Source: http://rabbit.monqcle.com/contents/statutes/Louisiana%20Revised%20Statutes/TITLE%2032%20Motor%20Vehicles%20and%20Traffic%20Regulation/RS%2032%3A295.1%20Safety%20belt%20use%3B%20tags%20indicating%20exemption
Timestamp: 2019-10-14 07:48:05
Document Index: 595871862

Matched Legal Cases: ['§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§2', '§16', '§1']

Louisiana | RS 32:295.1 Safety belt use; tags indicating exemption | Rabbit Crowd Library
A.(1) Each driver of a passenger car, van, sports utility vehicle, or truck having a
gross weight of ten thousand pounds or less, commonly referred to as a pickup truck, in this
state shall have a safety belt properly fastened about his or her body at all times when the
vehicle is in forward motion. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to those cars,
vans, sports utility vehicles, or pickups manufactured prior to January 1, 1981.
(2) A person operating or riding in an autocycle shall wear seatbelts while in forward
(3) Each driver of a passenger car, van, sports utility vehicle, or truck having a gross
weight of ten thousand pounds or less, commonly referred to as a pickup truck, shall not
transport more persons than there are safety belts available in the vehicle.
B. Except as provided by R.S. 32:295 for children under the age of thirteen or as
otherwise provided by law, each occupant of a passenger car, van, sports utility vehicle, or
truck having a gross weight of ten thousand pounds or less, commonly referred to as a pickup
truck, in this state shall have a safety belt properly fastened about his or her body at all times
when the vehicle is in forward motion.
(1) A motor vehicle operated by a rural letter carrier of the United States Postal
Service while performing his or her duties as a rural letter carrier, to a farm vehicle being
operated within five miles of the place of its principal use, to a motor vehicle being operated
by a newspaper delivery person while he or she is engaged in the distribution of regularly
published newspapers.
(2) A motor vehicle operated by a utility worker, including any water, gas, or electric
meter reader, in the course of his employment which requires the person to emerge from and
re-enter a passenger vehicle at frequent intervals. However, while engaged in such work,
such utility worker shall not drive or travel in such vehicle at a speed exceeding 20 miles per
D.(1) This Section shall not apply to an occupant of a passenger car or operator with
a physically or mentally disabling condition whose physical or mental disability would
prevent appropriate restraint in the safety belt; however, the condition shall be duly certified
by a physician who shall state the nature of the disability, as well as the reason such restraint
(2)(a) On the application of any person with a mental or physical disability whose
impairment is permanent and prevents use of a seat belt, the commissioner shall issue a
special tag for the benefit of the applicant which indicates such condition. The fee for the tag
shall be five dollars. In lieu of issuance of the special tag, the commissioner shall indicate
on the face of the applicant's driver's license, as provided in R.S. 32:403.2 and 410, that the
applicant is not required to use a seat belt.
(b) Each application shall be accompanied by a physician's statement certifying that
the applicant is permanently disabled and that such disability prevents the applicant's use of
(3)(a) On application of any person with a mental or physical disability whose
impairment prevents use of a seat belt, but is not permanent, the commissioner shall issue
a special temporary tag for the benefit of the applicant which indicates such condition. The
fee for the temporary tag shall be five dollars.
(b) Each application for a temporary tag shall be accompanied by a physician's
statement certifying that the applicant is temporarily disabled and certifying a period of time
for which the disability will prevent the applicant's use of a seat belt.
(c) Any individual who has been issued a temporary tag under the provisions of this
Section and who desires to extend the time period for which the tag is valid shall provide to
the office of motor vehicles a physician's statement certifying that the applicant continues to
have a disability which prevents the applicant's use of a seat belt and certifying a period of
time for which the tag should be renewed. Failure to provide recertification statements shall
result in the suspension of such privilege.
(a) Display or permit the display of the tag on any motor vehicle in which he is not
(5)(a) If a tag is lost, destroyed, or mutilated, the individual to whom the card was
issued may obtain a duplicate by doing all of the following:
(ii) Complete an application as required by this Section for the issuance of an
(b) Any individual who loses a tag and, after obtaining a duplicate, finds the original,
shall immediately surrender the original tag to the commissioner or to any field office of the
office of motor vehicles and shall not display the original tag on any vehicle.
