La. Rev. Stat. § 41:806 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 806
Fees
Status: in_force

In addition to the purchase price paid for the lands, the purchaser shall pay to the register the same fees as in other cases where a patent is issued.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1712 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1712
Leases and permits; grant or denial; title
Status: in_force

A. Where encroachment, activity, or lease thereof would or does obstruct or hinder the navigability of any waters of the state, impose undue or unreasonable restrains on the state or public rights which have vested pursuant to Louisiana Law, or result in injury to or interference with the public interest or usage, to that extent the application shall be denied, or the encroachment limited.

B. In no instance shall a permit or lease be construed to confirm title or rights with respect to the encroachment relative to other claimants of the riparian property or as between riparian owners. Nothing in this Chapter, the regulations adopted thereunder, nor permits or leases issued shall be construed to divest the state of ownership or any right, title, interest, or power in or over any state lands, except as authorized by Section 3 of Article IX of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974.

C. The office shall adopt timetables and provide an opportunity for hearing, after reasonable notice, for any person aggrieved by a decision to issue or deny a permit or lease, as provided by law, and may establish criteria and standards of construction and maintenance for all types of encroachments, to best protect the public interest. The office may adopt boundaries or lines upon any state lands, not exceeding bounds established by the United States Army Corps of Engineers beyond which no encroachment shall be placed, all in accordance with law.

D. When permit or lease applications involve projects over which the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Conservation and Energy, or any other federal or state agency asserts jurisdiction, and the governmental agencies have, by public notice or regulations, established timetables for receipt of objections, public hearings, or other proceedings, the office, to least inconvenience the applicant and prevent multiple hearings, shall adopt and conform to the timetables or evidentiary requirements and shall attempt to coordinate any public hearing with the agencies whenever feasible. When the United States Army Corps of Engineers or other interested agencies do not assert jurisdiction over a given project, thirty days from date of published notice by the applicant shall be allowed for receipt of objections in writing by the office.

Added by Acts 1978, No. 645, §2, eff. July 13, 1978; Acts 2001, No. 919, §1; Acts 2023, No. 150, §15, eff. Jan. 10, 2024.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:725 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 725
Terrebonne Parish School Board; transfer of certain sixteenth section lands
Status: in_force

A. The Legislature of Louisiana hereby finds that as a result of the holding in Liner v. Terrebonne Parish School Board, 519 So.2d 777 (La. App. 1 Cir. 1987)(rehearing and writ denied in February and March of 1988), the North boundary of Section 16 of Township 20 South, Range 16 East now lies approximately two thousand feet North of where it previously was thought to lie. Many families constructed homes and resided for generations, in some cases, on the affected lands in Terrebonne Parish near Bayou Dularge which they thought in good faith to be theirs, paying taxes as required by state and local governments, only to learn that due to an ancient surveying error in the original government survey of 1838 their titles describe lands in Section 9 whereas their homes rest on Section 16 land. As a result of the inability of the families and the school board to reach a compromise, these families continue to live in homes they built but are subject to eviction and at least one family has been notified of the school board's intent to evict. While, due to the passage of time, these same families are blocked by prescription which has run against them, preventing them from seeking ownership of the lands in Section 9 which their titles specify they own.

B. Therefore, notwithstanding the provisions of this Chapter, or the provisions of Part II of Chapter 1 of Title 17, and pursuant to Section 4 of Article IX of the Constitution of Louisiana, the Terrebonne Parish School Board shall take all actions necessary for the transfer of title and ownership of such affected property in Section 16 near Bayou Dularge located in T20S-R16E in Terrebonne Parish to those persons who have possessed such property under good faith and just title for at least ten years or to those persons who have acquired from such possessors in good faith, provided that as just and sole compensation the mineral rights upon such lands shall be reserved to the Terrebonne Parish School Board.

Acts 1990, No. 209, §1; Acts 1992, No. 816, §1, eff. Nov. 5, 1992.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1087 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1087
Advertising rates
Status: in_force

The newspapers publishing the advertisements of sale provided for in this Part shall receive therefor not more than the legal rate of advertising.

Acts 1984, No. 846, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:901 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 901
Concordia Parish School Board; exchange of school lands; procedures; description
Status: in_force

A. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, whenever the Concordia Parish School Board, on behalf of the state of Louisiana, determines, relative to any school lands including but not limited to sixteenth section lands, indemnity for school lands, or other immovable property located in Concordia Parish and as more specifically described in any agreements entered into and documents executed by the Concordia Parish School Board, that the best interest of the Concordia Parish school system would be served by the exchange of such land for other land of comparable value, the school board may exchange such land for other land in Concordia Parish in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section.

B. The Concordia Parish School Board shall obtain an appraisal of the lands to be exchanged from a certified, licensed appraiser and such appraisal shall be available for public inspection.

C. In the case of exchanging land, the land to be received by the Concordia Parish School Board shall be of equal or greater value than the land that the Concordia Parish School Board is to relinquish or exchange.

D. The Concordia Parish School Board shall reserve to the state all of the mineral rights and minerals in accordance with law.

E. The provisions of this Section shall be applicable but shall not be limited to a tract of land located in the Fractional Section 7, T8N, R10E of Concordia Parish containing 130 acres, more or less.

Acts 2006, No. 20, §1, eff. May 4, 2006.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:509 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 509
Reversion to state; preference rights of person filing charges
Status: in_force

If, at any time after filing of the affidavit required by R.S. 41:502, and before the issuance of patent therefor, it is proved to the satisfaction of the Register of the State Land Office, after due notice to the homesteader or his legal representatives, that the homesteader failed to establish residence on the land so entered for six months after entry, or has changed his residence therefrom for a period of six months at any time after filing his affidavit and before the expiration of the period of five years residence required by this Part, or that he swore falsely to any material fact in his affidavit or final proof, then, the land shall revert to the state. All appeals from the decisions of the register in such cases shall lie to the district court of the parish in which the lands are situated and shall be tried de novo. The person filing charges against an entryman under this Section, and prosecuting the case to a successful conclusion shall have a preference right of sixty days from final judgment in which to file his application for the land.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:726 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 726
Bienville Parish School Board; transfer of certain sixteenth section lands
Status: in_force

A. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, whenever the Bienville Parish School Board, on behalf of the state of Louisiana, determines that the sixteenth section lands located within Bienville Parish, and as more specifically described in any agreements entered into and documents executed by the Bienville Parish School Board, is no longer needed for school purposes and that the best interests of the Bienville Parish school system would be served by the sale of the property, the Bienville Parish School Board shall have authority to order the disposition of such sixteenth section lands at public auction or under sealed bids. The procedure for disposition of the sixteenth section lands shall be the same as for unused school lands under R.S. 41:892. The Bienville Parish School Board shall reserve to the state all of the mineral rights and minerals in accordance with law. Any sale of sixteenth section lands which occurs as authorized by this Subsection shall be executed by the state land office on behalf of the Bienville Parish School Board.

B. All proceeds from the sale, less expenses of the sale, shall be used for the support of the schools located in Bienville Parish in furtherance of the purpose of the dedication of the sixteenth section lands by the United States by acts of Congress of April 21, 1806, and March 3, 1811, to the territories of Orleans and Louisiana in anticipation of statehood.

Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 129, §1, eff. April 19, 2000.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1323 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1323
Sixteenth section sales made prior to 1900; act of 1942
Status: in_force

All sales of sixteenth section school lands in the state, made prior to the first day of January, 1900, are ratified and confirmed, notwithstanding informalities in the sales relative to appraisement and offering the lands in lots of forty acres, and other informalities, subject to the following provisions:

(1) That the parish treasurer or other officer making the sale made a deed to the purchaser;

(2) That the filing of a deed by the parish treasurer reciting that an election was held in favor of the sale and that other formalities were complied with, or that he made the sale in obedience to an order to him directed from the auditor of public accounts, shall be proof that all formalities and prerequisites to the sale were complied with;

(3) That where the deed recites that the transfer was made for a cash consideration, receipt of which is acknowledged, or where the sale was made for ten per cent cash and balance on terms of credit, and the mortgage records of the parish wherein the property is situated show a regular cancellation of the mortgage, the purchaser or his transferees may receive the full benefit of this Section;

(4) That the purchaser or his transferees, if the sale was made on terms of cash and credit as hereinabove recited, and the mortgage was not cancelled, may pay into the state treasury that part of the credit portion of the purchase price as to which payment cannot be affirmatively shown, and then he may receive the full benefit of this Section.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:552 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 552
Actions to set aside or annul homestead entry, prescription
Status: in_force

Any action brought by the State of Louisiana, private corporations, partnerships or persons, to set aside or annul a homestead entry of previously adjudicated lands or patent issued thereon under the provisions of Act 235 of 1938, now incorporated in Title 41, Sections 541 to 551, both inclusive, of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, where the sole reason for the attack upon such entry or upon such patent is that the land covered by the entry is not susceptible of serious and substantial cultivation, and where such entry was allowed or such patent issued prior to the passage of this Section, shall be prescribed by the lapse of six months from and after July 26, 1950.

Acts 1950, No. 354, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1292 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1292
Form and contents of lease; maximum period; use of property
Status: in_force

Such lease shall be in writing and shall contain a reasonably definite description of the property leased, the purposes for which the property is leased, the rental to be paid, the term or duration of such lease, and such other stipulations and conditions as may be initially agreed upon. When such purposes include the placement of structures, obstacles, fill, or any other materials upon state lands, the application must be accompanied by legible copies of maps, plans, specifications, and such other information and data as may be required by the Secretary. In no instance shall the period of such lease exceed ninety-nine years and the property leased shall continue to be used for public purposes.

Acts 1983, No. 706, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1323.3 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1323.3
Sixteenth section sales made through July 1, 1956; Act of 1964
Status: in_force

A. All sales of sixteenth section school lands in the State of Louisiana made through the first day of July, 1956, are hereby ratified and confirmed notwithstanding informalities in said sales; provided that the parish treasurer or other officer making the sale executed a deed to the purchaser which deed, or the record thereof, shall be full proof that such sales were made in compliance with all the requirements and provisions of laws existing at the time such sales were made; and providing further that where the deed recites that the transfer or sale was made for a cash consideration, such recital shall be full proof that the entire consideration was properly paid; and where the deed recites that the sale was made for part cash and the balance on terms of credit, said recital shall be full proof that the cash portion of the purchase price was properly paid, and if the mortgage records of the parish wherein the property is situated show a cancellation of the mortgage securing the credit portion of the purchase price, such cancellation shall be full proof that the credit portion of the purchase price has been paid; and provided further that if the mortgage records of the parish wherein the property is situated do not show a cancellation of the mortgage securing the credit portion of the purchase price, and no action or suit has been brought and prosecuted to a conclusion to foreclose the mortgage securing the credit portion of the purchase price or to have the sale rescinded, annulled or set aside, it shall be presumed that the credit portion of the purchase price has been fully paid.

B. All informalities and defects in such sales, subject to the above provisions, are hereby cured.

Acts 1960, No. 264, §§1, 2. Amended by Acts 1964, No. 184, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1714 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1714
Sanctions for violations; exceptions
Status: in_force

A. The attorney general shall, by injunctive or other relief, prevent the unlawful creation of encroachments without permit, or which by construction or continuing existence, create a hazard to the public interests. Any encroachment constructed or maintained without permit or lease, or abandoned shall be a nuisance and an obstruction and embarrassment to the public use and interest.

B. The attorney general, by court action, may compel or effect the removal or demolition of the encroachment at the expense of the parties responsible for their creation without any compensation and the parties responsible may be sentenced to pay all damages which have been occasioned by the creation or existence of the encroachment. The state may elect to keep the encroachment for the benefit of the public, but only upon reimbursement to the persons responsible for the cost of materials and labor required to construct the same. In no cases shall the state be compelled to suffer the existence of unlawful encroachments described herein. All remedies existing in law or equity in favor of landowners shall likewise be available to the state for enforcement of this Chapter.

C. In those cases where it is determined that an encroachment is constructed or maintained without lease or permit by reason of unintentional mistake or error, resulting in a failure to apply to the office, the persons responsible shall have thirty days from written or published notice to complete application to the office before appropriate action is instituted by the attorney general.

Added by Acts 1978, No. 645, §2, eff. July 13, 1978; Acts 2001, No. 919, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:883 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 883
Resolution when land is in more than one parish
Status: in_force

If the sixteenth section of any township is divided by a parish line, the school board for the parish in which the greater portion of the section lies may authorize the correction deed and the president of the school board in which the greater portion of the section lies shall execute the deed.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1135 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1135
Costs
Status: in_force

In the settlement of a controversy under the provisions of R.S. 41:1133 and 41:1134, all costs incident to the settlement shall be paid out of the general fund of the State of Louisiana.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:925 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 925
Disposition of proceeds
Status: in_force

All moneys recovered for the state shall, after deducting and paying the attorneys' fees, and all other lawful costs and charges, be paid into the state treasury, to be kept on the books of the State Auditor and the State Treasurer, to the credit of the township in which the land is situated, in the same manner as now provided by law for the proceeds of the sale of sixteenth sections.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:761 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 761
Sale of swamp or sea marsh lands
Status: in_force

Whenever a sixteenth section donated to the state by Congress for school purposes is located in a township not habitable by reason of the township being swamp or sea marsh, the school board may, upon the petition of the land owners owning in area more than one-half of the land in the township, order the sale of the sixteenth section by resolution or motion passed by a majority of the members of the board present and voting.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:424 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 424
Suits in name of state
Status: in_force

All suits or process shall be in the name of and for the use and benefit of the state, and shall be issued and served by the proper officials without advance of costs, or security therefor.

All suits shall be prosecuted to judgment and final execution; and in cases where suits have already been instituted the district attorney shall prosecute them to final judgment and execution.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:96 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 96
Withdrawal from sale or entry of certain lands
Status: in_force

The governor shall withdraw from sale or entry any of the vacant and unappropriated public lands belonging to the State of Louisiana, now existing or hereafter acquired by accretion or otherwise, located south of the following lines and described and bounded as follows:

All of that area bounded on the east by the axis of the Mississippi River to the head of the passes at the mouth of the Mississippi River bounded on the northwest by a line, commencing at Cubits Gap Lighthouse and running south thirty-five degrees (35°) west (true bearing) through Cubits Gap Lighthouse, latitude 29°11'36.70" north, longitude 89°15'53.75" west; bounded on the northeast by a line beginning on and at the axis of the Mississippi River at a point, north of the head of the passes of the Mississippi River, and at the juncture of the channels of the Mississippi River and Pass A L'Outre, and running along and through the channel of Pass A L'Outre, along and through the channel of the North Pass, north of Pass A L'Outre Lighthouse to deep water in the Gulf of Mexico; and bounded on the south by deep water in the Gulf of Mexico, all as described on the copy of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Chart No. 194, to be identified with this Chapter by the signatures to be thereto affixed, of and by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the president of the Senate and the Governor of the State of Louisiana, and to be filed for future reference in the office of and by the Secretary of State.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:137 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 137
Sale, exchange, or lease of state lands; research and development park
Status: in_force

A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the state, or any of its departments, agencies, or boards, may sell, lease for a term of up to ninety-nine years, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any real property, or portions thereof, to political or public corporations, to municipalities, to other state agencies, departments, or boards, or to private persons, without the necessity of advertisement or bid, if the property sold, exchanged, or leased is dedicated for the purpose of creating a research and development park in cooperation with the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Board of Supervisors of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, or the Board of Trustees for State Colleges and Universities, and the governing authority of the appropriate municipality or parish.

B. The assumption of the obligation by the vendee or lessee of the property to establish, operate, and manage a research and development park in accordance with restrictions and covenants mutually agreed upon between the state, or its department, agency, or board, and the lessee or vendee shall constitute valid consideration to the state for the sale, lease, or exchange of the dedicated property.

Acts 1992, No. 110, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:425 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 425
Compensation of officers and of district attorney
Status: in_force

The state shall make provision for the compensation of the officers of the court and the state land office for their services under this Part in those cases where judgment may be rendered adverse to the state. Where judgment is rendered in favor of the state the parties cast shall be liable for all costs of court. For his compensation the district attorney shall receive such an amount as may be fixed by the attorney general and the governor.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1322 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1322
Sixteenth section sales made prior to 1900; act of 1934
Status: in_force

Sales of all sixteenth section school lands in the state made prior to the first day of January, 1900, are ratified and confirmed, notwithstanding informalities in the sales relative to appraisement and offering the lands in lots of forty acres, where it is affirmatively shown that the purchase price of the lands has actually been paid into the state treasury, provided that the parish treasurer or other officer making the sale, filed his proces verbal and made a deed to the purchaser, who actually went into possession of the property in issue.

