§2531.5. Legal enforcement; penalties; payment by mail or credit card
A. All criminal violations under the provisions of this Part shall be prosecuted by the
district attorney of the judicial district in which the violation occurred.
B. Civil violations under the provisions of this Part shall be prosecuted by the district
attorney of the judicial district in which the violation occurred; the prosecuting attorney for
a municipality having a city court within the municipality in which the violation occurred;
the constable, if filed in justice of the peace court; or the prosecuting attorney for the
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for citations issued by that department.
C. Each governing authority on whose behalf citations are issued for alleged
violations of the provisions of R.S. 30:2531 through 2531.3 shall establish a procedure by
which alleged offenders may plead guilty to the alleged offense and pay the fine by mail;
however, if the offender fails to pay the fine by mail in advance of adjudication and fails to
appear at the time and date indicated on the citation, the court may impose an additional fine
or penalty in an amount not to exceed the amount of the fine or penalty for the original
violation. Further, the court may suspend the driver's license of the offender until such fines
are paid. In addition, each governing authority shall establish a procedure allowing for
payment of the fine by credit card as it may designate. However, the procedure shall not
limit such payments to payment by credit card.
D. An action brought pursuant to R.S. 30:2531(B) or 2531.3 shall be tried as a
summary proceeding pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure Article 2591 et seq., except that
such actions prosecuted by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries may be tried in
accordance with R.S. 56:32.1.
E. Any suspension of a motor vehicle driver's license as a result of violation of any
provision of R.S. 30:2531 through 2531.3 shall be referred to the Department of Public
Safety and Corrections and shall be handled in compliance with the provisions of R.S.
32:414 or any other provision of law or rule or regulation of the department relative to the
suspension of driving privileges. Any cost of administering the suspension of driver's
licenses under the provisions of R.S. 30:2531 through 2531.3 shall be payable from the
receipts of penalties assessed pursuant to this Section.
F. Whenever the driver's license of a person has been suspended pursuant to the
provisions of this Chapter, the judicial officer of the court exercising jurisdiction shall
immediately forward to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections notice of the time
period of the suspension with information necessary for identification of the person. The
Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall immediately notify the person of the
suspension of his operator's license and the imposition of a fifty-dollar fee. The Department
of Public Safety and Corrections shall also notify the person that upon expiration of the time
period of suspension, and upon payment of an additional fifty dollars to the department, the
operator's license of the person shall be renewed or reissued.
Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 148, §3; Acts 2003, No. 950, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 2004; Acts
2014, No. 432, §1; Acts 2022, No. 17, §1.