Moving a mobile home in Louisiana: permits and what to expect

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A mobile home move in Louisiana involves a state trip permit for the mover, a licensed mover or installer, and usually a local permit where the home ends up.

The DOTD trip permit

Mobile homes are oversize loads, so the mover needs a permit from the Louisiana DOTD Truck Permit Office. DOTD's 2026 rules list a mobile home permit at $10 per trip. It covers movement of a single mobile home that is oversize but not overweight, for one trip lasting up to 72 consecutive hours, and DOTD grants no extensions (Louisiana DOTD, Regulations for Trucks, Vehicles and Loads (2026)). DOTD can also set conditions on the route, escorts and timing.

Registration

Under the same rules, a mobile home moved from a Louisiana starting point needs a valid Louisiana registration certificate. A home coming from another state can travel on its home-state registration (Louisiana DOTD, Regulations for Trucks, Vehicles and Loads (2026)).

Weather

DOTD tells permitted loads to pull off and wait when weather creates a hazard, and it uses a mobile home in wind as an example. On the Gulf Coast, that can push a move date back.

Licensed movers and installers

Louisiana law separates transporters, who haul a home to the site, from installers, who block, level and anchor it (Louisiana manufactured home installation and transportation law (R.S. 51:912.21 and following)). Both are licensed. The licensing used to be run by the Louisiana Manufactured Housing Commission and now sits with the Office of State Fire Marshal (Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal). The same law has the commission issue an installation permit and sticker to a licensed installer, or to a homeowner, certifying the setup meets state standards.

Tie-downs in hurricane zones

For used homes where the manufacturer's setup instructions aren't available, Louisiana law sets minimum anchoring rules for its hurricane wind zones, including anchors rated for 4,725 pounds ultimate load (Louisiana manufactured home installation and transportation law (R.S. 51:912.21 and following)). Ask your installer how they'll anchor your home.

Local permits in Lafayette Parish

Lafayette Consolidated Government lists a Mobile Home Permit Application among the permits that need an application and approval before a permit is issued. It also lists a separate Floodplain Development Permit (Lafayette Consolidated Government, building permits). Other parishes and towns in Acadiana have their own requirements, so check with the office that covers the new address.

Moving onto a lot in a flood zone

Check the flood map for the new lot before the move date is set. Under federal installation rules, the installer has to find out whether the site sits in a special flood hazard area, and if it does, the home goes on a foundation built to limit flood damage, with outside equipment like the AC unit raised to at least the level of the home's lowest floor (24 CFR 3285.102, manufactured homes in flood hazard areas). In the City of Lafayette and unincorporated Lafayette Parish, all development needs a permit. For new homes in the flood fringe, LCG requires the lowest floor, along with the equipment that serves it, to sit at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation. LCG also has a zero net fill rule, so any fill dirt you bring in has to be offset by digging out the same volume somewhere else on the site (Lafayette Consolidated Government, building within a floodplain). A lot that needs a taller pier setup changes the quote, so tell movers if you know the lot is in a flood zone.

This page is a plain summary, not legal advice. Your mover and the local permit office have the final word on your move.