reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:343. Condition of brakes

RS 32:343 - Condition of brakes
All brakes and component parts thereof shall be maintained in good condition and in good working order. The brakes shall be so adjusted as to operate as equally as practicable with respect to the wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:344. Brakes after engine failure

RS 32:344 - Brakes after engine failure
All motor vehicles shall be so equipped as to permit application of the brakes at least once for the purpose of bringing the vehicle to a stop within the legal stopping distance after the engine has become inoperative.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:345. Brakes on motor driven cycles

RS 32:345 - Brakes on motor driven cycles
A. The commissioner is hereby authorized to require an inspection of the brake on any motor driven cycle and to disapprove any such brake which he finds will not comply with the performance ability standard set forth in R.S. 32:342, or which in his opinion is not so designed or constructed as to insure reasonable and reliable performance in actual use.
B. The commissioner may refuse to register or may suspend or revoke the registration of any vehicle referred to in this Section when he determines that the brake thereon does not comply with the provisions of this Chapter.
C. No person shall operate on any highway of this state any vehicle referred to in this Section if the commissioner has disapproved the brake equipment upon such vehicle or type of vehicle.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:351. Horns and warning devices

RS 32:351 - Horns and warning devices
A.(1) Every motor vehicle when operated upon a highway of this state shall be equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than two hundred feet, but no horn or other warning device shall emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle. The driver of a motor vehicle shall, when reasonably necessary to ensure safe operation, give audible warning with his horn, but shall not otherwise use such horn when upon a highway of this state.
(2) Persons with mobility impairments, while operating a motor vehicle upon any state or local highway of this state, may utilize the horn of such vehicle if the nature of the operator's physical impairment requires use of the horn in a situation other than one required to ensure safe operation of the motor vehicle and the operator is operating a motor vehicle with a mobility impairment license plate or the operator has been issued a mobility impairment hang tag.
B. No vehicle shall be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a vehicle any siren, whistle or bell, except as otherwise permitted in this Section.
C. It is permissible but not required that any commercial vehicle be equipped with a theft alarm signal device which is so arranged that it cannot be used by the driver as an ordinary warning signal.
D. Any authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a siren, whistle, or bell capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than five hundred feet and of a type approved by the commissioner, but such siren shall not be used except when such vehicle is operated in response to an emergency call or in the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, in which events the driver of the vehicle shall sound the siren when reasonably necessary to warn pedestrians and other drivers of the approach thereof. However, motor vehicles which are owned and operated by members of nonprofit corporations as provided in R.S. 12:201 et seq. and which are tax exempt in accordance with Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, for exhibition in shows, parades, tours, and other special uses and not for general transportation may be equipped with a siren, whistle, or bell capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of up to five hundred feet but such sound equipment shall not be used except when such vehicle is participating in shows, parades, tours, and other special events.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977; Acts 1995, No. 56, §1; Acts 2006, No. 488, §1; Acts 2014, No. 811, §16, eff. July 23, 2014.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:352. Mufflers; requirements; prevention of excessive noise, fumes and smoke

RS 32:352 - Mufflers; requirements; prevention of excessive noise, fumes and smoke
A. Every motor vehicle shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise.
B. No person shall use a muffler cut-out, bypass or similar device upon a motor vehicle on a highway of this state.
C. The engine and power mechanism of every motor vehicle shall be so equipped and adjusted as to prevent the escape of excessive fumes or smoke.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:353. Modification of exhaust systems

RS 32:353 - Modification of exhaust systems
No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the motor of such vehicle, above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle and the original muffler shall comply with all of the requirements of R.S. 32:352.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:354. Mirrors

