Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:392 – Impounding of vehicles; prohibitions
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:392
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Department: means the Department of Transportation and Development. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Driver: means every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Gross weight: means the weight of a vehicle and/or combination of vehicles without load on all axles including the steering axle plus the weight of any load thereon. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way or place of whatever nature publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for the purpose of vehicular travel, including bridges, causeways, tunnels and ferries; synonymous with the word "street". See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Load: means a weight or quantity of anything resting upon something else regarded as its support. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Owner: means a person who holds a legal title to a vehicle or in the event a vehicle is the subject of an agreement for the conditional sale, lease, or transfer of possession thereof with the right of purchase upon the performance of the conditions stated in the agreement, with the right of immediate possession in the vendee, lessee, possessor, or in the event such similar transaction is had by means of mortgage and the mortgagor of a vehicle is entitled to possession, then the conditional vendee, lessee, possessor, or mortgagor shall be deemed the owner for the purposes of this Chapter. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Police officer: means every officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Traffic: means pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, and other conveyances either singly or together while using any highway for purposes of travel. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Vehicle: means every device by which persons or things may be transported upon a public highway or bridge, except devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
A.(1) Upon discovery of any vehicle operated in violation of this Chapter, the vehicle shall not be impounded but may be directed to and followed by the weights and standards police officer or state policeman to the nearest appropriate place suitable for unloading to its licensed gross weight or maximum size requirements as provided in this Chapter and storage of said product to preserve it for its intended use in commerce and in either case shall be detained or unloaded at the expense and responsibility of the owner or driver. The department shall not detain or impound any vehicle issued a violation ticket for any violation of the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 32:380 through 387 prior to the final disposition of the violation ticket. For purposes of this Section, “final disposition” shall be defined as a final decision, not capable of appeal or review.
(2) When used in this Subsection, the phrase “minor traffic violation” shall mean any violation of the Highway Regulatory Act as provided for in this Title. However, La. Rev. Stat. 32:380 through 387 are exempted from this definition.
(a) “Perishable products” means products which are subject to lose their commercial value or decay in a short period of time, including but not limited to agricultural or seafood products and concrete.
(b) “Products once loaded which become indivisible” means products divisible by nature, but which become indivisible once loaded upon a vehicle because the required manner or method of unloading would be such that the entire load or portion of the load required to be unloaded could not be preserved for its intended use in commerce, or which endangers the public safety, including but not limited to forest products in their natural state.
B. A vehicle impounded for violations of the provisions of this Chapter other than La. Rev. Stat. 32:380 through 387 shall be detained until released by any court or committing magistrate having jurisdiction over the offense. The court or committing magistrate having jurisdiction over an offense involving a vehicle shall not order or allow the release of the vehicle prior to the full satisfaction of all penalties or charges assessed on account of the offense, except upon the execution of an appearance bond in the maximum amount of such penalties and charges, with good and solvent surety approved by the court or committing magistrate.
C. Repealed by Acts 2001, No. 1201, §2.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1975, No. 120, §1; Acts 1976, No. 178, §1; Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977; Acts 1995, No. 527, §1; Acts 2001, No. 1201, §§1 and 2; Acts 2010, No. 320, §1, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2021, No. 384, §§1, 5, eff. July 1, 2022.