Hemp Laws & Licensing · LA
Louisiana hemp laws & licensing
At a glance
- Retail license / registration required?
- Yes — ATC Consumable Hemp (CBD) Retail Dealer Permit application
- Minimum age
- 21+
- State THC caps (hemp products)
- 5 mg THC per serving · 40 mg per package
- Hemp-derived THC products · online sales
- Legal (with the state's rules) · online: Allowed
- Key law
- LA Act 752 (HB 952, 2024) amending La. R.S. 3:1481–1484 (Consumable Hemp) — effective January 1, 2025
The law today
Louisiana permits consumable hemp products through a two-agency system: LDH must register every product (sponsored by a permitted in-state or out-of-state processor) and ATC must permit every retailer (per location and per online domain, $175/yr) and wholesaler; retailers collect a 3% excise tax. Under Act 752 (effective January 1, 2025) products are capped at 5 mg total THC per serving and 40 mg per package, beverages at 5 mg per container of at least 12 oz with no more than four containers per package, tinctures at 1 mg per mL; all inhalable forms (flower, vapes, pre-rolls) are banned, gas stations/convenience stores may not sell, and adult-use products (over 0.5 mg THC per package) may be sold only to people 21+ with photo ID (other products 18+).
Act 345 (effective August 1, 2025) added civil liability for sales to under-21s, and LDH's January 20, 2026 final rule set annual product registration, processor permits, batch COAs with QR codes and child-resistant packaging; no 2026 statutory changes were enacted, and industry litigation against Act 752 remains pending in federal court.
Who regulates it
Registers every consumable hemp product, permits in-state and out-of-state hemp processors, approves labels; January 2026 final rule
Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC)atc.louisiana.gov (opens in a new tab)
Issues consumable hemp retail (per location / per online domain) and wholesale permits; enforcement
Licenses hemp growers, processors, handlers and seed producers (R.S. 3:1461 et seq.)
Collects the 3% excise tax on retail sales of consumable hemp products
Licenses & registrations
ATC Consumable Hemp (CBD) Retail Dealer Permit applicationatc.louisiana.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Who needs it
- Anyone selling consumable hemp products at retail in Louisiana: one permit per physical location and one per registered online domain for remote sellers (gas stations/convenience stores may not sell)
- Fee
- $175 per permit per year (expires March 31)
ATC Consumable Hemp Wholesale Permit applicationatc.louisiana.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Who needs it
- Wholesalers/distributors of consumable hemp products
- Fee
- Not stated on the official page
ATC online permit portal (apply/renew)laatcabc.atc.la.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Who needs it
- ATC permit applicants and renewals
- Fee
- Not stated on the official page
LDH consumable hemp product registration and hemp processor permitsldh.la.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Who needs it
- Every product sold in Louisiana must be registered by a permitted in-state or out-of-state hemp processor before sale; annual renewal July 1-Aug 15
- Fee
- $50 per product registration; $175 out-of-state processor permit application (plus sliding-scale fees)
- Who needs it
- Anyone growing, processing (non-consumable), handling/transporting or producing hemp seed in Louisiana
- Fee
- $500 per license per year (renew by Nov 30)
The law
- La. R.S. 3:1481 – Consumable hemp definitionslegis.la.gov (opens in a new tab)
- La. R.S. 3:1482 – Consumable hemp products; prohibitions (permits, age 21, no inhalables)legis.la.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Act 752 of 2024 (HB 952) – enrolled act, effective Jan 1, 2025legis.la.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Act 345 of 2025 (HB 36) – civil liability for consumable hemp sales to under-21, effective Aug 1, 2025legis.la.gov (opens in a new tab)
- LDH Consumable Hemp Final Rule, Louisiana Register Jan 20, 2026 (LAC 49:I Ch. 5)ldh.la.gov (opens in a new tab)
- LDAF industrial hemp laws and regulationsldaf.la.gov (opens in a new tab)
Testing & COAs
Need a lab? COA analysis partners
Steps to a compliant hemp business in Louisiana
- 1
Register the business with the Louisiana Secretary of State and obtain state/parish sales tax accounts
- 2
Growers/processors of raw hemp: obtain the applicable LDAF grower, processor, handler or seed producer license ($500/yr)
- 3
Consumable-product manufacturers: obtain an LDH hemp processor permit (in-state, or out-of-state $175) and register each product with LDH ($50/product) with labels, ISO 17025 COAs and product photos; renew July 1-Aug 15 annually
- 4
Retailers: apply to ATC for a Consumable Hemp Retail Dealer permit for each location and each online domain ($175/yr, expires March 31); wholesalers get the ATC wholesale permit
- 5
Register with the Louisiana Department of Revenue for the 3% consumable hemp excise tax and file monthly returns
- 6
Sell only LDH-registered products within the 5 mg/serving, 40 mg/package (beverage 5 mg per 12 oz+ container) limits; no inhalable products; keep products behind the counter except beverages
- 7
Verify age with photo ID: 21+ for adult-use products (over 0.5 mg THC per package), 18+ for others; never sell at gas stations/fuel retailers or add hemp to food/drinks at point of sale
On Good Hemp Distro
Recreational (21+) market in Louisiana
Open on GHDThe Recreational (21+) market is open on Good Hemp Distro for shoppers in this state (21+ only · vendor state permit required · state caps: 5 mg THC per serving, 40 mg per package).