The purchaser or his transferees may pay into the state treasury any part of the purchase price, as to which it may not be reasonably possible to affirmatively show payment and then he may receive the full benefit of this Section.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:904 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 904
East Baton Rouge Parish School Board; Central Community School Board; transfer of certain sixteenth section lands
Status: in_force

A. The legislature hereby recognizes that the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and the Central Community School Board entered into a Quitclaim, Transfer and Conveyance Deed and Waiver, Release, and Indemnity Agreement effective June 25, 2009, and filed and recorded in East Baton Rouge Parish Original: 167, Bundle: 12186, by which the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, to the extent allowed by law, transferred, conveyed, assigned, quitclaimed, released and relinquished to the Central Community School Board any rights, title and interests, including but not limited to mineral rights and rights of management, administration, custodianship, control, and maintenance, that the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board had or may have had in under, and to that portion of sixteenth section land, Township 5 South, Range 2 East, through which Louisiana Highway 64 runs, in East Baton Rouge Parish commonly referred to as the "Indian Mound Tract".

B. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the state of Louisiana hereby acknowledges, consents to, approves, ratifies and confirms the Quitclaim, Transfer and Conveyance Deed and Waiver, Release, and Indemnity Agreement filed and recorded in East Baton Rouge Parish Original: 167, Bundle: 12186. The state of Louisiana hereby further transfers, conveys, and assigns to the Central Community School Board all of its ownership rights, title and interest, including mineral rights, operation, management, administration, custodianship, and control of the property described in Subsection A of this Section subject to any servitudes, building restrictions, rights of way, mineral servitudes or leases, or any other matters, established by law or of record in the records of East Baton Rouge Parish.

C. The state of Louisiana hereby acknowledges and confirms that the Central Community School Board is and shall be entitled to all income derived from the Indian Mound Tract including but not limited to mineral rights and all mineral income, except that portion to which the Livingston Parish School Board is entitled. To the extent necessary, the state of Louisiana transfers and assigns all right, title and interest in and to any and all existing leases including but not limited to mineral leases and mineral contracts related to the Indian Mound Tract.

Acts 2010, No. 598, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1003 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1003
Advertisement
Status: in_force

The register of the state land office shall cause to be published an advertisement in the official journal of the parish where the land is located setting forth the description of the land on which the timber to be sold is located, the type and quantity of timber, and the time, place, and terms of the sale. The advertisement shall be published for a period of not less than fifteen days and at least once a week during three consecutive weeks.

Acts 1978, No. 405, §1; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1212 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1212
Lands which may be leased; purposes; leases of sixteenth section lands for agricultural purposes; negotiation of surface leases of school lands; negotiation of leases by certain public benefit corporations; negotiation of leases for administering buildings designated as historic landmarks
Status: in_force

A. Any lessor may, through its governing authority, lease for trapping, grazing, hunting, agricultural, and any other legitimate purposes, including, except in the parishes of Livingston, Tangipahoa, St. Helena, St. Tammany, and Washington, removal from the land of subterranean water, or other such substances, other than for oil, gas, or other mineral purposes and development, any lands of which the lessor has title, custody, or possession, and the lessor may at its option lease the land on a share basis in accordance with such terms and conditions as the governing authority deems to be to the best interest of the lessor.

B.(1) Whenever the school boards in Vermilion, West Baton Rouge, Cameron, Calcasieu, Acadia, and Concordia Parishes lease any sixteenth section lands of which they have title, custody, or possession on a share basis for the agricultural purpose of planting, cultivating, growing, and harvesting any agricultural crop, they shall not be required to advertise for and receive bids as hereinafter provided for in this Part for other leases.

(2) They are hereby authorized to enter into leases and to renegotiate present leases to include such terms and conditions which allow the leasing of those lands for hunting; however, the lease or sublease shall contain provisions which require a portion of the rentals to be paid directly to the school board in consideration of the privilege of hunting on school board lands. The portion of the rentals to be paid directly to the school board shall be an amount agreed upon by the school board and the original lessee.

(3) Any other provision of the law to the contrary notwithstanding, the rentals or other income derived from any such leases shall not be considered as general fund receipts to the school board so as to reduce or otherwise affect the share such school board receives from funds appropriated to the state public school fund for distribution to it on a per educable basis.

C. Whenever the school board in St. Martin Parish leases any sixteenth section lands of which it has title, custody or possession on a share basis for the agricultural purpose of planting, cultivating, growing and harvesting any agricultural crop, it shall not be required to advertise for and receive bids as hereinafter provided for in this part for other leases.

D. The school board of the parish of Lafayette or the school board within any parish with a population of not less than forty-two thousand nor more than forty-five thousand persons according to the latest federal decennial census is authorized to negotiate for the surface lease of any lands to which it has title, custody or possession to any person, firm, corporation or other legal entity without the necessity of advertising for and receiving bids.

E. The school board of Evangeline Parish is authorized to lease any sixteenth section lands of which it has title, custody or possession to any person, firm, corporation or other legal entity without the necessity of advertising for and receiving bids.

F. Whenever the school board in Acadia Parish negotiates for the surface lease of any sixteenth section lands of which it has title, custody or possession or any other lands of which it has title, custody or possession, on a share basis for the agricultural purpose of planting, cultivating, growing and harvesting any agricultural crop, it shall not be required to advertise for and receive bids as hereinafter provided for in this Part for other leases. Any other provision of the law to the contrary notwithstanding, the rentals or other income derived from the lease of sixteenth section lands shall not be considered as general fund receipts to the school board so as to reduce or otherwise affect the share such school board receives from funds appropriated to the state public school funds for distribution to it on a per educable basis. The leases may be made on either a cash or share basis.

G. A public benefit corporation that meets the requirements of R.S. 41:1215(B) shall not be required to advertise for and receive bids as hereinafter provided for in this Part for other leases. Such leases entered into shall comply with the provisions of R.S. 41:1215(C), and shall be subject to the provisions of R.S. 41:1215(B) through (F).

H. In parishes with populations in excess of four hundred seventy-five thousand and in municipalities which were founded prior to 1750, whenever any public board or commission formed by a political subdivision of the state administers a building owned by it or by the political subdivision which created it, which building is located in an historic district and designated an historic landmark, such board or commission shall not be required to advertise for and receive bids for leases of such buildings as provided for in this Part for other leases. However, such leases shall be negotiated for and executed according to the terms and conditions as follows:

(1) Such board or commission, in making its decision in the negotiation of each lease shall determine:

(a) The financial qualifications of the applicants.

(b) The compatibility of the proposed lease with the historic integrity, structure and safety of the property.

(c) The impact of the proposed lease on the historic character of the neighborhood in which the properties are located.

(d) The fair market rental price based upon other comparable properties.

(2) Such leases shall provide for a fair and equitable return of revenue to the board based upon the fair market rental price.

I. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the town of Berwick is authorized to negotiate for and to lease any lands to which it has title, or of which it has custody or possession, to any person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity without the necessity of advertising for and receiving bids. Any such lease entered into shall provide for a fair and equitable return of revenue to the town of Berwick.

J. The provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to the lease of space in buildings or improvements located on land to which a parish or municipality has title to any person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity, when such space is located in a building designated as a community center or used for the benefit of area residents if, as part of the conditions of such lease, the person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity is required to provide health or social services to the area residents at a reduced rate or free of charge.

K. The school board of Bienville Parish is authorized to lease any sixteenth section lands of which it has title, custody, or possession to any person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity without the necessity of advertising for and receiving bids. All proceeds from the lease, less expenses, shall be used for the support of the schools located in Bienville Parish in furtherance of the purpose of the dedication of the sixteenth section lands by the United States by acts of Congress of April 21, 1806, and March 3, 1811, to the territories of Orleans and Louisiana in anticipation of statehood. The Bienville Parish School Board shall reserve to the state all of the mineral rights and minerals in accordance with law.

L. The Natchitoches Parish School Board, without the necessity of advertising for and receiving bids, is authorized to lease to Waterworks District No. 2 of Natchitoches Parish for ten thousand dollars one acre of land in Section 16, Township 8 North, Range 7 West in Natchitoches Parish for a term of ninety-nine years for the purpose of drilling a well to obtain water to be distributed to the customers of the waterworks district and to grant to such district a right-of-way up to thirty feet wide from Louisiana Highway No. 478 to the leased property on which the well is located provided each of the following conditions is met:

(1) Waterworks District No. 2 of Natchitoches Parish enters into the necessary agreements with the Natchitoches Parish School Board to hold the school board harmless from all losses or damages resulting from the acts or omissions, or both, of Waterworks District No. 2 and to indemnify the school board against all such losses or damages resulting from such acts or omissions, or both, of the district.

(2) Waterworks District No. 2 of Natchitoches Parish enters into the necessary agreements with the Natchitoches Parish School Board to restore to its pre-lease condition at the expense of the waterworks district any property located outside the boundaries of the leased property that is damaged by the waterworks district or by others acting on behalf of the district.

Amended by Acts 1964, No. 319, §1; 1968, No. 384, §1; Acts 1974, No. 179, §1; Acts 1974, No. 569, §§1, 2; Acts 1975, No. 428, §1; Acts 1975, No. 717, §1; Acts 1976, No. 693, §1; Acts 1977, No. 460, §§1, 2; Acts 1981, No. 622, §1; Acts 1983, No. 509, §1, eff. July 7, 1983; Acts 1983, No. 706, §1; Acts 1984, No. 510, §1; Acts 1991, No. 289, §13; Acts 1991, No. 899, §1; Acts 1993, No. 742, §1, eff. June 22, 1993; Acts 1999, No. 353, §1; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 129, §1, eff. April 19, 2000; Acts 2003, No. 389, §1; Acts 2006, No. 306, §1, eff. June 8, 2006; Acts 2011, 1 st Ex. Sess., No. 37, §1; Acts 2012, No. 785, §1, eff. June 13, 2012; Acts 2016, No. 516, §1, eff. June 16, 2016.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1044 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1044
Place; time; minimum price; proces verbal
Status: in_force

The timber so advertised shall be sold to the highest bidder by the sheriff of the parish where the timber is located, at the time and place mentioned in the advertisement for the consideration of bids. All bids shall be submitted sealed and opened publicly by the sheriff. No bid shall be accepted by the sheriff after the time designated as the time for opening such bids. No bid shall be considered unless accompanied by a cashier's check, certified check, or bank money order in the exact amount of the bid submitted and made payable to the sheriff of the parish in which the sale is conducted. No bid shall be accepted if less than the minimum price established by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, office of forestry. The sheriff conducting the sale shall deliver a proces verbal of the sale to the successful bidder.

Acts 1978, No. 405, §1; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:512 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 512
Scope and application of provisions
Status: in_force

The provisions of R.S. 41:510 through 511 shall apply to any homestead entries made by honorably discharged veterans of the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II and the Korean Conflict, pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 41:501 through 509 made after the date of the discharge of such veterans and which may now be pending in the office of the register of state lands of the state of Louisiana; provided that all patents issued under the homestead entries aforesaid expressly reserve all mineral rights in the lands so patented to the state of Louisiana, in pursuance of Article IV, Section 2 of the Constitution.*

The terms of R.S. 41:510 through 511 shall be subject to the provisions of R.S. 41:98 and to the executive order issued by the governor under date of March 20, 1917, pursuant to Act 258 of 1912 and Act 38 of 1914.

Acts 1958, No. 444, §§3, 4.

*Reference is to 1921 Constitution; see, now, Const. Art. 9, §4.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1323.6 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1323.6
Ratification and confirmation of leases of certain school lands
Status: in_force

All contracts of leases of school lands, including but not limited to school indemnity lands and sixteenth section lands, by a school board within a parish with a population of not less than forty-two thousand nor more than forty-five thousand persons according to the latest federal decennial census that were entered into prior to January 4, 2012, for a term of not more than five years, are hereby ratified and confirmed and shall have the same force and effect as if the contracts of lease had been made and executed pursuant to the provisions of Part I of Chapter 10 of Title 41 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, provided that the school board receives consideration proportionate to at least the fair market value for the leases.

Acts 2012, No. 785, §1, eff. June 13, 2012.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1041 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1041
Application for sale of timber on levee board lands
Status: in_force

Any person who desires to purchase any timber located on property belonging to any levee board shall file with the secretary of the levee board an application to purchase giving the exact location, section, township and range, and the types of timber he desires to purchase. The applicant shall deposit with the secretary of the levee board the sum of one hundred dollars as evidence of good faith. Should the applicant, at the sale of timber as provided for in this Part, fail to purchase the timber, then the money so deposited may be returned to him; provided that should no one at the sale bid up to the minimum price stipulated in this Part, then the money shall be retained to pay the expenses of the sale.

Acts 1978, No. 405, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:882 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 882
Resolution of the school board
Status: in_force

The school boards of the several parishes may enact and adopt, either at a regular meeting or a special meeting called for the express purpose, a resolution authorizing and requesting the president of the school board to execute a correction deed correcting the description in deeds to sixteenth sections or parts thereof where the sixteenth section or part thereof lies in the parish of the school board, when it is shown to the satisfaction of a majority of the school board that the original deed was in fact erroneous and it was the intent of the parish treasurer to sell and the purchaser to acquire a tract or tracts other than or in addition to the tract described in the original deeds.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1608 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1608
Grants and fees
Status: in_force

A. The division shall be authorized to accept gifts, grants, devices, and bequests of money, securities, or property.

B. The division shall be authorized to assess fees for technical services which it provides to public or private entities or persons, which fees shall be based upon the cost of operation of the division, including but not limited to its curation of artifacts, development and publication of technical materials, and conduct of workshops and seminars. Such fees shall be assessed pursuant to rules and regulations adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act; the division may also provide in such rules for exemptions from or reductions in such fees for certain entities or persons.

Acts 1989, No. 291, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:502 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 502
Affidavit
Status: in_force

A. Any person applying to enter land under the provisions of this Part shall first make and subscribe an affidavit:

(1) That he is the head of a family or has reached the age of twenty-one years and is a citizen of this state;

(2) That the application is made honestly and in good faith for the purpose of actual settlement and cultivation and to obtain a home for himself and not for speculation;

(3) That the application is made for his own use and benefit and not directly or indirectly for the use or benefit of any other person, corporation or syndicate, to give them the benefit of the land or any part thereof or the timber thereon.

B. Upon filing the affidavit with the Register of the State Land Office and the payment of ten dollars the applicant may enter the amount of land specified, and the register shall issue to the person his receipt therefor, which receipt shall be dated and numbered and shall describe the land so entered.

Amended by Acts 1960, No. 50, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1502 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1502
Specifications
Status: in_force

Any lease granted pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter shall specify the improvements which may be placed in and on the property, and shall prohibit use of the property exclusively by private groups or organizations, and shall contain such other terms and conditions as the register of the State Land Office may determine. No lease or leases granted pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter shall individually or collectively cover an area greater than ten percent of the area of the entire bed of the lake, bay, cove or bed and bottom thereof. In addition, no lease as authorized to be granted under the provisions hereof, shall be granted for a term in excess of twenty-five years; provided, however, said lease may contain an option to renew for an additional term of not to exceed twenty-five years, but only in the event the lessee thereof has placed and maintained on said leased properties substantial improvements which in the opinion of the register of the State Land Office warrants the extension of the term of said lease.

Acts 1960, No. 583, §2. Amended by Acts 1968, No. 626, §1; Acts 1970, No. 596, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1082 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1082
Information to be secured as to quantity and value of timber
Status: in_force

On receipt of an application to have timber offered for sale, the secretary of the board shall request the assistant commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, office of forestry to evaluate the current market value and quantity that could be harvested based on sound forestry practices and the goals of the board. The board may on its own initiative advertise for bids for sale of timber as provided in this Part.

Acts 1984, No. 846, §2; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1042 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1042
Information to be secured as to quantity and value of timber
Status: in_force

On receipt of an application to have timber offered for sale, the secretary of the levee board shall request the assistant commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, office of forestry to evaluate the current market value and quantity that could be harvested based on sound forestry practices. The levee board may on its own initiative advertise for bids for sale of timber as provided in this Part.

