A party in whose favor a judgment of possession has been rendered may obtain from the clerk a writ of possession directing the sheriff to seize and deliver the property to him if it is movable property, or to compel the party in possession to vacate the property by use of force, if necessary, if it is immovable.
Art. 2501.Judgment Ordering Delivery of Possession; Writ of Possession
Book IV. Execution of Judgments · Title III. Judgments Other Than Money Judgments · Chapter 1. Judgments Other Than Money Judgments · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 2501 lets the party who won a judgment of possession obtain a writ of possession from the clerk of court, directing the sheriff to seize and deliver movable property to that party or, for immovable property, to remove the occupant by force if necessary.
Full Text of Art. 2501
Plain-English Summary
Not every judgment orders a party to pay money. Some order the return or delivery of specific property -- a judgment recognizing who owns a piece of land, or a ruling that a particular vehicle or piece of equipment belongs to the plaintiff rather than the party currently holding it. Article 2501 supplies the enforcement tool for that kind of judgment: a writ of possession.
The party who won the judgment of possession asks the clerk of court for the writ, and the clerk issues it without a separate motion or hearing on the merits, since the underlying judgment has already decided who is entitled to the property. The writ then goes to the sheriff, who carries out the physical work of enforcement.
What that work looks like depends on the kind of property involved. For movable property -- a car, equipment, furniture, anything that can be picked up and carried away -- the sheriff seizes it and delivers it to the party the judgment favors. For immovable property, such as land or a building, the sheriff instead compels whoever is occupying it to vacate, using force if the occupant will not leave voluntarily.
This differs from executing a money judgment, where the sheriff seizes property belonging to the debtor and sells it to raise cash for the creditor. A writ of possession does not involve a sale; the point is to put the specific property itself into the rightful party's hands, not to convert it into money.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a writ of possession under Louisiana law?
An order, issued by the clerk of court to a party who won a judgment of possession, directing the sheriff to deliver movable property to that party or to remove an occupant from immovable property.
How does enforcing a judgment of possession differ from enforcing a money judgment?
A writ of possession does not involve a sale. The sheriff delivers the specific property, or vacates the occupant, rather than seizing and selling property to raise money for the creditor.
What happens if the person occupying immovable property will not leave voluntarily?
The sheriff can use force, if necessary, to compel the occupant to vacate under a writ of possession.
Who issues a writ of possession, the court or the clerk?
The clerk of court issues the writ once the party has won a judgment of possession, without a separate motion or hearing.
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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