Louisiana guide · Seller disclosure
The Louisiana property disclosure, in plain English
Most Louisiana home sellers must fill out the Property Disclosure Document, a form prescribed by the Louisiana Real Estate Commission, and give it to the buyer no later than when the buyer makes an offer. The law behind it is Louisiana's residential property disclosure chapter, La. R.S. 9:3196 to 9:3200. You complete it yourself, from your own knowledge. Your agent cannot fill it in or tell you how to answer. If you are unsure about a question, ask a Louisiana real estate attorney.
Reviewed by the Nicole Spellman Group team
Updated September 27, 2026
The basics
What the disclosure is, and is not
It is the seller's own statement about what the seller knows about the property. The law defines a "known defect" as a condition the seller actually knew about that substantially lowers the value, significantly threatens health or safety, or would shorten the property's expected life if not fixed. The form is not an inspection and not a warranty.
Sources: La. R.S. 9:3196; La. R.S. 9:3198; LREC 2026 Property Disclosure Document.
Read this first
Why we will not help you fill it in
This protects you. The answers have to be yours.
The disclosure is the seller's statement, from the seller's own knowledge. Nicole Spellman Group agents will give you the current official form, explain when it is due and make sure the buyer receives it. We will not write on it, suggest answers, or tell you whether to mark any box. If you are unsure how to answer a question, ask a Louisiana real estate attorney.
What we do
- Tell you about your duties and rights under the disclosure law, as Louisiana requires of listing agents
- Give you the current LREC form
- Deliver your signed form to buyers and collect their acknowledgment
- Point you to an attorney if you have a legal question
What we do not do
- Fill in, edit or write on your disclosure
- Tell you how to answer any question
- Decide what you do or do not know about your home
- Give legal advice
Source: La. R.S. 9:3199 (licensee must inform the seller of duties and rights under the Chapter).
Who it covers
Who must use it
The law covers residential property of one to four units, and applies whether or not a real estate agent is involved.
It applies to
- Homes and buildings with one to four residential units
- Transfers by sale, exchange, bond for deed, lease with option to purchase, or other option to purchase
- Sales with an agent and sales by owner
- Owners who are individuals, partnerships, corporations or trusts
New for 2027
- Act 708 of the 2026 Regular Session (HB 1166) extends the disclosure requirements to vacant residential property: land authorized or intended for residential use, not land zoned agricultural, commercial or industrial
- The bill digest lists an effective date of January 1, 2027
- Selling vacant residential property? Ask an attorney how the change applies to you
Sources: La. R.S. 9:3196 (definitions, as amended by Act 708); La. R.S. 9:3197(A); HB 1166 digest, Louisiana Legislature.
Exemptions
Transfers that do not require the form
La. R.S. 9:3197(B) lists 14 exempt transfers. In short:
- Transfers ordered by a court, including foreclosure, bankruptcy trustee and eminent domain sales
- Transfers to a lender by a borrower in default, and sales by a lender that took the property through foreclosure or a deed in lieu
- Transfers by a fiduciary administering an estate, guardianship, conservatorship or trust
- Newly built homes that have never been occupied
- Transfers between co-owners
- Transfers by a succession executor or administrator
- Property the buyer will convert to a non-residential use
- Transfers to a spouse or a relative in the line of consanguinity
- Transfers between spouses under a divorce or separation judgment or related property settlement
- Transfers to or from a government entity
- Certain relocation-company transfers, if the company provides the prior owner's disclosure or inspection reports
- Transfers to an inter vivos trust
- Acts that only confirm, correct or modify a recorded deed, with no new consideration or change in ownership
Source: La. R.S. 9:3197(B). Whether an exemption fits your sale is a legal question; ask a Louisiana real estate attorney.
Timing
When it is due
No later than the time the buyer makes an offer. Have it signed and ready when you list.
1Before you list
You complete and sign the current LREC form, in good faith, from what you know as of that date.