Acts 1978, No. 405, §1; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1089 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1089
Transfer of former Interagency Recreation Board land to Department of Public Safety and Corrections
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any provision of this Part or of any other law to the contrary, the supervision, management, and use of the surface of any state-owned lands in East Feliciana Parish previously transferred to the former Interagency Recreation Board, pursuant to authorization of Act No. 846 of the 1984 Regular Session, and subsequently transferred to the Louisiana Department of Health by Act No. 662 of the 1989 Regular Session of the Legislature shall be transferred to the Interagency Recreation Board and the board shall have and may exercise any powers, duties, and functions provided for it in this Chapter.

Acts 1989, No. 662, §6, eff. July 7, 1989; Acts 1999, No. 1148, §3.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1111 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1111
Sale of timber on sixteenth section school lands
Status: in_force

Parish school boards may sell timber on sixteenth section lands owned in townships wherein no qualified electors reside. Sales of the timber shall be made only to the highest bidder and after due advertisement in the official journal of the parish.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:134 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 134
Sale; minimum prices
Status: in_force

A. The land so advertised shall be sold by the sheriff of the parish where the land is located. The sale shall be at the principal door of the court house between the hours of eleven o'clock A.M. and four o'clock P.M. and shall be to the last and highest bidder.

B. The register shall fix the minimum price in all advertisements under this Chapter based on an appraisal of the property to be made by a person who shall be appointed by the register. The register shall pay the appraiser a reasonable compensation to be fixed by the register who shall be reimbursed for such compensation out of the moneys from the sale of such property. Based upon the appraisal thus made the register shall determine and fix a fair and reasonable price which shall constitute the minimum price which will be accepted. Nothing less than such minimum price shall be received for the property at the sale.

C. The sheriff making the sale shall make a provisional deed to the last and highest bidder, who has complied with his bid by paying the price of the adjudication. Upon surrender of this provisional deed to the register of the state land office or the president of the levee board, as the case may be, the holder thereof shall be entitled to a patent signed by the register or the president of the levee board, and the governor of the state.

D. Notwithstanding any provisions of law, or this Section, when the register of the state land office determines that the disposition of state-owned immovable property by sheriff sale is not in the best interest of the state, the register of the state land office may conduct such a sale by utilizing sealed bids. The sale may be confected to the highest bidder at a price not less than ninety percent of the appraised value; however, prior to such a sale, the register of the state land office shall advise the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment and Senate Committee on Natural Resources of its reasons for utilizing sealed bids to dispose of the property.

Amended by Acts 1960, No. 568, §1; Acts 1987, No. 887, §1; Acts 2008, No. 580, §5; Acts 2010, No. 282, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:715 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 715
Compensation of parish treasurer
Status: in_force

The parish treasurer may retain, out of the proceeds of the sales of sixteenth sections effected by him, a compensation of two and one-half per cent on the amount of the sales, which shall be deducted from the cash payment, and which shall be full compensation of his services.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:981 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 981
Lease of lands granted by congress for school purposes
Status: in_force

A. The school board of any parish or municipality in which land is located that was granted, appropriated or reserved by congress in trust to the state of Louisiana, for school purposes is authorized to lease such land, except portions thereof in use or needed for school purposes, to a parish or municipality through a corporate industrial development board organized under the provisions of Chapter 7 of Title 51 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as an instrumentality of the parish or municipality, subject to the approval of such lease by the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry.

B. The school board may enter into such leases by authority of a resolution adopted by the board, without approval of a vote of electors and without advertising or seeking bids. Provided, however, that the amount of the lease payment shall be equal to the fair market value of such Section 16 lands at the time of entering into the lease as determined by the industrial development board and fair market value redetermined every ten years for the purpose of adjusting rentals, set forth in R.S. 41:981A. The school board may not grant to such a lessee any right to develop or produce oil, gas or any other minerals on such land.

C. Every such lease shall provide for the reentry thereon by the school board for use for school purpose at any time upon reasonable notice to the lessee with respect to all or any part of the leased premises except such land upon which the lessee has constructed improvements as permitted by the lease or otherwise with the consent of the school board, together with a reasonable acreage surrounding the improvements adequate to permit the intended use of the improvement.

D. Except as otherwise agreed upon in the lease, the ownership of, removal of, compensation for and other matters relative to improvements placed upon the leased land shall be governed by Chapter 7 of Title 51 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 and by the general laws of this state governing leases.

E. All revenues realized from a lease authorized by this section shall be paid to the school board and credited to the current school fund of the parish or municipality, as the case may be. In the event the township in which the sixteenth section is located lies in two or more parishes, the revenues realized from the lease shall be prorated on the basis of percentage of the township lying within each parish.

F. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a school board may enter a lease herein authorized upon such terms and conditions and for such consideration as the board shall determine.

G. The provisions of this section shall be in addition and supplemental to other powers and authority granted to school boards by other laws.

Added by Acts 1973, No. 161, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:591 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 591
Rights of veterans of World War II and of the Korean conflict
Status: in_force

Any honorably discharged veteran of World War II or of the Korean conflict may homestead land under the provisions under Subpart A of this Part, and the time served in the armed service of the United States in time of war or conflict shall be deducted from the time required to perfect title; provided, that no patent shall issue until the entryman has resided upon, improved and cultivated his homestead for a period of at least one year. The period of time of the Korean conflict shall be that period from June 27, 1950 to July 26, 1953, inclusive, for the purposes of this Subpart.

Amended by Acts 1954, No. 10, §§1, 2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:711 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 711
Election for sale of school lands
Status: in_force

The parish treasurer shall take the sense of the inhabitants of the township with reference to whether or not any lands heretofore reserved and appropriated by congress for the use of schools shall be sold, and the proceeds invested as authorized by an act of congress, approved February the fifteenth, eighteen hundred and forty-three, entitled: "An Act to authorize the Legislatures of the States of Illinois, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee, to sell the lands heretofore appropriated for the use of schools in those states."

Polls shall be opened and held in each township, after advertisement for thirty days at three of the most public places in the township and at the courthouse door, and the sense of the legal voters therein shall be taken within the usual hours, and in the usual manner of holding elections. The elections shall be held and votes received by a school board member or a justice of the peace. If a majority of the legal voters are in favor of selling the school lands therein, they may be sold, but not otherwise. The result of all elections shall be transmitted to the parish treasurer, and by him to the state superintendent of education.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:545 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 545
Final proof
Status: in_force

Any person desiring to submit final proof under the provisions of R.S. 41:544 shall first file with the Register of the State Land Office a written notice of his intention to make proof, which notice shall contain the date and number of the register's receipt, a description of the land and the names and post office addresses of four neighbors, two of whom must appear as witnesses. The register shall then cause to be published for thirty days in a newspaper by him designated as the paper published nearest to the land, a notice containing the date and number of the receipt, description of the land, names and addresses of the witnesses and the time and place and name and official designation of the officers before whom proof is to be made. The proof of the publication shall be the affidavit of the publisher or foreman of the newspaper with a printed copy of the notice attached. The applicant shall deposit with the Register of the State Land Office a fee of ten dollars to cover costs of the publication, or a receipt from the publisher that the fee has been paid to him in advance.

Amended by Acts 1960, No. 49, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:906 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 906
Union Parish School Board; exchange of unused school land
Status: in_force

A. Whenever the Union Parish School Board determines that a parcel of its property in Union Parish, including but not limited to sixteenth section land, is no longer needed for school purposes and that the best interest of the public school system would be served by the exchange of such land for other land of comparable value, the school board may exchange such land for other land in Union Parish in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section.

B. The Union Parish School Board shall hold a public hearing to receive public comment concerning the exchange of school land. Prior to the public hearing, the school board shall obtain an appraisal from a certified appraiser of the land being considered for exchange, and such appraisal shall be available for public inspection at the hearing.

C. The school board shall provide notice of the public hearing and notice of its intent to consider the exchange of land as well as a brief description of both parcels of land by advertisement in the official journal of Union Parish on at least three separate days at least thirty days prior to the date on which the hearing is held.

D. After such hearing and after giving due consideration to any public comment, the school board may, at a regularly scheduled meeting, authorize the exchange of land provided that a majority of the elected membership of the school board determines that the exchange is for a valid purpose, is in the best interest of the school board, and that the lands to be exchanged are of comparable value.

E. The powers and rights conferred by this Section shall be in addition to the powers and rights conferred by any other general or special law. This Section does and shall be construed to provide a complete and additional method for the exchange of unused school land, including but not limited to sixteenth section land, by the school board. No proceeding, notice, or approval shall be required for the exchange of unused school land by the school board, except as provided in this Section. The provisions of this Section shall be liberally construed for the accomplishment of its purposes.

Acts 2022, No. 234, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:2 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 2
Accounts and lists to be kept by the commissioner
Status: in_force

The commissioner shall:

A. Keep accounts of the sales of lands which were donated to the state by:

(1) Setting forth in the certificate issued therefor the section, parts of sections, township and range, district and parish, to whom and when sold, and for what price.

(2) Causing to be marked on the official plats or maps on file in his office the numbers of the certificates, which books and maps shall be bound and preserved as official records.

B. Prepare annually, on or before March first of each year, a descriptive list, by parish, of all lands sold during the preceding year, together with all data that may be afforded by his records.

Acts 1983, No. 705, §3, eff. Sept. 1, 1983; Acts 1989, No. 282, §4, eff. June 27, 1989.

{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1989, NO. 282, §5.}}
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:501 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 501
Persons entitled to make entry; quantity of land
Status: in_force

A. Every person who is the head of a family, or has reached the age of twenty-one years and is a citizen of this state may enter one quarter section or a less quantity of the unappropriated public lands of the state, to be located in a body in conformity with the legal subdivisions of the public lands; provided that no lands shall be subject to homestead entry or purchase that is more valuable for gas, oil or minerals.

B. Any person owning and residing on lands may enter, under the provisions of this Part, other lands lying contiguous to his land which shall not, with the land so already owned and occupied, exceed in the aggregate, one hundred and sixty acres.

C. No person who is the owner of more than one hundred and sixty acres of land in any state or territory shall acquire any rights under this Part.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:505 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 505
Final proof
Status: in_force

A. Any person desiring to submit final proof under the provisions of R.S. 41:504 shall first file a written notice of his intention to make such proof with the Register of the State Land Office. The notice shall contain the date and number of the register's receipt, a description of the land and the names and postoffice addresses of four neighbors, two of whom must appear as witnesses, to make the proof.

B. The register shall then cause to be published for a period of thirty days in a newspaper to be by him designated as the paper published nearest to the land, a notice containing the date and number of the receipt, description of the land, names and addresses of the witnesses, the time and place and the name and official designation of the officer before whom proof is to be made.

C. The proof of publication shall be the affidavit of the publisher or foreman of the newspaper with a printed copy of the notice attached.

D. The applicant shall deposit with the register a fee of ten dollars to cover the cost of publication, or a receipt from the publisher that the fee has been paid to him in advance.

Amended by Acts 1960, No. 50, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:641 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 641
Free school fund; seminary fund; agricultural and mechanical college fund; state indebtedness; interest
Status: in_force

A. The debt due by the state to the free school fund arising from the sale of lands granted by Congress for school purposes may remain a perpetual loan to the state on which it shall pay to the several townships four percent per annum interest or the parish school board of any parish in which there lies a township or the major portion thereof containing a sixteenth section so sold shall have the right to use these entire proceeds in the acquisition, construction, and equipping of public school plant facilities, and the state shall no longer pay four percent per annum interest thereon.

B. The debt due by the state to the seminary fund is hereby declared to be one hundred thirty-six thousand dollars, being the proceeds of the sale of lands heretofore granted by the United States to this state for the use of a seminary of learning, and the state shall pay an annual interest of four percent on said amount.

C. The debt due by the state to the agricultural and mechanical college fund is hereby declared to be the sum of one hundred eighty-two thousand three hundred thirteen dollars and three cents, being the proceeds of the sale of lands and land scrip heretofore granted by the United States to this state for the purpose of a college for the benefit of agricultural and mechanical arts. The state shall pay an annual interest of five percent on the said amount.

D. The above funds shall be kept separate on the books of the treasurer of the state as a perpetual record of said loans.

Added by Acts 1975, No. 508, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:713 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 713
Resurvey of obliterated or uncertain lines
Status: in_force

Before selling the school lands belonging to the state, the parish treasurer, or other persons whose duty it may become, to superintend the sales, shall cause a resurvey of the lines which from any cause may have become obliterated or uncertain; and for this purpose he may employ the parish surveyor, or on his default, any competent surveyor. The lines thus surveyed shall be marked in such manner as to enable those interested to make a thorough examination before sale, and all advertisements made for the sale of the lands shall contain a full description thereof, according to the original survey and that required by this Section. The expenses of making the survey shall be paid by the State Auditor out of the proceeds of the sale of the lands on the warrant of the parish treasurer.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:638 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 638
Dedication of property for public school purposes; administration
Status: in_force

Whenever any real property has been acquired by the state of Louisiana, any municipality, parish school board, or any other subdivision or agency of the state of Louisiana by virtue of a deed, act of sale, donation, or other form of transfer, which contains a stipulation that such property is to be used for public school or public educational purposes, said deed, act of sale, donation, or other form of transfer, shall constitute a dedication of such property to the public for such purposes and the school board in whose district the property lies shall have the right to administer and use the property for public school purposes.

Acts 1960, No. 527, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:902 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 902
Exchange, lease, sale of unused school land; emergency circumstances
Status: in_force

A. Notwithstanding the requirements of this Subpart regarding procedures for the transfer of unused school land, whenever any city, parish, or other local public school board which has, as the result of the occurrence of a hurricane which resulted in a declaration of a disaster by both the governor and the president of the United States, a student membership of ten to thirty percent less in May following the hurricane than it had during the October first membership count in the year before the year of the hurricane or the Recovery School District, as provided for in R.S. 17: 1990, has determined that school property exists that will not be used for providing educational services, the governing authority of such school board or such school district may exchange, lease, or sell such property directly, and without meeting the requirements of this Subpart or any other provision of law, to the governing authority of any independent secondary school which has operated a school approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, pursuant to R.S. 17:11, for not less than twenty-five years prior to August 29, 2005, in an area subject to an emergency declaration of the governor as a result of devastation resulting from a hurricane and which is in need of property or facilities in which to locate a school because its prior school building was rendered uninhabitable by the hurricane and cannot be restored to a habitable condition prior to the beginning of the next semester following the hurricane. However, the Recovery School District shall not exercise such authority to sell, exchange, or lease any property or building unless it first offers such property or building without cost to the local public school board to which the property belonged prior to its being under the control of the school district and such local public school board refuses at a public meeting to accept the return of the property or building.

B. Property sold, leased, or exchanged under the authority of this Section shall be sold at a price or leased or exchanged based on a value that is determined by averaging the market value appraisals of three appraisers, one selected by the governing authority of the school system seeking to sell, lease, or exchange the property, one selected by the governing authority of the independent secondary school, and a third selected by the two appraisers selected by the school district and the independent secondary school. The costs of determining the value shall be borne by the independent secondary school.

C. Property sold or exchanged under the authority of this Section shall remain the property of the governing authority to which it was sold or exchanged by the school district regardless of the return of any school under the jurisdiction of the school district to the city, parish, or other local public school system from which it was originally transferred.

D. The authority granted in this Section may be exercised without compliance with any bidding requirements otherwise required by law. Any proceeds resulting from a lease or sale as authorized in this Section shall be directed to the city, parish, or other local public school board to which the property belonged, regardless of it being under the control of the Recovery School District.

Acts 2006, No. 455, §2, eff. June 15, 2006.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:551 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 551
Final certificate and patent
Status: in_force

Upon a full and complete compliance with all of the requirements of this Subpart by the homesteader, or his legal representatives, the Register of the State Land Office shall issue a final certificate, certifying that the homesteader, or his legal representatives, are entitled to a patent for the land so entered, and a patent therefor shall be accordingly issued and signed by the governor and the register.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1174 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1174
Disputed title; deposit of consideration in escrow
Status: in_force

Should the governor and the Register of the State Land Office grant rights-of-way across and through any public lands, the title to which is in dispute, they may provide that the consideration to be paid the state by the grantee of the right shall be deposited in escrow with the Register of the State Land Office, to be held by that officer pending the final determination of the validity of the title to the land or until the governor and Register of the State Land Office and the grantee otherwise agree the payment should be made or released as provided for in the agreement.

