Inspection and maintenance - Louisiana

Louisiana has adopted Part 396 of the Federal Regulations.

Part 396 applies to all intrastate commercial motor vehicles with a single or combined gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating over 26,000 pounds, and all vehicles transporting hazardous materials.

Louisiana has enacted an official mandatory annual inspection program that is equivalent to the federal periodic inspection (Sec. 396.17). All vehicles registered in this state that are subject to the federal periodic inspection regulations must be inspected at an approved Louisiana fleet/commercial inspection station and have a commercial inspection sticker affixed in the lower left corner of the windshield.

In addition to the mandatory periodic vehicle inspection program, the Director of Public Safety, members of the State Police and such other officers and employees of the Department as the Director may designate, may at any time upon reasonable cause to believe that a vehicle is unsafe require the driver of the vehicle to stop and submit the vehicle to an inspection. He will then receive a notice. Upon receiving notice, every owner or driver must secure an official certificate of inspection and approval within five days.