1.3 LSLBC Enforcement: Violations, Cease-and-Desist Orders, Civil Fines & Criminal Penalties
Key Takeaways
R.S. 37:2158(A) lists the grounds for discipline, including working without the proper classification, lending a license, and permit, inspection, and contract failures.
The board may fine up to 10 percent of the total contract or the value of the work bid or performed, plus administrative costs and attorney fees (R.S. 37:2164(A)).
Contracting without a license is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $500 per day of violation, three months in prison, or both (R.S. 37:2163(C)(1)).
An unlicensed contractor who causes more than $300 in harm faces $500 to $5,000 in fines and up to five years' imprisonment, with or without hard labor (R.S. 37:2163(C)(2)).
A contractor who needed a license but lacked one cannot file a statement of claim or privilege (lien) for amounts owed (R.S. 37:2159(D)).
Who Enforces and How
The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors is based in Baton Rouge. Its Residential Subcommittee hears alleged violations by residential contractors, including Residential Roofing licensees, home improvement registrants, and mold remediation contractors. The board's compliance staff investigate complaints from homeowners, competitors, building officials, and insurers. Staff may also review local permit lists, and permit offices must hand over permit and inspection records on request (R.S. 37:2160(A)).
Grounds for Discipline: R.S. 37:2158(A)
The board and Residential Subcommittee may revoke, suspend, or refuse to renew a license, issue cease-and-desist orders, issue fines, or debar for any listed violation. The ones roofers trip over most:
| Paragraph | Violation |
|---|---|
| (1) | Bidding or performing work without a required license or without the proper classification |
| (2) | Publishing or circulating a misleading or false claim about license status or classification, including on digital platforms |
| (7) | Contracting with an unlicensed contractor for work that requires a license |
| (8) | Letting someone else use your license, or misusing another's license |
| (9) | Failing to maintain a qualifying party |
| (13) | Not notifying the board within 30 days of changes to application information or of actions against the licensee in other jurisdictions |
| (15) | Failing to give the customer, on request, your name, license number, classification, and current insurance certificates (residential work) |
| (16) | Abandoning a project without justification, or deviating materially from plans without consent |
| (17) | Efforts to deceive or defraud the public |
| (18) | No permit, starting before the permit issues, or misrepresenting value or scope |
| (19) | Failure to obtain required inspections |
| (20) | No written contract signed and dated by all parties |
| (22) | Not producing records the board requests within five business days |
Act 757 of 2026 (effective August 1, 2026) adds more grounds. They include intentional property damage to induce a contract, failing to pay for materials or services after receiving sufficient funds, and material misrepresentations in permit applications.
Anti-splitting rule. R.S. 37:2158(B) treats a contract divided to avoid licensing as one contract. The board may look at drawings, plans, and other renderings to decide whether several contracts are one scope of work.
Civil Penalties: R.S. 37:2164
- Fine of up to 10 percent of the total contract, or of the value of the work bid or performed, after notice and a hearing.
- The board may add administrative costs and attorney fees for each offense.
- In setting the fine, the board considers the seriousness of the violation, the contractor's cooperation, and prior violations. Act 757 of 2026 adds the staff's investigative effort. Where no value can be determined, Act 757 allows a fine of up to $10,000 per violation.
- Penalties are payable within 90 days. Unpaid penalties can block issuance or renewal, lead to collection, and, under Act 757, lead to suspension.
- Board staff may issue citations that let the person plead no contest and pay the fine, or request a hearing (R.S. 37:2164(K)).
- Fines go to the contractors' educational trust fund.
Cease-and-Desist Orders and Injunctions
The board may issue a cease-and-desist order to stop any activity that violates the chapter (R.S. 37:2164(C)). If the person does not stop immediately, the board can go to court:
- The court shall issue a temporary restraining order on a proper showing, followed by a preliminary and then a permanent injunction. The board does not have to post bond (R.S. 37:2164(E)).
- The injunction trial is summary and by the judge without a jury (R.S. 37:2164(G)).
- Anyone who keeps working after proper notice to cease is ineligible to apply for a license for up to one year (R.S. 37:2164(H)).
Criminal Penalties: R.S. 37:2163
Engaging in the business of contracting without an active license is unlawful. So is circulating a misleading or false claim about license status or classification (R.S. 37:2163(A)).
| Situation | Penalty on conviction |
|---|---|
| Contracting without authority | Misdemeanor: fine up to $500 per day of violation, three months in prison, or both |
| Unlicensed person who causes harm or damage over $300 | Fine of $500 to $5,000, imprisonment with or without hard labor for six months to five years, or both |
The district attorney in the parish where the violation occurs has sole authority to prosecute (R.S. 37:2163(D)).
Consequences That Hit the Wallet
- No lien rights. A contractor who needed a license but did not have one cannot file a statement of claim or privilege for money owed under the contract (R.S. 37:2159(D)). Chapter 2 covers liens.
- Revocation lockout. After a license or qualifying-party status is revoked, the person cannot apply again for three years (R.S. 37:2158(C)).
- Deceptive exam conduct makes a person ineligible to serve as a qualifying party for three years (R.S. 37:2156.1(D)).
Appeals
A party aggrieved by a board decision may appeal under the Administrative Procedure Act. Appeals of license denial, revocation, or suspension go to the 19th Judicial District Court in East Baton Rouge Parish (R.S. 37:2158(E)–(F)). Act 757 of 2026 sets a 30-day window to petition that court for review of a final board decision and adds procedures for requesting a stay.
Advertising and License Claims
Two rules shape roofing marketing:
- No false or misleading license claims. Saying "licensed" when you hold only an occupational license, or advertising a classification you do not hold, violates R.S. 37:2158(A)(2) and R.S. 37:2163(A)(2).
- Bid in your licensed name. You must bid, contract, and perform in the name that appears on the license (R.S. 37:2158(A)(21)). For residential work, give the customer your name, license number, classification, and insurance certificates when asked (R.S. 37:2158(A)(15)).
Insurance-claim marketing rules, such as the ban on advertising as an "insurance claims specialist," are covered in Section 2.2.
After notice and a hearing, what is the maximum civil fine the LSLBC may impose for a violation involving a $30,000 roofing contract under R.S. 37:2164(A)?
$500 per day, with no link to the contract value.
3 percent of the contract ($900), with no costs recoverable.
A flat $100 administrative fee.
Up to 10 percent of the contract ($3,000), plus administrative costs and attorney fees for each offense.
An unlicensed roofer who was required to hold a license finishes a $12,000 reroof, and the homeowner refuses to pay the balance. Can the roofer file a Private Works Act lien?
Yes, because lien rights attach to any work that improves an immovable.
No. R.S. 37:2159(D) bars a contractor who failed to obtain a required license from filing a statement of claim or privilege for amounts owed.
Yes, but only after paying a $500 late-license fee.
Yes, if the lien is filed within 60 days of substantial completion.
A roofing company runs social-media ads saying "State Licensed Roofer" but holds only a parish occupational license. Which statement is correct?
The ad violates the rules against publishing a misleading or false claim about license status (R.S. 37:2158(A)(2) and R.S. 37:2163(A)(2)).
The ad is lawful because an occupational license is a state license.
The ad is lawful if it is removed within 30 days of a complaint.
Only print advertising is regulated; digital ads are exempt.
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.