Title 32. Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation
Chapter 5. Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Law
Part I-a. Compulsory Motor Vehicle Liability Security
32:861 Security required
A. (1) Every self-propelled motor vehicle registered in this state except those motor vehicles used as agricultural or forest vehicles during seasons when they are not used on the highway, those used primarily for exhibit or kept primarily for use in parades, exhibits, or shows, and lease-bound mobile rig haulers as defined in Subsection D of this Section, shall be covered by an automobile liability policy with liability limits as defined by R.S. 32:900(B)(2) or 900(M), or a binder for same, or by a motor vehicle liability bond as defined by Subsection B of this Section, or by a certificate of the state treasurer stating that cash or securities have been deposited or securitized with said treasurer as provided by Subsection C of this Section, or by a certificate of self-insurance as provided by R.S. 32:1042.
(2)(a) It shall be the duty of the registered owner of a motor vehicle to maintain the security hereinabove required. Failure to maintain said security shall subject the registered owner to the sanctions provided in R.S. 32:863, 864, and 865.
(b) For the period August 15, 2006, through August 14, 2007, the provisions of this Part shall not apply to water-damaged vehicles as defined by R.S. 32:702, regardless of whether the vehicle is a total loss, if and only if, the registered owner of the water-damaged vehicle applies for a certificate of destruction in accordance with procedures established by the secretary. Such applications shall be processed in a manner similar to that outlined in R.S. 32:707.3.
(3) If the owner or lessee wishes to discontinue the use of a vehicle registered in his name, he shall surrender the vehicle’s license plate to the secretary within ten calendar days of cancellation or, prior to the cancellation, he shall notify the secretary by written statement containing the date of cancellation of liability security on the vehicle, that the vehicle is no longer in use and the intended period of nonuse, and shall have the agent who previously issued the policy of insurance on the vehicle submit an affidavit that the insurance on the vehicle will be cancelled during the period of time that the vehicle will not be in use.
B. “Motor vehicle liability bond” means a bond conditioned:
(1) That the obligor shall, within thirty days after the rendition thereof, satisfy:
(a)(i) All judgments rendered against him or against any person responsible for the operation of the obligor’s motor vehicle with his express or implied consent in actions to recover damages for property damage or for bodily injuries, including death at any time resulting therefrom, and
(ii) Judgments rendered as aforesaid for consequential damages consisting of expenses incurred by a husband, wife, parent, or tutor for medical, nursing, hospital, or surgical services in connection with or on account of such bodily injuries or death sustained during the term of the bond by any person, and
(b) Arising out of the ownership, operation, maintenance, control, or use upon the highways and roads of the state of such motor vehicle,
(2) To the amount or limit of:
(a) Not less than twenty-five thousand dollars for damages to the property of others, and
(b) Not less than fifteen thousand dollars on account of injury to or death of any one person, and
(c) Subject to such limits as respects injury to or death of one person, of not less than thirty thousand dollars on account of any one accident resulting in injury to or death of more than one person.
C. (1)(a) The applicant for registration may, in lieu of procuring a motor vehicle liability bond or policy, deposit with the state treasurer cash in the amount of fifty-five thousand dollars, or otherwise pledge, assign, or securitize, to the satisfaction of the state treasurer on such forms and documents as he shall require, which shall constitute a lien thereon in favor of the treasurer for the liabilities set forth in this Section and authorize him to sell same pursuant to Subparagraph (c) of this Paragraph, bonds, stocks, securities, or other evidences of indebtedness satisfactory to said treasurer of a market value of not less than fifty-five thousand dollars as security for the payment by such applicant or by any person responsible for the operation of such applicant’s motor vehicle with his express or implied consent of all judgments rendered against such applicant or against such person in actions to recover damages to property or for bodily injuries, including death at any time resulting therefrom, and judgments rendered as aforesaid for consequential damages consisting of expenses incurred by a husband, wife, parent, or tutor for medical, nursing, hospital, or surgical services in connection with or on account of such bodily injuries or death sustained during the term of registration by any person and arising out of the ownership, operation, maintenance, control, or use upon the highways and roads of the state of such motor vehicle to the amount or limit of at least twenty-five thousand dollars on account of any such judgment for damages to property or to the amount of fifteen thousand dollars for bodily injury or death to any one person or to the amount of thirty thousand dollars for bodily injury or death to more than one person.
