# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0001624322
**File Stem:** 0001437749-25-028935
**Filing Date:** 2025-9
**Character Count:** 2660
**Document Hash:** e0b9d98baea7c62c500f3f383603bd1e
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0001437749-25-028935.hdr.sgml**: 20251121

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0001437749-25-028935

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: CORRESP

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 2

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20250912

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** Business First Bancshares, Inc.
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0001624322
- **STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:** STATE COMMERCIAL BANKS [6022]
- **ORGANIZATION NAME:** 02 Finance
- **EIN:** 205340628
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** LA
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 1231

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** CORRESP

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 500 LAUREL STREET
- **STREET 2:** SUITE 101
- **CITY:** BATON ROUGE
- **STATE:** LA
- **ZIP:** 70801
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 225-248-7600

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 500 LAUREL STREET
- **STREET 2:** SUITE 101
- **CITY:** BATON ROUGE
- **STATE:** LA
- **ZIP:** 70801

![bfb.jpg](bfb.jpg)

September 12, 2025

**<u>VIA EDGAR</u>**

United States Securities and Exchange Commission

Division of Corporation Finance

100 F. Street, N.E.

Washington, D.C. 20549

Attention: Ms. Aisha Adegbuyi, Attorney Advisor

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Re:** | **Business First Bancshares, Inc.**  |

---

**Registration Statement on Form S-4**<br> **Filed August 26, 2025 (as amended on September 12, 2025)**<br> **File No. 333-289858**

**Request for Acceleration of Effectiveness**

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Pursuant to Rule 461 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), Business First Bancshares, Inc., a Louisiana corporation (the "Registrant"), hereby requests acceleration by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of the effective date of the above-captioned Registration Statement on Form S-4/A (the "Registration Statement"). The Registrant respectfully requests that the Registration Statement become effective under the Securities Act as of 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, or as soon thereafter as practicable.

Please contact Beth A. Whitaker of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, the Registrant's counsel, at (214) 468-3575 with any questions you may have concerning this request. In addition, please notify Mrs. Whitaker when this request for acceleration has been granted.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| Sincerely, | Sincerely, |
| BUSINESS FIRST BANCSHARES, INC. | BUSINESS FIRST BANCSHARES, INC. |
| By: | /s/ David R. Melville, III |
| Name: | David R. Melville, III |
| Title:  | Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer |

---

cc: Beth A. Whitaker, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Saundra Strong, Business First Bancshares, Inc.