Live status — it changes as state rules are verified and as the federal cutoff approaches. Everyday Hemp, Industrial and Services products are available everywhere.
Sources & verification
- Verified
- September 29, 2026 — every official link above was fetched and checked on that date.
- Confidence
- High confidence — Official pages verified; law summarised from primary sources.
- Research notes
- ATC's application PDF is titled 'CBD retail dealer permit' but is the consumable hemp retail permit under R.S. 3:1482. A 2026 bill (HB 539) reported as withdrawn could not be independently verified on legis.la.gov; no 2026 enacted changes were found. Per-serving/package caps are taken from the LDH Jan 2026 rule and Act 752 summaries; the enrolled act text also references a 1% total THC concentration ceiling.
- Good Hemp Distro market notes
- 5 mg total THC per serving / 40 mg per package; inhalables and floral hemp banned. Online sales require an ATC remote-retailer permit, LA Secretary of State registration, sourcing from LA-permitted wholesalers and LDH product registration. (Recreational (21+) state dataset, version 2026-09-28)
Cited sources
- La. R.S. 3:1484 – Permit to sell; office of alcohol and tobacco control (Louisiana Legislature)legis.la.gov (opens in a new tab) · 2025-01
“Each person who sells or is about to engage in the business of selling at retail, including remote retailers, any consumable hemp product shall first apply for and obtain a permit; remote retailers must list their Louisiana permitted wholesaler on their website.”
Louisiana hemp law FAQ
Short answers drawn from the official Louisiana sources above (verified September 29, 2026). Not legal advice.
- Do I need a license to sell hemp products in Louisiana?
- Yes. Official link: ATC Consumable Hemp (CBD) Retail Dealer Permit application (atc.louisiana.gov) — fee: $175 per permit per year (expires March 31). Growers license separately through the state hemp program or USDA.
- Who regulates hemp in Louisiana?
- Louisiana Department of Health – Consumable Hemp Product Registration (Bureau of Sanitarian Services) — Registers every consumable hemp product, permits in-state and out-of-state hemp processors, approves labels; January 2026 final rule. Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) — Issues consumable hemp retail (per location / per online domain) and wholesale permits; enforcement. Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry – Industrial Hemp Program — Licenses hemp growers, processors, handlers and seed producers (R.S. 3:1461 et seq.). Louisiana Department of Revenue – Consumable Hemp Product excise tax — Collects the 3% excise tax on retail sales of consumable hemp products.
- What are Louisiana's hemp laws in 2026?
- Louisiana permits consumable hemp products through a two-agency system: LDH must register every product (sponsored by a permitted in-state or out-of-state processor) and ATC must permit every retailer (per location and per online domain, $175/yr) and wholesaler; retailers collect a 3% excise tax. Under Act 752 (effective January 1, 2025) products are capped at 5 mg total THC per serving and 40 mg per package, beverages at 5 mg per container of at least 12 oz with no more than four containers per package, tinctures at 1 mg per mL; all inhalable forms (flower, vapes, pre-rolls) are banned, gas stations/convenience stores may not sell, and adult-use products (over 0.5 mg THC per package) may be sold only to people 21+ with photo ID (other products 18+). Key law: LA Act 752 (HB 952, 2024) amending La. R.S. 3:1481–1484 (Consumable Hemp) (effective January 1, 2025).
- What is the minimum age to buy hemp products in Louisiana?
- 21+ under Louisiana law (LA Act 752 (HB 952, 2024) amending La. R.S. 3:1481–1484 (Consumable Hemp)). Good Hemp Distro is 21+ everywhere regardless.
- Does Louisiana cap THC in hemp products?
- Yes — 5 mg THC per serving · 40 mg per package under LA Act 752 (HB 952, 2024) amending La. R.S. 3:1481–1484 (Consumable Hemp). Federally, hemp must test at or below 0.3% total THC.
- Does Louisiana require lab testing (a COA) for hemp products?
- LDH product registration: ISO/IEC 17025 lab COA per batch and distillate, QR code on label (Jan 2026 rule §521). Official page: ldh.la.gov
- How do I start a compliant hemp business in Louisiana?
- 1. Register the business with the Louisiana Secretary of State and obtain state/parish sales tax accounts. 2. Growers/processors of raw hemp: obtain the applicable LDAF grower, processor, handler or seed producer license ($500/yr). 3. Consumable-product manufacturers: obtain an LDH hemp processor permit (in-state, or out-of-state $175) and register each product with LDH ($50/product) with labels, ISO 17025 COAs and product photos; renew July 1-Aug 15 annually. 4. Retailers: apply to ATC for a Consumable Hemp Retail Dealer permit for each location and each online domain ($175/yr, expires March 31); wholesalers get the ATC wholesale permit. 5. Register with the Louisiana Department of Revenue for the 3% consumable hemp excise tax and file monthly returns. 6. Sell only LDH-registered products within the 5 mg/serving, 40 mg/package (beverage 5 mg per 12 oz+ container) limits; no inhalable products; keep products behind the counter except beverages. 7. Verify age with photo ID: 21+ for adult-use products (over 0.5 mg THC per package), 18+ for others; never sell at gas stations/fuel retailers or add hemp to food/drinks at point of sale.
Related
Not legal advice. Links and summaries verified September 29, 2026; laws change — always confirm with the official links and a licensed attorney before you sell.