Defendant's liability for costs; suspension of costs; no advance costs
La. Code Crim. Proc. art. 887
in effect887. Defendant's liability for costs; suspension of costs; no advance costs
A. A defendant who is convicted of an offense or is the person owing a duty of support in a support proceeding shall be liable for all costs of the prosecution or proceeding, whether or not costs are assessed by the court, and such costs are recoverable by the party or parties who incurred the expense. However, such defendant or person shall not be liable for costs if acquitted or if the prosecution or proceeding is dismissed. In addition, any judge of a district court, parish court, city court, traffic court, juvenile court, family court, or magistrate of a mayor's court within the state shall be authorized to suspend court costs.
B. All processes of the court shall issue without the payment of advance costs.
C. In addition to the costs provided in Paragraph A of this Article, a person convicted of a violation of R.S. 14:98 or 98.6, or any municipal or parochial ordinance defining the offense of operating a motor vehicle, aircraft, watercraft, vessel, or other motorized means of conveyance under the influence of alcohol or drugs, who was subjected to a blood, breath, or urine analysis for alcohol or any controlled dangerous substance listed in R.S. 40:964, Schedule I, II, III, IV, or V, shall be assessed an additional one hundred twenty-five dollars as special costs. Such costs shall be paid in the following manner: seventy-five dollars to the governing authority owning the instrument used to perform the analysis, and fifty dollars to the governing authority whose agency performed the analysis. If the office of state police performed or participated in a blood, breath, or urine analysis for which these costs are assessed, that portion of the costs applicable to the office of state police shall be forwarded to the applied technology unit within the office of state police and forwarded for disposition in accordance with R.S. 40:1379.7. In the event the person is unable to pay the fine when assessed, the court may allow payment within certain time limits, based on the person's ability to pay such costs.
D. In addition to the costs provided in Paragraphs A and C, a person convicted of a violation of R.S. 14:98, R.S. 14:98.1, or of any municipal or parochial ordinance defining the offense of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, shall be assessed an additional fifty dollars as special costs to be used to defray expenses of administering conditions of probation or of incarceration. If the offender is incarcerated, such costs shall be paid to the sheriff or other custodian of the facility in which the offender is incarcerated. If the offender is placed on probation as provided in R.S. 14:98(B) or (C) or R.S. 14:98.1(D) or (E), the court may order the apportionment and payment of all or a part of such costs to the agencies or persons responsible for administering the prescribed substance abuse program, driver improvement program, or community service activities. In addition, the person convicted of a violation of R.S. 14:98, R.S. 14:98.1, or of any such municipal or parochial ordinance shall be assessed costs of the witness fee provided by R.S. 15:255.
E. Repealed by Acts 2009, No. 440, §2.
F.(1)(a) In addition to the costs provided in Paragraphs A, C, D, G, and H of this Article, a person convicted of a felony, a misdemeanor, or ordinance of any local government, including a traffic felony, a traffic misdemeanor, or a local traffic violation, shall be assessed an additional three dollars as a special court cost, provided that such additional cost shall be one dollar in mayor's courts in municipalities with a population of one hundred or less in the most recent federal decennial census. Such special costs shall be imposed by all courts, including mayor's courts and magistrate courts, shall not be suspended, and shall be used for implementation of the master plan for the development of a trial court case management information system and for the fast-tracked prototype development of the criminal disposition component of the system in order to define and meet the needs of clerks of court, trial court judges, law enforcement and corrections officials, the supreme court, the legislature, and the general public, for coordination with and implementation of related technology projects as provided for pursuant to the authority of R.S. 39:100.211, and for the implementation of an integrated juvenile justice information system for use in all courts exercising juvenile court jurisdiction. The proceeds of the special cost shall be deposited in the state treasury monthly on or before the tenth day of each calendar month.
