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  • Speed Restrictions and Speeding – No person shall operate a vehicle on any highway in Louisiana in excess of 55 mph. No person shall operate a vehicle on a multi-lane divided highway that has partial or no control of access in excess of 65 mph. No person shall operate a vehicle on an interstate or controlled access highway in Louisiana in excess of 70 mph. Generally, no person shall drive at a speed that is higher than reasonable and prudent under the conditions and potential hazards. Furthermore, unless a hazard or condition exists that warrants it, no person shall drive at a speed that is so slow as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.
  • Driver License Requirement – It is a crime for a person to operate a motor vehicle unless the state has issued them a license to do so. If you have been arrested or cited for driving without a driver’s license and are scheduled to appear in a traffic court in Jefferson Parish or Orleans Parish, contact Bloom Legal. We may be able to reduce the traffic fines and or penalties associated with this crime. Remember, paying a traffic fine is an admission of guilt and if it is a moving violation then it could result in points on your driving record.
  • Proper Equipment Requirement – It is against the law to operate a motor vehicle in Louisiana if such vehicle is in an unsafe condition to the point where it would endanger person or property or is not equipped with the head lights, tail lights and other equipment required by Louisiana law. Furthermore, vehicles driving in Louisiana must be equipped with a vehicle inspection tag, commonly known as a ‘brake tag’ in order to operate legally.
  • Failure to Obey Police Officer and Traffic Signs – It is a crime to fail or refuse to comply with the lawful order of a police officer. Furthermore, it is a violation of Louisiana law to fail or refuse to comply with the instruction or direction of any traffic control device or sign. If you have been cited or arrested as a result of this traffic violation you may have committed a moving violation. If this is the case, paying your traffic fine or penalty will result in points on your driver’s license, which may cause your insurance rates to get higher.
  • Careless Operation – Failure to operate a vehicle on Louisiana roads in a careful and prudent manner is guilty of careless operation. One must operate their vehicle so as not to endanger the life, limb or property of any person.
  • Drag Racing – It is illegal to drive any vehicle in any race, speed competition, acceleration contest, endurance test, speed record attempt on public or private roads that are not restricted to the public. A race is considered the use of one or more vehicle to outgain, outdistance, or prevent the other vehicle from passing or to test the physical endurance of the driver. A drag race is considered the operation of two or more vehicles from a side by side point at accelerating speed in an attempt to outgain or outdistances the other. This type of moving violation could result in points on your license and other serious fines and jail time, especially if there is an injury involved, causing insurance rates to skyrocket.
  • Failure to Signal – No person shall turn without giving a signal of intention continuously for the last 100 feet before the vehicle turns. You may not stop or suddenly decrease speed without first giving the appropriate signal. Signals may only be used for this reason and shall not be flashed for any other reason. Turns may only be made when such movement can be made with reasonable safety. Failure to comply with this law will result in a moving violation which could cause your insurance rates to go up.
  • Stopping, Standing or Parking in Prohibited Places – Unless in order to avoid conflict with traffic or in compliance with police officer, no person shall stand or park a vehicle on a sidewalk, in front of a driveway, in an intersection, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, on a crosswalk, within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, within 20 feet of the approach to a flashing beacon stop sign or traffic signal, between a safety zone and the curb, within 20 feet of the entrance to a fire station and on the opposite side 75 feet of the entrance, alongside street work, on a bridge, next to a parked car, or anywhere that signs prohibit or will obscure visibility of a traffic control device.
  • Driving on the Right Side of the Road – Driving must occur on the right half of the roadway, unless you are overtaking or passing another vehicle going in the same direction, when the right half of the road is closed to traffic, and when the roadway is designated for one-way traffic. This is a moving violation and could result in points on your license and higher insurance rates.
  • Vehicle License Requirement – It is a crime for a person to operate a motor vehicle upon Louisiana highways without having registered it and paid the license tax.
  • Size, Weight and Load Requirements – It is a crime to operate a vehicle that exceeds the size, weight or load limits of Louisiana law.

Orleans Parish Traffic Fines

A traffic ticket can be expensive.  If you pay your ticket, you may face higher insurance premiums.  This means you could be paying for your traffic ticket for years.

You have rights.  When you pay your traffic ticket you are admitting guilt. If you believe that you were wrongly ticketed it is crucial to contact the New Orleans traffic ticket lawyers at Bloom Legal.  Our team of experienced lawyers can review your options for the best resolution.

Rather than immediately paying your traffic fines you should always consider contacting a New Orleans traffic ticket lawyer for help resolving your citation.  At Bloom Legal, we represent local clients and clients who are visiting New Orleans.  Our goal at Bloom Legal is to minimize or avoid court appearances, and help you avoid fines or pay the minimum amount of fees possible.

Below is a list of Orleans Parish traffic fines and their costs.

