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Mechanics Lien Deadlines in Louisiana

In Louisiana, a claimant generally must file a statement of claim or privilege within 60 days after a notice of termination is filed (or after substantial completion or abandonment), sellers of materials to subcontractors must give a notice of nonpayment, and suit must be filed within 1 year after the statement is filed.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Louisiana at a glance

Deadline to record lien
60 days after notice of termination or completion
If a notice of contract was filed, subcontractors and suppliers have 30 days after a notice of termination (or 6 months after completion) and the general contractor 60 days (or 7 months).
Preliminary notice required
Yes in some cases (e.g. suppliers to subs)
Sellers of movables to subcontractors must give a notice of nonpayment within 75 days after the end of the delivery month when a notice of contract was filed; consultants and equipment lessors have their own notices.
Deadline to enforce lien
1 year after filing the statement
The claim or privilege is extinguished if no action is filed against the owner within one year after the statement is filed.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Louisiana

How long does a contractor have to file a mechanics lien in Louisiana?

Deadline to record lien in Louisiana: 60 days after notice of termination or completion. If a notice of contract was filed, subcontractors and suppliers have 30 days after a notice of termination (or 6 months after completion) and the general contractor 60 days (or 7 months).

Is a preliminary notice required before filing a mechanics lien in Louisiana?

Yes in some cases (e.g. suppliers to subs). Preliminary notice required in Louisiana: yes in some cases (e.g. suppliers to subs). Sellers of movables to subcontractors must give a notice of nonpayment within 75 days after the end of the delivery month when a notice of contract was filed; consultants and equipment lessors have their own notices.

How long do you have to foreclose a mechanics lien in Louisiana?

Deadline to enforce lien in Louisiana: 1 year after filing the statement. The claim or privilege is extinguished if no action is filed against the owner within one year after the statement is filed.

Where do the Louisiana mechanics lien deadlines come from?

The rules above come from La. R.S. 9:4822, La. R.S. 9:4804 and La. R.S. 9:4823. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

On residential work with no timely notice of contract, a claimant who gives the owner a notice of nonpayment at least 10 days before filing gets 70 days to file instead of 60.

What this means in practice

Deadlines often differ by role. The period for a general contractor who dealt directly with the owner can be different from the period for a subcontractor or supplier, and residential projects can have their own rules. Check which category fits before relying on a single number.

The event that starts the clock matters as much as the length of the period. Depending on the statute, it can be the last day labor or materials were furnished, completion of the project, or the recording of a notice of completion or commencement by the owner. Keeping dated records of the last work performed helps establish the start date.

Recording a lien is not the end of the process. If the debt is not paid, the claimant generally has to file a lawsuit to foreclose the lien within the enforcement period, or the lien expires. When the debt is paid, the owner will usually want a signed lien release recorded so the title is clear.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.