Added by Acts 1964, No. 29, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:5 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 5
Receipt to purchaser
Status: in_force

The state treasurer shall deliver to the purchaser or his agent a receipt, which shall contain a correct description, by section, township and range, of the lands sold by the state. The state treasurer shall receive no extra compensation for this service.

Acts 1983, No. 705, §3, eff. Sept. 1, 1983.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1713 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1713
Leases and permits, cause for cancellation or revocation
Status: in_force

A. Abandonment of an encroachment, or noncompliance with the law, this Chapter, or regulations and standards adopted, shall result in the revocation or cancellation of any permit or lease unless the persons responsible remedy the problem or violation within thirty days of written or published notice, by the division or office, as applicable, specifying the violation. The period for compliance may be extended for additional thirty-day periods up to one hundred twenty days total, upon a showing by the persons responsible of inability to comply by reason of extensive work required. Where force majeure prevents the persons responsible from complying with the division's or the office's demand, the thirty-day corrective period shall be suspended until such date when work becomes reasonably possible.

B. If the violation is such that no remedy is possible, or an immediate and substantial hazard to public health, safety and welfare exists, or the persons responsible refuse or fail to correct the problem, within the thirty days provided, any permit or lease for the encroachments involved shall be cancelled and revoked. Any construction or maintenance of an encroachment not in substantial compliance with this Chapter shall be an absolute nullity and no rights shall vest in the persons responsible or be acquired by prescription.

Added by Acts 1978, No. 645, §2, eff. July 13, 1978; Acts 2001, No. 919, §1; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:8 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 8
Fees of the commissioner
Status: in_force

The commissioner shall promulgate regulations establishing reasonable fees, not to exceed the cost of providing the services, for:

(1) Redemption certificates.

(2) Cancellation certificates.

(3) Original patents executed by the commissioner and the governor.

(4) Copies of official township plats, field notes, patents, and related matter.

(5) Each certification attached to copies of items listed in Paragraph (4).

(6) Copies of any other document pertaining to state lands.

Acts 1983, No. 705, §3, eff. Sept. 1, 1983; Acts 1989, No. 282, §4, eff. June 27, 1989.

{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1989, NO. 282, §5.}}
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:719 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 719
Disposition of proceeds of sale of land; interest
Status: in_force

All moneys received into the state treasury, and the interest accrued thereon from the sale of any sixteenth section of school lands or the school land warrants belonging to the various townships in the state, shall be placed to the credit of the township, and should the people of any township desire to receive for the use of the schools therein the annual interest payable by the state on funds deposited to their credit, or the annual proceeds of the loans, the parish treasurer shall, on the petition of five legal voters in any such township, order an election to be held in the township, as provided for the sale of township lands; and if a majority of any number of votes above seven are in favor of receiving annually the accruing interest it shall be paid to the treasurer of the parish for the use of the townships or districts; otherwise the interest shall be an accumulating fund to their credit until so called for.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:10 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 10
Right of appeal from decisions of the commissioner
Status: in_force

The commissioner shall decide all conflicting claims of preference of right to any land granted to the state by acts of congress. After they have been decided by the commissioner and after he has assessed the land to the person first locating or settling thereon, the claimant aggrieved by the decision shall have the right, within six months after the decision of the commissioner, to appeal to the Nineteenth Judicial District Court.

Acts 1989, No. 282, §4, eff. June 27, 1989.

{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1989, NO. 282, §5.}}
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:924 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 924
Lands to which applicable
Status: in_force

The authority given by this Subpart shall apply to all sixteenth sections donated by the Congress of the United States to the State of Louisiana in trust for public school purposes, and to which the state has never legally parted with the title.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:843 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 843
Registration of bonds
Status: in_force

The State Auditor and the State Treasurer shall keep a distinct book wherein to register all bonds which are acquired by investment of proceeds of the sales of sixteenth section school lands, and shall write or stamp in legible characters on the face of the bonds the words, "The property of the Free School Fund of Louisiana". The bonds when so stamped, shall lose their negotiable character.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:671 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 671
Determining value of improvements and of the use of the land
Status: in_force

When the sale of the sixteenth section is legally ordered, and it appears to the satisfaction of the parish treasurer that any person had settled and improved the section or any part thereof prior to the extension of the survey over it, the treasurer shall appoint one appraiser; the settler or his agent may appoint another; the two shall select a third; and the three, after being sworn, shall assess the improvements put upon the lands, and the value of the use of the land.

In all cases the assent of a majority of the legal voters within the township shall be given to the provisions of this Part which shall be taken at the same time that the votes are taken for the sale of the land.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:898 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 898
Morehouse Parish School Board; exchange of unused school land
Status: in_force

A. Whenever the Morehouse Parish School Board determines that a parcel of its property in Morehouse Parish, including but not limited to sixteenth section land, is no longer needed for school purposes and that the best interest of the public school system would be served by the exchange of such land for other land of comparable value, the school board may exchange such land for other land in Morehouse Parish in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section.

B. The Morehouse Parish School Board shall hold a public hearing to receive public comment concerning the exchange of such lands. Prior to the public hearing, the school board shall obtain an appraisal from a certified appraiser of the lands being considered for exchange, and such appraisal shall be available for public inspection at the hearing.

C. The school board shall provide notice of the public hearing and notice of its intent to consider the exchange of land as well as a brief description of both parcels of land by advertisement in the official journal of the parish in which the land is situated* on at least three separate days at least thirty days prior to the date on which the hearing is to be held.

D. After such hearing and after giving due consideration to any public comment, the school board may, at a regularly scheduled meeting, authorize the advertised exchange, provided that a majority of the elected membership of the school board determines that the exchange is for a valid purpose in the best interest of the school board and that the lands to be exchanged are of comparable value. The president of the school board shall thereafter proceed with the exchange of the lands in accordance with law and upon authorization of the school board.

E. The powers and rights conferred by this Section shall be in addition to the powers and rights conferred by any other general or special law. This Section does and shall be construed to provide a complete and additional method for the exchange of unused school lands, including but not limited to sixteenth section lands, by the school board. No proceeding, notice, or approval shall be required for the exchange of unused school land by the school board, except as provided herein. The provisions of this Section shall be liberally construed for the accomplishment of its purposes.

Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 30, §1, eff. April 24, 1998.

*As appears in enrolled bill.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1505 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1505
Cancellation of lease
Status: in_force

The register of the State Land Office shall have the power to cancel any lease issued under the provisions of this Chapter for violation of the purposes, terms, or conditions of such lease.

Acts 1960, No. 583, §5. Amended by Acts 1968, No. 626, §1; Acts 1970, No. 596, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:639 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 639
Sale or disposition of property with no right of reverter
Status: in_force

Unless the deed, act of sale, donation, or other form of transfer by which said property is conveyed, contains specific provisions prohibiting the same, such school board may sell or dispose of any such property which is unused and unnecessary or is unsuitable for public school purposes, provided the mineral rights are reserved therein to the state of Louisiana and use the proceeds thereof to procure one or more new public school sites. In such event, the former owner, his heirs, successors and assigns shall have no claim by right of reverter to the property originally dedicated or to the proceeds thereof.

Acts 1960, No. 527, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1605 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1605
Archaeological finds on state land; state property
Status: in_force

A. All sunken or abandoned pre-twentieth century ships and wrecks of the sea and any part of the contents thereof and all archaeological treasure located in, on or under the surface of lands belonging to the state of Louisiana, including its tidelands, submerged lands and beds of its rivers, and the sea within the jurisdiction of this state are hereby declared to be the sole property of the state of Louisiana, under the administration and protection of the secretary of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, hereinafter in this Chapter referred to as the "secretary".

B. It shall be unlawful for any agency, political subdivision, group, or person to take, alter, damage, destroy, or excavate on state-owned lands as herein described without first obtaining a permit or contract from the secretary. Permits shall be issued for purely scientific and educational projects and only when all recovered materials are to remain the property of the state and when there is to be no compensation to the permittee based on the value of the recovered remains. Contracts shall be entered into for recovery of materials when compensation is to be made to the contract holder based on the value of the recovered remains.

Acts 1989, No. 291, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1218 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1218
Locating and fixing limits of lands
Status: in_force

All lessees shall stake off and mark the leased lands by such stakes or monuments as may be necessary to accurately locate and fix the limits of the lands embraced in each lease, and shall further cause the area of the leased land, and the name of the lessee to be shown by such signs as may be determined by the lessor.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:543 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 543
Sale or incumbrance prior to issuance of patent
Status: in_force

No person entering land under the provisions of this Subpart may sell, alienate or encumber the lands so entered prior to issuance of patent therefor, except for school, church, or cemetery purposes, or for right of way for railroads, telephone or telegraph lines, public roads, oil or gas pipe lines, or canals, ditches or conduits for irrigation or drainage through the lands.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1333 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1333
Title of purchaser from district
Status: in_force

In the sale of property by the Jefferson and Plaquemines Drainage District acquired by it at delinquent tax sale or from the register of the state land office, title to said property shall be free and clear of all liens or encumbrances of any kind or character.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:727.1 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 727.1
Vermilion Parish School Board; transfer of certain sixteenth section lands
Status: in_force

A.(1) The Vermilion Parish School Board may sell, convey, transfer, assign, and deliver any interest, excluding mineral rights, the state or the school board has or may have to a certain tract or parcel of land containing 1.972 acres situated in the east half of Section Sixteen (16), Township Eleven (11) South, Range Three (3) East, Fourth Ward of Vermilion Parish, state of Louisiana, being more particularly described as follows:

Commencing at the northeast corner of Section 16, T11 S - R 3 E, thence proceeding S 00º 03' 10" W along the eastern boundary line of Section 16, a distance of 2643.14 feet to the point of beginning; thence continuing S 00º 03' 10" W along the eastern boundary line of Section 16, a distance of 946.00 feet to a point on the apparent eastern right-of-way line of Bella Road; thence proceeding N 37º 55' 50" W along said right-of-way line, a distance of 72.07 feet; thence proceeding N 45º 30' 47" W along said right-of-way line, a distance of 32.19 feet to a point; thence proceeding N 32º 55' 24" W along said right-of-way line, a distance of 40.45 feet to a point; thence proceeding N 12º 29' 35" W along said right-of-way line, a distance of 42.49 feet to a point; thence proceeding N 00º 15' 57" E along said right-of-way line, a distance of 791.06 feet to a point; thence proceeding N 89º 56' 17" E, a distance of 95.64 feet to the point of beginning; being bounded on the North by the Vermilion Parish School Board, on the south and west by the apparent right-of-way line of Bella Road and on the east by Bella Marie Trahan, et al., all as per plat by Richard J. Primeaux, dated October 15, 2007.

(2) The Vermilion Parish School Board may sell, convey, transfer, assign, and deliver any interest, excluding mineral rights, the state or the school board has or may have to a certain tract or parcel of land containing 3.942 acres situated in the southeast quarter of Section 16, T12S-R2E, Ninth Ward of Vermilion Parish, state of Louisiana, being more particularly described as follows:

Commencing and beginning at the southeast corner of Section 16, T12S-R2E; thence proceeding N 89º 48' 00" W along the southern boundary line of Section 16 a distance of 601.07 feet to a point; thence proceeding N 00º 29' 26" E a distance of 81.98 feet to a point on the centerline of a drainage ditch; thence proceeding S 74º 44' 13" E along the centerline of the drainage ditch a distance of 50.01 feet to a point; thence proceeding N 40º 18' 57" E along the centerline of the drainage ditch a distance of 370.83 feet to a point; thence proceeding N 69º 47' 45" E along the centerline of the drainage ditch a distance of 54.73 feet to a point; thence proceeding N 86º 51' 57" E along the centerline of the drainage ditch a distance of 168.91 feet to a point; thence proceeding S 88º 17' 50" E along the centerline of a drainage pipe a distance of 93.77 feet to a point on the eastern boundary line of Section 16; thence proceeding S 00º 14' 00" W along the eastern boundary line of Section 16 a distance of 379.02 feet to the point of beginning; being bounded on the north and west by the Vermilion Parish School Board, on the south by the southern boundary line of Section 16 and on the east by the eastern boundary line of Section 16, all as per Plat by Richard J. Primeaux dated May 14, 2009.

(3) The Vermilion Parish School Board may sell, convey, transfer, assign, and deliver any interest, excluding mineral rights, the state or the school board has or may have to a certain tract or parcel of land containing 5.106 acres situated in the northeast quarter of Section Sixteen (16), Township Eleven (11) South, Range Three (3) East, Fourth Ward of Vermilion Parish, state of Louisiana, being more particularly described as follows:

Commencing at the northeast corner of Section 16, T11 S - R 3 E, thence proceeding S 00˚ 03' 10" W along the eastern boundary line of Section 16, a distance of 159.92 feet to the point of beginning; thence continuing S 00˚ 03' 10" W along the eastern boundary line of Section 16, a distance of 2,483.22 feet to a point; hence proceeding S 89˚ 56' 17" W, a distance of 95.64 feet to a point on the apparent eastern right-of-way line of Bella Road; thence proceeding N 00˚ 15' 57" E along said right-of-way line, a distance of 2339.29 feet to a point; thence proceeding N 01˚ 58' 35" E along said right-of-way line, a distance of 43.61 feet to a point; thence proceeding N 23˚ 31' 36" E along said right-of-way line, a distance of 38.71 feet to a point; thence proceeding N 44˚ 24' 35" E along said right-of-way line, a distance of 26.42 feet to a point; thence proceeding N 48˚ 14' 13" E along said right-of-way line, a distance of 69.21 feet to the point of beginning; being bounded on the north by the apparent south and southeastern right-of-way line of Bella Road, on the south by the Vermilion Parish School Board on the east by Loubert G. Trahan and on the west by the apparent eastern right-of-way line of Bella Road, all as per plat by Richard J. Primeaux, dated June 20, 2007.

(4) Such transfers shall be executed without an election and notwithstanding any provision of this Chapter or of Part II of Chapter 1 of Title 17 to the contrary.

B. The school board, on behalf of the state of Louisiana, is hereby authorized to enter into such agreements, covenants, conditions, and stipulations and to execute such documents as are necessary to properly effectuate the delivery of complete title, excluding mineral rights, to the properties described in Subsection A of this Section, and as more specifically described in any such agreements entered into and documents executed by and between the school board and the purchasers, in exchange for payment of consideration proportionate to the appraised value of the properties in accordance with Article VII, Section 14 of the Constitution of Louisiana.

C. The Vermilion Parish School Board shall deposit the proceeds of the sale of properties authorized by this Section into the Dr. Daniel R. Dartez Educational Public Trust.

Acts 2009, No. 294, §1, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2010, No. 598, §3, eff. June 25, 2010.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:4 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 4
Description of land or warrants in receipt
Status: in_force

A. A description of the land or warrants shall be included in the order on the state treasurer to receive the money for the lands. No entry shall be made upon the books, maps, or other official record until the receipt of the state treasurer, also describing the land or warrants, has been submitted and filed in the office of the secretary or his designee.

B. Whoever violates the provision of this Section shall be fined five thousand dollars and shall be imprisoned for a term not more than ten nor less than two years.

Acts 1983, No. 705, §3, eff. Sept. 1, 1983.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:895 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 895
Vermilion Parish School Board; exchange of unused school land
Status: in_force

A. Whenever the Vermilion Parish School Board determines that a parcel of its property in Vermilion Parish, including but not limited to sixteenth section land, is no longer needed for school purposes and that the best interest of the public school system would be served by the exchange of such land for other land of comparable value, the school board may exchange such land for other land in Vermilion Parish in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section.

B. The Vermilion Parish School Board shall hold a public hearing to receive public comment concerning the exchange of such lands. Prior to the public hearing, the school board shall obtain an appraisal from a certified appraiser of the lands being considered for exchange and such appraisal shall be available for public inspection at the hearing.

C. The school board shall provide notice of the public hearing and notice of its intent to consider the exchange of land as well as a brief description of both parcels of land by advertisement in the official journal of the parish in which the land is situated on at least three separate days at least thirty days prior to the date on which the hearing is to be held.

D. After such hearing and after giving due consideration to any public comment, the school board may, at a regularly scheduled meeting, authorize the advertised exchange, provided that a majority of the elected membership of the school board determines that the exchange is for a valid purpose in the best interest of the school board and that the lands to be exchanged are of comparable value. The president of the school board shall thereafter proceed with the exchange of the lands in accordance with law and upon authorization of the school board.