RS 32:354 - Mirrors
A. After January 1, 1975, every motor vehicle manufactured or assembled after December 31, 1972, of a type subject to registration in this state shall be equipped with a mirror mounted on the left side of the vehicle and so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway for a distance of at least two hundred feet to the rear of the vehicle.
B. Every motor vehicle of a type subject to registration in this state, except a motorcycle or motor driven cycle, shall be equipped with an additional mirror mounted either inside the vehicle approximately in the center or outside the vehicle on the right side and so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway for a distance of at least two hundred feet to the rear of the vehicle. When the required view from the inside mirror is obstructed, an outside mirror on the right side of the vehicle shall be required.
C. All mirrors required by this section shall be maintained in good condition at all times.
D. In addition to the mirrors required in Subsections A and B of this Section, every school bus shall be equipped with a mirror on the right side of the vehicle and so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway for a distance of at least two hundred feet to the rear of the vehicle.
E. Every school bus shall be equipped with a mirror of a type and so located as to give the seated driver a view of the area immediately in front of the front bumper, provided, however, that any Type II school bus constructed in such a way that the seated driver has a view of the area immediately in front of the front bumper need not be equipped with the mirror otherwise required by this Subsection.
F. Notwithstanding any provision of this Section or any other provision of law to the contrary, motor vehicles which are used by rural mail carriers in the performance of their duties shall not be required to be equipped with a mirror on the passenger side of the vehicle.
G. In addition to the mirrors required in Subsections A and B of this Section, every delivery van which is part of an official state motor vehicle fleet shall be equipped with a mirror of a type and so located as to give the seated driver a view of the area immediately in the rear of the rear bumper.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1968, No. 273, §4; Acts 1974, No. 21, §1; Acts 1976, No. 383, §1; Acts 1993, No. 97, §1; Acts 1997, No. 187, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:355. Fire extinguishers

RS 32:355 - Fire extinguishers
Every motor vehicle engaged in the transportation of passengers for hire on the highways shall be equipped with at least one quart of chemical type fire extinguisher, in good condition and conveniently located for immediate use.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:356. Windshields must be equipped with wiping and washing systems

RS 32:356 - Windshields must be equipped with wiping and washing systems
A. The windshield on every motor vehicle, other than motorcycles or motor driven cycles, shall be equipped with a device for cleaning rain, snow or other moisture from the windshield, which device shall be so constructed as to be controlled or operated by the driver of the vehicle. In addition, every such motor vehicle manufactured or assembled after December 31, 1972, shall be equipped with a two-speed, power driven windshield wiping and washing system which will adequately clean rain, snow or other moisture from the windshield regardless of engine load and speed and so constructed as to be controlled and operated by the driver of the vehicle.
B. Every windshield wiping system upon a motor vehicle shall be maintained in good working order. The windshield washing system upon a vehicle that is not more than six years old from the date of manufacture or assembly shall be maintained in good working order.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1974, No. 22, §1; Acts 1992, No. 129, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:359. Safety glass required

RS 32:359 - Safety glass required
No person shall sell or operate any new motor vehicle as specified herein, nor shall any motor vehicle be registered thereafter unless such vehicle is equipped with safety glazing materials of a type approved by the director of public safety wherever glazing materials are used in doors, windows and windshields. The foregoing provisions shall apply to all passenger type motor vehicles, including passenger buses and school buses, but in respect to trucks, including truck tractors, the requirements as to safety glazing material shall apply to all glazing material used in doors, windows and windshields in the driver's compartments of such vehicles.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:360. Safety glass defined

RS 32:360 - Safety glass defined
The term "safety glass" as used in this Chapter shall mean glass so treated or combined with other materials as to reduce, in comparison with ordinary sheet glass or plate glass, the likelihood of injuries to persons by objects from external sources or by glass, when the glass is cracked or broken.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:361. Approved types of safety glass

RS 32:361 - Approved types of safety glass
The commissioner shall approve and maintain a list of the approved types of safety glass, conforming to recognized specifications for safety glass, as defined in this Chapter, and the Department of Public Safety shall not issue a license for or relicense any motor vehicle subject to the provisions of this Chapter, unless such motor vehicle is equipped, as herein provided, with such approved type of glass.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:361.3. Security exemption

RS 32:361.3 - Security exemption
A. The provisions of R.S. 32:361.1 shall not apply to any motor vehicle registered in this state when the operator of the vehicle possesses an affidavit on a form issued by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections stating that valid security reasons exist which make it necessary to equip the motor vehicle with sun screening material which would be of a light transmission or luminous reflectance in violation of R.S. 32:361.1. The affidavit shall include a description of the vehicle and be kept within the described vehicle. Additionally, at the time of applying for the exemption, the applicant shall provide written consent on a form approved by the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information authorizing the bureau to release any information contained in the applicant's criminal history record and identification files to the office of state police for verification that the applicant has not been convicted of a violent crime or drug offense. The department shall adopt rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the provisions of this Section.
B. Any vehicle owned, leased, operated, or otherwise controlled by a governmental or law enforcement agency to conduct official business shall qualify for the security exemption provided for in this Section without the necessity of applying for the exemption or providing written consent for release of criminal history record and identification files for the operator of such vehicle.
C. Any exemption granted pursuant to this Section shall not apply to the area below the top six inches of a motor vehicle windshield.
Acts 1993, No. 519, §1; Acts 2005, No. 238, §2; Acts 2008, No. 91, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:362. Restrictions as to tire equipment

