Art. 74.4.Action On an Open Account Or a Promissory Note
Title I. Courts · Chapter 2. Venue · Last amended 2008 · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 74.4 sets venue for suits to collect on an open account or a promissory note, tying open-account suits to where the account was created or serviced and note suits to where the note was executed, with the debtor's domicile always an option.
Full Text of Art. 74.4
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A. An action to collect an open account may be brought in the parish where the open account was created or where the services that formed the basis of such open account were performed, or in the parish of the domicile of the debtor.
B. An action on a promissory note may be brought in the parish where the promissory note was executed or in the parish of the domicile of the debtor.
An "open account" is Louisiana's term for a running credit arrangement — the kind of continuing account a business extends a customer, where charges accumulate over time rather than arising from a single, one-time transaction. Article 74.4(A) lets a creditor suing to collect on an open account file in the parish where the account was created, the parish where the underlying services were performed, or the parish of the debtor's domicile.
Subsection B covers a different instrument: an action on a promissory note. There, venue lies in the parish where the note was executed or in the parish of the debtor's domicile — a narrower list than the open-account rule, reflecting that a note is a single signed instrument rather than an ongoing series of charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an open account under Louisiana law?
It is a continuing credit arrangement, such as a running business account, where charges accumulate over time rather than arising from one isolated transaction.
Where can I sue to collect on an open account?
In the parish where the account was created, the parish where the services underlying the account were performed, or the parish where the debtor is domiciled.
Where can I sue on a promissory note?
In the parish where the note was executed or the parish of the debtor's domicile, under Article 74.4(B).
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the vLex (Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure, 2026 Edition). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:open account venue louisianapromissory note venue louisianadebt collection venue louisianaarticle 74.4 code of civil procedure