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Louisiana Car Insurance

When driving a State of Louisiana registered vehicle, insurance is required at all times.

Louisiana minimum car insurance requirements are:

  • Auto Insurance policy with limits of at least 15/30/25, which means:
    • Liability coverage
    • $15,000 of bodily injury to another person
    • $30,000 of bodily injuries to all other persons
    • $25,000 of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident

Drivers may choose to purchase uninsured motorist coverage to protect against damage caused by uninsured drivers or uninsured motorist economic-only coverage, which is similar to uninsured motorist coverage, but it covers only the actual costs of injuries to those in the policy-holder’s vehicle.

Alternative Options to Insurance:

Self Insurance Certificates are available in Louisiana if the following requirements are met:

  • You or your company must have 25 or more vehicles registered with the state.
  • You must pay $100 per certificate.

You must qualify by application through the assistant secretary of the Office of Motor Vehicles:

Office of Motor Vehicles
P.O. Box 64886
Baton Rouge, LA 70896
(225) 925-6146

In Louisiana, you have the option to use a liability bond or cash deposit instead of insurance if the following requirements are met:

  • Cash deposit of at least $30,000 with the state treasurer
  • Liability bond, filed with the Commissioner of Insurance, in the amounts required by a liability policy

Required Proof of Insurance in Louisiana

It is required to carry proof of insurance at all times in Louisiana, regardless of how one is insured:

  • Insurance Card provided by Insurance company including all of the following:
    • Name of Insurance Company and driver
    • Insurance Policy Number
    • Effective Date/Expiration Date of Policy
    • Accurate description of year, make/model of all registered vehicles covered by the policy
    • Self Insurance certificates issued by the assistant secretary of the Office of Motor Vehicles
    • Certificate of Deposit of money or securities
    • Liability Bond

Louisiana Department of Insurance

The Poydras Building
1702 N. 3rd St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9214
(225) 342-0895 in Baton Rouge or
1(800) 259-5300 statewide

Louisiana offers several ways for drivers to become fully licensed in a few phases.

Learners Permit for 15- and 16-year-olds:

  • Can be obtained after successful completion of a 38-hour Drivers Education course.
  • Requires passing of a written and vision test.
  • Will restrict drivers to driving only with another licensed driver 21 or older.
  • Must be held for at least 180 days before an Intermediate License can be obtained.

Learners Permit for 17-year-olds:

  • Can be obtained after successful completion of a 38-hour Drivers Education course or a 6-hour pre-licensing course.
  • Requires passing of a written and vision test.
  • Restricts drivers to driving only with another licensed driver, but only until the applicant passes a road exam.

Intermediate Licenses:

  • Can be obtained by drivers who are at least 16 years old and have completed the learners permit stage.
  • Require 35 hours of driving experience, as certified by a parent or legal guardian.
  • Require a road test, administered either at your local Office of Motor Vehicles or through a third-party tester.
  • Allows drivers to drive alone or with other passengers in the vehicle, but not between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, or licensed driver 21 or older.
  • Must be held for one year or until the driver’s 17th birthday before a full Class E license can be obtained.

First time license for 17-year-olds:

  • Require completion of a 38-hour  driver education course or a 6-hour pre-licensing course
  • Require passing a written and vision test
  • Require passing a driving skills test through the OMV or a third-party tester. If you use your own vehicle, proof of insurance is required.

First time license for 18-year-olds and older:

  • Require successful completion of a 38-hour driver education course or a 6-hour pre-licensing course.
  • Require passing a written and vision test
  • Require passing a driving skills test through the OMV or a third-party tester. If you use your own vehicle, proof of insurance is required.

Once you have met the requirements to obtain your permit or license, visit your local OMV and bring the following:

  • Social Security Card, or an additional secondary document and parent or guardian with a photo identification, if 17 or younger.
  • Certificate of Completion of either a 38-hour driver education course approved by the Department of Public Safety and Correction or the Department of Education, or, if 17 or older, a Certificate of Completion of a 6-hour pre-licensing course approved by the DPS&C instead.
  • Certified birth certificate or, if 18 or older, a primary identification document.
  • A learners permit, if applying for an intermediate license.
  • For permits and first-time licenses, a $24.50 in cash, plus a fee of no more than $3, varying by parish.
  • For intermediate licenses, the fee is $16 cash, plus a fee that will vary by parish.

Completing Driver Education

When a child turns 15, they may enroll in a state-approved driver education course that includes classroom time and behind-the-wheel instruction. A 14-year-old who is no more than 90 days from turning 15 may enroll in a driver education course but can not engage in behind-the-wheel instruction until he or she is 15.

