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Self-Defense Laws in Louisiana

Whether Louisiana has a duty to retreat or a stand your ground law, and how the castle doctrine applies at home.

Short answer: Louisiana has no duty to retreat. A person who is not engaged in unlawful activity and who is in a place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat before using deadly force under the justifiable homicide statute, and may stand his or her ground and meet force with force… La. R.S. 14:19(C)-(D); R.S. 14:20(A)(1)-(2), (C)-(D)

Stand your ground / duty to retreatLouisiana has no duty to retreat. A person who is not engaged in unlawful activity and who is in a place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat before using deadly force under the justifiable homicide statute, and may stand his or her ground and meet force with force when using non-deadly force. In deciding whether the person reasonably believed force was necessary, the finder of fact may not consider the possibility of retreat. A homicide is justifiable in self-defense when the person reasonably believes he or she is in imminent danger of losing life or receiving great bodily harm and that the killing is necessary to save himself or herself, or to prevent a violent or forcible felony involving danger to life or great bodily harm.
R.S. 14:19: https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=78336 (amended by Acts 2026, No. 148).
Source: La. R.S. 14:19(C)-(D); R.S. 14:20(A)(1)-(2), (C)-(D)
Castle doctrine (defending your home)A homicide is justifiable when committed by a person lawfully inside a dwelling, a place of business, or a motor vehicle against a person attempting to make or who has made an unlawful entry, if the person reasonably believes deadly force is necessary to prevent the entry or to compel the intruder to leave; also against a person reasonably believed to be about to use unlawful force against a person present in a dwelling, business or vehicle while committing or attempting a burglary or robbery of it (R.S. 14:20(A)(3)-(4)). Non-deadly force may likewise be used by a person lawfully in a dwelling, business, place of worship or motor vehicle against an unlawful entrant (R.S. 14:19(A)(1)(b)). The person is presumed to have held a reasonable belief that force was necessary if the intruder was unlawfully and forcibly entering or had entered and the person knew or had reason to believe that (R.S. 14:19(B), 14:20(B)). These protections do not apply to a person engaged in acquiring, distributing, or possessing with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance. Civil immunity: a person who uses reasonable and apparently necessary force or violence, including deadly force, under R.S. 14:19 or 14:20 to prevent a forcible offense against the person or the person's property is immune from civil action, and a court finding immunity shall award reasonable attorney fees, court costs, lost income and all expenses (R.S. 9:2800.19).
R.S. 9:2800.19: https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=408383
Source: La. R.S. 14:19, 14:20; R.S. 9:2800.19

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FAQ

Is Louisiana a stand your ground state?
Louisiana has no duty to retreat. A person who is not engaged in unlawful activity and who is in a place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat before using deadly force under the justifiable homicide statute, and may stand his or her ground and meet force with force when using non-deadly force. In deciding whether the person reasonably believed force was necessary, the finder of fact may not consider the possibility of retreat. A homicide is justifiable in self-defense when the person reasonably believes he or she is in imminent danger of losing life or receiving great bodily harm and that the killing is necessary to save himself or herself, or to prevent a violent or forcible felony involving danger to life or great bodily harm.
Does Louisiana have a castle doctrine?
A homicide is justifiable when committed by a person lawfully inside a dwelling, a place of business, or a motor vehicle against a person attempting to make or who has made an unlawful entry, if the person reasonably believes deadly force is necessary to prevent the entry or to compel the intruder to leave; also against a person reasonably believed to be about to use unlawful force against a person present in a dwelling, business or vehicle while committing or attempting a burglary or robbery of it (R.S. 14:20(A)(3)-(4)). Non-deadly force may likewise be used by a person lawfully in a dwelling, business, place of worship or motor vehicle against an unlawful entrant (R.S. 14:19(A)(1)(b)). The person is presumed to have held a reasonable belief that force was necessary if the intruder was unlawfully and forcibly entering or had entered and the person knew or had reason to believe that (R.S. 14:19(B), 14:20(B)). These protections do not apply to a person engaged in acquiring, distributing, or possessing with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance. Civil immunity: a person who uses reasonable and apparently necessary force or violence, including deadly force, under R.S. 14:19 or 14:20 to prevent a forcible offense against the person or the person's property is immune from civil action, and a court finding immunity shall award reasonable attorney fees, court costs, lost income and all expenses (R.S. 9:2800.19).

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.