To apply, you must:
10 Louisiana Dealer License Requirements
Louisiana Dealer Licenses are issued by the Louisiana Used Motor Vehicle Commission (LUMVC). This page covers Louisiana's 8 Dealer License types, their requirements, the $50,000 bond, costs, and how to apply.
Name your Dealership
Your company name is the first step, because you use it through the entire Dealer License process, from the bond to the sign. Louisiana's Dealer Application accepts 6 business types: sole proprietor, partnership, limited partnership, LLP, LLC, or corporation.
An LLC keeps your business separate from your personal life and adds trust to the name.
With an LLC or corporation, you can add an owner and keep your license. A sole proprietorship cannot add an owner without changing its business type first. Either change is a $100 Information Change per license type, filed with the Commission within 10 days.
Choose your Dealer License Type
Louisiana issues 8 Dealer License types on one application, the Initial Dealer Packet, and each costs $400 for 2 years. The Used Motor Vehicle Dealer's License covers every vehicle class on the form; salvage is the one carve-out, a subtype of the Auction License. Every Dealer also needs at least 1 licensed salesperson per location, a separate Salesperson License.
| License Type | What It Lets You Do |
|---|---|
| Used Motor Vehicle Dealer's LicenseNumbers start with UD | Buy and sell used cars and trucks, boats and boat motors, trailers, motorcycles, motorhomes, golf carts and ATVs, and buses, fire trucks, and wreckers. You check the classes you sell on the application |
| Auction LicensePublic, Wholesale (Dealer), or Salvage | Run a vehicle auction. A Wholesale (Dealer) auction is open only to licensed Dealers, dismantlers, and parts recyclers. You must hold, or be applying for, the Used Dealer's License |
| Rent with the Option to Purchase LicenseRent-to-own. Numbers start with RD | Rent vehicles on a rent-to-own program |
| Daily Rental License | Rent used vehicles by the day |
| Used Parts & Accessories Dealer LicenseNumbers start with UP | Sell used parts and accessories. No bond when used parts are your principal business |
| Automotive Dismantler & Parts Recycler LicenseNumbers start with AD | Dismantle vehicles and sell the parts. No bond if you sell only at wholesale |
| Motor Vehicle Crusher LicenseNumbers start with CS | Crush vehicles |
| Catalytic Converter Dealer License | Buy and sell catalytic converters |
Get your Dealer Bond (Surety Bond)
A Louisiana Used Motor Vehicle Dealer's License requires a $50,000 Dealer Bond, filed with the Commission (La. R.S. 32:791(G)). The bond protects customers if you break Louisiana's dealer laws; the state can claim against it. A $50,000 Dealer Bond costs only $500 a year at the base rate, after a credit check.
The Auction License requires the same $50,000 bond, and the amount is flat: it does not change with how many vehicles you sell. Dealers whose principal business is used parts, and dismantlers who sell only at wholesale, need no bond.
It must be written on the Commission's bond form, with the surety's power of attorney attached, and stay in force for the full license period. If the bond lapses, the license is revoked as of the cancellation date unless a replacement is filed first.
| License Type | You Pay | Bond Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Used Motor Vehicle Dealer's LicenseLouisiana - Used Motor Vehicle Dealer ($50,000) | $500/yearabout $42 a month | $50,000 |
Get your Garage Liability Insurance
A Louisiana Used Motor Vehicle Dealer's License requires Garage Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $55,000, and so does the Auction License (La. R.S. 32:791(I)). That is the limit of the policy, not the cost: your insurance agent quotes the price.
Your Certificate of Insurance goes in with the application. If the policy lapses or is canceled, the license is revoked as of that date unless proof of a new policy is filed first.
The other license types:
- Rent with the Option to Purchase: Contingent Liability coverage, $100,000/$300,000/$50,000 minimums, instead of garage liability
- Daily Rental: Scheduled Auto coverage, $15,000/$30,000/$25,000 minimums, instead of garage liability
- Used Parts, Dismantler, Crusher, and Catalytic Converter: no garage liability insurance required
Set up your Dealer Office (Established Place of Business)
A Louisiana Dealer License requires an established place of business: a permanently enclosed building, owned, leased, or rented, that meets local zoning. The Commission's rule is the same for every license type, and it disqualifies “tents, temporary stands, lots, or other temporary quarters.”
