For a Louisiana permit application filed in 2026, check that the code analysis cites the Uniform Construction Code in LAC 17:I, Chapter 1, the 2021 IBC, IEBC, IRC, IMC, IPC, IFGC, and IECC and the 2020 NEC with Louisiana amendments, in effect since January 1, 2023 and, for the IECC, July 1, 2023. Then confirm the State Fire Marshal’s basis, which since July 2026 adds the 2015 NFPA 101 for Group E, Group I, and state buildings, and treat the 2024 codes as proposed until the Commission publishes a final rule. AI can flag conflicts; the design professional, the local building official, and the State Fire Marshal decide compliance.
Which Louisiana codes apply to a set of drawings?
Under the Building Code Adoption and Inspector Licensing Law, now La. R.S. 37:3727 through 37:3750, the Louisiana Uniform Construction Code Commission (LUCCC), created within the Office of the Governor, must evaluate, adopt, and amend only the latest editions of the IBC without Chapter 1 or Chapter 27, the IEBC without Chapter 1, the IRC without Part I (Administrative) or Part VIII (Electrical), and the IMC, IPC, IFGC, IECC, and NEC, with the standards they reference; appendices apply only where adopted by name. Section 37:3737 requires every municipality and parish to enforce only the Uniform Construction Code, using inspectors the Commission licenses, and bars local amendments to its mandatory provisions, while 37:3736 preserves local administrative ordinances and home rule charters. Section 37:3738 exempts construction inside the secured confines of listed industrial facilities, except for the plumbing code. The adopted editions and Louisiana amendments are in LAC 17:I, Chapter 1, Sections 101 to 117, which the Commission reprints with the statute in its August 1, 2026 compilation of laws and rules. Many state documents, including OSFM’s 2026 rules and checklist, still call it the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code (LSUCC).
The Commission’s construction code information sheet, revised August 6, 2026, lists the 2021 IBC, IEBC, IRC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, and IPC and the 2020 NEC as current, with the 2021 ICC codes and 2020 NEC effective January 1, 2023, the 2021 IECC effective July 1, 2023, and amendments in June 2023, November 2023, and March 2024. LAC 17:I.103 to 117 name the same editions. For the next cycle, the Commission published a Notice of Intent in the August 20, 2026 Louisiana Register (LR 52:1403–1432) proposing to replace Sections 101 to 117 with the 2024 IBC, IEBC, IRC, IMC, IPC, IFGC, and IECC and the 2023 NEC, effective January 1, 2027, with comments due September 10, 2026. Its editor’s notes record that Act 881 of the 2026 Regular Session renamed the Council and replaced R.S. 40:1730.21 through 40:1730.40.2 with R.S. 37:3727 through 37:3750, effective August 1, 2026. The October 20, 2026 Louisiana Register carries a notice of substantive changes to the proposed plumbing and electrical sections, with a public hearing on November 24, 2026. The information sheet already gives January 1, 2027 as the date the 2024 ICC editions take effect, but on October 30, 2026 the adoption was still a proposed rule. Treat the 2024 codes and the 2023 NEC as proposed until a final rule appears in the Register, and note that R.S. 37:3734 has inspectors use the codes in effect for the locality on the date of the original permit application.
OSFM reviews plans on its own authority. R.S. 40:1574 says no structure may be built, and no repair, remodeling, or addition affecting exits, stairs, seating, fire protection, or other covered construction may be made, until the fire marshal has reviewed the plans, and LAC 55:V.301 bars a parish or municipality from issuing a building permit without proof of OSFM approval, except for one- and two-family dwellings. R.S. 37:3735 has the fire marshal enforce the fire protection, egress, and accessibility provisions of the Uniform Construction Code for buildings other than one- and two-family dwellings, and lets OSFM enforce the full code for a parish or municipality by agreement, which its building code plan review page describes. OSFM rules published in the August 2026 Register (LR 52:1388–1391) revised LAC 55:V.303 so that, as of July 1, 2026, plans follow the fire protection, egress, and accessibility provisions of the latest Uniform Construction Code, with the 2015 NFPA 101 applying in addition only to Group E and Group I occupancies and state-owned buildings, and the full code for industrialized buildings and contracted building code reviews. Revised LAC 55:V.103 lists the 2015 NFPA 101, the 2021 NFPA 1 or IFC, and the 2021 Uniform Construction Code for buildings constructed or remodeled after July 1, 2026, and facilities licensed by the Department of Health also follow the 2014 FGI Guidelines where that department’s rules require them. OSFM’s plan review checklist dated July 1, 2026 matches the new rule and adds state-leased buildings to the NFPA 101 list. Accessibility changed too: R.S. 40:1733, as amended by Act 534 of 2024 effective July 1, 2026, requires IBC Chapter 11 as adopted in the Uniform Construction Code and the ICC A117.1 it references. OSFM’s codes, rules, and laws page still lists NFPA 101-2015 for all new and existing buildings, the 2010 ADA-ABA standard, and the 2021 IBC without Chapter 11, so ask OSFM which basis it applies to your submission. All checked October 30, 2026. Permit routing is on the Louisiana page, and the model codes have their own guides: IBC, IRC, IEBC, IECC, NFPA 101, and NFPA 70.
