Louisiana Attorney General Opinions
Free plain-English summaries of attorney general opinions issued in Louisiana, with full citations and the original source on every page.
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Can a Louisiana professional nursing corporation convert itself into an LLC and keep practicing nursing?
No. The Secretary of State should not permit a professional nursing corporation to convert to an LLC if the new LLC will keep practicing nursing, since Louisiana law only allows professional nursing…
Can a Louisiana professional medical corporation convert itself into an LLC and keep practicing medicine?
No. The Secretary of State should not permit a professional medical corporation to convert to an LLC if the new LLC will keep practicing medicine, since Louisiana law only allows professional…
Can an elected constable in Louisiana also work as a full-time civil service firefighter for a different parish?
No. Even though the general Dual Officeholding Law would allow it, a specific civil service constitutional and statutory rule bars a classified civil service firefighter from also holding an…
Can someone serve on both the parish housing authority board and the hospital district board in Louisiana at the same time?
Yes. Both board seats are part-time appointive offices, and Louisiana's Dual Officeholding Law only bars combining two full-time appointive offices, not two part-time ones.
Can a Louisiana home rule parish council appoint non-council members (regular citizens) to sit on its standing committees?
Yes. Louisiana law does not stop a parish council from putting non-council members on its standing committees, as long as those committees stay advisory and the council itself still has to vote on…
Can Louisiana's state public defender reimburse oversight board members for travel and meetings?
No. The Attorney General concluded that the Office of the State Public Defender lacks statutory authority to reimburse Public Defender Oversight Board members for travel or meeting expenses. The…
Can an Orleans Parish assistant district attorney also contract to represent the criminal court clerk?
The dual officeholding law does not bar the proposed private legal services contract, the Attorney General concluded. But it identified an inherent conflict between the assistant district attorney…
Can a Louisiana parish registrar of voters also serve on the board of a parish communications district (911 board)?
No. A specific Election Code statute flatly bars registrars of voters from holding any other elective or appointive public office, so the general Dual Officeholding Law's part-time exception does…
Do Louisiana Local Emergency Planning Committees have to hold their meetings in public under the Open Meetings Law?
Yes. Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs), the federal-statute-created bodies that develop community emergency response plans for hazardous-material releases, qualify as 'public bodies' under…
Can the president of a private youth softball league also work as the director of a parish recreation district in Louisiana?
Yes. Louisiana's Dual Officeholding Law only governs public offices and public employment, so leading an unpaid, private nonprofit softball league does not conflict with holding a paid public…
Does a Louisiana business have to accept LA Wallet, the state's digital driver's license app, as valid ID instead of a physical card?
Yes. Louisiana law makes a digitized credential downloaded through LA Wallet just as valid as the physical card, and businesses in the state must accept it.
Can a pharmacy benefits manager enforce an 'effective rate pricing' clause against a small local Louisiana pharmacy through its contract with a middleman PSAO?
No. Louisiana law defines effective rate pricing as a tool for pharmacies that are NOT 'local pharmacies,' so a PBM cannot apply it to a local pharmacy even indirectly through the pharmacy's PSAO.
Can the Caddo Parish Administrator represent the parish without commission approval or issue statements against the commission's wishes?
No. Under the Caddo Parish Home Rule Charter, the parish administrator does not have authority to represent the parish's interests without commission approval or to send letters or make statements…
When a Louisiana Lawrason Act mayor pro tempore runs a meeting, can he still vote as an alderman, and does he count for a quorum?
Yes to both. A Lawrason Act mayor pro tempore who is presiding because the mayor is absent still has his right to vote as an alderman. He can choose to vote as an alderman OR vote later to break a…
Can a Louisiana firefighter take 52-week paid leave and workers' compensation medical benefits without weekly compensation payments?
The attorney general said a firefighter could decline weekly workers' compensation payments, take the statutory 52-week sick leave, and still receive workers' compensation medical benefits. An…
When may the Caddo Levee District spend public money mowing and maintaining drainage channels?
The attorney general said the district must maintain channels covered by its federal agreements and may maintain channels selected under the drainage statute or covered by a qualifying public-body…
Must a Louisiana clerk of court buy a judge a computer or print case files after court records become electronic?
No. When the electronic file is the official court record, the clerk must make records accessible but need not pay for a judge's computer or provide a paper copy. The opinion says judges of the…
Can a Louisiana city open a public license tag agency inside the city court building?
Yes. The governing authority of the City of Shreveport may apply to serve as a public tag agent and operate the agency inside the Shreveport City Court building, subject to Office of Motor Vehicles…
Can a Louisiana neighborhood improvement and security district use public funds to send its members to social functions like sporting events or theater productions?
No. Sending district members to social functions that do not directly serve the district's legislatively-created purpose (beautification, security, overall betterment) is a prohibited donation of…
Must a Louisiana port follow public bid law when buying a custom-built fueling barge?