RS 32:362 - Restrictions as to tire equipment
A. Every solid rubber tire on a vehicle moved on any highway of this state shall have rubber on its entire traction surface at least one inch thick above the edge of the flange of the entire periphery of the rim of the wheel.
B. No tire on a vehicle moved on a highway shall have on its periphery any protuberances of any material, other than rubber, which projects beyond the thread of the traction surface of the tire, except that it shall be permissible to:
(1) Use farm machinery with tires having protuberances which will not injure the highways; and
(2) Use tire chains of reasonable proportions upon any vehicle, when required for safety because of conditions tending to cause a vehicle to slide or skid.
C. The department may issue emergency permission authorizing the operation upon the highways of traction engines or tractors having movable tracks with transverse corrugations upon their periphery, or farm tractors or other farm machinery or instruments of husbandry.
D. No person shall operate or move on any highway of this state any motor vehicle, trailer, or semi-trailer having any metal tire in contact with the highway.
E. It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, offer to sell or trade, or knowingly use any motor vehicle tire not in compliance with Sub-section A of this Section; or to sell, offer to sell, or trade, or knowingly use any motor vehicle tire the original tread of which has been worn, and which without additional treading being added, has been grooved so as to give the appearance of a new tire or a tire which has been recapped. Any person violating the provisions of this Sub-section upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of fifty dollars or thirty days in jail for the first offense and, a fine of two hundred fifty dollars or three months in jail, or both, for a second offense, and for a third or subsequent offense, shall be fined five hundred dollars and shall be imprisoned for six months in jail.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1964, No. 512, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:363. Fuel tank caps

RS 32:363 - Fuel tank caps
No motor vehicle shall be driven or moved upon any highway of this state if the filling spout for the fuel tank is closed or partially closed with a plug of wood, rags or other combustible materials.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:364. Fenders and mudguards

RS 32:364 - Fenders and mudguards
A. Every motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, when operated upon a highway of this state, shall be equipped with fenders, covers, or such devices, including flaps or splash aprons, or fender flares to effectively minimize the spray or splash of water or mud or loose material on the highways to the rear of the vehicle unless the body of the vehicle or attachments thereto afford such protection. The width of such fenders, covers, or other devices shall be at least the width of the tires of the motor vehicle.
B. This Section does not apply to those vehicles exempt from registrations, nor to any other vehicle having an unladen weight of under one thousand five hundred pounds, nor to those vehicles which were not supplied with the equipment required in Subsection A of this Section at the time of manufacture, nor to trucks and farm vehicles handling and hauling agricultural and forestry products.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1968, No. 399, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1121, §1; Acts 2003, No. 236, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:365. Television

RS 32:365 - Television
A.(1) Except as provided in this Section, no person shall drive a motor vehicle which is equipped with a television receiver, screen, or other means of visually receiving a television broadcast or a video signal that produces entertainment or business applications where the moving images are visible to the driver while the motor vehicle is in motion. Additionally, no retailer shall install a television receiver, screen, or other means of receiving a visual television broadcast or video signal that produces entertainment or business applications, in a motor vehicle at any point which would make the moving images visible to the driver while the motor vehicle is in motion. The provisions of this Paragraph shall also apply to "digital versatile disc" or "digital video disc" players which are also commonly known as DVD players.
(2) The provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall not apply to the following equipment when installed in a motor vehicle:
(a) A vehicle information display.
(b) A navigation or global positioning display.
(c) A mapping display.
(d) A visual display used to monitor the area immediately around a motor vehicle for the purpose of maneuvering the vehicle.
(e) A television receiver, video monitor, television or video screen that produces entertainment or business applications, or any other similar means of visually displaying a television broadcast or video signal, if that equipment has a device that, when the motor vehicle is being driven, disables the equipment for all uses except as a visual display as described in Subparagraphs (a) through (d) of this Paragraph.
(3) The provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall not apply to a self-contained motor home which is in excess of twenty-one feet in length.
B. Law enforcement officers of the state or any political subdivision thereof shall be authorized to operate video recording equipment and monitors in their law enforcement vehicles while in the performance of their duties. However, this provision shall not be construed to allow law enforcement officers to record vehicles in violation of traffic safety laws with citations for such violations to be mailed to the alleged violator at a later date.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1; Acts 1992, No. 834, §1; Acts 2003, No. 1171, §1; Acts 2006, No. 751, §1, eff. June 30, 2006; Acts 2007, No. 45, §1, eff. June 18, 2007; Acts 2011, No. 174, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:366. Required equipment of tow cars

