Can a Louisiana city open a public license tag agency inside the city court building?

Plain-English summary

Chief Judge Sheva M. Sims of Shreveport City Court asked the Louisiana AG whether a public license tag agency could be located inside the Shreveport City Court building. The AG said yes.

Louisiana law lets the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles set up a network of "public license tag agents" who collect vehicle registration license taxes on the state's behalf. By statute, that network can include municipal and parish governing authorities, new motor vehicle dealers and their licensed agents, authorized auto title companies, and a few other categories. The City of Shreveport, acting through its governing authority, falls squarely within the list of eligible entities.

The AG said "governing authority" here refers to the political subdivision's executive or administrative body, not its judicial branch. So the City Court itself cannot operate the tag agency. But the city government can apply to operate one, and once approved by the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV), it can locate the operation inside the courthouse building.

The AG pointed to Baton Rouge as a real-world example: a tag agency already operates inside the Baton Rouge City Court building, showing that a courthouse can serve as an approved tag-agency location.

The AG said a cooperative endeavor agreement between the City of Shreveport and OMV "may be appropriate depending on the structure of the arrangement." It cited La. Const. art. VII, § 14(C) as authority for cooperative endeavors for a public purpose, including shared use of public facilities. It did not make such an agreement a universal requirement.

What this means for you

If you act for the City of Shreveport. The city's governing authority may apply to OMV to serve as a public tag agent. With OMV approval, it may operate the agency inside the Shreveport City Court building. The AG says any agreements necessary to support the arrangement also matter, and a cooperative endeavor agreement with OMV may be appropriate depending on its structure.

If you serve on the City Court. The opinion distinguishes the court's judicial role from the municipal governing authority eligible to act as a public tag agent. It allows the city to propose the court building as the location; it does not make the court itself the tag agent.

If you review a proposed agreement. The agreement mentioned here is between Shreveport and OMV. The opinion cites La. Const. art. VII, § 14(C) for cooperative endeavors involving a public purpose and shared facilities. It does not prescribe terms for access, expenses, or revenue and does not discuss another body controlling the courthouse.

Common questions

Q: Can the Shreveport City Court itself apply to be a public tag agent?
A: The AG says the eligible "governing authority" is the city's executive or administrative body, not its judicial branch. The city may apply and, if OMV approves, operate in the court building.

Q: Is OMV approval needed?
A: Yes. The opinion makes operation of the agency in the court building subject to approval by the Office of Motor Vehicles.

Q: Is a cooperative endeavor agreement mandatory?
A: The AG says one between the City of Shreveport and OMV "may be appropriate depending on the structure of the arrangement." It leaves the needed agreements to the actual arrangement.

Q: Why does the opinion mention Baton Rouge City Court?
A: The request noted that a public tag agency already operates in that court building. The AG used it as an example showing that a courthouse can be an approved location.

Q: What work does the statute authorize public tag agents to do?
A: The quoted La. R.S. 47:532.1(A)(1) describes a system of agents that collect registration license taxes authorized by the chapter. This opinion does not detail every service such an agency may offer.

Background and statutory framework

La. R.S. 47:532.1 lets the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles establish a system of public license tag agents to collect vehicle registration license taxes authorized by Chapter 4 of Title 47 (the motor vehicle license tax chapter). The statute lists eligible categories: municipal and parish governing authorities, new motor vehicle dealers and their licensed agents (under La. R.S. 32:1254), and authorized auto title companies (under La. R.S. 32:735 et seq.).

The implementing regulations live in La. Admin Code tit. 55, § 1601 et seq. La. Admin Code tit. 55, § 1603 lists eligible tag-agent categories and tracks the statute. The Commissioner promulgated these rules under the authority of La. R.S. 47:532.1(A)(2)(a).

La. Const. art. VII, § 14 generally prohibits the donation, loan, or pledge of public credit. Subsection (C) carves out an exception for cooperative endeavors between state and local governments and public entities, as long as the endeavor serves a public purpose. The AG cites it as possible authority for a City of Shreveport and OMV cooperative endeavor, depending on the arrangement.

Liz Murrill is the Attorney General of Louisiana. T.J. Savoie was the Assistant Attorney General who signed Opinion 25-0035.