To complete a program a student must meet the following:

  • A minimum of 30 hours of classroom instruction and eight hours of behind-the-wheel training.
  • Classroom instruction must cover railroad and highway grade crossing safety and must include at least 30 minutes of instruction about organ and tissue donation.

Drivers 17 and older, even those licensed in another state, may complete a 6-hour pre-licensing course instead. The course reviews, among other topics, defensive driving, Louisiana’s traffic safety laws, substance abuse, and requires at least 30 minutes of instruction on organ and tissue donation.

Knowing the Rules of the Road

The state of Louisiana provides links to each of its motor vehicle laws online on the legislature’s website. To protect yourself from tickets and accidents, and to keep your insurance rates as low as possible, it is always a good idea to know the laws and follow them carefully.

Louisiana’s drivers will fall into a few categories of insurance consumers based on their driving record and claims history, which affects an insurance company’s desire to insure them. There are some factors you can’t control when shopping around for insurance, but there are some you can.

Know Your Rates

Auto insurance rates are calculated by carefully considering all of the licensed drivers in the household. The base rate that is used to evaluate all drivers is adjusted, according to several factors, including:

  • Age. According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, single male drivers under 25 and female drivers under 21 have much higher insurance rates than all other drivers.
  • Gender. Evidence suggests that men under the age of 25 are involved in more accidents than women in the same age group, so male drivers typically must pay higher insurance rates than female drivers.
  • Driving record and claims history. Each claim, accident and ticket has the potential to increase insurance rates. For this reason, safe drivers tend to enjoy the best car insurance rates in Louisiana.
  • Marital status. Statistics prove that married couples tend to have far fewer accidents than those who are unmarried, so married couples may be offered a lower insurance rate.
  • Geographical area. Because of the high density in urban settings, the likelihood of incidents is higher, and urban drivers will usually pay higher rates than rural drivers.
  • Make, model, and year of the vehicle. Drivers of luxury, sports and high-performance vehicles will typically pay higher rates than drivers of sedans or family vehicles. This means driving a pricier car may prevent you from getting the lowest auto insurance rates in Louisiana.

Lower Your Rates

The Louisiana Department of Insurance offers several tips to drivers on how they can earn and maintain lower insurance rates through discounts, which can lead them to getting the best car insurance in Louisiana:

  • Multi-car discounts can be offered to policy-holders who insure two or more cars with the same company.
  • Good driving records can often lead to discounts, while poor driving habits can lead to higher rates.
  • Package deals, such as using the same company for auto insurance as you do for life or homeowners insurance can often lead to discounts.
  • Full-time students who have a grade average of B or higher can frequently earn discounts.
  • Farmers and senior citizens may qualify for discounts.
  • Taking a defensive driving course or driver education course can lower rates.
  • Driving a vehicle that has better than standard safety features, such as anti-lock brakes, air bags, and anti-theft devices, can result in discounted rates.

Picking an Insurance Agent/Broker

Insurance agents who work for a particular insurance company sell policies for commission. Insurance brokers, however, work with individual clients, assessing their clients’ needs and finding different insurance options from various companies to fit those needs. Like agents, they also receive a commission for the sales they make from different insurance companies.

Whether you use an agent or broker, tips provided by the Louisiana Department of Insurance can be helpful to follow when shopping around for insurance. The department recommends getting quotes from several companies before deciding on one. Be aware of different scams and insurance fraud: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Take advantage of the insurance department’s online resources. Use the site to ask a question to the Louisiana Automobile Theft and Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority, or LATIFPA to File a complaint,
file a public information request, or report fraud.

After an Accident

Accidents happen. If you have been involved in a collision, you must immediately notify the Louisiana State Police, city police, or parish sheriffs. If you or someone else is injured, you may request emergency medical services while speaking with the dispatcher. Drivers are required to stay at the scene of the collision until released by a law enforcement official. To speed up the process of recovering from the accident, be prepared to give a thorough account of the events leading up to the collision to responding law enforcement members, and also take down information such as the names of the police officers and witnesses you spoke with for your own accident report. The Louisiana Department of Insurance recommends keeping a copy of the accident report for your records, even if you are not at fault.

Collect vital information from other drivers involved and any witnesses to the accident. Report the incident to your insurance company as soon as possible, closely following your particular company’s procedures for filing a claim. Share all the information you have collected about any other drivers or witnesses involved, including name, address, phone number, insurance information, driver’s license number, and the make and model of the car they were driving during the collision, even if they have no car insurance in Louisiana. You should also be prepared to report the extent of the damage to both cars, how the accident happened, what occurred during the accident, and the names and contact information of any witnesses at the scene. Any police report filed must also be copied and sent to your insurance company.