RS 32:366 - Required equipment of tow cars
Tow cars shall be equipped with the following:
(1) One or more brooms, and the driver of the tow car engaged to remove a disabled vehicle from the scene of an accident shall remove all glass and debris deposited upon the roadway by the disabled vehicle which is to be towed.
(2) A shovel, and whenever practical the tow car driver engaged to remove any disabled vehicle shall spread dirt upon that portion of the roadway where oil or grease has been deposited by such disabled vehicle.
(3) A fire extinguisher of at least two quart capacity of a type capable of extinguishing a fire of flammable liquid.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:367. Certain vehicles to carry flares or other warning devices

RS 32:367 - Certain vehicles to carry flares or other warning devices
A. No person shall operate any freight carrying vehicle, passenger bus, truck-tractor, or any motor vehicle towing a mobile home or other vehicle, upon any highway of this state at any time between sunset and sunrise, unless there is carried in such vehicle the following equipment, except as provided in Subsection B:
(1) At least three flares, three red electric lanterns, or three portable red emergency reflectors, each of which shall be capable of being seen and distinguished at a distance of not less than six hundred feet under normal atmospheric conditions at night time.
No flare, fuses, electric lantern, or cloth warning flag shall be used for the purpose of compliance with the requirements of this Subsection unless such equipment is of a type which has been submitted to the secretary of public safety and been approved by him.
No portable reflector unit shall be used for the purpose of compliance with the requirements of this Subsection unless it is so designed and constructed as to include two reflecting elements, one above the other, each of which shall be capable of reflecting red light clearly visible, from all distances within six hundred feet to one hundred feet under normal atmospheric conditions at night, when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps, and unless it is of a type which has been submitted to the commissioner and been approved by him.
(2) At least three red burning fuses, unless red electric lanterns or red portable emergency reflectors are carried.
(3) At least two red cloth flags not less than twelve inches square, with standards to support such flags.
B. No person shall operate, at the time and under conditions stated in Sub-section A, any motor vehicle used for the transportation of explosives, any cargo tank truck used for the transportation of flammable liquids or compressed gases, or any motor vehicle using compressed gas as a fuel, unless there is carried in such vehicle three red electric lanterns or three red emergency reflectors meeting the requirements of Sub-section A of this section, and there shall not be carried in any such vehicle any flares, fuses or signals produced by flame.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:369. Red flags, use in parking certain vehicles

RS 32:369 - Red flags, use in parking certain vehicles
Between sunrise and sunset, buses, cars for hire having a capacity for over ten passengers, cars or trucks used as wreckers or for other towing purposes, freight carrying vehicles and combinations thereof, shall be equipped with two red flags, one to be placed 100 feet behind and the other 100 feet ahead of said parked vehicles and in such a position as to be visible to all approaching traffic during the daylight hours.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:370. Warning devices must be approved by commissioner prior to sale or use thereof

RS 32:370 - Warning devices must be approved by commissioner prior to sale or use thereof
No person shall sell or offer for sale, either separately or as a part of the equipment of a motor vehicle, or use upon a motor vehicle on the highways in this state any warning device mentioned in this Chapter, unless such device has been submitted to the commissioner and been approved by him.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:371. Enforcement of Part

RS 32:371 - Enforcement of Part
The commissioner shall have charge of the enforcement of this Part and, in this respect, shall see that every motor vehicle is equipped with the flares, flags, or warning devices provided for, and he shall have the power to make and publish regulations and requirements with reference to the types of flares, flags, or warning devices to be carried as equipment by motor vehicles.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:372. Warning devices, submission to commissioner; fee