E. The powers and rights conferred by this Section shall be in addition to the powers and rights conferred by any other general or special law. This Section does and shall be construed to provide a complete and additional method for the exchange of unused school lands, including but not limited to sixteenth section lands, by the school board. No proceeding notice or approval shall be required for the exchange of unused school land by the school board, except as provided herein. The provisions of this Section shall be liberally construed for the accomplishment of its purposes.

Acts 1991, No. 32, §1, eff. June 19, 1991.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:462 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 462
Hearing by register
Status: in_force

On the day fixed for the trial of the contest and in as expeditious a manner as may be consistent with justice the register shall hear the evidence and the arguments, and shall decide the entries, valid or invalid, and shall affirm or cancel them accordingly. The decision shall be final so far as the executive department is concerned, unless an appeal is taken under existing laws. If the entry is invalid and is cancelled, the register shall notify the parties to the contest, or their attorneys.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:718 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 718
Proceeds of lease of land or sale of timber
Status: in_force

A. In all cases of the lease of sixteenth section school lands, or of the sale of the timber thereon, the cash payment after deducting sufficient amount to cover the actual expenses incurred by the election and making the sale or lease, shall be credited to the account of the current school fund of the parish where the sixteenth section school lands are located. Notes representing deferred payments shall be placed in the hands of the parish school treasurer for collection, and when collected also credited to the current school fund of the parish, to be used for general school purposes.

B. The term "general school purposes" as used in the last sentence of the preceding part of this section shall include, but not be limited to, fencing, drainage, fire prevention, insect and pest eradication, reforestation and timber management of the sixteenth section from which the funds were derived.

Amended by Acts 1968, No. 537, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1222 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1222
Surface leases on state lands
Status: in_force

A. The Registrar of the State Land Office, acting for and on behalf of the state of Louisiana, may execute surface leases for any of the purposes enumerated in R.S. 41:1212 of not more than two acres on any lands, including water bottoms, under his jurisdiction. All such leases shall be for a cash consideration and under such terms and conditions as the Registrar of the State Land Office deems to be most beneficial to the state of Louisiana. Leases of this type shall be granted only when the individual seeking to acquire such a lease has, prior to January 1, 1985, in good faith, constructed permanent improvements in the amount of not less than ten thousand dollars on said lands and is the owner or lessee of said improvements.

B. Each lease granted under the authority of this Section shall be for a term not to exceed ten years. The secretary shall have the right to renew any such lease in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 41:1217.

C. Any lease granted under authority of this section shall be subordinate to any lease hereafter made of the lands for oil, gas or other mineral development, and any lease granted shall be subject to termination at any time if it is determined that the land covered by the lease is required for use by the state.

Added by Acts 1966, No. 196, §1. Amended by Acts 1967, No. 33, §5; Acts 1983, No. 460, §1; Acts 2001, No. 1061, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:510 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 510
Homestead by discharged veterans; deduction of service time
Status: in_force

Any honorably discharged veteran of World War II may homestead land under the provisions of R.S. 41:501 through 509, and the time served in the armed service of the United States in time of war shall be deducted from the time required to perfect title; provided that no patent shall issue until the entryman has resided upon, improved and cultivated his homestead for a period of at least one year, and provided further that any such patent when issued shall expressly reserve all of the mineral rights in the lands so patented to the state of Louisiana, in pursuance of Article IV, Section 2 of the Constitution.*

Acts 1958, No. 444, §1.

*Reference is to 1921 Constitution; see, now, Const. Art. 9, §4.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:3 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 3
Proceeds of sale of warrants or public land
Status: in_force

All money arising from the sale of warrants or public land shall be paid by the purchaser to the state treasurer, on the warrant of the commissioner of administration. The state treasurer shall receive the money within forty-eight hours after the issuance of the warrant.

Acts 1983, No. 705, §3, eff. Sept. 1, 1983.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1043 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1043
Advertisement
Status: in_force

The secretary of the levee board shall cause to be published an advertisement in the official journal of the parish wherein the land is located setting forth the description of the land on which the timber to be sold is located, the type and quantity of timber, and the time, place, and terms of the sale. The advertisement shall be published for a period of not less than fifteen days and at least once a week during three consecutive weeks.

Acts 1978, No. 405, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:550 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 550
Register to hear proof
Status: in_force

The Register of the State Land Office shall receive and pass upon the proof of residence and cultivation as provided in this Subpart and the decision of the Register of the State Land Office as to whether the proof shows full compliance with the requirements hereof, shall be final subject to the right of the entryman, or in case of his death, of his legal representatives, to appeal from the decisions of the register to the district court of the parish in which the lands are situated where the case shall be tried de novo.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:636 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 636
Price of seminary lands
Status: in_force

The price of the seminary lands shall be one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:131 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 131
Application to enter or purchase
Status: in_force

When any person desires to enter or purchase lands belonging to the state, including public lands donated by congress to the state of Louisiana known as swamp and overflowed lands, internal improvements, indemnity lands, or dried lake lands, or to similar lands of any levee board thereof, and properties adjudicated to the state for nonpayment of taxes during tax years 1880 through 1973, he shall make application to purchase, and deposit with the register of the state land office, or in the case of lands of any levee board, with the president of the levee board, an amount determined by the register of the state land office to be sufficient to cover the expense of advertising as evidence of good faith. Should the applicant at the sale provided for in this Chapter fail to purchase the land, then the money so deposited shall be returned to him; provided that should no one at the sale bid up to the minimum price stipulated in this Chapter, then the money shall be retained to pay the expense of the sale.

Amended by Acts 1960, No. 568, §1; Acts 2010, No. 282, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1045 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1045
Proceeds
Status: in_force

All monies derived from the sale of timber shall be forwarded to the levee board, without delay, after the sheriff making the sale has deducted therefrom the expense of advertising and his commissions for making the sales. The commission shall be two percent of the amount bid and paid, provided that this commission shall not exceed one hundred dollars for one day's adjudication. The sheriff in forwarding the money shall forward a statement certified by him as correct, showing the amount of bid, the expenditure for advertising and the amount withheld by him as commission; he shall at the same time forward to the secretary of the levee board a duplicate of his proces-verbal of sale wherein he shall give a correct description of the property sold with the recital of the acts performed by him in effecting the sale, the amount of the purchase price received, and the amount forwarded to the levee board.

Acts 1978, No. 405, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:504 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 504
Conditions for issuance of patent
Status: in_force

No patent shall issue for any lands entered under the provisions of this Part until after the expiration of five years from the date of the entry. The person making the entry or in case of his death his heirs or devisees shall be entitled to a patent for the land so entered if, at the expiration of the five year period or at a time within two years thereafter he proves by his affidavit and the affidavits of two credible witnesses, taken separately, that he has resided upon and cultivated the land for the term of five years immediately succeeding the date of entry, that no part of the land has been alienated or encumbered, except as provided in R.S. 41:503 and that he has paid to the register of the state land office a fee of five dollars. In case of the death of a homesteader it shall not be necessary for his widow or heirs to prove actual residence upon the land after the date of death, but she shall show continuous cultivation and improvements for the full period of five years from date of entry. Provided that any entry made prior to 1888 and the land described therein has been assessed upon the tax rolls and the taxes thereon paid for a period of more than fifty years subsequent to the date of entry, shall be prima facie evidence that all the conditions and provisions of the law have been complied with and a patent shall issue covering the entry upon the payment of the fee herein provided.

Amended by Acts 1950, No. 428, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:722 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 722
Treasurer's duties on receipt of notes due
Status: in_force

The treasurer of the parish school board, on the receipt of the notes due and given for the sixteenth sections, shall immediately notify the principal and his sureties, in writing, of the amount of the notes, principal and interest due and unpaid; provided the lands for which the notes were given are still in the possession of the original purchaser. If the lands are in the possession of other parties, the possessor shall also be notified of all the demands, principal and interest, against the lands, and if all demands against them are not satisfied within thirty days from the notice, the treasurer of the parish school board shall turn over the notes to the district attorney for the district, or other attorney selected by the school board, for suit. The notice shall serve as a bar to prescription, which shall only begin to run from the service of the notice.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:632 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 632
Boundaries of land sold
Status: in_force

Any land sold under R.S. 41:631 shall commence in the corner of a legal division or subdivision of sections and shall be parceled out as follows:

(1) If in a right angle it shall be run at an equal distance on two sides, bounded by the lines of the division to form a square including the number of acres sold.

(2) If in an acute angle, it shall be bounded by the division lines to such distance, and by lines in such other directions as the register may deem most equitable between the land sold and that retained.

The patents for land so sold shall set forth the number and of what parish and shall issue to the school board and its successors, for the use of their district schools.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1215.3 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1215.3
Lease of certain state property; Fort Pike to the Rigolets Marina Inc.
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the secretary of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism and the commissioner of administration are hereby authorized and empowered to enter into a lease of all or any portion of the state owned property north of Highway 90 at Fort Pike to the Rigolets Marina Inc. The lease shall provide for the uses of the property, and the lease shall be subject to approval by the federal government. The compensation received by the state shall be at least five percent of the appraised value of the property to be paid biannually to the state.

Acts 2010, No. 678, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1171 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1171
Roads established by parochial authorities over state lands
Status: in_force

All public roads heretofore traced out and established by the parochial authorities of the respective parishes over lands belonging to the state are recognized as such, and the parochial authorities of all the parishes of the state may establish public roads not exceeding one hundred feet in width on the public lands of this state.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1008 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1008
Sale of timber on state lands where title in dispute: disposition of proceeds
Status: in_force

Should the state land office advertise and sell timber on state lands, the title to which is in dispute, a provision may be made that the consideration to be paid the state by the adjudicatee of the timber sold pursuant to the provisions of this Part, shall be deposited in escrow with the state land office, to be held by that department pending the final determination of the validity of the title to the land or until the state land office and the grantee otherwise agree the payment should be made or released as provided for in the agreement.

Added by Acts 1978, No. 405, §1; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:844 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 844
Interest due townships
Status: in_force

The State Auditor shall ascertain the amount of capital that may be due the several townships from the proceeds of the sales of sixteenth sections, made since the first of January, 1880, and actually paid into the state treasury. The amount thus ascertained shall be the capital upon which interest shall be thereafter allowed and paid out of the interest collected on the said bonds to the townships, the sixteenth sections of which have been sold since the 1st of January, 1880, and the proceeds actually paid into the state treasury, and the proceeds so paid invested as required by law.

In calculating the interest due the several townships, no interest shall be allowed for fractions of the year during which the receipts have come into the treasury; but it shall commence at the beginning of the 1st of January of the next year.

The interest due upon the capital thus ascertained, and the interest due upon subsequent sales, shall be paid to the townships in the manner now provided for by law. The State Auditor shall furnish the State Treasurer and superintendent of public education with a statement of the amount due each township.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1609 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1609
Access to information
Status: in_force

Records of the division which specify the specific location of archaeological sites, including but not limited to the state archaeological site files, shall not be public information. Access to such records shall be restricted to individuals who have a legitimate research or management need as determined by the division.

Acts 1989, No. 291, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:841 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 841
Free school fund
Status: in_force

A. The proceeds of all lands heretofore granted by the United States to this state for the use or support of schools, except the sixteenth section in the various townships of the states specially reserved by Congress for the use and benefit of the people therein; and of all lands granted or bequeathed to the state and not specially granted or bequeathed for any other purpose, which are disposed of by the state, and the ten percent of the net proceeds of the sales of the public land which have accrued and are to accrue to this state under the act of Congress, entitled "An Act to appropriate the proceeds of the public lands", and to grant preemption rights, approved September 4, 1841; and the proceeds of the estates of deceased persons, to which the state has or may become entitled by law, shall be held by the state as a loan, and shall be and remain a perpetual fund, to be called the Free School Fund, on which the state shall pay an annual interest of six percent. The interest, together with the interest of the trust fund deposited with this state by the United States, under the act of Congress approved the twenty-third of June, eighteen hundred and thirty-six, and the rents of all unsold lands, except that of the sixteenth sections, shall be appropriated for the support of public schools in this state; and donations of all kinds which are made for the support of schools, and such other means as the legislature may from time to time set apart for school purposes, shall form a part of the fund, and shall also be a loan on which the state shall pay an interest of six percent per annum.

B. The state treasurer shall apply annually, and shall receive from the federal government the ten percent of monies due to this state, and shall place the money, when received, to the credit of the proper fund.

Acts 1986, No. 821, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1603 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1603
Division of archaeology; state archaeologist
Status: in_force

A. There is hereby created the division of archaeology, which shall be referred to as the "division" for purposes of this Chapter. The division shall be located within the office of cultural development of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

B. There is hereby created the position of state archaeologist. The state archaeologist shall hold, at a minimum, a master's degree in anthropology or a related field with a concentration in archaeology and shall have demonstrated exceptional ability and interest in the protection and preservation of archaeological treasures for the benefit of the citizens of this state. The state archaeologist shall function as director of the division.

Acts 1989, No. 291, §1; Acts 2012, No. 589, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1334 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1334
Lease, mortgage or use of property purchased by district
Status: in_force

The Jefferson and Plaquemines Drainage District may rent, lease or use said property purchased by it, as provided in R.S. 41:1330, as it may deem fit, and may grant rights-of-way over and on the property and dig thereon canals, ditches and drains, and construct public works. Taxes collected on other lands in the district not acquired by said Jefferson and Plaquemines Drainage District for non-payment of taxes, shall not be used for the purpose of constructing public works, canals, ditches, drains, or other purposes on said property. The Jefferson and Plaquemines Drainage District shall have the power and authority to mortgage or otherwise hypothecate and encumber all or any portion of the property acquired by it as provided by R.S. 41:1330 for the purpose of obtaining funds to construct and maintain drainage and pumping facilities, access roads and other public works within the district.

Amended by Acts 1950, No. 316, §12; 1966, Ex. Sess., No. 18, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:16 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 16
Preservation of public lands for hunting, fishing, and recreational opportunities
Status: in_force

A. The commissioner shall exercise his authority to manage public lands in a manner to support, promote and enhance public hunting, fishing, and recreational opportunities to the extent authorized by law. The commissioner shall recognize, to the extent authorized by law, hunting, fishing, and recreational opportunities as primary uses of public lands that are available for public hunting, fishing, and recreational opportunities. The commissioner shall make land management decisions based on criteria that include public hunting, fishing, and recreational opportunities as a primary consideration.

B. Before March first of each calendar year, the commissioner shall submit to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment a written report containing a listing of all acreage managed by the commissioner that is available for public hunting, fishing, and recreational opportunities and a listing of all acreage that was lost or gained for such purposes.

Acts 2006, No. 561, §1; Acts 2008, No. 580, §5.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1224.1 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1224.1
Exceptions to advertisement and bidding requirements
Status: in_force

The provisions of this Chapter do not apply to the lease or sublease of boat slips of the Bucktown Marina that are owned and operated by the governing authority of Jefferson Parish pursuant to a lease between the state and the parish, provided that all boat slips in the marina shall be leased on a first-come, first-served basis for fair market value as determined by an appraiser and that the rates for and availability of such slips shall be published in the official journal of the parish.

Acts 2014, No. 156, §1, eff. May 22, 2014.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1706 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1706
Classes of permits
Status: in_force

A. Any person desiring to construct, create, alter, improve, extend, or maintain any wharf, pier, dock, bulkhead, landfill, structure, or other encroachment shall obtain a permit from the office, prior to commencing any work, under the procedures established herein. Permits shall be classified as follows:

(1) Class A Permits: Permits for reclamation of lands lost through erosion under R.S. 41:1702(D)(1).

(2) Class B Permits: Permits to construct bulkheads or flood protection structures in proximity to the bank or shore, excluding bank stabilization works and projects to facilitate the development, design engineering, implementation, operation, maintenance, or repair of integrated coastal protection projects by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority under R.S. 49: 214.6.1 et seq. or other applicable law or projects for the Atchafalaya Basin Program.

(3) Class C Permits: Permits to construct commercial wharves and piers.

(4) Class D Permits: Permits to construct structures other than wharves or piers, excluding projects to facilitate the development, design engineering, implementation, operation, maintenance or repair of integrated coastal protection projects by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority under R.S. 49: 214.6.1 et seq. or other applicable law or projects for the Atchafalaya Basin Program.

(5) Class E Permits: Permits to construct landfills upon non-eroded state lands.