(6) Any individual who is not impaired as provided in this Section and who willfully
and falsely represents himself as having the conditions to obtain a special tag authorized by
this Section shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than two hundred fifty
dollars, or shall be imprisoned for not more than thirty days, or both, and on subsequent
offenses, shall be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars nor more than five hundred
dollars, or shall be imprisoned for not more than ninety days, or both.
(7) Any individual who utilizes a tag authorized by this Section which was not
legally issued to him and who is not transporting the individual to whom the tag was issued
shall be fined not less than fifty dollars nor more than two hundred fifty dollars or shall be
imprisoned for not more than thirty days, or both, and on second and subsequent offenses,
shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or shall
be imprisoned for not more than sixty days, or both.
(8) Any individual to whom a tag is issued under the provisions of this Section and
who allows his tag to be used by an individual not entitled to the use of such tag shall have
his tag suspended for six months and shall be fined not less than fifty dollars nor more than
two hundred fifty dollars, or shall be imprisoned for not more than thirty days for the first
offense, or both. On the second and subsequent offenses, said suspension shall be for one
year, and the individual shall be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars nor more than
five hundred dollars, in addition to suspension of said privileges, or shall be imprisoned not
more than thirty days, or both.
(9) Any physician who willfully and falsely certifies that an individual is impaired
in order to allow that person to obtain the special tag authorized in this Section shall be fined
one thousand dollars, or shall be imprisoned for not more than ninety days, or both.
(10) The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with
the Administrative Procedure Act for the implementation of the provisions of this Section.
The commissioner shall determine the design, color, and placement of the tag issued under
the provisions of this Section, provided that such design, color, and placement is easily
discernable to law enforcement officers as designating individuals who are exempted from
seat belt usage and provided that the tag includes a photograph of the person entitled to the
E. In any action to recover damages arising out of the ownership, common
maintenance, or operation of a motor vehicle, failure to wear a safety belt in violation of this
Section shall not be considered evidence of comparative negligence. Failure to wear a safety
belt in violation of this Section shall not be admitted to mitigate damages.
F. Probable cause for violation of this Section shall be based solely upon a law
enforcement officer's clear and unobstructed view of a person not restrained as required by
this Section. A law enforcement officer may not search or inspect a motor vehicle, its
contents, the driver, or a passenger solely because of a violation of this Section.
G.(1) Any person who violates this Section shall be subject to the following
(a) Upon conviction of a first offense, the fine shall be fifty dollars which shall
(b) Upon conviction of a second offense, the fine shall be seventy-five dollars which
shall include all costs of court.
(c) Upon conviction of a third offense and any subsequent offense, the fine shall be
seventy-five dollars plus all costs of court.
(2) Any person who violates the provisions of this Section in Orleans Parish shall
have an additional twenty dollar penalty assessed for each violation. The funds collected
pursuant to the provisions of this Paragraph shall be deposited in the indigent defender fund
pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 15:571.11(A)(1)(d).
(3) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, no other cost or fee shall be
assessed against any person for a violation of this Section.
H. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall initiate an educational
program designed to encourage compliance with the safety belt usage requirements of this
I. Repealed by Acts 1997, No. 383, §1, and Acts 1997, No. 511, §1.
Acts 1985, No. 377, §1, eff. July 1, 1986; Acts 1986, No. 53, §1; Acts 1988, No. 759,
§1, eff. Aug. 1, 1988; Acts 1992, No. 1084, §1; Acts 1995, No. 643, §1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995;
Acts 1997, No. 383, §1; Acts 1997, No. 511, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1085, §1; Acts 1997, No.
1261, §1; Acts 1999, No. 926, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1344, §1; Acts 2001, No. 603, §1; Acts
2006, No. 318, §1, eff. June 13, 2006; Acts 2009, No. 166, §1; Acts 2012, No. 244, §1; Acts
2012, No. 413, §2; Acts 2014, No. 811, §16, eff. June 23, 2014; Acts 2016, No. 445, §1.
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