What a Louisiana speeding ticket is

Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 32 (legis.la.gov, retrieved 29 Oct 2026) sets the state speed limits in R.S. 32:61, 32:63, and 32:64 and the general penalties in R.S. 32:57. This page quotes those sections, R.S. 32:57.1, and Act 194 of the 2025 Regular Session. It does not apply them to any citation. Read the speed limit, the alleged speed, and any section number printed on your citation. Confirm what your citation says.

If the paper is a mailed camera citation from a school-zone speed camera or a red light camera, see Louisiana camera citations: what R.S. 32:43 to 32:49 say about school-zone speed cameras and red light cameras. Confirm what your paper says.

The Revised Statutes text below is quoted from the Louisiana Legislature’s site as shown when retrieved on 29 Oct 2026.

What R.S. 32:61 says about maximum speed limits

R.S. 32:61(A): “No person shall operate a vehicle on any highway of this state in excess of fifty-five miles per hour, unless a lower maximum speed is posted on the highway, except as follows:”

(1) “No person shall operate a vehicle on any interstate or controlled access highway of this state in excess of seventy miles per hour.”
(2) “No person shall operate a vehicle on any multi-lane divided highway of this state which has partial or no control of access in excess of sixty-five miles per hour.”
(3) “A person may operate a vehicle in excess of any maximum speed set forth in this Chapter within a speed zone established by the department as provided in R.S. 32:63(C).”

That is the statute’s statement. Read the speed limit printed on your citation.

What R.S. 32:63 says about speed zones

R.S. 32:63(A) states that when the department finds on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that a maximum speed is greater or less than is reasonable or safe, “the department may determine and declare a reasonable and safe maximum speed limit thereat, which, when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected, shall be effective at all times or at such specific times as may be determined by the department.” R.S. 32:63(C): “The department may establish a speed zone and may determine and declare a speed in excess of any maximum speed set forth in this Chapter within such speed zone on any highway of this state, whenever the department shall determine on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that such speed is reasonable and safe.” History line: “Acts 1962, No. 310, §1; Acts 2010, No. 81, §1.” That is the statute’s statement.

What R.S. 32:64 says about the general speed law

R.S. 32:64(A): “No person shall drive a vehicle on the highway within this state at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and potential hazards then existing, having due regard for the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, and the condition of the weather, and in no event at a speed in excess of the maximum speeds established by this Chapter or regulation of the department made pursuant thereto.” R.S. 32:64(B) begins: “Except when a special hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with paragraph A of this section, no person shall operate or drive a motor vehicle upon the highways of this state at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.” That is the statute’s statement.

What Act 194 of 2025 says about R.S. 32:61 and 32:64

Act 194 of the 2025 Regular Session (House Bill 403) states in Section 2: “R.S. 32:61(C), 64(D), and 65(G) are hereby enacted to read as follows:” The Legislature’s bill page for HB403 lists “Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 194.” and “Effective date: 06/08/2025.” R.S. 32:61(C)(1) now reads: “In addition to any penalties imposed pursuant to this Section, upon violation the offender shall be fined an additional five dollars.” R.S. 32:64(D)(1) reads: “In addition to the penalties imposed pursuant to this Section, upon violation the offender shall be fined an additional five dollars.” In each section, Paragraph (3) states that “the state treasurer shall deposit the collections into the Louisiana Emergency Response Network Fund as established in R.S. 40:2845.” The history line of both sections ends “Acts 2025, No. 194, §2, eff. June 8, 2025.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not add this amount to any other amount.

What R.S. 32:57 says about penalties

The R.S. 32:57 page on legis.la.gov shows this note above the section: “This provision of law was included in the Unconstitutional Statutes Biennial Report to the Legislature, dated March 14, 2016.” The note does not name a subsection. This page draws no conclusion from the note.

