Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 55 - PUBLIC SAFETY
Part III - Motor Vehicles
Chapter 3 - License Plates and Removal of Plates, Registrations, and Title Transactions
Subchapter B - Vehicle Registration License Tax
Section III-355 - Valuation of Motor Vehicles for Purposes of Initial and Subsequent Registration on or after January 1, 1990

A. Except in cases of damaged motor vehicles, donations, out-of-state transfers, or low bills of sale, the value of the motor vehicle shall be determined by the purchase price as indicated on the bill of sale or invoice.

B. In the case of donations, out-of-state transfers, or low bills of sale, the value shall be determined and based upon the full loan value contained in the most current N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide, South-Western Edition (or its successor) as maintained by the Office of Motor Vehicles. In the case of classic automobiles or other automobiles of particular interest not included in the N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide, South-Western Edition (or its successor), the full loan value shall be determined by reference to the N.A.D.A. Official Older Used Car Guide or the Value Guide to CARS of Particular Interest. If the value of the motor vehicle cannot be determined by reference to any of these three guide books, the actual value of the motor vehicle shall be determined by the Office of Motor Vehicles based upon such information supplied by the person seeking to register the vehicle and such information that may be required from such person by the assistant secretary or his designee.

C. The valuation of a damaged motor vehicle shall be the value of the motor vehicle at time of acquisition as determined pursuant to §355. C.1 The following must be presented to the Office of Motor Vehicles to establish an actual value on such a vehicle of less than the full loan value:

D. Motor vehicles, the ownership of which is reacquired by the original owner within a period of two years from date of original acquisition, shall be registered at the original value upon renewal or registration by the original owner. Upon a showing of good cause by the person seeking to register the motor vehicle, the assistant secretary of the Office of Motor Vehicles may permit the vehicle to be valued as provided in §355 B-C, as the case may be.

E. Additional documentation may be required of any applicant for license or registration, including renewals, by the assistant secretary of the Office of Motor Vehicles or his designee.

F. In the case of high mileage, the loan value of the motor vehicle may be reduced according to the deduction contained in the guide book depending on the model year, the type of motor vehicle, and the amount of mileage set as excessive in the guide book.

G. In those instances when a federal or state regulated lending institution or financial institution determines that the motor vehicle has a loan value less than is indicated in the guide book, the applicant for motor vehicle registration may submit a statement from the lending institution or financial institution, signed by an officer of the institution, stating the loan value assigned to the vehicle by the institution. Such statement shall also contain a description of the vehicle including make, model, model year, and vehicle identification number. Upon receipt of such statement, the department may use the loan value contained in such statement for purposes of calculating the tax.