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La. Rev. Stat. § 32:391 (2026)

PART VII. PROCEDURE AND REPORTS

✓ current as of May 2026
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PART VII. PROCEDURE AND REPORTS

§391. Appearance upon arrest

A. Whenever any person is arrested for a violation of any provision of this Chapter or any regulation of the department or of the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections adopted pursuant thereto, except as otherwise provided in this Section, the arresting officer shall take his name, address, the license number of his motor vehicle, and the number of his operator's license, and shall issue a summons or otherwise notify him in writing to appear at a time and place to be specified in such summons and notice. The arresting officer's original or electronic signature shall be affixed to the summons. The time shall be at least five days after arrest, unless the person arrested demands an earlier hearing. If the person arrested demands an earlier hearing, he shall have a right to an immediate hearing or a hearing within twenty-four hours, at a convenient hour, to be before a magistrate within the parish where the offense was committed. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the person arrested shall have the option of remaining in custody pending his furnishing bail as fixed by a magistrate or depositing his operator's license with the arresting officer, as provided in R.S. 32:411.

B. If the person arrested holds a Louisiana operator's license and gives his written promise to appear at the time and place stated, the officer may release him from custody or take him immediately before a magistrate, but shall not require the person arrested to deposit his operator's license. Any such person refusing to give the written promise to appear shall be taken immediately by the arresting officer before the nearest or most accessible magistrate having jurisdiction. Any person who willfully violates his written promise to appear shall be punished as provided in R.S. 32:57.1, regardless of the disposition of the charge upon which he was arrested originally. The arresting officer shall fully inform the arrested person of the consequences of failing to honor a written promise to appear pursuant to R.S. 32:57.1.

C. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, in Orleans Parish, if the person arrested holds a Louisiana operator's license and gives his written promise to appear at the time and place stated, the officer shall release him from custody, and shall not require the person arrested to deposit his operator's license. Any such person refusing to give the written promise to appear shall be taken immediately by the arresting officer before the nearest or most accessible magistrate having jurisdiction. Any person who willfully violates his written promise to appear shall be punished as provided in R.S. 32:57.1, regardless of the disposition of the charge upon which he was arrested originally. The arresting officer shall fully inform the arrested person of the consequences of failing to honor a written promise to appear pursuant to R.S. 32:57.1.

D. This Section does not apply to any person charged with an offense involving or contributing to an accident resulting in injury or death to any person, or to any person charged with driving while under the influence of intoxicants or narcotics, or to any person whom the arresting officer has good cause to believe has committed any felony or misdemeanor, and in any of these cases the arresting officer shall immediately take the person arrested before the nearest or most accessible magistrate having jurisdiction.

E. This Section does not apply to any person owning or operating a vehicle or combination of vehicles found in violation of R.S. 32:380 through R.S. 32:387.

Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1975, No. 821, §1; Acts 1976, No. 230, §1; Acts 1977, No. 113, §1; Acts 1978, No. 301, §1; Acts 2008, No. 175, §1; Acts 2008, No. 422, §1, eff. June 21, 2008; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 9, §1, eff. June 12, 2011.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 12 cases, 1980–2001 · leading case: Atwater v. City of Lago Vista, 532 U.S. 318 (2001).
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Atwater v. City of Lago Vista, 532 U.S. 318 (2001). · cites it 2× “015 (1), (2) (Michie 1999); La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 32:391 (West 1989); Md.”
State v. Gardner, 476 So. 2d 938 (La. Ct. App. 1985). · cites it 10× “Further authority for the full custody arrest of the defendant is found in LSA-R.S. 32:391. Subsection A of this statute provides that when a person is arrested for a violation of an offense contained in Chapter 1 of the Louisiana Highway Regulatory Act or any regulation of the…”
State v. Daniels, 614 So. 2d 97 (La. Ct. App. 1993). · cites it 2× “Subsection C of R.S. 32:391 reads as follows: This Section does not apply to any person charged with an offense involving or contributing to an accident resulting in injury or death to any person, or to any person charged with driving while under the influence of intoxicants or…”
State v. Clausen, 697 So. 2d 1066 (La. Ct. App. 1997). · cites it 3× “R.S. 32:391, contained in the Highway Regulatory Act, provides in part: A.”
Kendrick v. City of Lake Charles, 500 So. 2d 866 (La. Ct. App. 1986). “R.S. 32:391 C and La.R.S. 32:392. Municipalities have the authority to adopt a traffic code.”
State v. Leagea, 442 So. 2d 699 (La. Ct. App. 1983). · cites it 2× “When a person commits a crime in the presence of a police officer (as in the instant case), the officer may arrest him or may stop him and demand identification and an explanation of his actions.”
State v. Morgan, 445 So. 2d 50 (La. Ct. App. 1984). “R.S. 32:391. The penalty for violations of Chapter 1 is much less severe than the penalty, noted above, for Chapter 2 violations.”
Richard v. State ex rel. Dep't of Pub. Saf., 436 So. 2d 1265 (La. Ct. App. 1983). “R.S. 32:391. Moss v. Maryland Cas. Co., 392 So.”
State v. Knight, 574 So. 2d 483 (La. Ct. App. 1991). “" LSA-R.S. 32:391(A). However, Subsection C of the statute provides: C.”
Moss v. Maryland Cas. Co., 392 So. 2d 772 (La. Ct. App. 1980). · cites it 3× “Under LSA-R.S. 32:391, Officer Robert had the authority to arrest the plaintiff.”
Guidry v. Airport Auth. for Airport Dist. No. 1, 558 So. 2d 300 (La. Ct. App. 1990). “R.S. 32:391 C and La.R.S. 32:392. Municipalities have the authority to adopt a traffic code.”
State v. Carter, 663 So. 2d 152 (La. Ct. App. 1995). “Although arrests are not the norm with traffic violations, this traffic stop was not an ordinary traffic stop, and under the circumstances, the deputy had good cause to believe the relator had committed another misdemeanor or felony.”
— La. Rev. Stat. § 32:391(0) — 1 case
State v. Carter, 663 So. 2d 152 (La. Ct. App. 1995). “Although arrests are not the norm with traffic violations, this traffic stop was not an ordinary traffic stop, and under the circumstances, the deputy had good cause to believe the relator had committed another misdemeanor or felony.”
— La. Rev. Stat. § 32:391(A) — 1 case
State v. Knight, 574 So. 2d 483 (La. Ct. App. 1991). “" LSA-R.S. 32:391(A). However, Subsection C of the statute provides: C.”
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