RS 32:372 - Warning devices, submission to commissioner; fee
Any person desiring approval of a warning device shall submit to the commissioner two sets of each type of the device for which approval is desired, together with a fee of twenty-five dollars. This fee shall be used in making proper tests of the devices submitted and in issuing certificates of approval therefor in accordance with the requirements for oil burning flares or reflectors or similar devices as adopted by him.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:373. Removal of warning device

RS 32:373 - Removal of warning device
No person shall willfully remove any warning device placed upon the highways under the provisions of R.S. 32:367 through R.S. 32:369 before the driver is ready to proceed upon the highway.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:374. Violation of regulations of commissioner

RS 32:374 - Violation of regulations of commissioner
No person shall violate any rule, regulation, or requirement adopted by the commissioner under the provisions of this Chapter.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:375. Air conditioning equipment

RS 32:375 - Air conditioning equipment
A. Mechanical vapor compression refrigeration equipment which is used to cool the driver or passenger compartment of any motor vehicle shall be manufactured, installed and maintained with due regard for the safety of the occupants of the vehicle and the public, and shall not contain any refrigerant which is toxic to persons or which is flammable.
B. The commissioner may adopt and enforce safety requirements, regulations, and specifications consistent with the requirements of this Section applicable to such equipment, which shall correlate with and, so far as possible, conform to the current recommended practice or standard application to such equipment approved by the Society of Automotive Engineers.
C. No person shall have for sale, offer for sale, sell or equip any motor vehicle with any equipment unless it complies with the requirements of this Section.
D. No person shall operate on any highway of this state any motor vehicle equipped with any air conditioning equipment unless said equipment complies with the requirements of this Section.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:376. Special lights for certain department vehicles

RS 32:376 - Special lights for certain department vehicles
The department is authorized to install on vehicles used by it incidental to the painting of stripes on highways, two fixed white lights, directed to the rear, which lights may be illuminated while the vehicles are in use upon the highway.
Added by Acts 1963, No. 33, §3. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977; Acts 2006, No. 11, §2.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:377. Slow moving vehicle, identification

RS 32:377 - Slow moving vehicle, identification
Every motor vehicle, combination of motor vehicle and towed equipment, every self-propelled unit of equipment, self-propelled implement of husbandry, or towed implement of husbandry normally operating at speeds not in excess of twenty-five miles per hour on public streets and roads at all times shall be equipped with a slow moving vehicle emblem as follows:
(1) Where the towed unit or any load thereon obscures the slow moving vehicle emblem on the towing unit, the towed unit shall be equipped with a slow moving vehicle emblem.
(2) Where the slow moving vehicle emblem on the towing unit is not obscured by the towed unit or its load, then either or both may be equipped with the required emblem, but it shall be sufficient if either has it.
(3) The emblem required shall comply with current standards and specifications as established by the American Society of Automotive Engineers and approved by the commissioner.
Added by Acts 1972, No. 142, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:378. School bus body, hood, and bumpers; color of paint; back-up audible alarms

RS 32:378 - School bus body, hood, and bumpers; color of paint; back-up audible alarms
A. Every school bus that is used to transport students to and from home or school bus stops shall be painted national school bus yellow except that the hood shall be painted the same color or lusterless black and its roof may be painted white. Bumpers shall be painted glossy black, except that for increased night visibility they may be covered with a retroreflective material.
B. Any school bus that is not used to transport students to and from home or school bus stops shall be painted a color other than national school bus yellow, and all lights, signals, and other devices and any lettering identifying the vehicle as a school bus shall be removed.
C. Nothing contained in this Section shall prohibit a yellow school bus owned by a church from being used for other church related purposes.
D. Every new school bus ordered or purchased after August 15, 1993, and every used bus not in service as a school bus on that date, but put into service as a school bus thereafter, shall be equipped with an automatic back-up audible alarm which sounds on backing and which is capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than one hundred feet. The alarm shall also be capable of operating automatically when the vehicle is in neutral or a forward gear but rolls backward.
Acts 1983, No. 700, §1; Acts 1990, No. 652, §2; Acts 1993, No. 493, §1, eff. Oct. 1, 1993; Acts 2022, No. 640, §2.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:378.1. Display of patently obscene words, photographs, and depictions

