PART VI. IDENTIFICATION OF PROPERTY

§121. Name of board, department, or subdivisions; marking on boat or vehicle; Louisiana public license plates; exemptions

            A.(1) Every boat, watercraft, aircraft, automobile, truck, or other vehicle belonging to the state or to any of its political subdivisions, or to any department, board, commission, or agency of any of its political subdivisions shall, if required by law to bear a Louisiana license plate, bear a public license plate, and each such vehicle also shall have inscribed, painted, decaled, or stenciled conspicuously thereon, either with letters not less than two inches in height and not less than one-quarter inch in width or with an insignia containing not less than one hundred forty-four square inches, or if circular, not less than eight inches in diameter, the name of the board, commission, department, agency, or subdivision of the state to which the boat, watercraft, aircraft, automobile, truck, or other vehicle belongs, such as "Louisiana Department of Highways", or "Louisiana Conservation Commission", or "School Board-East Baton Rouge", or "Sheriff-East Baton Rouge", or "City of Baton Rouge"; however, recognized and approved abbreviations such as "La.", "Dept.", "Com.", "Bd.", and the like, may be used.

            (2) Repealed by Acts 2003, No. 466, §2, eff. June 20, 2003.

            B. The name of the board, commission, department, agency or political subdivision, in accordance with the provisions of Subsection A of this Section, shall be placed on the outside of the door on each side of every automobile, truck or other vehicle. If the vehicle is equipped with more than one door on each side, the name shall be placed on the outside of the doors nearest the front of the vehicle. In the case of boats and water craft, the name shall be placed on each side of the bow and, if there is sufficient room, on the stern.

            C. All paintings, inscriptions or stencils shall be in a color that contrasts sharply with the color over which it is placed.

            D. The individual whose responsibility it is to place the purchase order for any vehicle or water craft as provided by this Section shall be personally responsible for seeing that the agency name is placed thereon as required by this Section and shall do so within ten days after the delivery of such vehicle or water craft is receipted for and prior to delivery of such vehicle to the person or agency for whom the purchase was made.

            E. Those vehicles used in crime prevention and detection and similar investigative work, which if identified as required by this Section could not be used effectively for such purposes, are exempt from the provisions of this Part, and, in addition, the vehicles used by the governor, lieutenant governor, statewide elected officials, the Louisiana School for the Deaf, the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired, the Special School District, and any community and group homes and residential facilities administered by the Department of Children and Family Services or the Louisiana Department of Health are exempt from the provisions of this Part.

            F. No officer or employee of the state or any of its political subdivisions shall drive or operate any publicly owned land vehicle, air craft or water craft not marked in accordance with the provisions of this Section, and no public officer or employee shall request, direct or permit any other public official or employee or any other person to drive or operate any such vehicle.

            G. The head of any department or board of the state or any of its subdivisions who operates or who orders, requests or permits any employee under his control or supervision or any other person to operate any publicly owned land vehicle, water craft or air craft not marked in accordance with the provisions of this Section shall be guilty of a violation thereof. Each day upon which such a violation is committed shall be considered a separate offense.

            H. The attorney general or any district attorney shall institute such action as is necessary to enforce or ensure the enforcement of and compliance with the provisions of this Section, and any interested citizen may initiate any civil action permitted by law to force compliance or to prevent operation or use of a vehicle not marked as required by this Section.

            I. No law enforcement officer shall issue a citation for a violation of the motor vehicle laws of this state, unless the vehicle used for the apprehension bears the identifying insignia required by this Section and bar lights or grille lights, or the law enforcement officer is wearing a uniform identifying his authority. The provisions of this Subsection shall not apply in circumstances endangering public safety.

            Amended by Acts 1962, No. 292, §1; Acts 1972, No. 707, §1; Acts 1993, No. 863, §1; Acts 1993, No. 941, §1; Acts 1997, No. 759, §2, eff. July 10, 1997; Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 148, §7; Acts 2003, No. 466, §2, eff. June 20, 2003; Acts 2014, No. 811, §27, eff. June 23, 2014; Acts 2019, No. 411, §5, eff. June 20, 2019.