Speeding violations:

  • 1 to 9 mph over the speed limit: $116.00
  • 10 to 14 mph over the speed limit: $216.00
  • 15 to 20 mph over the speed limit: $241.00
  • 21 mph or more over the speed limit: court appearance requirement

Failure to wear seat belt:

  • $25.00 fine

Failure to use child restraint:

  • Court appearance requirement

Equipment violation:

  • $111.00 fine

Failure to obey traffic signs, impeding traffic, improper turns:

  • $111.00 fine

Improper lane usage:

  • $131.00 fine

Brake tag (none or expired), failure to use reasonable care:

  • $161.00 fine

Driving against traffic, failure to obey police signal, failure to yield, following too closely, improper starting/ backing, no registration, red light, stop sign, title transfer and no title:

  • $181.00 fine

Careless operation, passing stopped school bus:

  • $211.00 fine

A mandatory court appearance is required for the following violations:

  • Fraudulent use of brake tag
  • Hit and run
  • No driver license
  • No proof of insurance
  • Reckless operation
  • DWI

Fines are set by the Louisiana legislature and the New Orleans City Council.  Violation of a state statute incurs an additional $20.00 charge to cover costs.  You can tell if your fine is a state citation by examining the front of your citation (above the appearance date). If the code begins with “154” then it is a New Orleans city violation.  However, if the code begins with “32”, “14”, “47” or “55” it is a Louisiana state violation and you will be responsible for the additional $20.00 charge.

Keep in mind that paying a traffic ticket is an admission of guilt!

If you are cited for a moving violation and pay the ticket you may receive points on your license, which will cause your insurance rates to rise.  Fighting a ticket is your only option to avoid points on your driver license.  Bloom Legal is experienced in fighting traffic tickets in Orleans Parish traffic court, and other parish traffic courts, including Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. Charles, Plaquemines, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Livingston and St. John the Baptist.

St. Tammany Parish Traffic Fines

Speeding violations:

  • 1-10 mph over the speed limit: $188.50
  • 11-20 mph over the speed limit: $208.50
  • 21-30 mph over the speed limit: $233.50
  • 31+ mph over the speed limit: court appearance requirement

Failure to wear seat belt:

  • $25.00 fine

Failure to stop at a stop sign:

  • $203.50 fine

Expired or No Inspection Sticker:

  • $187.50 fine

No Driver’s License on Person (For People With Valid Driver’s Licenses):

  • $168.50 fine

Expired Driver’s License:

  • $203.50 fine

Speed Traps a Serious Problem in Louisiana

Speed traps on I-10 in Charles Parish are among many that exist throughout the state. Speed traps became such a commonly accepted means of generating needed revenue that the legislature had to step in to protect motorists.

In 2009, the Louisiana State Legislature sent Governor Bobby Jindal a bill designed to stop speed trap abuse in small towns. As many as 15 cities were making half of their budget from speeding tickets. The Newspaper.com states that to curb the behavior, lawmakers set a rule that revenue from highway speeding tickets issued when a driver was travelling 10 miles-per-hour or less over the speed limit would go to the state. This law removed the financial incentive associated with cracking down on drivers in small towns.

Fourteen other states had already passed bills to ensure due process and protect constituents from speed traps before the Louisiana law was passed.

Drivers need to understand their rights and the potential for abuse of those rights in speed trap settings. Call a New Orleans speeding ticket attorney at Bloom Legal if you were ticketed at a speed trap or if you otherwise received a traffic ticket and want to understand your legal options. We can help immediately. Call Bloom Legal at 1-504-599-9997.

St. Charles Parish I-10 Speed Trap

On I-10 in St. Charles Parish, speed traps are common. For example, on an elevated portion of the road heading from LaPlace to Kenner, the highway curves to the right and state troopers routinely monitor the area to stop drivers who are travelling too fast.

Like many speed traps, speed traps on I-10 are used to pad budgets for cash-strapped towns at the expense of drivers. In many cases, the term “speed trap” refers not only to an area where police await drivers travelling too quickly but to a spot where the speed limit suddenly or unexpectedly drops. This sudden drop can be grossly unfair to motorists, who may question whether the ticket they received was legitimate or just an attempt to trap them into driving too fast so police can cite them.

When you receive a ticket in a speed trap, you should not assume you have no recourse but to pay the fine. You may be able to raise certain defenses and question the legitimacy of the speed trap.

Fighting Speed Trap Tickets

When you are cited for a traffic violation, paying the fine is an admission of guilt. The result of such admission is that you will have a record of the violation on your public driving record, which can lead to increases in insurance premiums. In some cases, your license may even be suspended because of too many violations. A record of traffic tickets will also disqualify you from many jobs where a perfect driving record is a prerequisite.

Because a traffic ticket can have serious consequences, you do not want to simply admit guilt, especially if you are cited by an officer in a speed trap. A New Orleans speeding ticket attorney can assist you in these types of cases so you can potentially prevent the ticket from affecting your driving record, license and finances.

Contact Our New Orleans Traffic Ticket Lawyer

Keep in mind that paying a traffic ticket is an admission of guilt! If you are cited for a moving violation and you pay the ticket, you may receive points on you license which will cause your insurance rates to go up. Fighting a ticket is your only option to avoid points on your driver’s license. Bloom Legal is experienced in fighting traffic tickets in Orleans Parish traffic court, and other parish traffic courts, including Jefferson Parish traffic court, St. Bernard Parish traffic court, St. Charles Parish traffic court, Plaquemines Parish traffic court, St. Tammany Parish traffic court, Tangipahoa Parish traffic court, Livingston Parish traffic court or St. John the Baptist Parish traffic court. Call Bloom Legal today to start fighting your traffic ticket and protecting your driver’s license and insurance!

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