Vehicles Registered in New Orleans
Vehicles registered and domiciled in Orleans Parish must have a City of New Orleans brake tag. All vehicles registered in Orleans Parish will have a domicile code of "3600" listed on the upper right section of their vehicle's registration certificate. If yours doesn’t, contact the Louisiana OMV to have your registration updated. If you have a temporary registration, it should list a New Orleans address.
Out-of-Town and New Residents
Out of Town Vehicles: Brake tag stations within the City of New Orleans cannot perform inspections on vehicles registered to a location outside of Orleans Parish.
Out of Town Residents: If you're currently living outside of New Orleans and your vehicle's City of New Orleans brake tag is expiring, you must have the vehicle inspected in New Orleans. Out-of-parish inspections aren't allowed.
New Residents: If you've recently moved to New Orleans, you must have your vehicle registered in Louisiana and domiciled in Orleans Parish before you can get a City of New Orleans brake tag.
If you live in New Orleans, your vehicle's registration certificate must show a 4-digit "domicile" code beginning with "36" (ie "3600"), indicating that it's domiciled in Orleans Parish. This code is located on the top-right corner of the certificate. If a different code is shown, you should contact the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles to have this changed. If you have a temporary registration, it should show a New Orleans address.
Commercial Vehicles
Any vehicle used for commercial purposes with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) over 10,000 lbs or designed to carry more than 10 people (including the driver) are considered commercial vehicles and must be inspected at a commercial vehicle inspection station. See a list of locations.
Examples of commercial vehicles are certain heavy-duty trucks, large passenger vans, box trucks, and tractor trailers. If you're not sure whether or not your vehicle requires a commercial tag, call us at (504) 658-7160 or email us at braketag@nola.gov.
Note that vehicles meeting this criteria that are owned or leased by a non-profit or government agency are considered commercial vehicles for the purposes of an inspection and must be inspected as such.
Trailers
All trailers require a brake tag, except:
- Single-axle two-wheel trailers*
- Tandem trailers*
- Boat trailers*
* Note: Any trailer used in commerce and subject to Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR 396.17) requires a brake tag.
Motorcycles
Motorcycles and scooters over 5 horsepower must have a brake tag. The brake tag will be affixed to the registration of the vehicle. The driver must have a motorcycle endorsement on their driver’s license to pass inspection. Vehicles inspected without the driver having the proper endorsement will receive a 30-day temporary brake tag.
Vehicles that are Exempt
The following vehicles do not require a City of New Orleans brake tag:
- Farm Equipment: Farm tractors, self-propelled farm equipment, rubber-tired farm wagons and carts, drawn rubber-tired farm equipment, and implements of animal husbandry which are designed primarily for field use and which are operated or moved only incidentally on the streets or highways of the city or state, and which are used for farm purposes only.
- Antique Show Cars: Motor vehicles which are 25 years old or older and which are used primarily for exhibition in shows, parades, tours, and other special uses and not for general transportation and which are registered and licensed as antique as provided in R.S. 32:707(L) of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.
- Single-Axle & Boat Trailers: Single-axle two-wheel trailers, tandem trailers and all boat trailers, unless used in commerce and subject to federal regulation.
- Heavy Interstate Vehicles: Commercial vehicles with an apportioned plate, provided that such commercial vehicles fully comply with the requirements of the Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR 396.17).
- Motorcycles and scooters 5 horsepower and under: These vehicles are not considered street-legal and, therefore, do not require a brake tag.
- Vehicles registered outside of New Orleans: Vehicles registered outside of New Orleans aren't required to have a City of New Orleans brake tag. Vehicles registered in Louisiana but outside of New Orleans are required to have a State of Louisiana or other municipal brake tag. Please check with your municipality for details.