2Before any offer
The signed form goes to the buyer no later than when the buyer makes an offer. The buyer signs to acknowledge receipt.
3If it arrives late
The buyer may withdraw the offer or terminate the contract within 72 hours of receipt, not counting weekends and federal and state holidays.
4If things change
An inaccuracy caused by something that happens after delivery is not a violation of the law. Talk to an attorney about whether to update the form.
Source: La. R.S. 9:3198(B) and (C).
The 2026 form
What the form covers
The 2026 LREC Property Disclosure Document took effect January 1, 2026 and runs 13 pages. Its sections, in order:
- Land
- Termites, wood-destroying insects and organisms
- Structure(s)
- Plumbing, water, gas and sewage
- Electrical, heating and cooling, appliances
- Flood, flood assistance and flood insurance
- Miscellaneous
By law the form must also include statements about homeowners' associations and restrictive covenants, methamphetamine lab history, and salt cavity or solution mining information. Questions use Yes, No and No Knowledge. The form itself says the seller may disclose only what the seller actually knows.
Sources: LREC, 2026 Mandatory Forms Now Available; 2026 Property Disclosure Document (printable PDF, LREC); La. R.S. 9:3198(A). Always download the form from LREC so you have the current version.
Both sides
The buyer's rights, and the seller's protections
The law gives the buyer information and a way out if it arrives late. It also limits the seller's liability for honest mistakes.
Buyer
- Receives the signed form no later than when making an offer
- May withdraw or terminate within 72 hours of a late delivery, excluding weekends and holidays
- Loses that right once title transfers or the buyer moves in, whichever comes first
- Can still get inspections; the form does not replace them
Seller
- The form is not a warranty
- No liability under the law for an error that was not a willful misrepresentation based on the seller's knowledge
- No liability for an error based on information from a public body or licensed professional the seller reasonably believed was correct
- Other disclosure duties in Louisiana law still apply
Sources: La. R.S. 9:3198(B), (D) and (E); La. R.S. 9:3200. Home built before 1978? A separate federal lead-based paint disclosure also applies; see the EPA.
Straight answers
Property disclosure questions
Not legal advice. For your situation, ask a Louisiana real estate attorney.
Is a seller's disclosure required in Louisiana?
Yes, for most sales of homes with one to four units, with or without an agent. La. R.S. 9:3197 lists 14 exempt transfers, such as foreclosures, estate administrations and never-occupied new construction.
La. R.S. 9:3197
Can my real estate agent fill out the disclosure for me?
No. The statements are the seller's, from the seller's own knowledge, and the form says so. Our agents will not write on it or suggest answers; ask a Louisiana real estate attorney if you need help.
LREC 2026 Property Disclosure Document
When does the buyer have to get the disclosure?
No later than the time the buyer makes an offer. If it comes later, the buyer can withdraw or terminate within 72 hours of receipt, excluding weekends and holidays.
La. R.S. 9:3198(B)
Is the disclosure a warranty?
No. The law says it is not a warranty and cannot substitute for inspections or warranties the buyer may want.
La. R.S. 9:3198(D)
Do I need a disclosure if I sell without an agent?
Yes. The law applies to sales where an agent is used and to sales where one is not.
La. R.S. 9:3197(A)
Where do I get the current form?
From the Louisiana Real Estate Commission's mandatory forms page. The 2026 version has been in effect since January 1, 2026.
Louisiana Real Estate Commission
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Next step
Getting ready to list?
We will walk you through the timeline and the paperwork. The disclosure answers stay yours. No obligation.
General information about the Louisiana Residential Property Disclosure Act, current as of September 27, 2026. Not legal advice. Nicole Spellman Group agents are licensed Louisiana real estate salespersons, not attorneys, inspectors or appraisers, and do not complete or advise on answers to a seller's disclosure. For questions about your disclosure, consult a Louisiana real estate attorney.