A. In the judgment of interdiction, the court shall:
Art. 4551.Judgment
Book VII. Special Proceedings · Title VIII. Interdiction and Curatorship of Interdicts · Chapter 1. In General · Last amended 2016 · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 4551 spells out what a Louisiana interdiction judgment must contain, including the curator's appointment, an undercurator unless the law dispenses with one, the defendant's identifying information, and a recordation directive, while limited-interdiction judgments must confer only the powers the case requires and otherwise preserve the person's capacity.
Full Text of Art. 4551
(1) Appoint a curator.
(2) Appoint an undercurator, unless an undercurator is not required by law.
(3) State that the powers of the curator commence only upon qualification.
(4) Direct the clerk of court to record the judgment in the conveyance and mortgage records of the parish where it was rendered.
(5) Set forth the name, domicile, age, and current address of the defendant.
B. In addition, a judgment of limited interdiction shall confer upon the limited curator only those powers necessitated by the interests of the limited interdict to be protected through limited interdiction and shall state that the limited interdict retains the capacity of a natural person except as expressly limited by the judgment.
C. In addition, a judgment granting or extending temporary or preliminary interdiction shall set forth the date of termination.
Amendment History
Amended by Acts 2016, No. 122, §1, eff. 8/1/2016. Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 25, §3, eff. 7/1/2001.
Plain-English Summary
Article 4551 sets the required contents of an interdiction judgment. The court must appoint a curator; appoint an undercurator, unless the law does not require one for the case; state that the curator's powers commence only upon qualification, not upon the judgment itself; direct the clerk of court to record the judgment in the conveyance and mortgage records of the parish where it was rendered; and set forth the defendant's name, domicile, age, and current address.
A judgment of limited interdiction carries an extra requirement built around restraint. It must confer on the limited curator only the powers necessitated by the interests the limited interdiction is meant to protect, and it must state that the limited interdict retains the capacity of a natural person except where the judgment expressly limits it. That tailoring requirement reflects the least-restrictive-means principle running through the whole of Title VIII: a limited interdiction judgment should take no more from the person than the case requires.
When the judgment grants or extends temporary or preliminary interdiction, Article 4551 also requires it to state a termination date, tying the judgment's own text back to the short, emergency-driven timelines Article 4549 sets for those stages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must a Louisiana interdiction judgment include?
Appointment of a curator, an undercurator unless the law dispenses with one, the defendant's identifying information, and a directive to record the judgment in the conveyance and mortgage records of the parish.
When does a curator's authority begin?
Only upon qualification, not upon the interdiction judgment itself; the judgment must state that expressly.
What is the difference between a full and a limited interdiction judgment?
A limited interdiction judgment confers on the curator only the powers the case requires and must state that the limited interdict otherwise retains full capacity as a natural person.
Does a temporary interdiction judgment last indefinitely?
No. A judgment granting or extending temporary or preliminary interdiction must set forth a termination date.
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: Article 4551 Louisianainterdiction judgment requirementslimited interdiction judgment Louisianacurator appointment judgment Louisiana