RS 32:378.1 - Display of patently obscene words, photographs, and depictions
A. No person owning or operating a Louisiana registered motor vehicle on any of the public streets in this state shall affix to any part of such motor vehicle any sticker, decal, emblem, or other device containing patently obscene words, photographs, or depictions that are displayed to members of the public not occupying such vehicle. For the purposes of this Section, "obscene" shall have the meaning of "obscenity" as contained in R.S. 14:106.
B. Any person who violates the provisions of R.S. 32:378.1, upon conviction, may be penalized by a fine not to exceed one hundred dollars.
Acts 1989, No. 649, §1, eff. July 7, 1989.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:378.3. Installation of sound amplification systems to exterior of vehicle; prohibited

RS 32:378.3 - Installation of sound amplification systems to exterior of vehicle; prohibited
A. Sound amplification systems shall not be installed on the exterior of a chassis of a vehicle, including but not limited to vehicle grill or undercarriage, or used in such a manner as to emit sound outside of a vehicle.
B. Vehicle horns shall not be wired in order to make a sound other than the sound made by the manufactured installed horn.
C. Every person convicted of a violation of this Section shall be punishable by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars. No less than twenty-five dollars of each fine imposed pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall be collected by the court and shall immediately be forwarded to the state treasurer for deposit in the state treasury. After compliance with the requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, the remainder shall be appropriated to the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf.
D. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to emergency response vehicles, recreational vehicles, vehicles while in a parade, vehicles towing trailers, or vehicles used solely for commercial purposes.
Acts 2009, No. 124, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:378.4. Autonomous vehicle equipment requirements

RS 32:378.4 - Autonomous vehicle equipment requirements
A motor vehicle with autonomous technology that is designed to be operated exclusively by an automated driving system for all trips shall not be subject to motor vehicle equipment laws or equipment regulations of this state that relate to or support motor vehicle operation by a human driver and are not relevant for an automated driving system.
Acts 2022, No. 268, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:379. Applicability; regulations in excess of R.S. 32:380 through R.S. 32:386 prohibited

RS 32:379 - Applicability; regulations in excess of R.S. 32:380 through R.S. 32:386 prohibited
A. The provisions of this Part governing width, height, length, tire pressure, weight, and load shall apply to vehicles in regular operation, as defined in R.S. 32:1. Vehicles operated under the terms of special permits are covered in R.S. 32:387.
B. The department shall not enact any regulation to allow any vehicle to travel the highways of this state in excess of the limits or requirements provided in R.S. 32:380 through R.S. 32:386, both inclusive.
Added by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:380. Width; projecting loads on vehicles

RS 32:380 - Width; projecting loads on vehicles
A. The width of any vehicle shall not exceed one hundred two inches, exclusive of safety devices.
B. The load on any vehicle shall not project more than twelve inches beyond the width of its body.
C. The width of a farm tractor shall not exceed nine feet.
D. The secretary shall designate the qualifying highway system to which the foregoing width limitations shall apply.
E. Repealed by Acts 2003, No. 347, §2.
Added by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977. Acts 1983, No. 416, §1; Acts 1990, No. 51, §1; Acts 1990, No. 896, §1; Acts 2003, No. 347, §§1 and 2.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:381. Height

RS 32:381 - Height
A.(1) The height of any vehicle and its load shall not exceed thirteen feet, six inches, except that the height of any vehicle and its load which operates exclusively on the interstate highway system shall not exceed fourteen feet, provided that vehicles operating on the interstate highway system shall have reasonable access, within one road mile from the interstate highway to terminals and facilities for food, fuel, repairs, and rest, unless prohibited for specific safety reasons on individual routes.
(2) The operator of a vehicle that is higher than thirteen feet six inches shall ensure that the vehicle will pass through each vertical clearance of a structure in its path without touching the structure.
(3) Any damage to a bridge, underpass, or similar structure caused by the height of a vehicle shall be the responsibility of the owner of the vehicle.
B. Nothing in this Section shall be interpreted to require the state or any subdivision thereof or any person, firm, or corporation in this state to raise, alter, construct, or reconstruct any overpass, wire, pole, trestle, or other structure to provide such clearance.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977; Acts 1977, No. 141, §1; Acts 1983, No. 416, §2; Acts 2004, No. 571, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:381.1. Prohibited vehicle modifications; wheel well

