From July 2026 the state construction code, not NFPA 101, governs Louisiana plan review
From July 2026 the state construction code, not NFPA 101, governs Louisiana plan review
2026-09-10 · Louisiana · Regulation
What happened. The Office of State Fire Marshal amended LAC 55:V.301, 303 and 307, repealed §305, and swapped the standard against which Louisiana plans are reviewed. The Rule was adopted on promulgation in the Louisiana Register of August 20, 2026, at pages 1388 to 1389, and the standard it sets applies from July 1, 2026 by the rule's own terms.
For a community association this is not an abstraction. An association building or remodelling a clubhouse, a gatehouse, a pool building or a condominium common element goes through Fire Marshal plan review, because the rule exempts only one- and two-family dwellings.
The new standard
“§303. Plans and Specifications for New Buildings A. As of July 1, 2026, the plans and specifications for every structure built or remodeled in the state of Louisiana shall be submitted for review and must be drawn in accordance with the applicable requirements of the following publications: 1. the fire protection, egress, and accessibility provisions of the most recently adopted and amended Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code (LSUCC) by the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council, and of the standards referenced therein;”
NFPA 101 survives, but only for a narrow class:
“2. in addition, the 2015 edition of the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code (excluding chapters 5 and 43, which may be used as a basis for equivalency determinations), and the publications referenced therein, shall apply for Group E and Group I occupancies as defined by the LSUCC, and for state owned buildings;”
Group E is educational and Group I is institutional. A residential condominium is neither, so for association work the operative standard is now the state construction code.1
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Related Louisiana HOA Topics
- Louisiana Register Vol. 52, No. 8 (August 20, 2026) — OSFM Rules at pp. 1388–1390 ↩
- Louisiana Register Vol. 52, No. 5 (May 20, 2026) — Notice of Intent at p. 844 ↩
- Lake Terrace Property Owners Ass’n v. City of New Orleans, BZA, No. 2024-CA-0577 c/w 0758 (La. App. 4 Cir. Feb. 18, 2025) — slip opinion ↩
- Office of State Fire Marshal — Plan Review: Codes, Rules and Laws ↩
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