(b) Upon presentation to the state treasurer by an officer qualified to serve civil process of an execution issued on any such judgment against the registrant or other person responsible as aforesaid, the treasurer shall pay, out of the cash deposited by the registrant as herein provided, the amount of the execution, including costs and interest, up to but not in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars for damages to property or fifteen thousand dollars to any one person for damages for bodily injury or death or thirty thousand dollars for bodily injury or death to more than one person.
(c) If the registrant has deposited, or otherwise pledged, assigned, or securitized pursuant to Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, bonds, stocks, securities, or other evidences of indebtedness, the state treasurer shall, on presentation of an execution as aforesaid, cause the securities, or such part thereof as may be necessary to satisfy the judgment, to be sold at public auction giving the registrant three days’ notice in writing of the time and place of the sale. From the proceeds of the sale the state treasurer shall, after paying the expenses thereof, satisfy the execution as hereinbefore provided when a cash deposit has been made.
(d) Any sale by or payment upon an execution by the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of this Section shall discharge him from all official and personal liability whatever to the registrant to the extent of such payment.
(e) The state treasurer shall deposit any cash received under the provisions of this Section in a savings bank or savings department of a trust company or of a national bank within the state.
(f) The depositor shall be entitled to the interest accruing on his deposit and to the income payable on the securities deposited. He may from time to time change such securities with the approval of the state treasurer.
(g) The state treasurer, whenever for any reason the amount of such deposit falls below the amount required by this Section, shall require, at the option of the registrant, the deposit of additional cash or securities up to the amount required by this Section or a motor vehicle liability bond or policy as provided in this Chapter.
(h) Money or securities deposited with the state treasurer under the provisions of this Section shall not be subject to attachment or execution except as provided in this Section.
(2) The state treasurer shall give to the applicant for registration a receipt on a form prescribed by the treasurer for the amount of cash or securities deposited, or pledged, assigned, or securitized by him with the treasurer under this Chapter. The state treasurer shall retain such cash or securities deposited or securitized as aforesaid and shall not deliver or release the lien on the same or the balance thereof to the registrant on his order until the expiration of the time within which actions, the payment of judgments in which are secured by such deposit, may be brought against the registrant or the person responsible for the operation of the registrant’s motor vehicle with his express or implied consent, nor in any case if a written notice is filed with the state treasurer stating that such an action has been brought against the registrant or other person responsible as aforesaid, until payment is made as provided in this Subsection or satisfactory evidence is presented to the treasurer that final disposition of the action has been made.
D. “Lease-bound mobile rig hauler” as used in this Chapter means a winch or crew truck in excess of twenty-six thousand pounds which meets the following description:
(1) The hauler is operated on the highways of Louisiana only for the purpose of hauling mobile workover rigs or any accessories for a mobile workover rig within a ten-mile radius of the operator’s oil and gas lease.
(2) The haulers are covered under a general liability policy, issued by an insurance company authorized to do business in the state, with liability coverage and limits equal to or greater than those defined in R.S. 32:900(B)(2), and such proof of the coverage is provided to the secretary as he may, by rule, require.
E. (1) The owners of motor vehicles registered in other states or jurisdictions that require liability security shall maintain the security and proof thereof as required by their respective state or jurisdiction while the vehicle is operated in this state. A personal injury protection card issued from an insurer in another state or jurisdiction without a bodily injury endorsement shall not be sufficient proof of liability security.
(2) Failure to comply with the requirements of this Subsection shall subject the owner and the operator to the sanctions which are provided in R.S. 32:57 and limitations on recovery of damages provided for in this Part. Owners and operators of any motor vehicle in violation of this Subsection shall be subject to limitation of recovery as provided for in R.S. 32:866.
(3) The commissioner may adopt regulations to provide for the implementation of the provisions of this Subsection.
Added by Acts 1977, No. 115, § 1, eff. July 1, 1978. Amended by Acts 1981, No. 926, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982; Acts 1984, No. 237, § 1; Acts 1985, No. 229, § 1; Acts 1987, No. 616, § 1, eff. July 9, 1987; Acts 1992, No. 830, § 1, eff. July 8, 1992; Acts 1995, No. 301, § 1, eff. June 15, 1995; Acts 2001, No. 227, § 1; Acts 2001, No. 883, § 1; Acts 2001, No. 1032, § 12; Acts 2001, No. 1069, § 1; Acts 2006, No. 692, § 1; Acts 2008, No. 921, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2010; Acts 2011, No. 370, § 2; Acts 2018, No. 567, § 1.