Art. 4916.Venue; Justice of the Peace Courts
Book VIII. Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction · Title II. Procedure In Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction · Chapter 2. Civil Jurisdiction For Justice of the Peace Courts · Last amended 2012 · Last verified July 30, 2026
Full Text of Art. 4916
Amendment History
Acts 1986, No. 156, §1; Acts 2012, No. 392, §1.
Plain-English Summary
Rather than draft a freestanding set of venue rules for justice of the peace courts, Article 4916 borrows the general venue articles that already govern where a Louisiana suit may be filed: Articles 41 through 45, which set the default rules of venue, and Articles 71 through 79, which cover venue in specific kinds of actions.
A justice of the peace court's territory is smaller than a full parish; several may sit within a single parish, each covering its own ward or district. Article 4916 accounts for that by construing every reference to 'parish' in the borrowed venue articles as a reference to the justice of the peace court's own territorial jurisdiction instead. Read literally, the venue articles would ask where within the parish a suit belongs; read through Article 4916, they ask which justice of the peace court's territory the suit belongs in.
The result is a venue scheme drafted for district and parish-wide courts that adapts to the map of a smaller forum without needing its own separate set of venue provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What venue rules apply to a lawsuit in justice of the peace court?
The general rules of venue in Articles 41 through 45 and 71 through 79, the same articles that govern venue for suits generally, as adapted by Article 4916.
Why does Article 4916 say to substitute the court's 'territorial jurisdiction' for 'parish'?
Because a justice of the peace court's territory is smaller than an entire parish, often just a ward or district within it, so the general venue articles need that adjustment to make sense in this forum.
Does justice of the peace court have its own separate venue rules?
No. Article 4916 applies the same general venue articles used elsewhere in Louisiana practice, rather than creating a distinct venue scheme for this smaller tier of court.