Government
Office of Motor Vehicles
Residents of the East Bank have their own Office of Motor Vehicles conveniently
located in the Office Mall at 3501 Chateau Blvd. The office is located in
the pleasant surroundings of the affluent Chateau Estates neighborhood.
But no matter how conveniently it may be located, nobody really likes going
to the Office of Motor Vehicles. Most people (for good reason) associate
the office with waiting in line for a long time. The goal in dealing with
the Office of Motor Vehicles should always be to minimize the frequency
of your visits. This works best for them and for you. Our East Bank Office
of Motor Vehicles offers the following advice to cut down on your OMV aggravations...
- If you need to visit the Office of Motor Vehicles, make sure you have
all needed documents with you.
- If you have a change of address, you need to change for vehicle registration
and driver's license. This can be done at any Motor Vehicle Office. It
may seem a little inconvenient at the time, especially with all of the
other hassles already involved in moving. But this will save you a lot
of trouble down the road.
- Renew you license plate by mail. If the OMV has your current address
you will receive notification and paperwork in the mail when your plate
needs to be renewed.
- You can renew your driver's license up to 90 days prior to its expiration
date. Don't wait until the last minute when you may be forced to pick an
inconvenient time to go to the Office of Motor Vehicles.
- Turn in the license plates on any vehicle you own before canceling
insurance on it.
- If you are going to sell or trade your vehicle, remove the license
plate and have it canceled before you cancel the insurance.
- If you receive correspondence from the Office of Motor Vehicles, don't
ignore it. Even if you don't own the vehicle in question. Ignoring correspondence
will only be a source of more serious problems later on.
- Pay all traffic fines on time. If you decide to go to court, make sure
you are there on the agreed date and time. Failure to show up will result
in your license being suspended.
- Bring cash only for a driver's license.
If You Are New To Louisiana...
When you become a new resident of Louisiana, you are required by law
to obtain a Louisiana driver's license. You will need to submit proper identification
and proof of residency documents to the Office of Motor Vehicles. Because
it is unlawful to have more than one license in your possession at any one
time, you must surrender any licenses you have from other states. You will
need the following when you go to the OMV...
- your current out-of-state driver's license (if your license is lost
or expired by 60 days or more, you will need a letter from the issuing
state to the effect that your license is clear)
- your social security card, unless the number appears on your out-of-state
license
- proof or residency
You must also immediately title and register any vehicle you own with
the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. In order to do this you will need
the following....
- your out-of-state title
- out-of-state registration certificate
- proof of insurance
If your title is being held by a lien holder in another state, you should
have a copy of your title or a statement from the state where you bought
your car to the effect that the title was issued in your name but mailed
to a lien holder.
If You Are An Alien Or Foreigner...
Aliens must go to the Office of Motor Vehicles and present proper documents
required by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Foreign students
will need to present the following documents.
- A current driver's license
- A passport stamped by the Immigration and Naturalization Service
- A social security card
- Proof of residency
- Proof of a driver education course (unless previously licensed)
- A School Enrollment Status Form if the applicant is a minor (age 15
through 17)
Louisiana's Liability Insurance Law...
Louisiana requires all motor vehicles on the road to have liability insurance.
The law requires minimum coverage of $10,000 for the death of one person
and $20,000 for the injury or death of two or more people. Also required
is a minimum of $10,000 coverage for destruction of property.
Minimum coverage is higher if you are operating a vehicle with a gross
weight of 20,000 pounds or more. In this case the minimum is $300,000 for
the death or injury of one person and $500,000 for the death or injury of
2 or more persons. The property destruction minimum is still $10,000.
All insurance coverage must be with an insurance carrier licensed to
do business in Louisiana. Louisiana enforces its compulsory liability insurance
law in two ways.
- All insurance companies are required to notify the Office of Motor
Vehicles when an inusrance policy is cancelled.
- The Louisiana State police and other law enforcement agencies set up
insurance checkpoints. If you encounter a checkpoint, you will be required
to show proof of insurance.
Avoiding Insurance Hassles...
The Office of Motor vehicles offers the following advice to avoid insurance
related problems.
- If you receive correspondence from the OMV regarding the insurance
status of a vehicle, do not ignore this correspondence even if you no longer
own the vehicle in question.
- If you receive correspondence regarding insurance and do not comply
a block will be placed against the vehicle's plate and your drivers license.
A warrant will be placed for the seizure of the plate by law enforcement
personnel.
- If you drop your insurance for any reason, remove the plate and surrender
it at any motor vehicle office. If you choose to drop your insurance and
want to keep your plate, you will need to complete a notarized non-use
affidavit and submit it to your local motor vehicle office before you cancel
the insurance.
Louisiana law requires that current proof of insurance be carried in
your vehicle at all times.
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