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Louisiana NIL Rules

College and high-school name, image & likeness rules for Louisiana (LA) — at a glance, in plain English. Not legal advice; confirm with a compliance office before acting.

At a glance

NIL in Louisiana today.

College NIL: Legal (state law). High-school NIL: Allowed, per State NIL law (Act 479/SB 60, amended 2022 & 2026) + Act 810 (2026, HS) + LHSAA. NIL collectives: operating. Deal-disclosure threshold: Any deal. Governing statute: Louisiana Act 479 of 2021 (SB 60), as amended through 2026 (La. R.S. 17:3701-3705), amended, effective July 2021. High-school governance: Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA). Last reviewed August 2026 — this is a plain-English overview pending verification, not legal advice.

What to know

How the rules play out in Louisiana.

Louisiana's NIL statute (Act 479/SB 60, amended by Act 307 in 2022) lets schools and boosters facilitate deals; a new 2026 law (Act 895/SB 389) now requires anyone acting as an NIL agent for Louisiana athletes to register with the Attorney General, pass a background check, and complete training, with penalties up to $10,000 and 5 years imprisonment for non-compliance. A separate 2026 law (Act 810/HB 513, effective August 2026) codifies high-school NIL with guardrails — parental consent for minors and bans on gambling, alcohol, and adult-entertainment deals — building on the LHSAA's 2022 bylaw position that individual-capacity NIL activity was not itself prohibited; LHSAA is reported as supportive and is educating member schools on the new statute. Collectives operate actively around the state's SEC programs under the national House-settlement framework, where third-party deals over $600 must clear the College Sports Commission's 'NIL Go' clearinghouse — Louisiana has no distinct state-law disclosure dollar threshold of its own, so confirm current specifics with each school.

Who governs NIL in Louisiana

Louisiana college NIL runs on a state statute: Act 479 of 2021 (SB 60), codified at La. R.S. 17:3701 and following, and amended several times since, most recently in 2026. Each public higher-education management board and, as of the 2026 amendments, each individual campus must maintain its own NIL policy under R.S. 17:3703(N). High school NIL has two layers as of August 2026: the LHSAA, which has treated NIL as permitted under its amateur-status bylaw since April 2022, and a brand-new statute, R.S. 17:3705 (Act 810 of 2026), that writes high-school NIL rights into state law effective August 1, 2026. Since the House v. NCAA settlement took effect in 2025, college deals of 600 dollars or more also pass through the NIL Go clearinghouse run by the College Sports Commission.

What the college statute actually says

R.S. 17:3703 sets the ground rules for intercollegiate athletes. Key provisions as of August 2026:

  • § 3703(B): an institution shall not adopt or maintain any rule or requirement that prevents or unduly restricts an athlete from earning NIL compensation, and earning it cannot affect grant-in-aid or eligibility.
  • § 3703(A): institutions themselves may not pay athletes for NIL except as authorized by a court order, governing athletic association rules, or a settlement agreement - the carve-out that lets House-settlement revenue sharing operate.
  • § 3703(C)(2): no NIL compensation for endorsing tobacco, alcohol, illegal substances or activities, banned athletic substances, or any form of gambling or gaming.
  • § 3703(D): athletes may hire agents, marketing representatives, or attorneys, but representation must come from persons registered with or licensed by the state (as amended in 2026, in accordance with R.S. 4:422).
  • § 3703(I): NIL contracts valued at 600 dollars or more must be disclosed to the institution.
  • § 3703(K): institutions must provide at least 2.5 hours of annual financial-literacy training for athletes.

High-school rules

The LHSAA opened the door in April 2022 with a positioning statement: its bylaws do not prohibit students from commercial activity in their individual capacities, and NIL deals do not jeopardize amateur status so long as the athlete complies with LHSAA Bylaw 1.25 on maintaining amateur status. In 2026 the legislature went further with Act 810 (HB 513 by Rep. Rashid Young), effective August 1, 2026, which adds R.S. 17:3705:

  • § 3705(A): an interscholastic athlete may earn NIL compensation, and § 3705(C) bars schools and athletic associations from preventing it or declaring an athlete ineligible for it.
  • § 3705(B): a deal signed by an athlete under 18 is valid only with the written consent of a parent or legal guardian.
  • § 3705(E)(2): no deals connected to adult entertainment, alcohol, cannabis, casinos or gambling or sports wagering, controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, performance-enhancing drugs, tobacco or nicotine products, or weapons.
  • § 3705(F): a school may bar NIL activity during class, practice, competition, travel, and other official team or academic activities, and athletes may not use school facilities, uniforms, logos, or other school IP without permission.
  • § 3705(G): the athlete must disclose a proposed deal to the school before signing.

