La. R.S. 47:516 — Vehicles improperly licensed; weighing, inspections, and investigations; purchase of

proper license required; penalty
A. The commissioner or the division of state police, weights and standards police
officers of the Department of Transportation and Development or other proper legal
authority, have the right and power at any time and place to investigate, in any lawful
manner, and inspect, at any time and place, any vehicle, with respect to its registration,
license, tax payment, or other manner or thing contemplated by or provided for in this
Chapter. To that end the commissioner or secretary may select, appoint, or designate
inspectors, acquire the necessary scales or other equipment incident to their functioning, and
where necessary may cause the owner or driver of any vehicle to move the same or cause it
to be moved, forthwith, to the nearest scales available in the direction of destination.
B.(1) If upon weighing the vehicle it is found that it is improperly licensed, or if it
is found that the certificate of registration issued for the vehicle is otherwise unlawful, the
inspector or enforcement officer may impound the vehicle and may require the operator of
the vehicle to purchase forthwith the proper license for and to properly register the vehicle.
(2) Twenty-five percent of the annual price of the license or registration shall be
added to the cost of purchasing the same as a penalty, which shall be in lieu of the penalties
directed to be imposed by R.S. 47:508. There shall be credited against the price of this
license or registration the price of the license or registration on the vehicle at the time of its
unlawful operation. However, in lieu of impoundment and immediate purchase of license and
registration, a Department of Transportation and Development stationary weights and
standards scales police officer may issue a violation ticket in the amount of seventy-five
dollars, in addition to any overweight penalties due as provided by R.S. 32:388, to any
operator possessed of an improper Louisiana license and registration.
(3) The violation ticket shall serve as a receipt for said license plate. The violation
ticket shall notify the owner and operator in writing to appear within five days to purchase
the proper license for and to properly register said vehicle or combination of vehicles, and
to pay any penalty due. This violation ticket shall be considered as a temporary license plate
for a period not to exceed five days.
(4) In addition to any overweight penalties due as provided by R.S. 32:388, if the
weight of the vehicle exceeds the manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating or the
manufacturer's gross combined vehicle weight rating, a fine of one hundred dollars shall be
paid, in addition to the seventy-five dollar penalty, in lieu of registering the vehicle at the
higher weight. Payments for penalties shall be remitted to the Transportation Trust Fund.
C. If upon inspecting a vehicle or combination of vehicles it is found that it has an
expired Louisiana license and registration or that it has no license and registration, the
inspector or enforcement officer may impound the vehicle and may require the operator of
the vehicle to purchase forthwith a license for and to properly register the vehicle.
Twenty-five per centum of the annual price of the license or registration shall be added to the
cost of purchasing the same as a penalty, which shall be in lieu of the penalty directed to be
imposed by R.S. 47:508. However, any operator who is lawfully possessed of a valid
Louisiana driver's license, as provided in Subsection A of R.S. 32:411, in lieu of
impoundment and immediate purchase of license and registration, may deposit said license
with the enforcement officer, who shall issue said driver a violation ticket which shall serve
as a receipt for the operator's license. The violation ticket shall notify the owner and driver
in writing to appear within five days to purchase license and registration for said vehicle, pay
any penalty due and secure the return of the operator's license. This violation ticket shall be
considered as a temporary Louisiana driver's license.
D. Whoever violates his promise to appear, purchase license plate and registration,
and pay any penalty assessed under Subsections B and C of this Section shall be punished
by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than ninety
days, or both, and the driver's license or license plate shall be forwarded to the Department
of Public Safety and Corrections for suspension, revocation, and cancellation.
Amended by Acts 1978, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1978; Acts 2003, No. 1159, §1,
eff. July 2, 2003; Acts 2010, No. 320, §4, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2021, No. 384, §§4, 5, eff.
July 1, 2022.