§ 13:1900 — Traffic violations bureau

Louisiana § 13:1900

• Jurisdiction: Louisiana
• Title 13: Courts and Judicial Procedure

Text

§1900. Traffic violations bureau
A. Except in the city of New Orleans, in any municipality in which a city court is
operating which does not have a traffic violations bureau, the mayor or chief executive
hereinafter referred to as "mayor", may establish, under his supervision, a traffic violations
bureau and adopt the necessary rules and regulations for its operation and administration.
The mayor of any municipality within which a traffic violations bureau created pursuant to
Section 3 of Act No. 32 of the 1960 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature is operating
may assume the responsibility of said traffic violations bureau. Any traffic violations bureau
created pursuant to Section 3 of Act No. 32 of the 1960 Regular Session of the Louisiana
Legislature and existing on the effective date of this Section whose operations are not
assumed by the mayor of that municipality may continue to operate under the supervision of
the judge or judges of the city court under its present organization, functions and manner and
sources of financing until such time as the operation of said traffic violations bureau is
assumed by the mayor of that municipality.
B. The judge or mayor, as the case may be, having supervision over the traffic
violations bureau is empowered to appoint one or more clerks who shall be charged with the
administration of the bureau, and whose compensation shall be paid by the municipality, or
by the municipality and parish, in such proportions as their respective governing authorities
may designate, except that the compensation of each of the clerks shall not be less than two
hundred dollars per month.
C. Any defendant may plead guilty and pay to the traffic violations bureau the fine
for his traffic violation, which the bureau shall receive, in accordance with a schedule of
fines which shall be established by the judge or judges of the city court in accordance with
law. The schedule shall show in accordance with law the amount of fine for each offense
listed therein. The bureau shall receive the plea of guilty for the court. Together with such
fines received, the bureau shall collect costs which shall be fixed by the court in accordance
with the law. The bureau shall collect forfeitures declared by the court in connection with
traffic violations. All costs, fines and forfeitures shall be disposed of as provided by law.
D. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any city court in the parishes of
Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Caddo, Calcasieu, Concordia, East Baton
Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson,
Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse,
Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Red River, St. James, St. Landry, St. Martin, St.
Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Baton
Rouge, West Feliciana, and Winn.
E. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection D of this Section, the judge of the
City Court of Plaquemine may establish a traffic violations bureau, under the supervision of
the marshal of the court, as provided in this Section.

Legislative History

Added by Acts 1960, No. 32, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 1961. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 491, §1; Acts 1983, No. 487, §1; Acts 1988, No. 293, §1; Acts 1989, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 4, §1; Acts 2022, No. 295, §1, eff. June 10, 2022.