A. The citation shall summon the defendant to comply with the demand of the plaintiff against him, or to state his answer to the demand, within the delay provided by Article 4903, and shall state the location where the court is to be held. B. A copy of the petition shall be attached to the citation. C. The citation shall conform to the requirements for citation issuing out of the district court.
Art. 4902.Citation In Parish and City Courts
Book VIII. Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction · Title II. Procedure In Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction · Chapter 1. Parish and City Courts · Enacted 1986 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 4902 requires a parish or city court citation to summon the defendant to comply with or answer the plaintiff's demand within the delay set by Article 4903, state where the court sits, attach a copy of the petition, and otherwise meet the same requirements as a district court citation.
Full Text of Art. 4902
Amendment History
Acts 1986, No. 156, §1.
Plain-English Summary
Article 4902 spells out what a parish or city court citation has to do. It summons the defendant either to comply with the plaintiff's demand or to answer it, within the delay Article 4903 sets, and it states the location where the court is to be held — a detail that matters more here than in district court, since some parish and city courts sit in more than one place within their territory.
The citation also has to come with a copy of the petition attached. A defendant reading the citation does not have to guess at what is being claimed or go looking for the petition separately; the two documents travel together.
Beyond those parish- and city-court-specific requirements, Article 4902 folds back into the general rule: the citation has to conform to the requirements that govern citations issuing out of district court. The simplified procedure this Title sets up for smaller courts still rests on the same underlying citation framework used elsewhere in Louisiana civil practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a parish or city court citation have to include?
A summons to comply with or answer the demand within the Article 4903 delay, the court's location, and an attached copy of the petition.
Do I get a copy of the petition with the citation?
Yes. Article 4902 requires a copy of the petition to be attached to the citation.
Why does the citation need to state the court's location?
Because some parish and city courts sit in more than one location, so the citation tells the defendant exactly where to appear.
Does parish and city court citation follow the same rules as district court citation?
Yes. Beyond the specific requirements Article 4902 adds, the citation must conform to district court citation requirements.
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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