Book II. Ordinary Proceedings · Title VI. Judgments · Chapter 3. Rendition · Last amended 2025 · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 1913 requires notice of a signed final judgment to reach counsel of record and unrepresented parties in every contested case, sets stricter notice rules for a default judgment depending on how the defendant was originally served, and requires the clerk to certify in the record when and how notice went out.
Full Text of Art. 1913
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A. Except as otherwise provided by law, notice of the signing of a final judgment is required in all contested cases and shall be mailed or delivered in open court by the clerk of court to the counsel of record for each party, and to each party not represented by counsel. Delivery of the signed judgment in open court shall constitute notice of judgment and shall be documented in the record of the proceeding.
B. Notice of the signing of a default judgment against a defendant on whom citation was not served personally, or on whom citation was served through the secretary of state, and who filed no exception, answer, or other pleading, shall be served on the defendant by the sheriff, by either personal or domiciliary service, or in the case of a defendant originally served through the secretary of state, by service on the secretary of state.
C. Except when service is required in accordance with Paragraph B of this Article, notice of the signing of a default judgment shall be mailed by the clerk of court to the defendant at the address where personal service was obtained or to the last known address of the defendant.
D. The clerk shall file a certificate in the record showing the date on which, and the counsel and parties to whom, notice of the signing of the judgment was mailed or delivered in open court.
E. Repealed by Acts 2008, No. 824, 5, eff. Jan. 1, 2009.
Signing a judgment is only half the story; the parties have to find out about it. Article 1913, Paragraph A, requires the clerk of court to mail notice of a signed final judgment, or deliver it in open court, to counsel of record for every party and to every party who has no lawyer. Delivery in open court counts as notice on its own and gets documented in the record of the proceeding.
Default judgments get more careful treatment, because the defendant who lost by default may not have had any earlier contact with the case. Under Paragraph B, if the defendant was never personally served, or was served only through the secretary of state, and never filed anything, notice has to be served the way a citation would be served: personally, at the defendant's home with a qualified person there, or, for a defendant originally reached through the secretary of state, on the secretary of state again. Under Paragraph C, a defendant who was personally served but let the case go by default gets a lighter touch: notice mailed to the address where service was made or to the defendant's last known address.
Paragraph D closes the loop with a record-keeping requirement. The clerk has to file a certificate showing the date notice went out and to whom it was mailed or delivered, which matters later because other deadlines, including the delay for taking further action after certain interlocutory rulings, run from that notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to be notified when a Louisiana judgment is signed?
The clerk of court must mail or deliver in open court notice of the signing to counsel of record for each party, and to each party who has no lawyer, in every contested case.
Is notice handled differently for a default judgment than for a regular contested judgment?
Yes. If the defendant was never personally served, or was served only through the secretary of state, and filed nothing, notice must be served like a citation. A defendant who was personally served but defaulted gets notice by ordinary mail instead.
If the judge hands me the signed judgment in open court, does that count as notice?
Yes. Article 1913 treats delivery of the signed judgment in open court as notice of judgment, and the clerk documents that delivery in the record of the proceeding.
How do I find out when notice of a judgment was sent?
The clerk is required to file a certificate in the record showing the date notice was mailed or delivered, along with the counsel and parties who received it.
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
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