B. All permits shall be subject to the regulations and procedures established by this Chapter and adopted by the division or the office. The requirements and procedures for applicants established in R.S. 41:1702(D)(1) to implement reclamation of eroded lands shall govern reclamation projects; the regulations and procedures established by other Sections of this Chapter shall apply only to Class A Permits when no conflict exists with R.S. 41:1702. Noncommercial piers and wharves shall not be subject to permit requirements.

C. From March 17, 2025, to January 1, 2030, no Class B Permits shall be issued for the construction of a bulkhead in St. Tammany Parish within the area defined by the following coordinates: beginning at 30°25'16.3"N 90°06'51.4"W; proceeding east to 30°25'16.1"N 90°06'45.5"W; then south to 30°25'08.8"N 90°06'46.1"W; then west to 30°25'06.6"N 90°07'04.7"W; then north to 30°25'11.6"N 90°07'04.9"W; then east to 30°25'12.3"N 90°06'51.3"W; and finally north to the point of beginning. This restriction applies to all water bodies within this area, including those locally known as Lake Emfred and Suter Slip.

Added by Acts 1978, No. 645, §2, eff. July 13, 1978; Acts 2001, No. 919, §1; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2; Acts 2018, No. 570, §2, eff. July 1, 2018; Acts 2025, No. 115, §1, eff. June 8, 2025.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:135 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 135
Disposition of proceeds of sale
Status: in_force

A. The sheriff making the sale shall deduct therefrom the expenses of advertising and his commission which shall be two percent of the amount of the bid, provided that this commission shall not exceed fifty dollars for any one day's adjudication. Except as otherwise agreed by the holders of statutory impositions and governmental liens, all proceeds from the sale of adjudicated property after deduction of the costs of the sale shall be paid pro rata to those holders, and except for the sale of property belonging to the Board of Commissioners of the Orleans Levee District, the balance of the monies derived from the sale shall be forwarded to the register of the state land office for deposit in the state treasury without delay, together with a certified statement showing the amount of the bid, the expenditure for advertising, and the amount withheld by him as commission. The balance of the monies derived from the sale of property belonging to the Board of Commissioners of the Orleans Levee District shall be forwarded directly to the Board of Commissioners of the Orleans Levee District for deposit in that board's bank accounts without delay, together with a certified statement showing the amount of the bid, the expenditure for advertising, and the amount withheld by him as commission. The levee district shall not sell any property located in the Bohemia Spillway.

B. The sheriff shall at the same time forward to the register of the state land office a proces verbal of the sale wherein he shall give a correct description of the property sold with the recital of the acts performed by him in effecting the sale, the amount of the purchase price received, the expense of advertising, the amount of his commission, and the amount in cash being forwarded to the register of the state land office.

Acts 1989, No. 511, §1; Acts 1997, No. 592, §1, eff. July 3, 1997; Acts 2010, No. 282, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1006 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1006
Removal of timber
Status: in_force

The adjudicatee of the timber sold pursuant to the provisions of this Part shall have the right of ingress and egress at any time for the purpose of removing the timber from the land; provided that the time stipulated to cut and remove the timber shall be fixed in the advertisement and in the act of sale by the register of the state land office as well as the type and size of trees to be cut. The term for removal of the timber shall not exceed one year unless proof is provided to the register of the state land office that the delay would result in unavoidable hardship. Upon such proof, the register of the state land office may grant an extension for up to one year provided consideration totaling ten percent of the actual amount of the sale is remitted to the state land office.

Acts 1978, No. 405, §1; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:381 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 381
Refund of purchase price in event of invalid sale
Status: in_force

Every person, or his legal representatives who is the purchaser from the state of a tract of land, which had actually and immediately been located by the state and which is or may be void by reason of a prior sale thereof or by any valid right of pre-emption, or for want of title thereto in the state, shall be entitled to a repayment of any sum of money paid for the tract of land, on making proof to the satisfaction of the Register of the State Land Office that the land was erroneously sold by the state. The register may draw a warrant on the State Auditor for the repayment of this money.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:842 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 842
Investment in levee bonds
Status: in_force

In addition to the investments now authorized by law, the State Auditor and State Treasurer, with the approval of the governor, may invest in levee bonds of this state yielding not less than four per cent per annum interest net, the proceeds of the sale of sixteenth section school lands now on hand, or that may accumulate, in the state treasury.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:382 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 382
Re-transfer of land to state and return of warrant
Status: in_force

Before the money is refunded, the party applying must deposit a duly executed transfer to the state of the tract purchased, together with the warrant under which the selection or location was made.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:805 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 805
Disposition of purchase price
Status: in_force

Out of the purchase price paid, the State Treasurer shall pay the cost of advertisement and shall place the balance to the credit of the various school boards entitled to receive the money.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:727 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 727
Vermilion Parish School Board; transfer of certain sixteenth section lands
Status: in_force

A.(1) The legislature finds that as a result of the holding of the Louisiana Supreme Court in Abshire v. Vermilion Parish School Board , there are persons in Vermilion Parish who purchased sixteenth section lands in good faith, but because of the conveyance of less than full ownership in a 1909 property transaction, have only apparent title to such property; actual title remains with the school board. It is the intent of the Louisiana Legislature, as expressed by the enactment of this Section, that each person who holds apparent title to any portion of the tract described in Subsection B of this Section have conveyed and transferred unto him, his heirs, successors, and assigns, with all legal warranties and with full substitution and subrogation, ownership of and actual and complete title to any portion of said tract to which he holds apparent title.

(2) Such transfers shall be executed without an election and notwithstanding any provision of this Chapter or of Part II of Chapter 1 of Title 17 to the contrary.

B. The Vermilion Parish School Board is authorized to convey, transfer, assign, and deliver any interest, excluding mineral rights, the state or the school board may have to a certain tract or parcel of land located in Section Sixteen (16), Township Twelve (12) South, Range Two (2) East, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, lying within the following boundaries: Beginning at a point on the South line of Parish Road Number P-9-23 (now Cheneau Road) along the North line of Section Sixteen (16), Township Twelve (12) South, Range Two (2) East on the East End of the existing Flume and running East in the South line of said P-9-23 (now Cheneau Road), a distance of 4,839.4 feet, to the East line of said Section 16; thence, running South, in the East line of said Section 16, a distance of 200 feet; thence West, parallel to the South line of said P-9-23 (now Cheneau Road) a distance of 4,839.4 feet; thence North, parallel to the East line of Section 16 a distance of 200 feet to the point of beginning; said tract containing 22.22 acres.

C. The school board, on behalf of the state of Louisiana, is hereby authorized to enter into such agreements, covenants, conditions, and stipulations and to execute such documents as are necessary to properly effectuate the delivery of complete title, excluding mineral rights, to the various portions of the property described in Subsection B of this Section, and as more specifically described in any such agreements entered into and documents executed by and between the school board and the apparent title holders of said property or their assigns, heirs, or legatees, in exchange for payment of consideration proportionate to the appraised value of the property in accordance with Article VII, Section 14 of the Constitution of Louisiana.

Acts 2005, No. 417, §1, eff. July 11, 2005.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1211 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1211
Lessor defined
Status: in_force

For the purposes of this Part, the term "lessor" shall refer to and include the Register of the State Land Office, the commissioner of conservation, and any and all other branches, departments or agencies of the state, or any school district, levee district, drainage district, municipal or parochial subdivision of this state, or any penal or charitable institution, or state university or college, or other unit or institution, deriving its authority and powers from the sovereignty of the state.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1224.2 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1224.2
Exceptions to advertisement and bidding requirements
Status: in_force

The provisions of this Chapter do not apply to leases, sales, exchanges, cooperative endeavor agreements, joint use agreements, and similar or related agreements by any governmental body involving any of the property authorized to be transferred to the city of Lafayette by Act No. 385 of the 2009 Regular Session of the Legislature, any parcels adjacent to such property, and any parcels made adjacent as a result of a transaction authorized by this Section. A property alienated pursuant to this Section shall not be subject to any deed restrictions required by Act No. 385 of the 2009 Regular Session of the Legislature.

Acts 2014, No. 645, §1, eff. June 12, 2014.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:138 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 138
Restrictions in sale of state lands to levee or drainage districts
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, no land within the boundaries of any levee district or levee and drainage district, or any land that may in the future be included within the boundaries of any levee district or levee and drainage district, that presently belongs to or that may hereafter belong to the state shall be conveyed to a levee district or levee and drainage district or to the governing authorities of such districts unless such land is needed for immediate use for the construction of a levee or other flood control measure. In the event any such land is conveyed to a levee or levee and drainage district for the purpose of constructing a levee or other flood control measure and it is later found that all or a part of such land is not needed for such purpose, the portion of the land not needed shall immediately revert to state ownership and control.

Acts 1958, Ex.Sess., No. 12, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1701 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1701
Declaration of policy; public trust
Status: in_force

The beds and bottoms of all navigable waters and the banks or shores of bays, arms of the sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and navigable lakes belong to the state of Louisiana, and the policy of this state is hereby declared to be that these lands and water bottoms, hereinafter referred to as "public lands", shall be protected, administered, and conserved to best ensure full public navigation, fishery, recreation, and other interests. Unregulated encroachments upon these properties may result in injury and interference with the public use and enjoyment and may create hazards to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of this state. To provide for the orderly protection and management of these state-owned properties and serve the best interests of all citizens, the lands and water bottoms, except those excluded and exempted and as otherwise provided by this Chapter, or as otherwise provided by law, shall be under the management of the division of administration, hereinafter referred to as the "division". The state land office, hereinafter referred to as the "office", shall be responsible for the control, permitting, and leasing of encroachments upon public lands, in accordance with this Chapter and the laws of Louisiana and the United States.

Added by Acts 1978, No. 645, §2, eff. July 13, 1978; Acts 2001, No. 919, §1; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:133 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 133
Advertisement
Status: in_force

The register of the state land office or the president of the levee board, as the case may be, shall cause to be published for thirty days in the official journal of the state and in the official journal of the parish where the land is located, an advertisement setting forth the description of the land, the time, place, and terms of the sale, and in the case of adjudicated properties, the name of the tax debtor and the year for which taxes were not paid. He may also require that the land shall be sold in lots of forty acres. In no case shall lands be sold in tracts exceeding quarter sections.

Acts 2010, No. 282, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1002 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1002
Information to be secured as to quantity and value of timber
Status: in_force

On receipt of an application to have timber offered for sale, the register of the state land office shall request the assistant commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, office of forestry to evaluate the current market value and quantity that could be harvested based on sound forestry practices. The register of the state land office may on his own initiative advertise for bids for sale of timber as provided in this Part.

Acts 1978, No. 405, §1; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1007 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1007
Advertising rates
Status: in_force

The newspapers publishing the advertisements of sale provided for in this Part shall receive therefor not more than the legal rate for advertising.

Acts 1978, No. 405, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:140 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 140
Sales of immovable property by state agencies
Status: in_force

A. When any state agency as defined in R.S. 39:321(A) designates immovable property under its jurisdiction to be nonessential to the efficient operation of the agency, the secretary or other administrative head shall transfer the property to the division of administration hereinafter referred to as the division.

B. For any immovable property designated to be nonessential, the division shall prepare a land management evaluation report setting forth recommendations for the best use or disposition of the property. A copy of this report shall be filed with the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment and Senate Committee on Natural Resources and delivered to the member of the House and Senate in whose district the immovable property is located.

C. Unless approval is received from the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment and Senate Committee on Natural Resources within ninety days after receiving notice, the division shall not initiate implementation of its recommendation for best use or disposition of the property.

D. The division shall conduct any sale of state-owned property under the provisions of R.S. 41:131 et seq. or R.S. 47:2189, whichever is applicable, except as otherwise provided as follows:

(1) The division may obtain appraisals from up to three Louisiana state-certified appraisers to ascertain the current value of the property. The appraisals shall be obtained within six months prior to the conducting of the sale.

(2) In lieu of public auction or sealed bids and when it is in the best interest of the state, the division may contract under rules and regulations adopted by the division for the services of a licensed real estate broker to conduct the sale of the property. The term of the contract shall not exceed six months. A minimum sale price and a time period within which the sale is to occur shall be specified by the division as conditions of the contract. Payment shall not exceed five percent of the sale price and shall be contingent upon completion of the sale in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract. The division shall have the right to cancel the contract at any time for any reason prior to the sale and conduct the sale as otherwise provided by law.

(3) No member of the legislature shall perform the services of appraiser or real estate broker authorized by this Subsection.

E. The division is authorized to adopt and promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, R.S. 49:950 et seq., to carry out the provisions of this Section. These rules shall, at a minimum, contain criteria and definitions for the determination of what is nonessential property and the best use of said property, and the procedure for transfer of property from agencies to the division.

F. The division shall submit an annual report to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment and Senate Committee on Natural Resources, detailing the amount of property sold, the agencies from which such property came, the cost of the sale, the net proceeds from such sale, and an updated inventory of immovable property still belonging to the state and which agency possesses the property.

Acts 1989, No. 282, §4, eff. June 27, 1989; Acts 1997, No. 216, §1, eff. June 16, 1997; Acts 2008, No. 580, §5.

NOTE: See Acts 1989, No. 282, §5.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1323.4 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1323.4
Sales, transfers or exchanges of public property by cities, towns, villages and police juries prior to twelve o'clock, noon, July 28, 1948
Status: in_force

All sales, transfers or exchanges of public property made by cities, towns, villages and police juries made prior to twelve o'clock, noon, July 28, 1948 are hereby validated, ratified and confirmed unto the original purchasers or transferees and their successors in title, notwithstanding any informalities provided there was a valid consideration therefor.

Added by Acts 1962, No. 205, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:136 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 136
Expenses
Status: in_force

The newspapers publishing the advertisement of the sale of land shall receive therefor not more than the legal rate of advertising. All bills for expenses incurred by the register of the state land office, or the president of the levee board, shall be paid from the proceeds of the land sold, when realized.

Amended by Acts 1960, No. 568, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:13 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 13
Listing of lands owned, leased, or rented by state or instrumentalities of state; subsequent acquisitions or alienations
Status: in_force

A. The commissioner shall prepare and maintain in his office at all times and make available as a public record a listing which shall show the lands and improvements thereon and all royalty or mineral rights belonging to or under the control of the state, whether or not held directly in the name of the state or in the name of any state board, commission, department, or agency. Such listing shall clearly describe the land owned, leased or rented, or otherwise held or under the control of the state or its instrumentality, and shall show its location, acreage or other area, any improvements thereon, the date of acquisition and the value thereof, and such other information with regard thereto as may be required by rules and regulations of the commissioner.

B. Whenever any acquisition or alienation or other change in ownership or control of any land or immovable property or royalty or mineral rights is made with regard to any lands or improvements thereon, a report thereof shall be made to the commissioner within thirty days thereafter.

Acts 1989, No. 282, §4, eff. June 27, 1989.

{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1989, NO. 282, §5.}}
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:511 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 511
Death of homesteader while in service
Status: in_force

In every case in which a homesteader under R.S. 41:501 through 509 was inducted into the armed services after his entry was allowed and died in service, his widow, if unmarried, or in case of her death or marriage, then his minor orphan children or his or their legal representatives, may proceed forthwith to make final proof upon the land so held by the deceased soldier and settler, and the death of such soldier while engaged in the service of the United States shall, in the administration of the homestead law, be construed to be equivalent to a performance of all requirements as to residence and cultivation for the full period of five years; and upon proof produced to the register of the land office by the widow, if unmarried, or in case of her death or marriage, then his minor orphan children or his or their legal representatives, that the applicant for patent is the widow, if unmarried, or in case of her death or marriage, his orphan children or his or their legal representatives, and that such soldier died while in the service of the United States as hereinbefore described, the patent for such land shall issue; provided that in such patent all mineral rights in the lands so patented shall be expressly reserved to the state of Louisiana, in pursuance of Article IV, Section 2 of the Constitution.*

Acts 1958, No. 444, §2.

*Reference is to 1921 Constitution; see, now, Const. Art. 9, §4.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:94 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 94
Lands acquired at tax sale
Status: in_force

This Chapter shall not apply to lands adjudicated to the state at tax sale, until the expiration of three years from date of recordation of the tax deed evidencing the adjudication.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1731 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1731
Legislative findings
Status: in_force

To ensure the viability of the state's natural resources, to provide a continuing energy source for the citizens and businesses of Louisiana, to promote economic development through job retention and creation in Louisiana, and to promote a clean and lasting environment, the Louisiana Legislature finds that the state, through the Department of Conservation and Energy, should promote the generation and use of the renewable energy derived from wind.