RS 32:381.1 - Prohibited vehicle modifications; wheel well
A. No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon any highway if, by alteration of the suspension, frame, or chassis, the height of the front fender is six or more inches greater than the height of the rear fender. For the purposes of this Subsection, the height of the fender shall be a vertical measurement from and perpendicular to the ground, through the centerline of the wheel, and to the bottom of the fender.
B. The provisions of this Section shall only apply to vehicles with no payload and no trailer attached.
Acts 2022, No. 773, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:383. Loads on vehicles; care required thereto; penalties; definition

RS 32:383 - Loads on vehicles; care required thereto; penalties; definition
A.(1) The load on a vehicle shall not drop, sift, leak, or otherwise escape therefrom, except that sand may be dropped on a highway to secure traction or a liquid substance may be dropped on a highway to clean or maintain such highway.
(2) Any load of garbage, refuse, sludge, and other discarded material being transported by a commercial hauler shall be covered while being transported in such a manner as to prevent the load from spilling or dropping from the vehicle.
(3) Any violation of Paragraph (2) of this Subsection for failure to cover any load of garbage, refuse, sludge, and other discarded material shall be punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.
(4) The penalty provisions of Paragraph (3) of this Subsection shall not apply when the load was properly covered and subsequently became uncovered as the result of an accident or circumstances beyond the control of the operator of the vehicle.
B.(1) The load on any vehicle shall be securely fastened so as to prevent the covering or load from becoming loose, detached, or in any manner a hazard to other users of the highway.
(2) Freight containers, as defined in 49 CFR 171.8, used in both the waterborne transport of cargo and in the overland transport of cargo shall be properly secured so as to prevent the container from becoming loose, detached, or in any manner a hazard to other users of the highway.
(3) Any violation of Paragraph (2) of this Subsection shall be punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.
(4) The penalty provisions of R.S. 32:383(B)(3) shall not apply when the freight container was properly secured and subsequently became loose or detached as the result of an accident or circumstances beyond the control of the operator of the vehicle.
C. "Loose material" means dirt, sand, gravel, nails, or other material that is capable of blowing or spilling from a vehicle as a result of movement or exposure to air, wind currents, or weather, but shall not include agricultural products in their natural state or wood chips.
Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977. Amended by Acts 1982, No. 257, §1; Acts 1985, No. 936, §1; Acts 1990, No. 928, §1; Acts 2006, No. 302, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:383.1. Loads of loose materials on vehicles; care required thereto; penalties

RS 32:383.1 - Loads of loose materials on vehicles; care required thereto; penalties
A. Any load of loose material as defined in R.S. 32:383(C) being transported by a commercial hauler, or in a vehicle purchased by the state or any political subdivision of this state after August 15, 1999, shall be covered in such a manner as to prevent the load from blowing, spilling, or dropping from the vehicle. However, a load of dirt or sand shall be exempt from the provisions of this Section if the load is being transported within a municipality with a population of not less than ten thousand five hundred nor more than eleven thousand two hundred in a parish with a population of no less than thirty-one thousand two hundred fifty nor no more than thirty-two thousand five hundred all according to the latest decennial census, and the speed of the vehicle transporting the load does not exceed twenty-five miles per hour.
B. Any violation of this Section for failure to cover a load of loose material while being transported shall be punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars or more than two hundred dollars.
Acts 1991, No. 555, §1; Acts 1995, No. 544, §1; Acts 1999, No. 258, §1; Acts 2001, No. 787, §1; Acts 2001, No. 1205, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:385. Farm vehicles and equipment; exemptions

