. A single-day discrepancy triggers an automatic LSP rejection.

The $250 Fee

LSP's portion of the $550 total filing fee is $250 — the largest single agency share. Payment must be by U.S. Postal money order or national bank-issued cashier's check made payable to "Louisiana State Police" or the "Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information."

Critical requirements for the money order:

• It must be valid for at least one year from the date of purchase. LSP rejects money orders with shorter expiration windows.
• It cannot be altered in any way. Any corrections, whiteout, or overwrites result in rejection.
• It must be made out to the exact payee name — check with the Clerk of Court filing instructions for the precise format your parish requires.

The Felony Fee Waiver Exception

Under Article 983(F), anyone with a prior felony conviction — even a felony that was previously expunged — is permanently barred from receiving an LSP fee waiver. This means that if you are filing for expungement on a misdemeanor and qualify for In Forma Pauperis, the court can waive the Clerk, DA, and Sheriff fees, but LSP's $250 still must be paid out of pocket.

This catches people off guard. You can qualify as indigent under every other standard and still owe $250 to State Police because of an old felony record.

Processing Time After the Order Is Signed

Once the judge signs the Order of Expungement, the Clerk of Court serves a certified copy to LSP. The BCII then modifies the state-level master repository to seal the record from public access.

Processing typically takes 30 to 60 days from receipt of the court order. During this window, your record may still appear on background checks run through the state system. There is no way to expedite LSP processing.

When processing is complete, LSP issues a physical Certificate of Compliance mailed to the petitioner. This document confirms that your records have been removed from public view in the state database. Keep this certificate — you will need it if private background check companies continue to report the sealed record.

After the Certificate Arrives

The Certificate of Compliance means the state database is updated. But LSP's action does not automatically reach private background check companies. Commercial screening services pull from their own databases, which may cache old records for months or years.

Under Article 974 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, you must proactively mail a certified copy of the signed court Order of Expungement via certified mail (return receipt requested) to each private background check company that may hold your record. Once formally notified, they are legally prohibited from disclosing the expunged record. Continued reporting after notification exposes them to civil liability under both state law and the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.

The Louisiana Expungement & Record Sealing Guide covers the full LSP process — from the Right to Review background check through post-order enforcement — including exactly how to handle money order preparation and the Certificate of Compliance follow-up.

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