(b) After compliance with the requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund, and prior to monies being placed in the state general fund, an amount equal to that deposited in the state treasury, as required in this Paragraph, shall be credited to the special fund created in the state treasury known as the Trial Court Case Management Information Fund. The disbursement of the proceeds from the fund shall be made on the warrant of the judicial administrator of the supreme court drawn on the state treasury. The monies in this fund shall be used solely for the purposes identified in this Paragraph, including necessary and associated administrative expenses. All unexpended and unencumbered monies in this fund at the end of the fiscal year shall remain in this fund. All monies in this fund shall be invested by the state treasurer in the same manner as monies in the general fund with interest earned on the investment of these monies credited to this fund following compliance with the requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund.
(c) The administrator of the Trial Court Case Management Information Fund shall coordinate and cooperate with the Integrated Criminal Justice Information System Policy Board to improve case management data-related systems. The administrator may also coordinate and cooperate with the legislative auditor or otherwise contract to investigate compliance with the obligations to remit costs pursuant to this Paragraph. The trial court shall not waive, set aside, or redirect such costs for any other purpose.
(d) The amounts authorized in Subsubparagraph (a) of this Subparagraph may be modified to account for inflation by considering the change, if any, in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, or its successor, since it was originally enacted; provided that any modifications approved shall be made only in whole increments of fifty cents, any subsequent adjustments shall be approved and calculated in the same manner by measuring the inflation increase, if any, from the date of the immediately preceding adjustment, and the total amount of adjustment pursuant to this Subsubparagraph shall not exceed four dollars. Any modification pursuant to this Subsubparagraph shall be implemented by the supreme court only after approval following a favorable recommendation by the Judicial Council that it meets all applicable Judicial Council guidelines.
(2) In Jefferson Parish, in addition to the costs in Paragraphs A, C, D, and E, a person convicted of an offense against the state of Louisiana shall be assessed a special court cost in the following amounts: in the case of a misdemeanor, an additional twenty-five dollars, and in the case of a felony, an additional fifty dollars. The amount so assessed shall be collected on behalf of the clerk of court's office, in the manner that fines are collected in criminal cases. The funds shall be transmitted to the clerk of court's office to be used by the clerk in his discretion to defray the expenses of his office.
(3) In Natchitoches Parish, in addition to the costs in Paragraphs A, C, D, E, G, and H and Subparagraph (1) of this Paragraph, a person convicted of an offense against the state of Louisiana, including a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, shall be assessed a special court cost in the amount of ten dollars in any prosecution initiated by the district attorney. Such special costs shall be imposed by the Tenth Judicial District Court and the City Court of Natchitoches. The amount so assessed shall be collected on behalf of the parish sheriff's office, in the manner that fines are collected in criminal cases. The funds shall be paid into the treasury of the parish and deposited into the Criminal Court Fund pursuant to R.S. 15:571.11, which statute shall govern the disposition of the additional court costs.
G. In addition to the costs provided in Paragraphs A, C, D, E, and F, a person convicted of a violation of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law may be assessed an additional one hundred dollars as special costs of court. Such special costs shall be imposed by all courts and shall be used for the development or maintenance of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) programs. The amount so assessed shall be collected on behalf of the parish sheriff's office, to be distributed among agencies providing the D.A.R.E. programs based upon the number of programs each agency offers within the public and private educational systems of the parish.
H. In addition to the costs provided in Paragraphs A, C, D, E, F, and G, a person convicted of a felony, a misdemeanor, or ordinance of any local government may be assessed additional reasonable costs to cover the costs expended by the sheriff, marshal, constable, or municipal police in the execution of a bench warrant, or a fugitive warrant, or both. An itemized statement of expenses shall be prepared and submitted for review and assessment by the court at the time of sentencing. Such costs shall be paid to the sheriff, marshal, constable, or municipal police as reimbursement of expenses incurred in the execution of such warrant.
Amended by Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 109, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1064, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1276, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1296, §1, eff. July 15, 1997; Acts 1999, No. 705, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1255, §1; Acts 2001, No. 1200, §1; Acts 2009, No. 440, §2; Acts 2011, No. 23, §1; Acts 2018, No. 198, §1; Acts 2026, No. 697, §1, eff. July 1, 2026.
Source: Louisiana State Legislature (legis.la.gov)URL: https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=112871Fetched: 10/20/2026