SLS 23RS-329 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 124
BY SENATOR KLEINPETER
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
CRIME/PUNISHMENT. Increases the penalty for driving a vehicle without a license plate
attached. (8/1/23)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 32:57(A), relative to motor vehicles and traffic regulation; to
3 increase penalties for operating a vehicle without a properly attached license plate;
4 and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 32:57(A) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
7 ยง57. Penalties; alternatives to citation
8 A. The (1) Except as provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, the
9 first violation of the provisions of this Chapter or any regulation of the department,
10 secretary, and commissioner made pursuant thereto shall be punished by a fine of not
11 more than one hundred seventy-five dollars or by imprisonment for not more than
12 thirty days, or both, unless otherwise specifically provided. A subsequent violation
13 shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment
14 for not more than ninety days, or both.
15 (2) The first violation of R.S. 32:53(A)(2) shall be punished by a fine of
16 not more than three hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than
17 thirty days, or both. A subsequent violation shall be punished by a fine of not
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 124
SLS 23RS-329 ORIGINAL
1 more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than ninety
2 days, or both. For any violation of R.S. 32:53(A)(2), the vehicle may be
3 immediately impounded. If the offense is committed in the preparation of or
4 during the commission of a felony offense in order to escape detection, the
5 defendant shall be punished by an additional fine of two hundred dollars or by
6 imprisonment of an additional thirty days, or both.
7 * * *
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Whitney Kauffeld.
DIGEST
SB 124 Original 2023 Regular Session Kleinpeter
Present law provides penalties for violations of present law relative to motor vehicles and
traffic regulation (La. Highway Regulatory Act). Present law provides that the first violation
of present law or any regulation made pursuant to present law is to be punished by a fine up
to $175 or imprisonment up to 30 days, or both. Present law further provides that a
subsequent violation is to be punished by a fine up to $500 or imprisonment up to 90 days,
or both.
Proposed law increases the maximum fines for operating a vehicle without a license plate
properly attached to $300 for a first offense and $500 for each subsequent offense, and
permits law enforcement to impound the vehicle at the time of the violation.
Proposed law provides that if the offense is committed in preparation to or during the
commission of a felony in order to escape detection, the defendant is to be punished by an
additional fine of $200, or an additional imprisonment of 30 days, or both.
Proposed law otherwise retains present law.
Effective August 1, 2023.
(Amends R.S. 32:57(A))
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.