Service on an unincorporated association is made by personal service on the agent appointed, if any, or in his absence, upon a managing official, at any place where the business of the association is regularly conducted. In the absence of all officials from the place where the business of the association is regularly conducted, service of citation or other process may be made by personal service upon any member of the association.
Art. 1264.Unincorporated Association
Book II. Ordinary Proceedings · Title II. Citation and Service of Process · Chapter 3. Service On Legal and Quasi Legal Persons · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 1264 provides that an unincorporated association is served through personal service on its appointed agent, or, absent one, on a managing official where the association's business is regularly conducted, and, if no official can be found there, on any member of the association.
Full Text of Art. 1264
Plain-English Summary
Unincorporated associations — clubs, some fraternal organizations, and similar groups that haven't formally incorporated — don't have the same statutory agent-designation system corporations do, so Article 1264 builds a shorter chain of alternatives. First choice: whatever agent the association has appointed to accept service, if it has appointed one at all.
If there's no appointed agent, service moves to a managing official found at the place where the association's business is regularly conducted. And if even that fails — no officials present where the association does business — the rule reaches its final fallback: personal service on any member of the association, present at that location.
That last option is broader than what's available for corporations or partnerships, reflecting how loosely some unincorporated associations are structured. Where a corporation ultimately falls back on the secretary of state, an unincorporated association falls back on its own membership.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who gets served first when suing an unincorporated association?
Whatever agent the association has appointed to receive service, if it has one.
What if the association hasn't appointed an agent?
Service can be made on a managing official found at the place where the association's business is regularly conducted.
What if no officials are present at the association's usual place of business?
Article 1264 allows personal service on any member of the association found there as a final fallback.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: serving an unincorporated association louisianasuing a club or organization louisianamanaging official service of processLouisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 1264service on association member