The judgment shall be in writing, contain the typewritten or printed name of the judge, and be signed by the judge. Any judgment that does not contain the typewritten or printed name of the judge shall not be invalidated for that reason.
Art. 4906.Form of Judgment In Parish Or City Courts
Book VIII. Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction · Title II. Procedure In Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction · Chapter 1. Parish and City Courts · Last amended 2014 · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 4906 requires a parish or city court judgment to be written, contain the judge's typewritten or printed name, and be signed by the judge, though a judgment missing the printed name is not invalidated for that reason alone.
Full Text of Art. 4906
Amendment History
Amended by Acts 2014, No. 144, §1, eff. 8/1/2014. Acts 1986, No. 156, §1.
Plain-English Summary
Article 4906 keeps the form of a parish or city court judgment simple: it must be in writing, it must carry the judge's typewritten or printed name, and the judge must sign it.
The printed-name requirement exists so anyone reading the judgment later — an appellate court, a sheriff asked to execute it, a title examiner, or another party in a later dispute — can identify which judge decided the case without having to decipher a handwritten signature. Article 4906 pairs that requirement with a safety valve, though: a judgment that omits the typewritten or printed name is not invalidated on that basis alone. The requirement protects clarity in the record without turning a clerical slip into grounds to unwind an otherwise valid judgment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What form must a parish or city court judgment take?
It must be written, contain the judge's typewritten or printed name, and be signed by the judge.
Is a judgment void if the judge's printed name is missing?
No. Article 4906 states that this omission alone does not invalidate the judgment.
Why does the judgment need the judge's printed name in addition to a signature?
So the judge who decided the case can be identified clearly, since a handwritten signature alone can be difficult to read.
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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