§ 38:3098 — Licensing of water well and other drillers

§3098. Licensing of water well and other drillers
A. Every person, firm, or corporation engaged or desiring to engage in the business
of drilling water wells for underground water, drilling monitoring wells, geotechnical bore
holes, heat pump wells, cathodic protection holes, and/or seismic shot holes, as well as
reworking water wells, or plugging and abandoning wells or bore holes, excluding oil and
gas wells, in the state of Louisiana shall file an application with the Louisiana State
Licensing Board for Contractors for a drilling license, using forms prepared by the board,
setting out qualifications therefor and such other information including any examination, oral
or written, as may be required by the board. The fees for such license and renewal shall be
as follows:
(1) Those persons, firms, or corporations who drill less than twenty-five domestic
water wells yearly shall pay a license and annual fee of fifty dollars.
(2) For all other persons, firms, or corporations who drill water wells, and/or drill
monitoring wells, geotechnical bore holes, heat pump wells, cathodic protection holes,
seismic shot holes, as well as reworking water wells, or plugging and abandoning wells or
bore holes, excluding oil and gas wells, the license fee and annual renewal fee shall be one
hundred dollars.
B. All licenses shall expire on June thirtieth of each year, and shall not be
transferable, and shall be renewable annually, upon completion of six hours of continuing
education as approved by the board and upon payment of the required fee.
C. Nothing in this Chapter shall prevent a person who has not obtained a license
pursuant thereto from constructing a water well on his own or leased property intended for
use only in a single family house which is his permanent residence, or intended for use only
for watering livestock on his farm, and where the waters to be produced are not intended for
use by the public or any residence other than his own. However, such person shall comply
with all rules and regulations as to the construction of wells as set out by the provisions of
this Chapter.
D. This Section shall not apply to any person who performs labor or services at the
direction and under the personal supervision of a licensed well contractor.
E. A license may be renewed and shall be renewable without examination for the
ensuing year by making an application not later than the expiration date and paying the
applicable fee. Such application shall have the effect of extending the validity of the current
license until the new license is received or the applicant is notified by the board that the
license has been refused. On application made after June thirtieth of each year, the license
will be renewed only upon payment of the applicable fee, plus a penalty of five dollars for
each month the application is delinquent. Delinquency in excess of one year may, in the
discretion of the advisory committee, be deemed as a waiver of the driller's right for renewal;
and if he should apply thereafter, the board may require that he be considered as a new
applicant, including the requirement for examination.
F. Any person whose license has been revoked may, upon application for a new
license, be required, in the discretion of the advisory committee, to take the examination and
in all other ways be considered as a new applicant.
G. Except in the case of revocation, any license previously issued by the Department
of Conservation and Energy, or any successor agency, shall remain valid until expiration.

Legislative History

Added by Acts 1980, No. 715, §1; Acts 1984, No. 313, §1, eff. July 2, 1984; Acts 1989, No. 31, §1, eff. June 15, 1989; Acts 1997, No. 122, §1; Acts 2009, No. 437, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2010; Acts 2025, No. 458, §5, eff. Oct. 1, 2025.