The practical read

As of August 2026, a Louisiana college athlete can sign endorsement, social-media, and appearance deals, hire a state-registered agent, and receive school revenue-sharing money under the House settlement, but should expect to disclose deals of 600 dollars or more to both the school and NIL Go, and to stay away from the statute's prohibited categories. A Louisiana high schooler can also earn NIL money - with a parent signature if under 18, disclosure to the school before signing, no school marks or facilities, and none of the prohibited product categories. Deals cannot be pay-for-play or recruiting inducements under LHSAA rules.

What's moving

The 2026 session was busy: Act 810 (high-school NIL) took effect August 1, 2026, and Act 895 expanded the state's sports-agent registry to cover NIL agents, who now must register with the attorney general, pass a background check, and complete training, with civil penalties and criminal fines reported up to 10,000 dollars and five years for violations. The college statute was also amended in 2026 to align institutional payments with the House settlement framework. Expect campus policies to keep shifting as boards implement the new R.S. 17:3703(N) policy requirements.

Go deeper

Compare states, then run your numbers.

Compare Louisiana with every other state in the NIL Rules by State tracker, estimate your take-home on NIL income with the free NIL Tax Calculator, and see what your name, image, and likeness is actually worth with HDBND's free athlete tools.

Frequently asked questions

Is college NIL legal in Louisiana?
Yes — college athletes in Louisiana can earn from their name, image, and likeness. Status: Legal (state law). Louisiana has its own NIL statute layered on top of NCAA policy and the House settlement. Confirm the current rules with each school's compliance office.
Can high school athletes earn NIL in Louisiana?
High-school NIL status in Louisiana: Allowed, per State NIL law (Act 479/SB 60, amended 2022 & 2026) + Act 810 (2026, HS) + LHSAA. It's generally permitted under the association's amateurism and recruiting guardrails. This is a general overview, not legal advice.
Do athletes have to disclose NIL deals in Louisiana?
The working disclosure threshold here is "Any deal." Under the House settlement, third-party deals at or above $600 at participating schools go to the NIL Go clearinghouse for review; some schools ask for every deal. Confirm your school's exact process.
Can a Louisiana high schooler use their school's jersey or logo in a sponsored post?
No, not without the school's permission. R.S. 17:3705(F)(3), effective August 1, 2026, bars interscholastic athletes from using a high school's facilities, apparel, uniforms, or intellectual property - including logos and trademarks - to earn NIL compensation unless the school allows it, and schools can also bar NIL work during class and team activities. Confirm the details with your school's athletic director before signing anything.
Does an NIL agent in Louisiana have to be registered with the state?
Yes, as of 2026. Louisiana's college statute has long required professional representation to come from state-registered or licensed persons, and reporting on the 2026 laws indicates Act 895 extends the sports-agent registry to NIL agents, adding background checks and training requirements through the attorney general's office. Verify any agent's registration status with the Louisiana attorney general before engaging them.
Do Louisiana schools have to teach athletes about money before they sign deals?
For college athletes, yes. R.S. 17:3703(K) requires postsecondary institutions to provide at least 2.5 hours of financial-literacy training annually, and the 2026 amendments require campus NIL policies to include workshops on contracts, financial responsibility, and business formation. Ask your school's compliance office what training is offered before you sign.

Sources

  1. La. R.S. 17:3703 (official statute text) — Louisiana State Legislature
  2. HB 513 of 2026 (enacted as Act 810) - interscholastic and intercollegiate NIL — Louisiana State Legislature
  3. LHSAA NIL positioning statement and Eccker Sports partnership release (April 2022) — Louisiana High School Athletic Association
  4. NIL agents in Louisiana now have to register; high school rules take effect soon — Fox 8 New Orleans