Council told New state law (Act 718) lifts protection for 20‑year‑old ‘collector’ cars; city will begin enforcement

Councilwoman Deedee Johnson Reed briefed the council on Act 718 of the 2024 legislative session, a state law that changes how Louisiana municipalities can treat older vehicles that have been classified as “collectors.”

Under the law, vehicles older than 20 years that are visible from the street and are not stored in accordance with specified conditions may be treated as public nuisances and subject to municipal enforcement. Reed told the council the law gives local governments authority to require collectors to place qualifying vehicles in the backyard, keep them covered, and store them 18 inches off the ground so grass can be maintained under the vehicle.

Why the change matters

Reed said the council and city compliance staff frequently receive complaints about junk vehicles and that previous state rules limited municipal remedies for vehicles more than 20 years old. The Act 718 amendments remove that blanket restriction and let municipalities adopt ordinances that address property blight caused by visible, nonoperational vehicles.

Specific requirements described by council staff

Reed summarized several requirements as described in the statute and by her office: vehicles older than 20 years may be kept by residents who consider them “collectors,” but to avoid a violation they must be stored out of public view; typical compliance examples included placing the car in the backyard, covering it with a tarp and elevating it 18 inches from grade (the law’s intent, Reed said, is to allow grass maintenance beneath stored vehicles). Vehicles may also be stored under a carport but must be positioned closest to the house rather than at the carport’s end.

Enforcement and costs

Reed explained enforcement is at the owner’s expense: if the city tags and removes a vehicle, the owner can expect a bill and, if unpaid, the costs may be placed on the owner’s property taxes. She emphasized that the city will not absorb removal costs; compliance and cleanup are the owner’s responsibility.

Council reaction and next steps

Council members thanked Reed and discussed implementation. One council member asked whether the city would pay any of the removal costs; Reed replied, “Not the city. It's actually gonna cost the person who's just letting it sit there.” Other council members praised Reed’s work with state legislators to achieve the change.

Reed said the city will begin patrolling and tagging noncompliant vehicles and encouraged residents who want to keep older cars to store them according to the law or to contact scrap yards that will remove vehicles for free in many cases. She noted that a full set of statutory disposal procedures and notice requirements is included in the enacted law and that her presentation covered the salient public points for residents.