Yes. The Attorney General concluded that the Port of South Louisiana's acquisition of a custom-built fueling barge falls under the Public Bid Law's rules for purchases of materials or supplies. The…
Can a Louisiana disabled veteran claim a property tax exemption on a home owned with someone else, and can it apply after Orleans Parish closes its tax roll?
Yes, under the conditions the opinion described. The veteran's additional exemption applied in proportion to the veteran's ownership share. The attorney general said a qualifying 2024 claim could…
Must Louisiana district public defenders get oversight board approval for large legal services contracts?
No, when the district contract does not involve the Office of the State Public Defender. The Attorney General concluded that the oversight board's approval requirement for legal representation…
Can a US Department of Labor administrative law judge serve on Mandeville's planning and zoning commissions?
No. The Louisiana AG concluded that the state's dual officeholding law prohibits a federal Department of Labor administrative law judge from also holding the Mandeville planning and zoning…
Who must cut grass in roadside ditches in Vivian, Louisiana?
Responsibility depends on ownership or control. The Attorney General said Vivian must maintain ditches it owns or over which it has a servitude; private owners maintain ditches on their land without…
Can a Louisiana justice of the peace also serve as the full-time town clerk for a Lawrason Act municipality?
No. Louisiana's Dual Officeholding and Dual Employment Law prohibits a justice of the peace (an elective office) from holding a full-time appointive office in any political subdivision of the state.…
Can a Jeanerette alderman work full-time for the Iberia Parish Sheriff?
Yes, under the Louisiana dual officeholding law as applied in this opinion. The AG concluded that the alderman's city office and salaried work for the sheriff were in separate political…
Did Greensburg's proposed town charter amendment pass the Louisiana attorney general's legal review?
Yes. After reviewing the Town of Greensburg's proposed charter amendment and the documents submitted with it, the attorney general found the amendment consistent with state and federal law. The…
Are the insurance certificates contractors submit to Louisiana's licensing board public records anyone can request?
Yes. Certificates of general liability and workers' compensation insurance that contractors submit for licensure are public records under Louisiana law, since no exemption covers them.
In a Louisiana town with a special legislative charter, does the mayor have the authority to hire and fire municipal employees?
Yes, with limits. Under La. R.S. 33:481, when a special legislative charter is silent on a matter, the Lawrason Act fills the gap. La. R.S. 33:404(A)(3) gives the mayor authority to appoint and…
Can St. Bernard Parish merge its protected port district into parish government by popular vote?
No. The Attorney General concluded that St. Bernard Parish cannot merge its deep-water port district into parish government by majority vote of the electorate. Louisiana's Constitution protects port…
Can a justice of the peace constable in one Louisiana parish also work as a part-time deputy sheriff in a different parish?
Yes. The Louisiana Dual Officeholding and Dual Employment Law does not bar an elected constable from also holding a part-time appointive position in a different political subdivision. A Tangipahoa…
Can a Louisiana parish council member also work for the district attorney's office in the same parish?
For the full-time DA position described, not if it is an appointive office (stenographer, clerk, secretary, special officer, or investigator) or if the position's salary is funded by the parish…
Can Livingston Parish's chief of staff also serve on the Denham Springs City Council, and when must he abstain from voting?
The attorney general said the two positions were permitted under the dual-officeholding law on the duties described: the chief of staff role was parish employment, not an appointive office, and the…
Can a Jefferson Parish deputy sheriff counsel for the parish human services authority under a professional services contract?
The Louisiana AG concluded that the Dual Officeholding and Dual Employment Law does not prohibit that contract arrangement because providing services through a professional services contract is not…
If a Louisiana district public defender's one-year contract simply isn't renewed, does the defender get a hearing and investigation under La. R.S. 15:170?
No. La. R.S. 15:170 gives a district public defender a right to a hearing and investigation only if he is disciplined or has his contract terminated early. If the annual contract just expires and is…
Does Louisiana's Public Bid Law apply when a tenant pays part of a public building project?
Yes. The attorney general said the whole public-work project cost controls when it exceeds the contract limit and public funds pay any part. A district cannot separate its materials purchase to…
Could Louisiana's governor approve St. Martinville's charter amendment changing how council and mayoral salaries are set?
Yes. The Louisiana AG concluded that the amendment complied with state and federal law and should be approved. It let the council set elected officials' salaries by majority vote and removed the…
Did Louisiana's AG approve the updated Recall Packet and Recall Petitions after the 2024 law change?
Only after corrections. The Louisiana AG identified outdated election-code excerpts in the submitted Recall Packet and said the packet and petitions would comply with state law once those excerpts…
Did Louisiana's AG approve the Home Rule Charter Commission petition form for printing?
Yes. After the Secretary of State requested expedited review, the Louisiana AG reviewed the Home Rule Charter Commission Petition, found it compliant with Louisiana law and approved it for printing…
Can New Orleans hire a private company to take juveniles into custody after they violate release conditions?
The Louisiana AG said the Children’s Code generally assigns that authority to peace or probation officers. A court may be able to authorize a third-party provider under a juvenile's bail agreement…
Can a Louisiana mayor's court hear municipal ordinance or traffic citations against a 17-year-old?