Citations and references

Statutes:

• La. R.S. 47:532.1 (public license tag agent system)
• La. R.S. 47:532.1(A)(1) (eligible categories)
• La. R.S. 47:532.1(A)(2)(a) (rulemaking authority)
• La. R.S. 32:1254 (licensed agents of motor vehicle dealers)
• La. R.S. 32:735 et seq. (authorized auto title companies)

Constitutional provisions:

• La. Const. art. VII, § 14(C) (cooperative endeavors for public purpose)

Regulations:

• La. Admin Code tit. 55, § 1601 et seq. (public tag agency rules)
• La. Admin Code tit. 55, § 1603 (eligible entities)

Source

• Landing page: https://www.ag.state.la.us/Opinions
• Original PDF: https://www.ag.state.la.us/Opinion/Download/25-0035

Original opinion text

STATE OF LOUISIANA
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
P.O. Box 94005
BATON ROUGE, 70804-9005

LIZ MURRILL
ATTORNEY GENERAL

June 17, 2025

OPINION 25-0035

Chief Judge Sheva M. Sims
Shreveport City Court
1244 Texas Ave.
Shreveport, LA 71101

70-MOTOR VEHICLES — Control & Regulation
La. R.S. 47:532.1

The governing authority for the City of Shreveport may apply to serve as a public tag agent and operate the agency within the Shreveport City Court building, subject to the approval of the Office of Motor Vehicles and any agreements necessary to support the arrangement.

Dear Chief Judge Sims:

You have asked for an opinion concerning the creation of a Public License Tag Agency at the Shreveport City Court.

Question: May a Public License Tag Agency be located at the Shreveport City Court?

Conclusion: The governing authority for the City of Shreveport may apply to serve as a public tag agent and operate the agency within the Shreveport City Court building, subject to the approval of the Office of Motor Vehicles and any agreements necessary to support the arrangement.

The ability to create tag agencies is established by La. R.S. 47:532.1(A)(1), which states,

The commissioner may establish a system of public license tag agents to collect the registration license taxes authorized by this Chapter. The system shall consist of municipal and parish governing authorities or new motor vehicle dealers or their agents licensed pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 32:1254 and authorized auto title companies pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 32:735 et seq. No persons, natural or juridical, except public license tag agents, auto title companies, financial institutions, licensed new or used car dealers, recreational product dealers, digital transaction providers, state departments, offices, or entities and those included in the system established pursuant to this Section shall collect registration license taxes authorized by this Chapter.

(Emphasis added). This statute establishes that municipal and parish governing authorities are among the entities that may serve as public license tag agents. Louisiana Revised Statute 47:532.1(A)(2)(a) provides for the promulgation of rules and regulations regarding the implementation and governing of a system of "public tag agencies." Those rules and regulations can be found at La. Admin Code tit. 55, § 1601 et seq. Louisiana Administrative Code title 55, § 1603 also provides that a public tag agent may be a "municipal or parish governing authority," among other eligible entities. The term

OPINION 25-0035
Chief Judge Sheva M. Sims
Page 2

"governing authority" in this context refers to a political subdivision's executive or administrative body, such as a city or parish government, not its judicial branch.

Because it is a municipality, the City of Shreveport, acting through its governing authority, may apply to become a public tag agent and, if approved by the Office of Motor Vehicles, may operate as a public tag agent within the Shreveport City Court building. As you note in your opinion request, a public tag agency currently operates within the Baton Rouge City Court building, demonstrating that a courthouse may serve as an approved location for such services. A cooperative endeavor agreement between the City of Shreveport and the Office of Motor Vehicles may be appropriate depending on the structure of the arrangement. Such an agreement may be made pursuant to La. Const. art. VII, § 14(C), which authorizes the state and its political subdivisions to engage in cooperative endeavors for a public purpose, including the shared use of public facilities to provide government services.

Considering the foregoing, it is the opinion of this office that the governing authority for the City of Shreveport may apply to serve as a public tag agent and operate the agency within the Shreveport City Court building, subject to Office of Motor Vehicles approval and any agreements necessary to support the arrangement.

We trust this adequately responds to your request. However, if our office can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

With best regards,

LIZ MURRILL
ATTORNEY GENERAL

BY:
T.J. Savoie
Assistant Attorney General

LM: TJS