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La. Rev. Stat. § 16:15 (2026)

District attorney's worthless check collection fee

✓ current as of May 2026
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§15. District attorney's worthless check collection fee

           A. A district attorney may collect a fee whenever his office collects and processes a check, draft, or order for the payment of money upon any bank or other depository, if the check, draft, or order for payment of money on any bank or depository:

           (1) Has been issued in a manner which makes the issuance an offense under R.S. 14:71; or

           (2) Has been forged under R.S. 14:72.

           B. The district attorney may collect the fee authorized by this Section from any person who is a principal to the offense described in Subsection A of this Section.

           C. The amount of the fee shall not exceed:

           (1) Fifteen dollars, if the face amount of the check, draft, or order for the payment of money does not exceed fifteen dollars.

           (2) Thirty-five dollars, if the face amount of the check, draft, or order for the payment of money is greater than fifteen dollars but does not exceed one hundred dollars.

           (3) Seventy-five dollars, if the face amount of the check, draft, or order for the payment of money is greater than one hundred dollars but does not exceed three hundred dollars.

           (4) One hundred twenty-five dollars, if the face amount of the check, draft, or order for the payment of money is greater than three hundred dollars but does not exceed five hundred dollars.

           (5) One hundred seventy-five dollars or twenty percent, whichever amount is greater, if the face amount of the check, draft, or order for the payment of money is greater than five hundred dollars.

           D. If the person from whom the fee is collected was a principal to the offense of forgery, under R.S. 14:72, committed by altering the face amount of the check, draft, or order for the payment of money, the face amount as altered governs for the purpose of determining the amount of the fee.

           E. Fees collected under this Section shall be deposited in a special fund to be administered by the district attorney. Expenditures from this fund shall be at the sole discretion of the district attorney and may be used only to defray the salaries and expenses of the office of the district attorney, but in no event may the district attorney supplement his or her own salary from this fund. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to decrease the total salaries, expenses, and allowances which the office of a district attorney is receiving at the time this Section takes effect.

           F. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection E of this Section, in addition to the fees collected as provided in Subsection C of this Section, the district attorney shall collect a fee of twenty-five dollars per worthless check which shall be payable to the person or entity that honored the worthless check or checks.

           Added by Acts 1983, No. 196, §1; Acts 1986, No. 74, §1; Acts 1991, No. 171, §2; Acts 1997, No. 1443, §1; Acts 2003, No. 440, §1.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 9 cases, 1987–2019 · leading case: State v. Brown, 882 So. 2d 1273 (La. Ct. App. 2004).
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State v. Brown, 882 So. 2d 1273 (La. Ct. App. 2004). · cites it 16× “R.S. 16:15. The trial court denied the motion on November 14, 2003, and the State filed this appeal on November 21, 2003.”
Reed v. Washington Par. Police Jury, 518 So. 2d 1044 (La. 1988). · cites it 3× “R.S. 16:15)........................ 4,091.”
State of Louisiana v. Jessie M. Griffin, II, 180 So. 3d 1262 (La. 2015). “R.S. 16:15, La. R.S. 16:15.1, La. R.S. 16:16 (funds generated by district attorneys' offices).”
State v. Campbell, 210 So. 3d 508 (La. Ct. App. 2016). · cites it 3× “16:15(A)(1), a Louisiana District Attorney’s Office is specifically authorized to collect fees whenever his office collects and processes a check, draft, or order for the payment of money upon any bank or other depository, if the check, draft, or order for payment of money on…”
State v. Davis, 539 So. 2d 803 (La. Ct. App. 1989). “The legislature provided for a worthless check collection fee in LSA-R.S. 16:15 with similar purposes, but in that instance the legislature specifically provided that funds derived through collection of such fees should not be used to supplement the salary *808 of the district…”
In Re Fuselier, 837 So. 2d 1257 (La. 2003). “R.S. 16:15, which authorizes a district attorney to collect a fee when his office collects and processes an NSF check.”
Harvey v. Caesars Ent. Operating Co., 55 F. Supp. 3d 901 (N.D. Miss. 2014). · cites it 3× “R.S. 16:15.” State of Louisiana v. John Harvey, No.”
Reed v. Washington Par. Police Jury, 515 So. 2d 635 (La. Ct. App. 1987). · cites it 2× “16:6 Washington Parish expenses of the District Attorney were paid from the following funds: (1) Washington Parish Criminal Court Fund (La.R.”
John Harvey v. Caesars Entrtnmt Oprt Co, Inc., et (5th Cir. 2019). · cites it 2× “” La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 16:15(A), (B). For worthless checks with a face amount greater than five hundred dollars, such as those at issue here, the district attorney may collect a fee that equals up to twenty percent of the debt collected.”
— La. Rev. Stat. § 16:15(A) — 1 case
John Harvey v. Caesars Entrtnmt Oprt Co, Inc., et (5th Cir. 2019). “” La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 16:15(A), (B). For worthless checks with a face amount greater than five hundred dollars, such as those at issue here, the district attorney may collect a fee that equals up to twenty percent of the debt collected.”
— La. Rev. Stat. § 16:15(A)(1) — 1 case
State v. Campbell, 210 So. 3d 508 (La. Ct. App. 2016). “16:15(A)(1), a Louisiana District Attorney’s Office is specifically authorized to collect fees whenever his office collects and processes a check, draft, or order for the payment of money upon any bank or other depository, if the check, draft, or order for payment of money on…”
— La. Rev. Stat. § 16:15(C) — 2 cases
State v. Brown, 882 So. 2d 1273 (La. Ct. App. 2004). “R.S. 16:15. The trial court denied the motion on November 14, 2003, and the State filed this appeal on November 21, 2003.”
State v. Campbell, 210 So. 3d 508 (La. Ct. App. 2016). “16:15(A)(1), a Louisiana District Attorney’s Office is specifically authorized to collect fees whenever his office collects and processes a check, draft, or order for the payment of money upon any bank or other depository, if the check, draft, or order for payment of money on…”
— La. Rev. Stat. § 16:15(C)(5) — 1 case
John Harvey v. Caesars Entrtnmt Oprt Co, Inc., et (5th Cir. 2019). “” La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 16:15(A), (B). For worthless checks with a face amount greater than five hundred dollars, such as those at issue here, the district attorney may collect a fee that equals up to twenty percent of the debt collected.”
— La. Rev. Stat. § 16:15(E) — 1 case
State v. Brown, 882 So. 2d 1273 (La. Ct. App. 2004). “R.S. 16:15. The trial court denied the motion on November 14, 2003, and the State filed this appeal on November 21, 2003.”
— La. Rev. Stat. § 16:15(F) — 1 case
State v. Campbell, 210 So. 3d 508 (La. Ct. App. 2016). “16:15(A)(1), a Louisiana District Attorney’s Office is specifically authorized to collect fees whenever his office collects and processes a check, draft, or order for the payment of money upon any bank or other depository, if the check, draft, or order for payment of money on…”
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