You stop at a red light. You wave a neighbor across the street. You toss a cup out the window without thinking twice. Most Louisiana drivers do small things like this every week and never think about it again. But some everyday habits here are against the law, and a few of them can even change what happens after a car accident.
Here is the quick answer. Louisiana has several rules that catch good, careful people off guard, from how you use your phone in the car to what happens if you are partly at fault for a crash. Below are ten of the most surprising ones, explained in plain language, plus what they can mean for your safety and your rights if you are ever hurt on the road.
10 Louisiana Laws You Might Be Breaking Without Knowing It
- You cannot hold your phone while driving. Louisiana now bans drivers from holding a cell phone at all while the car is moving, not just texting. If you need to talk or use GPS, it has to be hands free.
- The Move Over Law covers more than police cars. Most drivers know to move over for a police car with its lights on. Louisiana’s law also covers tow trucks, utility crews, and any vehicle stopped on the shoulder with hazard lights flashing. If you cannot move over safely, you must slow down instead.
- Leaving the scene of a crash is a crime, even a small one. Louisiana law requires every driver involved in a crash to stop, exchange information, and render aid if someone is hurt. Driving away, even from a minor fender bender, can turn a simple accident into a criminal charge.
- You have to carry proof of insurance, and show it. Louisiana requires every driver to carry proof of liability insurance and produce it when an officer asks. Driving without it can mean fines, a suspended license, and a much harder road after a wreck.
- Booster seats are required longer than most parents think. Louisiana law requires young children to ride in an age and size appropriate car seat or booster, often longer than parents expect, usually until a child is big enough for a regular seat belt to fit correctly on its own.
- Littering carries a bigger fine than people realize. Throwing trash from your car in Louisiana is not just rude. It comes with a real fine, and courts can add community service picking up litter along the highway.
- Louisiana still has its famous drive through daiquiri rule. State law lets some drive through daiquiri shops sell a sealed frozen drink to a passenger, as long as the straw stays wrapped and out of the driver’s reach. The moment that seal is broken inside a moving car, it becomes an open container violation, and drinking any alcohol before driving is never worth the risk.
- Failing to yield to a pedestrian can create fault, even without a ticket. Louisiana drivers must yield to pedestrians in a marked or unmarked crosswalk. Even when an officer never writes a citation, failing to yield can still be used to show fault after a crash.
- You can now be barred from recovery if you are mostly at fault. As of January 1, 2026, Louisiana follows a new rule. If a court finds you more than 50 percent at fault for a crash, you cannot recover money for your injuries, even if the other driver also did something wrong.
- Sky lanterns are against the law almost everywhere in the state. Those floating paper lanterns people release at weddings and celebrations are banned across most of Louisiana because of wildfire risk. A beautiful moment can turn into a real fire code citation.
Why This Matters After a Car Accident
I hear questions like these all the time in my office. A client will tell me their story, certain the crash was not their fault, only to learn later that something small they did without thinking, like holding a phone at a red light or not seeing a crosswalk, gets used against them by an insurance company. Louisiana’s new 51 percent rule makes this even more important. Your case needs to show clearly what happened, who did what, and why you deserve to be treated with dignity after someone else’s mistake changed your life.
Our team serves families across East Baton Rouge Parish, St. George Parish, and Ascension Parish, with offices right here in Baton Rouge and in Gonzales. We see these same patterns again and again, and we know how to build a case the right way from day one.
What Dignity Prevails Means for You
Chris Corzo is a Louisiana State University law school graduate, a National Top 100 Trial Lawyer, and a Million and Multi-Million Dollar Advocate. He spent 13 years at GMIA, eventually overseeing more than 50 attorneys, before founding Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys to serve Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish families himself. Our firm’s battlecry is Dignity Prevails. That means moving with speed, fighting for full recovery, and treating every client like family, the same way we would want our own parents or children treated after a wreck.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really have to move over for any car with hazard lights on?
Yes. Louisiana’s Move Over Law covers police cars, tow trucks, utility vehicles, and any car stopped on the shoulder with hazard lights on. Move over a lane if you safely can, or slow down.
Can I still get compensation if I was partly at fault for my accident?
It depends. Under Louisiana’s current rule, you can recover damages as long as you are found 50 percent or less at fault, though your recovery is reduced by your own share of fault. If you are found more than 50 percent at fault, you cannot recover. This is exactly the kind of question worth asking an attorney before you talk to an insurance adjuster.
What should I do if the other driver leaves the scene?
Call 911 right away, get medical care if you need it, and write down anything you remember, like the car’s color, direction, or part of a license plate. Then call our office. Hit and run cases can still be covered, especially through your own uninsured motorist coverage, but the details matter, so it helps to act quickly.
Call Corzo
If you have questions about a crash, a ticket, or anything on this list, you do not have to figure it out alone. Call Corzo at +1 225-535-4831, or visit us online to schedule a free consultation. You can also talk to Chris any hour of the day or night through Chat Corzo, our live chat widget.