Auto Theft Laws in Louisiana

Taking another person’s vehicle without permission is a serious crime in Louisiana. Auto theft and joyriding are punishable with significant prison sentences, and the penalties for carjacking are even more severe. The state also punishes related offenses like stealing vehicle components, removing a car’s unique identification number, and lying to obtain a car lease or rental. Using violence, stealing expensive vehicles, and committing multiple felonies could land a person in prison for decades, or even for life.

It’s important to understand how these rules could apply to your situation, and to consult with an attorney if you’ve been accused of a crime.

What is Car Theft in Louisiana?

In Louisiana, a person commits the crime of motor vehicle theft by:

• taking a motor vehicle that belongs to someone else, either without the owner’s permission or by fraud, and with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of the vehicle
• taking control of a motor vehicle that the defendant knows or should know is stolen. or
• taking control of a lost or mis-delivered vehicle and not making a reasonable effort to find or notify the true owner.

(La. Rev. Stat. § 14:67.26(A) (2025).)

A person intends to permanently deprive the owner of the vehicle if the person does not intend to return the car. For example, a person who breaks into someone else’s car in a parking lot and drives away to a chop shop has committed theft. A person who poses as a mechanic to obtain a person’s car keys and take their car has also committed theft. (It’s still against the law to take a car without permission, even if you plan to return it—we’ll talk more about that below.)

Punishments for Auto Theft

Like many other states, Louisiana classifies motor vehicle thefts based on the value of the property stolen. The more valuable the stolen vehicle, the more severely the theft is punished.

Louisiana’s penalties for motor vehicle theft line up with the general theft penalties:

• If the value of the vehicle is less than $1,000, the defendant faces up to six months’ imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.
• If the value of the vehicle is $1,000 or more but less than $5,000, the defendant faces up to five years’ imprisonment and a $3,000 fine.
• If the value of the vehicle is $5,000 or more but less than $25,000, the defendant faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.
• If the value of the vehicle is $25,000 or more, the defendant faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a $50,000 fine.

Theft of a vehicle valued at less than $1,000 is usually a misdemeanor, while all other vehicle theft crimes are felonies. However, even stealing a vehicle worth less than $1,000 can be a felony if the perpetrator has two or more prior theft convictions. In that situation, the typical six-month sentence can be extended to up to two years, and the $1,000 fine can be increased to $2,000.

(La. Rev. Stat. § 14:67.26(C) (2025).)

Punishments for Stealing a Catalytic Converter

Louisiana has a separate crime for stealing certain vehicle components:

• Catalytic converters. These devices make auto exhaust less toxic; they are targeted by thieves because they contain precious metals like platinum.
• Engine control modules. ECM’s are computer systems that monitor and control the operation of a vehicle’s engine. These devices are worth hundreds of dollars and thieves can remove them in minutes.

The penalties for stealing a catalytic converter or ECM are generally the same as for motor vehicle theft. However, instead of being based on the value of the vehicle, penalties are based on the value of the stolen property and any related damage:

• If the value and damage amount to less than $1,000, the defendant faces 90 days to six months' imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.
• If the value and damage amount to $1,000 or more but less than $5,000, the defendant faces two to five years' imprisonment and a $3,000 fine.
• If the value and damage amount to $5,000 or more but less than $25,000, the defendant faces 5 to 10 years' imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.
• If the value and damages amount to $25,000 or more, the defendant faces 10 to 20 years' imprisonment and a $50,000 fine.

If someone has already been convicted twice for breaking this law, any subsequent offense adds an additional year to their sentence. (They can also be fined an additional $1,000 for these repeat offenses.)

(La. Rev. Stat. § 14:67.12 (2025).)

Punishments for “Joyriding” in Louisiana

“Joyriding” is when someone takes someone else’s vehicle without permission (or by fraud), but without the intent to permanently steal it from the owner. In Louisiana, this crime is called unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

(La. Rev. Stat. § 14:68.4(A) (2025).)

Examples of Joyriding

Unlike auto theft, joyriding often involves situations where the offender knows the vehicle owner, or has at least some permission to use the vehicle. For example, it is joyriding if:

• a teenager takes a parent’s or friend’s car without permission, intending to return it before the owner notices it’s missing, or
• a mechanic drives around in a customer’s car when the vehicle is supposed to be in the shop for repairs.

It can also joyriding if you break the owner’s rules for how and where a vehicle can be driven. For example, one Louisiana woman was convicted of joyriding because she took a car onto the interstate during a test drive. Even though the woman had permission to test drive the car, she was convicted of joyriding because she ignored multiple warnings from dealership employees to stay off of the interstate. (State v. Taylor, 20-215 ( La. App. 5 Cir 04/28/21), 347 So. 3d 1008.)

