Louisiana Licensing Board Now Requires Joint Ventures to be Licensed
Authors: Christopher LeMieux and Jonathan Forester
The Louisiana Licensing Board has changed the rule for contracting and bidding as a joint venture. Previously a bid or a contract could include the Louisiana Contractors License number of the joint venture OR the individual firm, regardless of whether that firm would operate with another firm to perform the project. Now, when two or more persons bid, contract, or perform construction work as a joint venture on a project where a contractor’s license is required, the joint venture must be properly licensed by the board at the time of the bid, contract, and performance of the work. The Louisiana State Legislature passed Act 195 on May 26, 2022, revising LA R.S. 37:2162. The Joint Venture licensing requirement came into effect on August 1, 2022. See Contractors Licensing Law and Rules and Regulations, §307 Joint Ventures.See also La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 37:2162. Therefore, all joint ventures either bidding public projects or contracting on private projects must have a separate license for the joint venture itself.
