Short answer. E-Verify is one of two ways for a private employer to meet the rule. Separate rules cover public employers. A penalty is stated.
At a glance
- Private employers
- A private employer is protected from the state's civil penalties if it verified every employee through E-Verify, or kept a copy of each employee's photo ID plus one listed citizenship or work document.
- Public employers
- State agencies paid through the state payroll system (LaGov HCM) had to register for and use E-Verify by January 1, 2012.
- In effect since
- Act 402 of 2011, which added the E-Verify option, took effect August 15, 2011.
- Penalty
- Up to $500 per unauthorized worker for a first violation and up to $1,000 for a second. A third brings a suspension of the business permit or license for 30 days to six months and up to $2,500 per worker, after a hearing.
- Who enforces or publishes it
- Louisiana Workforce Commission (civil penalties under R.S. 23:995)
In the official wording
Private employers
"The citizenship or work authorization status of every employee has been verified"
Public employers
"Agencies must register for and use E-Verify no later than January 1, 2012."
Effective date
"Effective August 15, 2011, Act 402 of the 2011 Regular Legislative Session"
Penalty
"For a first violation the penalty shall be not more than five hundred dollars for each alien"
Three example businesses
- 8 employees, private, no state contract: E-Verify is one way to meet the rule. See why
- 40 employees, private, no state contract: E-Verify is one way to meet the rule. See why
- 40 employees, private, with a state contract: E-Verify is one way to meet the rule. See why
Your own numbers: open the checker for Louisiana.
Worth knowing
An employer that used E-Verify is presumed to have acted in good faith. The section doesn't apply to health care facilities licensed by the state health department. A 2011 bill (SB 66) on the Legislature's site would require contractors with state agencies to use a status verification system; we didn't open the enacted law, so it isn't counted here.
Not stated on the pages we opened: a rule for state contractors and limits on how E-Verify is used.
Hiring someone remote in New Jersey? MCC Solutions acts as an I-9 authorized representative: we meet the new hire, examine the original documents and complete Section 2 for you, from $65 per employee. E-Verify cases are created by the employer, in its own E-Verify account; we don't create them.
Official sources
- R.S. 23:995, Civil penalties, Louisiana State Legislature
- Act No. 402 (2011 Regular Session), HB 646 enrolled
- Office of State Uniform Payroll Memorandum 2012-08: E-Verify Employment Eligibility Verification
General information, not legal advice. Checked November 2026. Federal rules on Form I-9 and E-Verify timing are on the all-states table.
Common questions
Do private employers in Louisiana have to use E-Verify?
Not strictly: it's one of two ways to meet the rule. A private employer is protected from the state's civil penalties if it verified every employee through E-Verify, or kept a copy of each employee's photo ID plus one listed citizenship or work document. The official wording: "The citizenship or work authorization status of every employee has been verified."
Does Louisiana require E-Verify for public employers?
State agencies paid through the state payroll system (LaGov HCM) had to register for and use E-Verify by January 1, 2012.
When did the Louisiana rule take effect?
Act 402 of 2011, which added the E-Verify option, took effect August 15, 2011.
What penalty does Louisiana law set?
Up to $500 per unauthorized worker for a first violation and up to $1,000 for a second. A third brings a suspension of the business permit or license for 30 days to six months and up to $2,500 per worker, after a hearing.
Is a Form I-9 still needed in Louisiana?
Yes. Every employer completes Form I-9 for each hire under federal law, and an E-Verify case is created from the finished form, so the state rule adds to the I-9 rather than replacing it.
All states: E-Verify requirements by state · Illinois · Mississippi