No Louisiana rule names a home as allowed or banned. Two gates decide it: your local zoning authority, and a Commission inspector who visits before the license issues. The table below is the rule's own list.
| What Louisiana Requires | |
|---|---|
| Building | A permanently enclosed building or structure, owned in fee, leased, or rented |
| Sign | Permanently affixed, at least 16 square feet (4 by 4 feet), in front of the business and visible from the street, with your exact trade name. Two Dealers at one location each display their own sign |
| Phone | A working business phone listed with Nationwide Directory Assistance (411) under your exact business name; the number goes on the application |
| Office | Regularly occupied, easily accessible to the public, with your books, records, and files kept on-site |
| Zoning | Meets local zoning or municipal requirements. Your local zoning authority signs the Zoning Verification form; where there is no zoning, it checks “Is NOT Zoned” |
| Display and parking | No minimum display spaces, parking spots, or office or lot square footage; the sign is the only number Louisiana publishes |
Attend the Dealer Education Class (Educational Seminar)
Every Louisiana Dealer License type requires 1 person from the dealership to attend the Commission's free 4-hour Educational Seminar, and there is no exam. The owner, a salesperson, the general manager, the office manager, or the title clerk can be the one who attends.
The Commission's own staff teach it once a month, virtually over Microsoft Teams, 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. That schedule is shorter than the 4 hours the rule states. You register on the Commission's seminar page or by mail. Attach the completion certificate to your application, or proof that you registered; then attend within 60 days after the license issues.
Disclose any Felony (Criminal Background Check)
Louisiana takes no fingerprints and has no Live Scan. Every owner on the Dealer Application answers one question: any felony conviction or guilty plea in the past 10 years? Every salesperson answers the same question on the Salesperson Application.
A yes adds a criminal background check fee: $50 on the application packets, $35 on the Commission's Fee Schedule, two Commission documents that disagree. The Commission can also pull any applicant's criminal record from the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
If you have a record
- Denial is discretionary, not automatic. The Commission “may” deny a license for a felony conviction (La. R.S. 32:792); it is not required to.
- The form asks about 10 years, counted from the conviction date. Traffic felonies and misdemeanors are never asked about, and nothing in the law addresses an expunged felony either way. The statute's own denial power has no time limit, so an older felony can still be weighed.
- A guilty plea counts; a pending charge doesn't. No Louisiana form asks about an arrest or a charge without a conviction.
- A second law limits denials. La. R.S. 37:2950 lets a conviction count only when it directly relates to the license, and the Commission is not exempt. Its own forms don't mention it.
- You can appeal. A denied applicant has 30 days from receiving the denial to request a review by the Commission in writing (La. R.S. 32:785).
Submit your Dealer License Application (Initial Dealer Packet)
You apply to the Commission on paper, by mail, with the Initial Dealer Packet. Initial licenses cannot be filed online; the Commission's portal is for renewals only. The license fee is $400 for 2 years, and every fee is itemized under costs.
The packet includes at least 1 Salesperson Application, because every Dealer needs a licensed salesperson at each location. A salesperson licensed at one of your locations can sell at all of them.
Every owner with an ownership interest lists their SSN, date of birth, and driver's license number. A non-citizen owner attaches a copy of their Resident Alien Card, front and back, and a driver's license.
Pass the Site Inspection (Physical Inspection)
A Louisiana Dealer License is issued only after a Commission inspector has visited your location. The visit comes after your application, documents, and fees are processed, and the Commission asks you to allow about 14 business days.
The inspector confirms what your packet promised: the sign, the listed business phone, and an occupied office that is open to the public.
Get your Dealer License Plates
Louisiana dealer license plates come from the Commission itself, only after your Dealer License is issued. You can buy up to 3 plates per license, plus 1 more for each insured, licensed salesperson. Each plate is $15, plus a $20 convenience fee per plate, and plates expire every year.
Dealer tags let you drive your inventory for business:
- On vehicles offered for sale
- For demonstration, or displaying a vehicle to the public
- To maintain the vehicle
- As a courtesy loaner for a customer whose car is in for repair or warranty service
There is no personal-use allowance for owners; the plate stays on business use. A separate demonstration and transportation identification plate is valid for 10 consecutive days, for any business purpose of the dealership.
Dealer License Cost
A Louisiana Dealer License costs $400 for 2 years, initial or renewal, and the fee is the same for all 8 license types. That is higher than most states. Every other fee on this page is in the table.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dealer LicenseAny of the 8 license types | $400 per 2-year term, initial and renewal |
| Additional location | $200 same ownership, per 2 years$400 different ownership, per 2 years$200 adjacent location, per 2 years |
| Salesperson License | $25 a year |
| Dealer Bond | $500 a year, $50,000 bond, credit check required |
| Garage liability insurance | $55,000 minimum limits, priced by your agent |
| Educational Seminar | Free |
| Criminal background checkOnly if a felony is disclosed | $50 on the application packets$35 on the Fee Schedule |
| Dealer plates | $15 per plate, initial or renewal$40 per plate, personalized renewal$20 convenience fee per plate |
| Late renewalPostmarked or filed after December 31 | $100 per license type |
| Insurance lapse | $100 for a lapse of 14 days or lessAll original application fees again for 15 days or more |
| Information changeAddress, trade name, ownership, or products on the license | $100 each |
| License reprint | $50 dealer license$12.50 salesperson license |
Dealer License Renewal
A Louisiana Dealer License is valid for 2 years and expires December 31. Which year depends on your district: about half the state renews in odd years and half in even years. Renewal costs the same $400, and you file it online at the Commission's renewal portal by November 1. The Salesperson License renews every year for $25.
