Louisiana Driver's License Guide 2026

Everything below is taken from the Louisiana OMV’s own pages. Where the OMV does not publish a figure, this guide says so rather than inventing one.

The TIP card comes first

Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles requires students to have a Temporary Instructional Permit - a TIP - in their possession before taking the knowledge test, before operating a motor vehicle during the behind-the-wheel portion of instruction, and during the road skills test. If you have never held a Louisiana driver’s license, obtaining a TIP card is the first step.

Certificates last five years

A driver’s education Certificate of Completion is good for five years from its issue date, and a road skills test certificate is also good for five years from issue. That is longer than many states allow, and it means driver education taken well before you intend to be licensed still counts.

Deadlines Louisiana enforces

There is a ten-day grace period after your license expires in which you can renew without paying a delinquent fee. Louisiana law also requires you to notify the OMV within ten days of any change of address.

Two things that surprise people

Louisiana does not issue a separate motorcycle license at all - once an applicant qualifies it is added to the existing license as an endorsement. And Louisiana issues a legal digital driver’s license through the LA Wallet app, so the card is not the only accepted form.

Practising before you go

Our free Louisiana practice questions cover the same topics as the Louisiana Driver’s Guide, and every question shows the correct answer. They are practice questions written to those topics - they are not the OMV’s own test questions.

• Louisiana practice tests
• Louisiana car practice test