RS 32:385 - Farm vehicles and equipment; exemptions
A.(1)(a) Farm and agricultural vehicles and equipment, except draglines and bulldozers, being operated or transported for bona fide agricultural purposes or the transportation of farm vehicles and equipment to be used for normal farm purposes by persons transporting such farm equipment or machinery, for distances not to exceed fifty miles from the point of origin, and fertilizer tending units shall be exempt from the requirements of R.S. 32:380 through 382 and, additionally, farm equipment shall be exempt from the requirements of R.S. 32:384.
(b) Trailers and semi-trailers with a gross vehicle weight rating of not more than twelve thousand pounds, when owned and used by a retail business in this state and designed and used exclusively for the purposes of pick-up or delivery of new, used, or repaired farm equipment for distances not to exceed fifty miles from the point of origin, shall be exempt from the requirements of R.S. 32:380.
(2) Vehicles being operated to transport timber cutting or logging equipment from one job site to another and the equipment being transported, when the trailer upon which the equipment is towed and the equipment are owned or leased by the same person, shall be exempt from the requirements of R.S. 32:380, 381, and 382.
(3) Such farm vehicles and vehicles transporting cutting or logging equipment may use any public highways other than those designated as part of the national system of interstate and defense highways during the period from sunrise until sunset without obtaining a special permit from the secretary, as provided in R.S. 32:387, or from any other agency or department of the state or political subdivisions, provided that such machinery or equipment being shipped by persons to be used for normal farm purposes shall be equipped with front and rear reflector lights and with a blinking hazard light clearly visible from the front and rear.
B. The provisions of R.S. 32:380, 381, and 382, relative to limitations on the width, height, and length of motor vehicles shall not apply to trucks which transport seed cotton modules or cotton from the field to the gin, or cotton seed from the gin to the mill, if the owner or operators of such trucks obtain an annual permit to be issued by the secretary for an annual fee of five dollars, according to rules and regulations to be promulgated by the secretary.
NOTE: Subsection C eff. upon exemption notification from federal Dept. of Transportation. See Acts 1991, No. 445.
C. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, Part 393.86 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and state law as they pertain to the requirements of bumpers or devices serving similar purposes shall not apply to any vehicle transporting seed cotton modules if such vehicle was manufactured prior to September 1, 1991.
Acts 1991, No. 306, §1; Acts 1991, No. 307, §1; Acts 1991, No. 445, §1; Acts 1997, No. 113, §1; Acts 1999, No. 786, §1; Acts 2018, No. 223, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:385.1. Recreational vehicles; exemptions

RS 32:385.1 - Recreational vehicles; exemptions
Recreational vehicles as defined in R.S. 32:771 and truck campers may exceed the maximum width provided in R.S. 32:380 if such excess width is attributable to an appurtenance that extends no more than six inches beyond the body of the vehicle.
Acts 2001, No. 1207, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:386.1. Blanket oversize yearly permit; fees

RS 32:386.1 - Blanket oversize yearly permit; fees
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the Department of Transportation and Development shall establish a blanket oversize yearly permit for vehicles the width of which does not exceed twelve feet, the height of which does not exceed fourteen feet and four inches, a length not to exceed ninety feet, and the front and rear overhang of which does not exceed twenty-five feet. The fee for this yearly permit shall be five hundred dollars. The secretary shall promulgate rules and regulations to provide for the implementation of this Section.
Acts 1997, No. 292, §1; Acts 2014, No. 49, §1.
2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 32 - Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation › §32:387.1. Escort vehicles; permit to operate required

RS 32:387.1 - Escort vehicles; permit to operate required
A. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of R.S. 32:388 and except for those vehicles provided for in R.S. 32:385, or any rule or regulation adopted under authority thereof, or of any other provision of law or rule or regulation, all motor vehicles excluding motorcycles, shall be proper escorts in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 32:388 and any other laws and rules or regulations providing with respect to motor vehicles and traffic regulation, for the moving of house trailers on the roads, streets and highways of this state.
B.(1) Each company which operates an escort service in this state shall register annually with the secretary in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the secretary. The oversight review of the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this Section shall be conducted by the House and Senate Committees on Transportation, Highways and Public Works. The secretary shall establish a permit fee sufficient to cover the costs of the service. The fee shall not be less than ten dollars.
(2) Each application for registration shall be accompanied by each of the following:
(a) The name and address of the agent for service of process. The agent shall reside in and shall be domiciled in this state.
(b) Proof of coverage for general liability insurance, motor vehicle liability insurance, and workers' compensation, each providing for a minimum of five hundred thousand dollars in coverage.
(c) Proof that each driver of an escort vehicle has a valid operator's license issued by a state or territory of the United States.
(d) Such other information as the secretary by rule may require.
C. The secretary may revoke, suspend, or refuse to issue a registration for any violation of the provisions of Subsection B of this Section.
D. Whoever violates the provisions of Subsection B of this Section shall be fined one hundred dollars for each offense.
Added by Acts 1977, No. 433, §1. Acts 1986, No. 575, §1; Acts 2018, No. 289, §1.
{{NOTE: THE CITE OF R.S. 32:388 IN 32:387.1 REFERS TO R.S. 32:388 AS IT EXISTED PRIOR TO THE 1977 REGULAR SESSION.}}