Common Questions
Can you get a Louisiana Dealer License with a felony?
Yes. A felony isn't an automatic bar to a Louisiana Dealer License: the Commission “may” deny for a felony conviction, and is not required to (La. R.S. 32:792). The form asks about the past 10 years from the conviction date; misdemeanors, traffic felonies, and pending charges are never asked about. A denial can be appealed within 30 days.
Can you get a Dealer License in Louisiana without a lot?
Yes. Louisiana publishes no minimum display spaces, parking spots, or lot size for any license type; the only number is a 16-square-foot sign. What you need is a permanently enclosed building that your local zoning authority approves. A lot on its own doesn't qualify: the rule disqualifies “tents, temporary stands, lots, or other temporary quarters.” Details under Office.
How many cars can you sell in Louisiana without a Dealer License?
In Louisiana, you can sell up to 4 used vehicles in any 12-month period without a Dealer License. Selling 5 or more presumes you are in the business, and a license is required (La. R.S. 32:781). Vehicles registered to and insured by you, your household, or your immediate family don't count.
How do you get an auction license in Louisiana?
A Louisiana Auction License comes from the Used Motor Vehicle Commission on the same Initial Dealer Packet, for $400 per 2 years. You check one subtype: Public, Wholesale (Dealer), or Salvage. You must hold, or be applying for, the Used Motor Vehicle Dealer's License, and the Auction License requires the same $50,000 bond and $55,000 garage liability insurance.
Does Louisiana have a wholesale dealer license?
No. Louisiana has no standalone wholesale dealer license. “Wholesale (Dealer)” is a subtype of the Auction License, an auction open only to licensed Dealers, dismantlers, and parts recyclers (La. R.S. 32:781). To buy at the dealer auctions, you get the Used Motor Vehicle Dealer's License; there is no lighter wholesale-only path.
Do salespeople need their own license in Louisiana?
Yes. Louisiana licenses each salesperson separately, for $25 a year, and every Dealer must have at least 1 licensed salesperson per location. The Salesperson Application is part of the Initial Dealer Packet, and each salesperson answers the same felony question as the owners. A salesperson licensed at one of your locations can sell at all of them.
Do I have to be a U.S. citizen to get a Louisiana Dealer License?
No. The Louisiana Dealer Application asks every owner “U.S. citizen? Yes or No.” A no is answered by attaching a copy of your Resident Alien Card, front and back, plus a driver's license. That is the one alternative the Commission names, so a green-card holder proceeds on it. The same question is on the Salesperson Application.
Do I need a business bank account?
No. No Louisiana Commission form asks for a business bank account or account number: not the Initial Dealer Packet, the Renewal Packet, or the Fee Schedule. The application asks each owner for an SSN, and nothing about a bank.
Support
The Louisiana Used Motor Vehicle Commission issues every license on this page and inspects every location. Licensing questions go to [email protected].
| Contact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Department | Louisiana Used Motor Vehicle Commission (LUMVC) |
| Phone | (225) 925-3870(800) 256-2977 toll-free |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday |
| [email protected][email protected] for licensing questions | |
| Address | 3132 Valley Creek DriveBaton Rouge, LA 70808 |
Additional sources (7)
The forms and the portal for each step are linked in the steps. These are the law, the rules, and the agency pages the page was checked against.
- La. R.S. 32:785, denial review — the 30-day written request for the Commission's review of a denial, and the appeal path after it
- La. R.S. 32:802, the seminar for dismantlers and crushers — the same 4-hour Educational Seminar and 60-day rule for Automotive Dismantler, Parts Recycler, and Crusher applicants
- La. R.S. 37:2950, criminal records and occupational licenses — the state-wide rule that a conviction can count only when it directly relates to the license
- Dealer Renewal Packet 2026–27 (PDF) — the renewal checklist, the $100 late fee, and the February 1 zoning and sign-photo rule
- Additional Location Packet (PDF) — the $200 and $400 additional-location fees and the inspection of a second location
- Information Change Packet (PDF) — the $100 ownership, address, and trade-name change, and the 10-day deadline
- 2026 La. Acts No. 681 (HB 888), enrolled text — dealer plate use: the customer courtesy loaner and the 10-day demonstration and transportation identification plate, in force since June 1, 2026
