Louisiana Theft and Shoplifting Laws

If you're looking for a Louisiana online theft or shoplifting class, it's important to know your Louisiana theft laws. This can help you understand more about your offense.

Please note that the Louisiana theft laws displayed on this page are to aid you in understanding your state Louisiana theft, shoplifting and stealing laws. While we have tried to show the latest version of Louisiana theft laws, we do not guarantee its accuracy. This page is not a replacement for legal advice from a lawyer. We suggest that you find an appropriate lawyer for more information about Louisiana theft laws.

Class	Price
4 Hour Theft Class	$99	Register Now
6 Hour Theft Class	$129	Register Now
8 Hour Theft Class	$149	Register Now
12 Hour Theft Class	$199	Register Now
16 Hour Advanced Class	$249	Register Now
24 Hour Extended Theft Class	$349	Register Now

§67. Theft

A. Theft is the misappropriation or taking of anything of value which belongs to another, either without the consent of the other to the misappropriation or taking, or by means of fraudulent conduct, practices, or representations. An intent to deprive the other permanently of whatever may be the subject of the misappropriation or taking is essential.

B.(1) Whoever commits the crime of theft when the misappropriation or taking amounts to a value of one thousand five hundred dollars or more shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than ten years, or may be fined not more than three thousand dollars, or both.

(2) When the misappropriation or taking amounts to a value of five hundred dollars or more, but less than a value of one thousand five hundred dollars, the offender shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years, or may be fined not more than two thousand dollars, or both.

(3) When the misappropriation or taking amounts to less than a value of five hundred dollars, the offender shall be imprisoned for not more than six months, or may be fined not more than one thousand dollars, or both. If the offender in such cases has been convicted of theft two or more times previously, upon any subsequent conviction he shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than two years, or may be fined not more than two thousand dollars, or both.

C. When there has been a misappropriation or taking by a number of distinct acts of the offender, the aggregate of the amount of the misappropriations or taking shall determine the grade of the offense.

§67.1. Theft of livestock

A. Any of the following acts shall constitute theft of livestock:

(1) The misappropriation or taking of livestock belonging to another or proceeds derived from the sale of such livestock or its meat, whether done without the consent of the owner to the misappropriation or taking, or by means of fraudulent conduct, practices, or representations, with the intent to deprive the owner permanently of the livestock, or proceeds derived from the sale of the livestock or its meat.

(2) Transporting, or causing the transportation of, livestock to a slaughterhouse or a public livestock market as defined in R.S. 3:663, for purposes of selling or keeping the livestock or meat with an intent to deprive the owner permanently of the livestock or meat or proceeds derived from the sale of the livestock or meat.

(3) Failing or refusing to pay for livestock purchased from an agent, dealer, public livestock market as defined in R.S. 3:663, or owner, or acquired with the consent of the agent, dealer, public livestock market as defined in R.S. 3:663, or owner, within thirty days of the date the livestock was purchased or acquired or the date payment was due, whichever is longer, with the intent to permanently deprive the other of the livestock or the livestock's value.

B. Either of the following acts shall constitute presumptive evidence of intent to permanently deprive the other of the livestock or meat, or proceeds derived from sale of the livestock or meat:

(1) Assignment of the livestock in a record book maintained by a slaughterhouse or public livestock market as defined in R.S. 3:663, in a name other than that of owner.

(2) Failing to pay for the livestock within ten days after notice of a request for payment or return of the livestock or meat has been sent by the agent, dealer, public livestock market as defined in R.S. 3:663, or owner, to the offender's last known address by either registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or by actual delivery by a commercial courier.

C. Affirmative defenses shall include but not be limited to a contract establishing longer terms for payment and fraud in regard to the quality of the livestock.

D. "Livestock" means any animal except dogs and cats, bred, kept, maintained, raised, or used for profit, that is used in agriculture, aquaculture, agritourism, competition, recreation, or silvaculture, or for other related purposes or used in the production of crops, animals, or plant or animal products for market. This definition includes but is not limited to cattle, buffalo, bison, oxen, and other bovine; horses, mules, donkeys, and other equine; goats; sheep; swine; chickens, turkeys, and other poultry; domestic rabbits; imported exotic deer and antelope, elk, farm-raised white-tailed deer, farm-raised ratites, and other farm-raised exotic animals; fish, pet turtles, and other animals identified with aquaculture which are located in artificial reservoirs or enclosures that are both on privately owned property and constructed so as to prevent, at all times, the ingress and egress of fish life from public waters; any commercial crawfish from any crawfish pond; and any hybrid, mixture, or mutation of any such animal.