R.S. 32:57(A)(1): “Except as provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection and Subsections H and I of this Section, the first violation of the provisions of this Chapter or any regulation of the department, secretary, and commissioner made pursuant thereto shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred seventy-five dollars or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both, unless otherwise specifically provided.” It continues: “A subsequent violation shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than ninety days, or both.”

R.S. 32:57(H): “If a person operating a motor vehicle exceeds the speed limit or breaches a construction zone or utility work safety zone on the portion of a highway or road which is under active construction or maintenance and construction or utility workers are on site, or which is in the process of being repaired and construction or utility workers are on site, the fine shall be not less than five hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars.” R.S. 32:57(I): “If a person operating a motor vehicle violates the provisions of this Chapter while on the portion of a highway which is designated as a highway safety corridor pursuant to R.S. 32:267, the fine shall be not less than seven hundred fifty dollars nor more than one thousand dollars, or imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both, unless otherwise specifically provided.” History line ends: “Acts 2024, No. 127, §1; Acts 2025, No. 202, §1.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not say which penalty applies to a particular citation, and it does not list parish or city fines or court costs.

What R.S. 32:57 says about promises to appear and paying the fine

R.S. 32:57(C)(1): “Each governing authority on whose behalf citations are issued for alleged violations of the provisions of this Chapter shall establish a procedure by which alleged offenders may promise, in writing, to appear in court to answer the charge or charges.” It continues: “The written promise to appear shall be accepted in lieu of posting bond or depositing a driver's license.” R.S. 32:57(D): “Each governing authority on whose behalf citations are issued for alleged violations of the provisions of this Chapter shall establish a procedure by which alleged offenders may plead guilty or nolo contendere to the alleged offense and pay the fine by mail.” It continues: “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 penalty in an amount not to exceed the amount of the fine for the original violation unless the fine was paid by certified mail and the postmark indicates that the payment was mailed on or before the date indicated on the citation.” It also states: “In addition, each governing authority shall establish a procedure allowing for payment of the fine by credit card as it may designate.”

R.S. 32:57(E): “The provisions of Subsections C and D of this Section shall not apply to citations alleging that the operator of the motor vehicle was:” Among its items:

(2) “Exceeding the speed limit by fifteen miles per hour or more.”
(3) “Exceeding the speed limit in a school zone.”

R.S. 32:57(F): “The provisions of Subsections C and D of this Section shall not apply when the operator was involved in an accident in which a person was injured, nor shall those provisions apply when an operator is alleged to have committed the same offense twice within a period of one hour.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not say whether Subsection E or F applies to a particular citation. Read the court name, the date, and the response instructions printed on your citation.

What R.S. 32:57.1 says about a written promise to appear

R.S. 32:57.1(A) begins: “Whenever an arrested person who was released on his written promise to appear before a magistrate at the place and time specified in a summons described in R.S. 32:391(B) fails to honor his written promise to appear, the magistrate or judge of the court exercising jurisdiction may immediately forward to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections notice of the failure to appear, with information necessary for identification of the arrested person.” It continues: “Thereupon, unless the original charges have been disposed of, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall immediately notify the arrested person by regular mail and any available electronic communication that his operator's license may be suspended if he fails to honor the written promise to appear or pay an appropriate fine for the offense within one hundred eighty days after the date the notice was received.” History line ends: “Acts 2018, No. 714, §1; Acts 2022, No. 436, §1.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not say how that statement applies to a particular citation, license, or insurance policy.

Paths the citation describes (not which to choose)

Read which court or governing authority issued your citation, the amount, the date, and the response instructions printed on it. We do not tell you whether to pay, appear, or take any other step.

Violation.com does not collect Louisiana fines or court costs. If you upload a speeding citation, we summarize what the citation shows. It is not legal advice.

Upload the notice

Sources retrieved 29 Oct 2026:

Not legal advice. Not a law firm. Not affiliated with a government agency. Information Only.

Information on this page was last checked against official sources on November 3, 2026.