Penalties for Joyriding

The penalties for joyriding depend on the value of the vehicle:

• If the vehicle is worth less than $1,000, a defendant can be sentenced to up to six months’ imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.
• If the vehicle is worth $1,000 or more, joyriding offenses are felonies and carry a sentence of up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

(La. Rev. Stat. §§ 14:68.4(B) and (C) (2025).)

Punishments for Carjacking

Carjacking is the most serious vehicle theft offense in Louisiana, punishable by lengthy prison sentences.

What is Carjacking?

Under Louisiana law, a person commits the crime of carjacking when they use force or intimidation to take a vehicle from someone who is in lawful possession of the vehicle. A person can still be convicted of carjacking even if they didn’t use a weapon.

The victim in a carjacking is often the owner of the vehicle. But it’s still carjacking even if the person in the vehicle isn’t the owner or the driver. For example, it is carjacking to force a passenger out of a parked car and drive away.

(La. Rev. Stat. § 14:64.2(A) (2025).)

What are the Penalties for Carjacking?

Any carjacking is a serious felony, punishable by at least five and up to 20 years in prison.

The penalty can be much more severe if a carjacker hurts someone during the crime. If a carjacking results in serious bodily injury, the minimum sentence is 20 years, and could be up to 30 years.

Convicted carjackers are ineligible for probation or parole, even if no one was hurt during the crime.

(La. Rev. Stat. § 14:64.2(B) (2025).)

Penalties for Altering Vehicle Identification Numbers

Since the 1960s, the US government has required all vehicles to come with Vehicle Identification Numbers. The VIN is like a fingerprint, enabling people to look up a vehicle’s history. For example, the police can check the VIN to see if a car is stolen, and a potential buyer can use the VIN to look up a vehicle’s maintenance record.

Because of the importance of being able to rely on VIN numbers, it’s a felony in Louisiana to alter, remove, or destroy them—or any other distinguishing number or marking on a vehicle—in an attempt to conceal or misrepresent the vehicle’s identity. (The same law applies to identifying numbers on vehicle parts, semi-trailers, and trailers.)

It is also a felony to knowingly buy, sell, or possess a vehicle if you know that the VIN—or any other distinguishing number or marking—has been altered, removed, or destroyed. (The same law applies to possession of vehicle parts, semi-trailers, and trailers with altered or destroyed VINs.

The penalties for breaking this law get steeper for repeat offenders:

• A first offense carries a prison sentence of up to two years and a fine of up to $2,000.
• A second offense carries a prison sentence of up to four years and a fine of up to $4,000.
• Subsequent offenses carry a prison sentence of 3-5 years and a fine of $5,000.

(La. Rev. Stat. § 14:207 (2025).)

Crimes Involving Leased or Rented Vehicles

It is a felony in Louisiana to lie or use false documentation to rent or lease a vehicle, or to retain possession of that vehicle. This includes, for example, using a fake drivers license, lying about your address, or concealing facts about your driving record.

It is also a felony to refuse to return a leased vehicle after the lease has expired.

People who break these laws can be sentenced to five years in prison and fined $500.

(La. Rev. Stat. § 14:220 (2025).)

Louisiana's Enhanced Penalties for Repeat Theft Offenses

As we’ve noted above, repeat offenders in Louisiana can face significant additional punishment. In addition to the harsher penalties specifically included in Louisiana’s car theft laws, the state has a separate law that applies to people who commit multiple felonies.

Sentence for a second felony convictions. If someone is convicted of a second felony, the maximum prison sentence is double what it would be for a first offense. For example, the maximum sentence for joyriding is usually two years in prison. But if someone is convicted of joyriding and has a previous felony conviction, they could be sentenced to up to four years in prison.

Sentence for a third felony convictions. Like with second felonies, third felonies can be punished with double the usual maximum sentence. But if all three felonies are violent crimes or sex offenses, then the punishment is life in prison without parole.

Sentences for a fourth felony conviction. Fourth felonies are punished by at least 20 years in prison. If that felony and two of the prior felonies are violent crimes or sex offenses, then the punishment is life in prison without parole.

However, once enough time has past, a prior felony stops counting towards a person’s sentence for a new crime:

• A past non-violent felony is not counted against someone if they finished serving their sentence at least five years before committing the new crime.
• A past violent felony is not counted against someone if they finished serving their sentence at least ten years before committing the new crime.

(La. Rev. Stat. § 15:529.1 (2025).)

Obtaining Legal Assistance

A conviction for motor vehicle theft, carjacking, or joyriding can result in a long prison sentence and a serious criminal record. So, it’s important to take it seriously if someone accuses you of stealing their vehicle or using it without permission.

If you are charged with a crime, you should talk to a Louisiana criminal defense attorney about your case as soon as possible. An experienced local attorney can explain your options, tell you what to expect in court, and protect your rights.