E. The Livestock Brand Commission of the state of Louisiana shall have primary responsibility for the enforcement and collection of information in such cases and livestock brand inspectors shall aid all law enforcement agencies in such investigations.

F. Whoever commits the crime of theft of livestock shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars, or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than ten years, or both.

G. Whenever there is a prosecution under this Section as a second or third offense not more than one offense committed prior to the enactment of this Section may be used to establish the second or third offense as the case may be.

§67.2. Theft of animals

A. Theft of animals is the misappropriation, killing, or taking of any animal which belongs to another, either without consent of the other to the misappropriation or taking, or by means of fraudulent conduct, practices, or representations. An intent to deprive the other permanently of the animal or an intent to ransom it for the purpose of extorting money or favor is essential.

B.(1) Whoever commits the crime of theft of animals, when the misappropriation or taking amounts to a value of one thousand five hundred dollars or more, shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than ten years, or may be fined not more than three thousand dollars, or both.

(2) When the misappropriation or taking amounts to a value of five hundred dollars or more, but less than a value of one thousand five hundred dollars, the offender shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years or may be fined not more than two thousand dollars, or both.

(3) When the misappropriation or taking amounts to less than a value of five hundred dollars, the offender shall be imprisoned for not more than six months or may be fined not more than five hundred dollars, or both. If the offender in such a case has been convicted of misdemeanor theft of an animal two or more times previously, upon any subsequent conviction he shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than two years or may be fined not more than one thousand dollars, or both.

(4) In addition to the foregoing penalties, a person convicted under this Section who killed an animal may be ordered to make full restitution to the owner of the animal. Restitution shall be in an amount not less than the value of the animal as determined by Subsection C of this Section. If a person ordered to make restitution pursuant to this Section is found to be indigent and therefore unable to make restitution in full at the time of conviction, the court shall order a periodic payment plan consistent with the person's financial ability.

C. The value of the animal which was misappropriated, killed, or taken shall be decided by the court, or the jury in a jury trial, based upon the evidence establishing the value beyond a reasonable doubt, including but not limited to the following:

(1) The amount of money which was acquired from the sale, use, or other disposal of the animal.

(2) Expert testimony as to the amount of money which may be acquired from the sale, use, or other disposal of the animal.

(3) In cases of a pet, testimony by the owner as to the strength of the bond between the owner and the animal and the emotional attachment between the animal and the owner or person with whom the animal is attached.

D. The provisions of Subsection C of this Section do not apply when the state proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the animal is a dog and a pet, and the theft of such animal shall be punishable as provided in Paragraph B(1) of this Section.

E. For the purposes of this Section, "animal" means any non-human living creature except for livestock as defined in R.S. 14:67.1.

§67.3. Unauthorized use of "access card" as theft; definitions

A.(1) "Access card" shall mean and include any card, plate, account number, paper, book, or any other device, issued to a person which authorizes such person to obtain credit, money, goods, services, or anything of value, whether contemporaneously or not, by use of any credit or deferred payment plan with the issuer or by use of debiting or charging such person's demand deposit or savings or time account with the issuer or by debiting or charging any other funds such person has on deposit with the issuer.

(2) "Revoked Access Card" as used herein shall mean an Access Card which has been cancelled or terminated by the issuer of said Access Card.

(3) "Person" as used herein shall mean and include natural persons, or any organization, or other entity.

(4) "Issuer" as used herein shall be the depository and/or creditor issuing the Access Card, directly or through another entity.

(5) The aggregate amount or value of credit, money, goods, services or anything else of value obtained shall determine the value of the misappropriation or taking in determining the penalty under R.S. 14:67 when the offender has obtained the credit, money, goods, services or anything else of value from any one issuer or the offender has used an Access Card, or referred to a nonexistent Access Card on two or more occasions within any consecutive ninety day period.

B. Whoever, directly or indirectly, by agent or otherwise, with intent to defraud, (1) uses a forged Access Card, (2) makes reference by number or other description to a nonexistent Access Card, (3) steals or wrongfully appropriates an Access Card, or (4) uses an Access Card belonging to another person without authority of said person; thereby obtaining, whether contemporaneously or not, credit, money, goods, services or anything of value shall be guilty of theft and shall be subject to the penalties provided for the crime of theft in R.S. 14:67.