Acts 2005, No. 481, §1, eff. July 12, 2005; Acts 2023, No. 150, §15, eff. Jan. 10, 2024.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:894 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 894
Grant Parish School Board; exchange of unused school land
Status: in_force

A. Whenever the Grant Parish School Board determines that a parcel of its property found in Township 6 North, Range 2 West, Section 16 is no longer needed for school purposes and that the best interest of the public school system would be served by the exchange of such land for other land of comparable value, the board may exchange such land for other parcels of land in Grant Parish owned by the Forest Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture in accordance with the procedure set forth in this Section.

B. The Grant Parish School Board shall hold a public hearing to receive public comment concerning the exchange of such lands. Prior to the public hearing, the board shall obtain an appraisal from a certified appraiser of the lands being considered for exchange and such appraisals shall be available for public inspection at the hearing.

C. The school board shall provide notice of the public hearing and notice of its intent to consider the exchange of land as well as a brief description of both pieces of land by advertisement in the official journal of the parish in which the land is situated on at least three separate days at least thirty days prior to the date on which the hearing is to be held.

D. After such hearing and after giving due consideration to any public comment, the board may, at a regularly scheduled meeting, vote to authorize the advertised exchange, provided that the board determines that the exchange is for a valid purpose in the best interest of the school board and that the lands to be exchanged are of comparable value. The president of the board shall proceed with the exchange of the lands in accordance with the law and upon authorization of the board.

Acts 1986, No. 462, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1086 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1086
Removal of timber
Status: in_force

A. The adjudicatee of the timber sold under the provisions of this Part shall have the right of ingress and egress at any time for the purpose of removing the timber from the land provided that the time stipulated to cut and remove the timber, the manner of removal, and other special conditions shall be fixed in the advertisement and in the act of sale by the secretary of the board, as well as the type and size of trees to be cut.

B. The term for removal of the timber shall not exceed one year unless proof is provided to the secretary of the board that the delay would result in unavoidable hardship. Upon such proof, the secretary of the board may grant an extension for up to one year provided consideration totaling ten percent of the actual amount of the sale is remitted to the board for deposit in the Interagency Recreation Board Fund.

Acts 1984, No. 846, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:549 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 549
Reversion to state preference rights of person filing charges
Status: in_force

If, at any time after filing of the affidavit required by R.S. 41:542, and before the issuance of patent therefor, it is proved after due notice to the homesteader or his legal representative, to the satisfaction of the Register of the State Land Office, that the homesteader failed to establish a residence on the land so entered for six months after entry, or changed his residence therefrom for a period of six months at any time after filing his affidavit and before the expiration of the period of five years' residence required by this Subpart, or swore falsely to any material fact in his affidavit or final proof, then the land shall revert to the state, and be held by it subject to redemption or homestead, as provided by this Subpart. All appeals from the decisions of the register in such cases shall lie to the district court of the parish in which the lands are situated and shall be tried de novo. The person filing charges against an entryman under this Section, and prosecuting them to a successful conclusion, shall have a preference right of sixty days from final judgment in which to file his application for the land.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1215.1 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1215.1
Advertising costs
Status: in_force

In the event the applicant is not the highest bidder, his deposit of seventy-five dollars shall be returned to him by the lessor and the advertising costs shall be charged to the highest bidder. If the highest bidder should refuse to pay the advertising costs, then the lease shall pass to the next highest bidder who will pay said costs. In the event no bids are submitted, the deposit shall be returned to the applicant, after a sum sufficient to pay the advertising costs has been deducted therefrom.

Acts 1983, No. 46, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1215.4 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1215.4
Lamar-Dixon Expo Center; lease
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the governing authority of Ascension Parish is hereby authorized and empowered to enter into a lease of all or any portion of the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center located in Ascension Parish at 9039 St. Landry Road in Gonzales, Louisiana. The lease shall provide for the uses of the property and the lease shall be subject to approval by the governing authority of Ascension Parish.

Acts 2025, No. 329, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:548 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 548
Liability for debts
Status: in_force

Lands acquired under the provisions of this Subpart shall never become liable for the satisfaction of any debt contracted prior to issuance of patent therefor.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:91 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 91
Grant of vacant and unappropriated lands; lease of nonnavigable water bottoms
Status: in_force

A. In order to procure the settlement or resettlement of the vacant and unappropriated lands belonging to the state, the register of the state land office, when directed to do so by the governor, shall grant, for and on behalf and in the name of the state of Louisiana, to any person, or any agency, political subdivision or public corporation of the state, or any agency of the United States, corporate or otherwise, created under authority of Congress, any of the vacant and unappropriated lands belonging to the state.

B. When deemed in the interest of the state and upon approval of the governor, the register of the state land office is authorized to grant long-term leases with reasonable rates for the use of the water bottoms and air space above the water of any waters of the state which have been declared nonnavigable by an Act of Congress, to any public agency, political subdivision, public corporation or municipality, or to any private person who is a riparian owner with respect to the water bottoms and air rights to be leased, provided that the lease thereof has first been approved by the local governing authority, for the public or private development thereof. Nothing contained in this Subsection shall be deemed in any way to alter or abrogate the state's claim to mineral rights in the leased areas, or to entitle such lessee to any part of such mineral rights.

Amended by Acts 1976, No. 263, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:592 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 592
Widow and children of homesteader who dies in service
Status: in_force

Where a homesteader under the provisions of Subpart A of this Part was inducted into the armed services after his entry was allowed and died in service, his widow, if unmarried, or in case of her death or marriage, then his minor orphan children or his or their legal representatives, may proceed forthwith to make final proof upon the land so held by the deceased soldier and settler, and the death of the soldier while engaged in the service of the United States shall, in the administration of the homestead law, be equivalent to a performance of all requirements as to residence and cultivation for the full period of five years.

The patent shall issue upon proof produced to the Register of the State Land Office by the widow, if unmarried, or in case of her death or marriage, his minor orphan children or his or their legal representatives, that the applicant for patent is the soldier's widow, his orphan children or his or their legal representatives, and that the soldier died while in the service of the United States.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1336 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1336
Sales of land by register of state land office to department of highways
Status: in_force

All sales of land heretofore made by or on the order of the register of the state land office of the State of Louisiana to the department of highways of the State of Louisiana including, but not by way of limitation, those covering a part of the shore, bank, bed or bottom of a lake, stream or any body of water be and they are hereby confirmed and ratified.

Acts 1950, No. 208, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1327 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1327
Confirmation of sales to drainage district
Status: in_force

The title to all lands located in the Jefferson and Plaquemines Drainage District which were purchased by the Jefferson and Plaquemines Drainage District at tax sales made by the sheriffs and ex-officio tax collectors for the parish of Plaquemines or the parish of Jefferson, for delinquent taxes due the state, parish of Jefferson or parish of Plaquemines, and any and all political subdivisions of the state or parishes, where the sales were made prior to January 1, 1931, are ratified, quieted and confirmed as legal and valid.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1324 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1324
Confirmation of certain sales and locations
Status: in_force

All sales and locations of public lands made by this state from the first of January, 1861, to the fourteenth of October, 1864, which are shown by the records of the register's office, are confirmed, and patents shall, on demand, be issued in the name of the purchaser, and be delivered to the party surrendering the proof of entry or location, or on making, to the satisfaction of the register, proof of loss.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1293 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1293
Execution of lease in triplicate, disposition of copies
Status: in_force

Any such lease shall be executed in triplicate, and shall be disposed of as follows: one copy shall be furnished to the lessee; one copy shall be recorded in the conveyance records of the parish in which the land lies; and one copy shall be retained in the records of the lessor.

Acts 1954, No. 571, §3. Amended by Acts 1954, No. 712, §3.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1172 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1172
Patents and titles subject to rights of way
Status: in_force

All patents and titles from the state shall issue subject to such right, servitude, ways, and franchise, as provided for in R.S. 41:1171.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1331 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1331
Confirmation of sale to Jefferson and Plaquemines Drainage District
Status: in_force

Where the Jefferson and Plaquemines Drainage District has acquired property located in the drainage district, at tax sale made by the sheriffs and ex-officio tax collectors of either the Parishes of Jefferson and Plaquemines, respectively, and the three-year period within which the property may be redeemed shall have expired, all rights, title and interest in and to the property are ratified and confirmed unto the Jefferson and Plaquemines Drainage District. The drainage district shall have the right to subdivide said land thus purchased, and any other lands which it may acquire, into lots, parcels, plats or tracts, best suited to the sale and disposition of the land.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:635 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 635
Cancellation of school land warrants and refund of money when land unavailable
Status: in_force

Whenever, the register finds that because of the donation by congress of all the overflowed and swamp lands to the state there are no public lands in the Southeastern Land District of this state on which may be located the school land warrants sold for the benefit of certain townships in the district, he shall receive and cancel all such warrants as may be presented for that purpose and pay to the legal possessors thereof or to their orders the full amount received by the state on account of the warrants. The money shall be taken from that fund in the treasury which was credited by the sale of the warrants.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:14 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 14
Conveyances of waterbottoms, ownership
Status: in_force

No grant, sale or conveyance of the lands forming the bottoms of rivers, streams, bayous, lagoons, lakes, bays, sounds, and inlets bordering on or connecting with the Gulf of Mexico within the territory or jurisdiction of the state shall be made by the register of the state land office or by any other official or by any subordinate political subdivision, except pursuant to R.S. 41:1701 through 1714. Any rights accorded by law to the owners or occupants of lands on the shores of any waters described in this Section shall not extend beyond the ordinary low water mark. No one shall own any bottoms of lands covering the bottoms of waters described in this Section.

Acts 1985, No. 876, §2, eff. July 23, 1985; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:903 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 903
Central Community School Board; exchange of unused school land
Status: in_force

A. Whenever the Central Community School Board determines that a parcel of its property in the Central community school system, including but not limited to sixteenth section land, is no longer needed for school purposes and that the best interest of the school system would be served by the conveyance of such land in exchange for other land and consideration proportionate to the appraised value of the land being conveyed, the school board may convey such land in exchange for other land within the boundaries of the school system and other consideration in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section. For purposes of this Section, "exchange" includes an exchange of land for other land and other consideration in accordance with Article VII, Section 14 of the Constitution of Louisiana.

B. The Central Community School Board shall hold a public hearing to receive public comment concerning the exchange of such lands. Prior to the public hearing, the school board shall obtain an appraisal from a certified appraiser of the lands being considered for exchange, and such appraisal shall be available for public inspection at the hearing.

C. The school board shall provide notice of the public hearing and notice of its intent to consider the exchange of land as well as a brief description of both parcels of land by advertisement in the official journal of the parish in which the land is situated on at least three separate days at least thirty days prior to the date on which the hearing is to be held.

D. After such hearing and after giving due consideration to any public comment, the school board may, at a regularly scheduled meeting, authorize the advertised exchange, provided that a majority of the elected membership of the school board determines that the exchange is for a valid purpose in the best interest of the school board and that the lands to be exchanged are of comparable value. The president of the school board shall thereafter proceed with the exchange of the lands in accordance with law and upon authorization of the school board.

E. The powers and rights conferred by this Section shall be in addition to the powers and rights conferred by any other general or special law, including but not limited to the provisions of R.S. 41:640. This Section does and shall be construed to provide a complete and additional method for the exchange of unused school lands, including but not limited to sixteenth section lands, by the school board. No proceeding, notice, or approval shall be required for the exchange of unused school land by the school board, except as provided in this Section. The provisions of this Section shall be liberally construed for the accomplishment of its purposes.

Acts 2008, No. 728, §1, eff. July 6, 2008.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1214 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1214
Advertisement and bids
Status: in_force

A. If the lessor determines that the lands in question may be leased, the lessor, except as may be provided to the contrary in Title 30, Title 31, Title 56, and other provisions of Title 41 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, relative to fisheries, wildlife, and timber, shall publish an advertisement in the official journal of the parish where the land is located setting forth a description of the land to be leased, the time when bids therefor will be received, and a short summary of the terms, conditions, and purposes of the lease to be executed. If the lands are situated in two or more parishes, the advertisement shall appear in the official journals of all parishes in which the lands are located. The advertisement shall be published for a period of not less than fifteen days and at least once a week during three consecutive weeks. The lessor may also send notices to those whom it may think would be interested in submitting bids for the leases.

B. The lessor may on its own initiative advertise for bids for any lease as provided herein but without application therefor. The applications and bids provided for in this Part shall be secret, sealed applications and bids. Each bid shall be either hand-delivered by the bidder, or his agent, in which instance the deliverer shall receive a written receipt, or such bid shall be sent by registered or certified mail with a return receipt requested, or shall be submitted electronically as provided in Subsection E of this Section. No lessor shall accept or take any bids, including receiving any hand-delivered bids, on days which are recognized as holidays by the United States Postal Service.

C. The advertisements in accordance with this Section shall constitute judicial advertisements and legal notices within the contemplation of Chapter 5 of Title 43 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.

D. Each person who submits a bid shall deposit with the bid an amount equal to ten percent of the bid but not less than seventy-five dollars. The deposit shall be in the form of a certified check or a money order.

E.(1) Lessors shall provide a uniform and secure electronic interactive system as an additional bidding option for the submittal of bids for lease requiring competitive bidding. Any lessor providing such system shall follow the standards for the receipt of electronic bids adopted by the office of the governor, the division of administration, and the office of technology services as provided for in LAC 4:XV.701. Any special condition or requirement for the submission shall be specified in the advertisement for bids required by this Section.

(2) Lessors that are currently without available high-speed internet access shall be exempt from the provisions of this Subsection until such time that high- speed internet access becomes available.

(3) Any parish with a police jury form of government and a population of less than twenty thousand people shall be exempt from the provisions of this Subsection.

(4) Any governmental subdivision with a population of less than ten thousand people shall be exempt from the provisions of this Subsection.

(5) Any other lessor which is unable to comply with the electronic bidding provisions of this Subsection without securing and expending additional funding shall be exempt from the requirements of this Subsection.

(6) Lessors shall have the option to require that all bids be submitted electronically for any competitive bid let out for public bid.

(7) Lessors shall include all information regarding the advertisement of bids described in Subsection A of this Section.

Acts 1972, No. 150, §1; Acts 1984, No. 807, §1; Acts 1990, No. 945, §1; Acts 2017, No. 308, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:421 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 421
Recovery by state for illegal or excessive entry of swamp lands
Status: in_force

Whenever the governor is satisfied from information received, that swamp lands of the state, not subject to tidal overflow, have been illegally and fraudulently entered by private persons or corporations and sold by the state for a price less than one dollar and twenty five cents per acre, or for a price authorized by law, but in a quantity in excess of six hundred and forty acres, he may order the institution of proceedings for the recovery of all such lands in excess of six hundred and forty acres, for the value of timber taken therefrom, or for damage thereto and waste thereon.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1001 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1001
Application for sale of timber on state lands
Status: in_force

Any person who desires to purchase any timber located on property under the jurisdiction of the state land office, shall file with the register of the state land office, an application to purchase giving the exact location, section, township and range, and the types of timber he desires to purchase. The applicant shall deposit with the register of the state land office, the sum of one hundred dollars as evidence of good faith. Should the applicant, at the sale of timber as provided for in this Part, fail to purchase the timber, then the money so deposited may be returned to him; provided that should no one at the sale bid up to the minimum price stipulated in this Part, then the money shall be retained to pay the expenses of the sale.

Acts 1978, No. 405, §1; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:961 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 961
Actions for recovery of title and damages for trespass
Status: in_force

The school boards of the various parishes of the state may contract with and employ on the part of the State of Louisiana, attorneys at law, to recover for the state, damages for trespass to the sixteenth section known as school lands the title to which is still in the state. Each of the boards may make these contracts for the lands situated in its own parish and no others. The school boards may also sue for and recover the sixteenth section known as school lands.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:54 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 54
Place for deposit; custodian
Status: in_force

The records shall be deposited and kept in a fire proof vault or room, provided by the register of the state land office, who may appoint a custodian thereof, under his control.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:891 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 891
Sale of unused school lands
Status: in_force

Whenever the school board of any parish or city determines that any school lands or other immovable property under its control are no longer needed for school purposes and that the best interest of the public school system would be served by the sale of such lands, the school board shall have authority to dispose of such lands at public auction, under sealed bids, by licensed real estate broker in accordance with the procedure set forth in this Subpart; provided that this Subpart shall not apply to the sale of sixteenth section lands, school indemnity lands, or any other school lands for the sale of which the law already has provided a procedure in Chapter 6 of Title 41 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes or elsewhere in the law.

