SLS 18RS-613 ORIGINAL
2018 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 440
BY SENATOR MORRELL
MUNICIPALITIES. Provides for specific procedures before a motor vehicle can be
immobilized by a municipality for unpaid fines. (8/1/18)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 32:472, relative to motor vehicles; to provide for specific
3 procedures to be followed before a motor vehicle can be immobilized by a
4 municipality; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 32:472 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
7 ยง472. Parking motor vehicles; seizure of; immobilizing of; payment of costs
8 A. If any motor vehicle, in any municipality in this state, is seized or
9 otherwise held by any policeman or other officer employed by said municipality for
10 illegal parking, stationing or abandoning of such motor vehicle or for the violation
11 of any traffic ordinance or regulation of the municipality, the owner shall be entitled
12 to regain possession thereof upon payment of such costs as may be fixed by the
13 policing authority of the municipality for the violation. The costs so fixed shall
14 cover all charges for removing the vehicle to the place of holding and all other costs
15 incurred during the period of holding.
16 B. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, before
17 immobilizing a motor vehicle for unpaid parking fines, a municipality shall
Page 1 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 440
SLS 18RS-613 ORIGINAL
1 notify the registered owner, in writing, by mailing a copy of the final notice of
2 fines due by certified mail, return receipt to the registered owner's last known
3 address. If the registered owner does not resolve the unpaid fines within fifteen
4 days after receiving the final notice of fines due, the municipality may
5 immobilize the motor vehicle upon the showing of proof that it has in its
6 possession the return receipt executed by the registered owner.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Michael Bell.
DIGEST
SB 440 Original 2018 Regular Session Morrell
Present law provides that in any municipality in this state, when a motor vehicle is seized
or otherwise held by any policeman or other officer employed by said municipality for
illegal parking, stationing or abandoning of such motor vehicle or for the violation of any
traffic ordinance or regulation of the municipality, the owner shall be entitled to regain
possession thereof upon payment of such costs as may be fixed by the policing authority of
the municipality for the violation.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law requires a municipality to notify the registered owner, in writing, by mailing
a copy of the final notice of fines due by certified mail, return receipt to the registered
owner's last known address. Proposed law further provides that if the registered owner does
not resolve the unpaid fines within 15 days after receiving the final notice of fines due, the
municipality may immobilize the motor vehicle upon the showing of proof that it has in its
possession the return receipt executed by the registered owner.
Effective August 1, 2018.
(Amends R.S. 32:472)
Page 2 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.