C. Whoever, directly or indirectly, by agent or otherwise, with intent to defraud, uses a revoked Access Card, thereby obtaining, whether contemporaneously or not, credit, money, goods, services or anything of value shall be guilty of theft and shall be subject to the penalties provided for the crime of theft in R.S. 14:67. For purposes of this Subsection, it shall be presumptive evidence that a person used a revoked Access Card with intent to defraud if the said person, directly or indirectly, by agent or otherwise, uses the said Access Card after actually receiving oral or written notice that the Access Card has been cancelled or terminated, or if said person, directly or indirectly, by agent or otherwise, uses the said Access Card at a time period more than five days after written notice of the termination or cancellation of said Access Card has been deposited by registered or certified mail in the United States mail system. Said notice shall be addressed to the person to whom such Access Card has been issued at the last known address for such person as shown on the records of the issuer.

D. Whoever, directly or indirectly, by agent or otherwise, with the intent to defraud, uses an Access Card to obtain, whether contemporaneously or not, money, goods, services or anything of value, and the final payment for said items is to be made by debiting or charging said person's demand deposit or savings or time account with issuer, or by debiting or charging any other funds said person has on deposit with issuer, and there are not sufficient funds on deposit to the credit of said person with the issuer to make payment in full of said items obtained, said person shall have committed the crime of theft in R.S. 14:67. Said person's failure to pay the amount due on said items obtained:

(1) Within ten days after written notice of said amount due has been deposited by certified or registered mail in the United States mail system addressed to the person to whom such Access Card has been issued at the last known address for such person as shown on the records of issuer; or

(2) Within ten days of delivery or personal tender of said written notice shall be presumptive evidence of said person's intent to defraud.

E. As used herein and in R.S. 14:67, the Access Card itself shall be a thing of value, with a value less than one hundred dollars.

F. In addition to any other fine or penalty imposed under this Section or under R.S. 14:67, the court may, at its discretion, order as a part of the sentence, restitution.

§67.4. Anti-Skimming Act

A. This Section shall be known and may be cited as the "Anti-Skimming Act".

B. As used in this Section the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) "Authorized card user" means any person with permission to use any payment card to obtain, purchase, or receive goods, services, money, or anything else of value from a merchant.

(2) "Merchant" means an owner or operator of any retail mercantile establishment or any agent, employee, lessee, consignee, officer, director, franchisee, or independent contractor of such owner or operator who receives from an authorized user of a payment card, or someone the merchant believes to be an authorized user, a payment card or information from a payment card, or what the merchant believes to be a payment card or information from a payment card, as the instrument for obtaining, purchasing or receiving goods, services, money, or anything else of value from the merchant.

(3) "Payment card" means a credit card, charge card, debit card, hotel key card, stored value card, or any other card that is issued to an authorized card user and that allows the user to obtain, purchase, or receive goods, services, money, or anything else of value from a merchant.

(4) "Re-encoder" means an electronic device that places encoded information from the magnetic strip or stripe of a payment card onto the magnetic strip or stripe of a different payment card.

(5) "Scanning device" means a scanner, reader, or any other electronic device that is used to access, read, scan, obtain, memorize, or store, temporarily or permanently, information encoded on the magnetic strip or stripe of a payment card.

C. It shall be unlawful for any person to do either of the following:

(1) Use a scanning device to access, read, obtain, memorize, or store, temporarily or permanently, information encoded on the magnetic strip or stripe of a payment card without the permission of the authorized user of the payment card and with the intent to defraud the authorized user, the issuer of the authorized user's payment card, or a merchant.

(2) Use a re-encoder to place information encoded on the magnetic strip or stripe of a payment card onto the magnetic strip or stripe of a different card without the permission of the authorized user of the card from which the information is being re-encoded and with the intent to defraud the authorized user, the issuer of the authorized user's payment card, or a merchant.

D.(1) Whoever violates the provisions of Subsection C of this Section shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years, or fined not more than five thousand dollars, or both.

(2) Whoever, directly or indirectly, by agent or otherwise, uses a scanning device and a re-encoder in violation of Subsection C of this Section and with the intent to defraud shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than ten years, or fined not more than ten thousand dollars, or both.

(3) Upon a third or subsequent conviction of a violation of the provisions of this Section, the offender shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than ten years, or may be fined not more than twenty thousand dollars, or both.

E. In addition to the penalties provided in Subsection D of this Section, a person convicted under this Section shall be ordered to make full restitution to the victim and any other person who has suffered a financial loss as a result of the offense. If a person ordered to make restitution pursuant to this Section is found to be indigent and therefore unable to make restitution in full at the time of conviction, the court shall order a periodic payment plan consistent with the person's financial ability.

You might also be interested in Louisiana Theft and Shoplifting Classes.