Added by Acts 1962, No. 214, §1. Amended by Acts 1972, No. 291, §1; Acts 2017, No. 249, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1047 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1047
Advertising rates
Status: in_force

The newspapers publishing the advertisements of sale provided for in this Part shall receive therefor not more than the legal rate for advertising.

Added by Acts 1978, No. 405, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1323.2 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1323.2
Sixteenth section sales made prior to 1921; Act of 1956
Status: in_force

A. Sales of the sixteenth section school lands in the State of Louisiana made prior to the first day of July, 1921, are hereby ratified and confirmed, notwithstanding any informalities in the said sales relative to holding elections to authorize said sales, appraisements, and offering the said lands in lots of forty acres, and any other informalities, regardless of whether any such sale was made by the treasurer of the parish in which any such sixteenth section was located or made by the treasurer of any other parish, where it is affirmatively shown by the records of the offices of State Auditor, or State Superintendent of Education or Register of State Land Office, that such lands were offered for sale and sold, whether the execution of a deed therefor can be proved or not.

B. All defects and informalities in such sales, subject to the above proviso are hereby cured and such sales if indicated by the records of the offices above referred to are hereby ratified as complete divestiture of title from the State of Louisiana.

Acts 1956, No. 580, §§1, 2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1607 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1607
Contracts for recovery
Status: in_force

A. The secretary, with the advice of the division, may enter into a contract with any governmental agency, political subdivision, group, or person for the recovery of archaeological materials, treasure, sunken or abandoned ships and wrecks of the sea, or parts thereof or their contents, which are determined to be located on state-owned lands, or on private land if the written consent of the owner thereof is first obtained. Such contracts shall be approved by the attorney general and may provide for fair compensation to the salvager, and owner of the private land where applicable, in terms of a percentage of the reasonable cash value of the objects recovered or at the discretion of the secretary, with the advice of the division, of a fair share of the objects recovered.

B. The amount constituting a fair share shall be determined by the secretary, taking into consideration the circumstances of each operation, and the reasonable cash value may be determined by contractual agreement after appraisal by qualified experts or by representatives of the contracting parties. Each contract shall provide for the termination of any right of the salvager thereunder upon the violation of any of the terms thereof. Superior title to all objects recovered from state lands shall be retained by the state of Louisiana unless and until released by the secretary.

Acts 1989, No. 291, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:9 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 9
Disposition of fees collected
Status: in_force

All fees shall be collected and deposited into the state treasury.

Acts 1983, No. 705, §3, eff. Sept. 1, 1983.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:965 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 965
Disposition of proceeds
Status: in_force

The amount recovered for the state shall, after deducting and paying the attorneys' fees and all other lawful costs and charges, be paid into the state treasury, to be kept on the books of the State Auditor and State Treasurer, to the credit of the township in which the land is situated, in the same manner as now provided by law for the proceeds of the sale of sixteenth sections.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:716 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 716
Lease of lands
Status: in_force

A. Should a majority of the legal voters be against the sale of the lands, then the school board of the parish in which the lands are located shall secure them from injury and waste, shall prevent illegal possession or aggression of any kind and shall lease the land, or any part thereof, according to the provisions of the act of congress referred to in R.S. 41:711 as amended by Act of Congress, approved June 12th, 1884, and shall inform the state superintendent of education thereof.

B. The lease shall be made only after due notice has been given by advertisement, for at least thirty days, in the official journal of the parish, or in any paper published regularly in the parish containing the land to be leased, of the time and place when the land will be offered for lease to the highest bidder. In all cases ample security shall be required, not only for the punctual payment of the rent but for the protection of the lands from all kinds of waste and injury. The parish school board may reject any and all bids offered for the lease, if in its judgment the bids do not reach a just and fair value of the lease.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:763 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 763
Deed; disposition of proceeds
Status: in_force

A. The deed of the parish treasurer shall be full and complete evidence of the sale, shall convey a good and valid title to the property sold and shall have all the force and effect of a notarial act.

B. All monies or notes received under and by virtue of the sale shall be disposed of by the parish treasurer in the manner now required by law.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1733 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1733
Award of state wind leases
Status: in_force

A. All proposals for lease of state lands for the exploration, development, or production of energy from wind shall be submitted to the State Mineral and Energy Board. The State Mineral and Energy Board shall then submit to the state land office and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries the portion of the proposal which contains the location of the proposed lease. The state land office and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries shall review the proposed location of the lease and shall certify to the State Mineral and Energy Board whether or not there are other leases of any kind at the proposed lease location. If there are other leases, the state agencies shall attach to the certification a copy of all other leases at the proposed lease location. The state land office and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are hereby authorized to charge the applicant reasonable fees to fulfill the requirements of this Section. Any such fees shall be promulgated through rules and regulations adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

B. After certification by the other state agencies, the State Mineral and Energy Board shall forward the applications and certification with copies of any other leases on the proposed location to the secretary of the Department of Conservation and Energy, who shall evaluate whether the lands proposed for lease best support the exploration, development, or production of energy from wind. In evaluating the proposed lease, the secretary of the Department of Conservation and Energy shall consider the capability of the lease proposal to fulfill the intent of this Chapter, the environmental impact of the placement of wind turbines and other equipment necessary for the exploration, development, or production of energy from wind, the impact of the proposed lease on any other leases, including leases for the exploration or production of subsurface deems appropriate. When evaluating the proposed lease, the secretary of the Department of Conservation and Energy shall consult with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries when the proposed lease lies within the confines of properties under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission or the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and may consult any other state agency or governmental entity that may have jurisdiction within the confines of the proposed lease.

C. If the secretary of the Department of Conservation and Energy determines that a proposed lease for the exploration, development, or production of energy from wind is appropriate, the secretary shall recommend to the State Mineral and Energy Board that the board conduct a public bid process. If the secretary of Department of Conservation and Energy determines that a proposed lease for the exploration, development, or production of energy from wind is not appropriate, the secretary shall notify the State Mineral and Energy Board who shall then notify the applicant that no bid process shall occur.

D. A lease may be granted in whole or in part. The State Mineral and Energy Board has authority to accept the bid it finds is most advantageous to the state and may lease upon whatever terms it considers proper. Such lease shall include a provision permitting the state, at its option, to take in kind all or any of the portion due it as royalty.

Acts 2005, No. 481, §1, eff. July 12, 2005; Acts 2008, No. 580, §5; Acts 2009, No. 196, §6, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2022, No. 443, §2; Acts 2023, No. 150, §15, eff. Jan. 10, 2024.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1734 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1734
Powers and duties of the secretary of the Department of Conservation and Energy
Status: in_force

A. The secretary of the Department of Conservation and Energy shall promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the provisions of this Chapter and to institute reasonable fees for services performed by the department. The rules and regulations shall include all provisions necessary to accomplish the intent of the legislature as stated in this Chapter and shall provide for the following:

(1) Criteria for setting the annual rent or royalty amounts for leases executed pursuant to this Chapter.

(2) Criteria for setting a primary term for leases and the necessary wind energy production or other actions by the lessee to continue the lease beyond the primary term. The rules and regulations shall also provide for the release of acreage at the end of the primary term on that portion of the lease where none of the necessary wind energy production or other actions occur.

(3) Requirements for financial security to ensure proper closure of the site pursuant to the decommissioning plan.

(4) Requirements for determining that if no responsible party can be located or such party has failed or is financially unable to undertake decommissioning required by the lease and that no energy has been produced from the facility from wind for two years. These requirements shall include notice to the last operator of record.

B. The secretary may expend sums payable to the department from the financial security required by the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this Section and enter into contracts for the purpose of restoration of wind energy sites pursuant to the terms of the lease or when the secretary has determined there is no responsible party pursuant to this Section. Restoration of a wind energy site includes removing the wind energy production facility along with any necessary infrastructure facilities and restoring the property to as near as reasonably possible to the condition of the property prior to the commencement of construction of the facility.

Acts 2005, No. 481, §1, eff. July 12, 2005; Acts 2022, No. 443, §2; Acts 2023, No. 150, §15, eff. Jan. 10, 2024.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:546 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 546
Fees for oaths, affidavits and proofs
Status: in_force

All oaths, affidavits or proofs required under this Subpart shall be made before the Register of the State Land Office, or before any official of the parish in which the land is situated who is authorized to administer oaths and to use a seal. Officers other than the register may charge a fee of two dollars for preparing and attesting applications and affidavits for any entry under this Subpart, and a fee of four dollars for preparing final proof and attesting them.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1705 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1705
Application of Chapter; exemptions
Status: in_force

This Chapter shall not apply to:

(1) Piers, wharves, structures, or other improvements within the jurisdiction of any deep-water port commission of this state, including but not restricted to the authority to grant permits to construct, create, alter, improve, extend, or maintain any wharf, pier, dock, structure, or other improvement, and the granting of any permit for any of such purposes shall be and remain in the deep-water port commissions as to any such activity heretofore or hereafter performed or for which permit heretofore was or hereafter is sought.

(2) Levees or other public flood control structures;

(3) Temporary extensions to existing encroachment added for a period not to exceed six months, if required by low or high water, unless unduly interfering with public navigation or fishery;

(4) Ordinary repairs and maintenance to existing encroachments;

(5) Duck blinds, rafts, floats or buoys, unless unduly interfering with public navigation or fishery;

(6) Shore or bank stabilization works;

(7) Operations upon navigable waters by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in exercise of their authority over navigation;

(8) Regulation of oyster beds, fish, and other wildlife, or collection of payment for fill materials exercised by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries;

(9) Any temporary emergency flood control measure;

(10) Any highway related project undertaken by authority of the Department of Transportation and Development;

(11) Any activity by a state mineral lessee in the development and operation of the lease;

(12) The establishment and maintenance of any encroachment by the state agency in the discharge of its lawful duties or functions;

(13) Pipeline rights-of-way granted over state lands by the estate; or

(14) Commercial and noncommercial wharves and piers extending over public lands less than fifty linear feet whose surface area does not exceed one hundred fifty square feet, unless part of another encroachment or system or unduly interfering with public interests, navigation, or fishery.

(15) Projects of the Terrebonne Parish governing authority utilizing the area of Bayou Terrebonne between Terrebonne High School and the Intracoastal Waterway for a public purpose.

(16) Alternative oyster culture permits legally issued by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries pursuant to R.S. 56:431.2.

Added by Acts 1978, No. 645, §2, eff. July 13, 1978. Amended by Acts 1981, No. 1, §1, eff. May 18, 1981; Acts 1997, No. 222, §1; Acts 2012, No. 293, §1, eff. May 25, 2012.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1009 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1009
Cutting or sale, or both, of cypress timber on state property; prohibition
Status: in_force

The cutting or sale, or both, of standing cypress timber located on any property owned by the state of Louisiana is hereby prohibited pursuant to R.S. 3:4278.5.

Added by Acts 1980, No. 795, §1; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2; Acts 2021, No. 190, §2, eff. June 11, 2021.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:729 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 729
Cameron Parish School Board; sale or exchange of sixteenth section lands
Status: in_force

A. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, if the Cameron Parish School Board, on behalf of the state of Louisiana, determines that any sixteenth section lands located within Cameron Parish are no longer needed for school purposes and that the best interest of the Cameron Parish school system would be served by the sale or exchange of the lands, the school board may authorize a sale or exchange on behalf of the state in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section.

B. The school board shall obtain an appraisal of the lands being considered for sale or exchange from a certified, licensed appraiser, and the appraisal shall be available for public inspection.

C. The school board shall hold a public hearing to receive public comment concerning the sale or exchange of the sixteenth section lands. The school board shall provide notice of the public hearing and notice of its intent to consider the sale or exchange of sixteenth section lands by advertisement in the official journal of the parish on at least three separate days at least thirty days prior to the date of the hearing. The notice shall include a brief description of the sixteenth section lands to be sold or exchanged, as well as any lands being considered in exchange for the sixteenth section lands. The appraisal required by Subsection B of this Section shall be made available for public inspection at the hearing.

D. After the hearing and with due consideration of any public comments, if the board determines that the sixteenth section lands are not needed for school purposes and that a sale or exchange is in the best interest of the school system, the school board may vote to authorize a sale or exchange.

E. Upon authorization of the school board for the sale of sixteenth section lands, the president of the school board may proceed with a sale on behalf of the state in accordance with the procedures provided in R.S. 41:892. Upon authorization of the school board for an exchange of sixteenth section lands, the president of the school board may proceed on behalf of the state with an exchange of the lands for other lands in Cameron Parish of equal or greater value.

F. The authority conferred by this Section shall be in addition to the authority conferred by any other law. This Section shall be construed liberally for the accomplishment of its purpose, which is to provide a complete and additional method for the sale or exchange of unused sixteenth section lands by the Cameron Parish School Board.

Acts 2023, No. 58, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:893 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 893
Jefferson Parish School Board; exchange of unused school land
Status: in_force

A. Whenever the Jefferson Parish School Board determines that a parcel of its property adjacent to the L.W. Higgings High School is no longer needed for school purposes and that the best interest of the public school system would be served by the exchange of such land for other land of comparable value, the board may exchange such land for a parcel of land in Jefferson Parish owned by the West Bank Cathedral, in accordance with the procedure set forth in this Section.

B. The Jefferson Parish School Board shall hold a public hearing to receive public comment concerning the exchange of such lands. Prior to the public hearing, the board shall obtain an appraisal from a certified appraiser of the lands being considered for exchange and such appraisals shall be available for public inspection at the hearing.

C. The school board shall provide notice of the public hearing and notice of its intent to consider the exchange of land as well as a brief description of both pieces of land by advertisement in the official journal of the parish in which the land is situated on at least three separate days at least thirty days prior to the date on which the hearing is to be held.

D. After such hearing and after giving due consideration to any public comment, the board may, at its next regularly scheduled meeting, vote to authorize the advertised exchange, provided that the board determines that the exchange is for a valid purpose in the best interest of the school board and, that the lands to be exchanged are of comparable value. The president of the board shall proceed with the exchange of the lands in accordance with the law and upon authorization of the board.

Acts 1985, No. 544, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:720 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 720
Annulment of sale by purchaser
Status: in_force

In all cases of the sale of school lands known as sixteenth sections, where the purchase money has not been paid, the purchaser may annul the sale, upon application to the district court of the parish where the land is situated subject to the following conditions: (1) that the judgment of nullity shall be obtained at the cost of the applicant and contradictorily with the district attorney and the school board of the district; (2) that it shall appear upon the trial thereof that the value of the land has not been impaired by any act of the purchaser. The purchaser shall not be entitled to the repayment of any part of the purchase money paid at the time of his purchase.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1085 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1085
Proceeds
Status: in_force

All monies derived from the sale of the timber pursuant to the provisions of this Part shall be forwarded to the secretary of the Interagency Recreation Board for deposit in the state general fund after compliance with the provisions of Article VII, Section 9 of the Constitution of Louisiana with respect to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund, without delay, after the sheriff making the sale has deducted therefrom the expense of advertising and his commissions for making the sales. The commission shall be two percent of the amount bid and paid provided that this commission shall not exceed one hundred dollars for one day's adjudication. The sheriff in forwarding the money shall forward a statement certified by him as correct showing the amount of the bid, the expenditure for the advertising, and the amount withheld by him as commission. He shall at the same time forward to the secretary of the board a duplicate of his proces verbal of sale wherein he shall give a correct description of the property sold with the recital of the acts performed by him in effecting the sale, the amount of the purchase price received, and the amount forwarded to the board.

Acts 1984, No. 846, §2; Acts 2001, No. 1185, §5, eff. July 1, 2001.
La. Rev. Stat. § 41:1046 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 41 / Section 1046
Removal of timber
Status: in_force

The adjudicatee of the timber sold under the provisions of this Part shall have the right to ingress and egress at any time for the purpose of removing the timber from the land; provided that the time stipulated to cut and remove the timber shall be fixed in the advertisement and in the act of sale by the secretary of the levee board as well as the type and size of trees to be cut. The term for removal of the timber shall not exceed one year unless proof is provided to the secretary of the levee board that the delay would result in unavoidable hardship. Upon such proof, the secretary may grant an extension for up to one year provided consideration totaling ten percent of the actual amount of the sale is remitted to the levee board.

Acts 1978, No. 405, §1.