U.S. STATE · DRIVER LICENSE
Louisiana Driver License Photo Requirements
Find out whether you need to make a photo, where the state takes it, and what is known about online renewal and photo upload.
Sources reviewed: October 14, 2026 · photo law reviewed: October 18, 2026
Do you need to make a photo?
Do not prepare a separate photo unless the state agency or your transaction instructions specifically ask for one. The agency procedure below describes where a photo is captured and what is known about remote renewal.
This page covers a driver license. It does not automatically apply to learner permits, state identification cards, commercial endorsements, or every exception.
Photo law and requirements
La. R.S. 32:410(A)(1) requires every driver's license application and the license issued to contain the applicant's photograph, and § 32:410(A)(2) requires the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to use a process that resists alteration and photo superimposition, with all licenses and photo attachments processed in color. La. R.S. 32:412(D)(3) allows Class D or E licenses to be renewed by mail or electronic commerce, but not for people 70 or older and not if the last renewal was by mail or electronic commerce; a person 70 or older with a medically diagnosed disability that prevents in-person renewal may still renew by mail. The statutes reviewed do not say whether a remote renewal reuses the existing photo. § 32:410 does not name who takes the photo, though § 32:410(F)(1) refers to photographs obtained by the department or a contractor when a person applies for or renews a license. The administrative-rule audit remains pending.
Where the photo is taken
Louisiana OMV provides in-person service at OMV field offices and Public Tag Agent locations. The reviewed public instructions do not establish whether every in-person license renewal takes a new portrait or reuses the existing image.
Online renewal, photo reuse, and upload
Louisiana offers online driver-license renewal to eligible customers. The reviewed renewal instructions do not describe a new-photo upload or state whether the existing portrait is reused. Do not prepare a photo unless the official renewal flow specifically asks for one.
New photo upload: Only treat upload as allowed when the linked official instructions explicitly say so.
Scope and limitations
The state’s public renewal materials do not settle the photo-capture question. Confirm the transaction with OMV; statutory and administrative-rule review remains pending. A separate black-and-white-photo form exists, but it is not evidence of a general applicant photo-upload option.
Official laws, rules, and agency sources
Check your exact application
Renewal eligibility and photo handling can depend on your record and transaction.
Open the interactive photo checker