A. The citation must be signed by the justice of the peace or the clerk of court issuing it, with an expression of his official capacity and under the seal of his office, must be accompanied by a certified copy of any petition, which has been filed, exclusive of exhibits, even if made a part thereof, and must contain the following:
Art. 4919.Citation; Service of Citation; Justice of the Peace Courts; District Courts With Concurrent Jurisdiction
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 2015 · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 4919 sets the required content and signature of a citation in justice of the peace court, tailors that content to whether a written petition was filed, and permits service by certified mail that counts as personal or domiciliary service depending on who signs the return receipt.
Full Text of Art. 4919
(1) The date of issuance.
(2) The title of the cause.
(3) The name of the person to whom it is addressed.
(4) The title and location of the court issuing it.
(a) A statement that the person cited must either comply with the demand contained in the pleading filed by the plaintiff against him or make an appearance, either by filing a pleading or otherwise, in the court issuing the citation within the delay provided under Article 4920 under penalty of default.
(b) If the matter is set for hearing pursuant to Article 4921.1(C), the citation must contain a statement that the person cited must either comply with the demand of the plaintiff against him or appear in the court issuing the citation at the time and date provided and that if he fails to appear, judgment may be entered against him.
B. When a written petition has been filed, a copy thereof shall be attached to the citation.
C. When the plaintiff has not filed a written petition, the citation shall:
(1) State the amount and nature of the claim and the year or years in which the indebtedness was contracted or arose and shall describe sufficiently to place the defendant on notice any promissory note or other written evidence of indebtedness on which the demand is based; and
(2) Describe the movable property and state the value thereof, if the suit is for the ownership or possession of movable property.
D.
(1) Service of citation or other process may be made by the court by certified mail, with return receipt requested, when costs therefore are posted with the court.
(2) If the properly addressed certified mail return receipt reply form is signed by the addressee who is the defendant, service shall be considered personal service.
(3) If the properly addressed certified mail return receipt reply form is signed by a person other than the defendant, service shall be considered domiciliary service.
Amendment History
Amended by Acts 2015, No. 424, §1, eff. 8/1/2015. Acts 1986, No. 156, §1; Acts 2012, No. 666, §1.
Plain-English Summary
Citation is the formal notice that a suit exists and the defendant has to respond. Article 4919 requires it to be signed by the justice of the peace or the clerk of court issuing it, identified by official capacity and sealed, and, when a petition was filed, accompanied by a certified copy of it (exhibits aside). The citation itself must show the date issued, the case title, the name of the person it is addressed to, and the court's title and location.
Because Article 4917 lets a plaintiff skip a written petition altogether, Article 4919 builds a fallback into the citation itself. When no petition was filed, the citation has to carry information a petition would otherwise supply: the amount and nature of the claim, the year or years the debt arose, a description sufficient to identify any promissory note or other written evidence of the debt, and, in a suit over movable property, a description of that property and its value. The citation also has to warn the defendant that failing to respond within the delay set by Article 4920, or to appear at a hearing set under Article 4921.1(C), risks a default or an adverse judgment.
Service gets a modern option alongside traditional methods: a court may serve citation by certified mail, return receipt requested, once the requesting party posts the cost. If the defendant personally signs the return receipt, service counts as personal service; if someone else signs for the defendant, it counts as domiciliary service, mirroring the personal-versus-domiciliary distinction used throughout Louisiana service practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has to be in a citation issued by justice of the peace court?
The date of issuance, the case title, the name of the person cited, the issuing court's title and location, and a warning about the consequences of not responding, signed and sealed by the justice of the peace or clerk of court.
What happens if no written petition was filed in my case?
The citation itself must supply information the petition would otherwise contain, including the amount and nature of the claim and, for a movable-property suit, a description of the property and its value.
Can citation be served by certified mail in justice of the peace court?
Yes, once the requesting party posts the cost. Whether that counts as personal or domiciliary service depends on whether the defendant or someone else signs the return receipt.
Does the citation itself warn me about a default judgment?
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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