No. The Louisiana Attorney General concluded that mayor's courts cannot hear municipal ordinance or traffic citations issued to 17-year-olds. It said those traffic citations belong in a court with…
Can a Louisiana water district charge developers for system upgrades their projects require?
Yes, on the facts presented. The Attorney General concluded that Lafayette Parish Waterworks District South could approve the needed upgrades by a simple board majority and charge the five…
Can Louisiana renew a state office lease for more than ten years through competitive negotiation?
No, for a state agency lease of at least 5,000 square feet. The Louisiana AG concluded that the ten-year term limit applies to a renewed or renegotiated lease under La. R.S. 39:1644 as well as to…
Can a Louisiana water district limit new connections, charge minimum rates, and disconnect for nonpayment?
The Attorney General found the Avoyelles Parish water district's proposed capacity and minimum-charge rules permissible. It also said the district may disconnect for nonpayment if it provides due…
Can a Louisiana assessor change a property tax valuation after a board of review or the Tax Commission rules on it?
No unilateral change to a valuation those bodies specifically decided. The attorney general said an assessor's general power to correct assessment errors does not override that ruling. The assessor…
Can Florien's elected police chief also work full time as a Sabine Parish deputy sheriff?
No. The attorney general classified Florien's elected police chief as holding elective office and a full-time Sabine Parish deputy sheriff as holding a full-time appointive office. Louisiana's…
Was Louisiana's Election Day voting information pamphlet approved for distribution?
Yes. The Attorney General reviewed Louisiana's Informational Pamphlet for Election Day Voting, found it compliant with state law, and approved it for printing and distribution. The short opinion…
Did Louisiana's Attorney General approve both submitted voter assistance forms?
Yes. The Attorney General reviewed Louisiana's Voter Assistance Form and Early Voting Voter Assistance Form, found both compliant with state law, and approved them for printing and distribution.
Can a St. Mary Parish personnel board member also serve on another parish board or advisory board?
No for the public boards described. The attorney general read St. Mary Parish's home-rule charter as barring personnel board members from another parish public position and assumed the identified…
Who controls officer pay and spending in a Louisiana town with an elected police chief?
Cottonport's mayor and aldermen set the police budget and officer salaries, while its elected police chief controls day-to-day operations and allocates funds within the department's approved…
Can Louisiana siblings serve together on one board, and may a police juror's relative join a different board?
La. R.S. 42:2.2 bars appointing siblings to serve on the same board at the same time, the Attorney General concluded. The cited statute does not bar the East Feliciana Parish Police Jury from…
Can an electric cooperative restore lines under a Cameron Parish franchise, and who approves their location in parish rights-of-way?
The attorney general read the 1944 franchise as allowing Jefferson Davis Electric Cooperative to restore or locate previously existing lines in Cameron Parish rights-of-way outside incorporated…
Can a Bossier police juror also serve on the city charter commission and parish library board?
Yes, under the dual officeholding law the Attorney General reviewed. A Bossier Parish police juror could also serve on Bossier City's part-time charter review commission and the parish's part-time…
Did Louisiana's Attorney General approve the 2024 proposed amendment statements as submitted?
Only after edits. The Attorney General required revisions to proposed constitutional amendment questions 1 and 3 so they better reflected Acts 405 and 407 of 2024, then approved the statements for…
Can one Louisiana fire protection district use its tax-funded firefighters and equipment to operate another district's station?
The attorney general said a district could temporarily lend personnel and equipment to another district under the prescribed rules, but could not effectively operate that district with resources…
Who holds the twelfth seat on Louisiana's firefighters' retirement board after two conflicting 2024 acts?
The Attorney General concluded that Act 672 of 2024 controls: the twelfth trustee should be a member of the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association, rather than the retiree specified in Act 537. Both acts…
Can a Louisiana town's contract attorney also serve as a part-time assistant district attorney?
Yes, under the dual officeholding law the Attorney General considered. A lawyer serving Lockport through an employment contract could also serve as a part-time assistant district attorney for the…
Were Louisiana's early voting and Election Day voters' rights posters approved for distribution?
Yes. The Louisiana Attorney General reviewed both the early voting and Election Day versions of the Voters' Bill of Rights and Voting Information posters, found them compliant with state law, and…
Was Louisiana's election expense manual for registrars of voters approved by the Attorney General?
Yes. The Louisiana Attorney General reviewed the Election Expense Manual used by registrars of voters, found it compliant with state law, and approved it for printing and distribution. The opinion…
Did Louisiana's Attorney General approve the election expense manual for clerks and parish election boards?
Approval was conditional. The Attorney General found that the election expense manual for clerks of court and parish election boards would comply with Louisiana law after correcting a misspelling of…
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Attorney general opinions in Louisiana are written by the Louisiana Attorney General's office in response to questions from state agencies, legislators, and prosecutors. They are not binding like court decisions, but courts and agencies treat them as persuasive guidance on how state law applies. Every opinion above has a plain-English question and short answer, plus a link to the full original text.