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La. Rev. Stat. § 48:701 (2026)

Revocation of dedication; reversion of property

✓ current as of May 2026
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PART V.  REVOCATION OR ABANDONMENT OF DEDICATION

§701.  Revocation of dedication; reversion of property

The parish governing authorities and municipal corporations of the state, except the parish of Orleans, may revoke and set aside the dedication of all roads, streets, and alleyways laid out and dedicated to public use within the respective limits, when the roads, streets, and alleyways have been abandoned or are no longer needed for public purposes.  

Upon such revocation, all of the soil covered by and embraced in the roads, streets, or alleyways up to the center line thereof, shall revert to the then present owner or owners of the land contiguous thereto.  

Nothing in this Section shall be construed as repealing any of the provisions of special statutes or charters of incorporated municipalities granting the right to close or alter roads or streets.  

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 52 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1951–2023 · leading case: State, Dept. of Transp. v. Scramuzza, 692 So. 2d 1024 (La. 1997).
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State, Dept. of Transp. v. Scramuzza, 692 So. 2d 1024 (La. 1997). · cites it 9× “R.S. 48:701 requires a formal revocation of statutorily dedicated streets or whether the streets revert to the adjoining landowners upon mere abandonment by the parish.”
Walker v. Coleman, 540 So. 2d 983 (La. Ct. App. 1989). · cites it 9× “33:4711 which provides general authority to sell property not needed for public use, or whether the police jury's authority is limited to revoking the dedication in accordance with LSA-R.S. 48:701, in which case title to the street or alley reverts to the contiguous owner or…”
Bulliard v. Delahoussaye, 481 So. 2d 747 (La. Ct. App. 1985). · cites it 7× “Martinville abandoned Longfellow Avenue in accordance with the provisions of LSA-R.S. 48:701. Thomas K. Bulliard, Jr. appeals the trial court's judgment declaring Longfellow Avenue not abandoned and denying him damages for the loss of trees.”
State Dept. of Transp. & Dev. v. Scramuzza, 673 So. 2d 1249 (La. Ct. App. 1996). · cites it 3× “The sole legal issue appears to be whether LSA-R.S. 48:701 requires a formal revocation of streets before *1259 there is an abandonment and the streets revert to the adjoining landowners.”
Coliseum Square Ass'n v. City of New Orleans, 544 So. 2d 351 (La. 1989). · cites it 2× “R.S. 48:701 provides for the revocation of the dedication of a public street which is no longer needed for public purposes, and La.”
Sylvester v. St. Landry Par. Police Jury, 461 So. 2d 534 (La. Ct. App. 1984). · cites it 3× “This procedure is authorized by LSA-R.S. 48:701. Lee had the secretary of the Police Jury to make the proper advertisements of the Police Jury's intention to abandon the road.”
Anderson v. Police Jury of East Feliciana Par., 452 So. 2d 730 (La. Ct. App. 1984). · cites it 2× “R.S. 48:701, which reads: The parish governing authorities and municipal corporations of the state, except the parish of Orleans, may revoke and set aside the dedication of all roads, streets, and alleyways laid out and dedicated to public use within their respective limits,…”
Torrance v. Caddo Par. Police Jury, 119 So. 2d 617 (La. Ct. App. 1960). · cites it 2× “Public notice of the filing of the petition was given by weekly appearances in a local paper on August 9, 16, 23 and 30, 1954. The resolution was then unanimously adopted only after no opposition was made.”
Garrett v. Pioneer Prod. Corp., 390 So. 2d 851 (La. 1980). “*856 Further support for the rule that statutory dedication vests ownership in the public is provided by Act 151 of 1910 (now substantially embodied in R.S. 48:701), which gave parishes and municipalities the authority to revoke the dedication of streets to public use.”
Miller v. Calcasieu Par. Police Jury, 441 So. 2d 306 (La. Ct. App. 1983). · cites it 2× “R.S. 48:701." Our review is therefore limited to determining whether the Police Jury abused its discretion by acting in an arbitrary or capricious manner in abandoning the north 200 feet of Phillips Lane.”
Giambelluca v. Par. of St. Charles, 687 So. 2d 423 (La. Ct. App. 1996). · cites it 2× “LSA-R.S. 48:701 provides: The parish governing authorities and municipal corporations of the state, except the parish of Orleans, may revoke and set aside the dedication of all roads, streets, and alleyways laid out and dedicated to public use within the respective limits, when…”
Robinson v. Beauregard Par. Police Jury, 351 So. 2d 113 (La. 1977). “Abandonment of a public road must be evidenced by (1) a formal act of revocation in accordance with R.S. 48:701, (2) relocation of the public road by the governing body, or (3) clear and well-established proof of intent by the governing body to abandon.”
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