In addition to the limitation by the amount in dispute as set forth above, the jurisdiction of parish courts and city courts is limited by the nature of the proceeding, as set forth in Article 4847.
Art. 4846.Limitations Upon Jurisdiction; Nature of Proceedings
Book VIII. Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction · Title I. General Dispositions · Chapter 2. Civil Jurisdiction · Enacted 1986 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 4846 confirms that a parish or city court's jurisdiction is limited not only by the amount in dispute but also by the nature of the proceeding, pointing forward to the categorical exclusions listed in Article 4847.
Full Text of Art. 4846
Amendment History
Acts 1986, No. 156, §1.
Plain-English Summary
The preceding articles measure a parish or city court's jurisdiction in dollars: twenty thousand for parish courts, a tiered scale for city courts, and various carve-outs for injunctions and evictions. Article 4846 introduces the second axis of the same jurisdictional framework, one that has nothing to do with dollar amounts.
Even a small claim, one comfortably within a court's dollar ceiling, can still fall outside its jurisdiction because of what kind of case it is. Article 4846 states that principle and hands the specific list of excluded case types to Article 4847, functioning as a transition between the amount-based limits already covered and the subject-matter limits that follow.
This two-axis structure reflects a choice about what these courts are for. Parish and city courts exist to handle routine, comparatively modest civil disputes efficiently. Matters carrying broader consequences, such as a dispute over title to land or a person's civil status, call for the fuller procedures and record available in district court, regardless of how much money happens to be at stake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a parish or city court's jurisdiction limited only by the dollar amount involved?
No. Article 4846 confirms that jurisdiction is also limited by the type of case, with the specific exclusions listed in Article 4847.
Can a small-dollar case still fall outside a parish court's jurisdiction?
Yes, if it falls into one of the categories Article 4847 excludes, such as a dispute over title to immovable property, regardless of how modest the amount in dispute is.
Why does Louisiana limit these courts by case type as well as dollar amount?
Because some matters carry consequences, such as changes to a person's civil status or title to land, that call for the fuller procedures of a district court no matter the dollar figure involved.
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: nature of proceeding jurisdiction LouisianaArticle 4846 Louisianasubject matter limits parish courtcase type jurisdiction limits Louisianaamount in dispute versus nature of proceeding