Gather the code analysis, the review routes, and each discipline’s Louisiana references
Collect what OSFM’s plan review information and July 2026 checklist ask to see: the code analysis with occupancy classification, construction type, and fire protection systems, the site plan with distances to property lines and adjacent buildings, parking and accessibility features, utilities, and the flood zone, flood hazard data with the base and design flood elevations and any ASCE 24 design statements, floor plans with each room’s use, door swings, and changes in elevation, sections, stair and railing details, door, hardware, window, and finish schedules, fire-resistance-rated assembly details, accessibility features under IBC Chapter 11 and ICC A117.1, structural design loads, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical drawings with the fire alarm, emergency lighting, and exit signs, energy compliance documentation for the 2021 IECC or ASHRAE 90.1-2019, and the specifications. Sprinkler, fire alarm, and hood suppression submittals go to OSFM under their own checklists and fees.
Add the parish or municipality and whether OSFM performs its building code review by agreement, the occupancy group and whether the state owns or leases the building, any Department of Health licensing, whether the site is inside a listed industrial facility, the planned permit application date, the professional of record the Architects Licensing Law (R.S. 37:155) requires for the occupancy and size, and, for existing buildings, the scope of work and the IEBC compliance method.
Trace the Louisiana codes through the set
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Code cycle and application date | Cover sheet, code analysis, general notes, planned permit application date, LAC 17:I | Confirm the 2021 Uniform Construction Code and the 2020 NEC are cited for applications now, and record whether a final rule moves applications on or after January 1, 2027 to the 2024 codes and the 2023 NEC. |
| Louisiana amendments | Code analysis, discipline notes, LAC 17:I.103 to 117 | Check that the set relies on the Louisiana amendments to each code, including the energy code amendments, and that any appendix it cites is one the Commission adopted by name. |
| NFPA 101 by occupancy | Occupancy data, owner, life safety plan, LAC 55:V.303 | Record whether the 2015 NFPA 101 applies in addition to the Uniform Construction Code because the building is Group E, Group I, or a state building, and flag life safety plans that omit it there or rely on it alone elsewhere. |
| Accessibility basis | Accessibility plans and details, site plan, code analysis, R.S. 40:1733 | Confirm with OSFM whether it applies IBC Chapter 11 and ICC A117.1 or the 2010 ADA Standards to the submission, and record any separate federal ADA or Fair Housing basis the owner relies on. |
| Who reviews and permits | Permit office, OSFM agreement, licensed inspector or registered private inspector | Record who performs the building code review, and confirm OSFM approval is planned before the permit application for any building other than a one- or two-family dwelling. |
| Electrical and plumbing editions | Electrical drawings, panel schedules, plumbing riser diagrams, specifications | Check that electrical notes cite the 2020 NEC and plumbing notes the 2021 IPC, each as amended, and flag 2023 NEC or 2024 IPC citations until a final rule takes effect. |
Life safety continues in the IBC Chapter 10 guide and the NFPA 101 guide, sprinkler and alarm sheets in the NFPA 13 guide and the NFPA 72 guide, licensed health care facilities in the FGI Guidelines guide, accessible details in the ICC A117.1 guide and the ADA Standards guide, flood-resistant construction in the ASCE 24 guide, the energy alternative in the ASHRAE 90.1 guide, and the full set in the architectural drawing checklist. Other Gulf states’ rules are in the Texas Accessibility Standards guide and the Florida Building Code guide.
Example: a charter school conversion drawn to the proposed codes
Hypothetical example. A design team converts a vacant one-story retail building in a Louisiana parish into a charter school, with the permit application planned for November 2026. The code analysis cites the 2024 IBC and IEBC, the electrical notes cite the 2023 NEC, the life safety plan says NFPA 101 does not apply because the project follows the IBC, the accessibility sheets cite only the 2010 ADA Standards, and the cover sheet says the plans will go straight to the parish permit office.
The code analysis and electrical notes cite the 2024 IBC and IEBC and the 2023 NEC, which the Commission has only proposed for January 1, 2027, while LAC 17:I adopts the 2021 codes and the 2020 NEC for a November 2026 application. LAC 55:V.303 applies the 2015 NFPA 101 in addition to the Uniform Construction Code for Group E occupancies, so the life safety plan’s exclusion conflicts with the stated use. R.S. 40:1733 now points to IBC Chapter 11 and ICC A117.1, while the accessibility sheets cite only the 2010 ADA Standards, and LAC 55:V.301 requires OSFM approval before the parish issues a permit. Confirm the code cycle and the OSFM basis, then coordinate the code analysis, life safety, electrical, and accessibility references.
The architect submits the plans to OSFM through its online portal, confirms with the parish building official that the 2021 codes govern the application, adds an NFPA 101 analysis for the educational occupancy, and revises the accessibility references once OSFM confirms its basis. The finding is a citation conflict; OSFM and the building official decide compliance.
Review a Louisiana set with Groundbook
Upload the current drawings and specifications to Groundbook, and state the edition, amendments, and review scope in your instructions. LAC Titles 17 and 55 are free from the Office of the State Register, and the Commission and OSFM publish their compilation, notices, and checklists. Upload LAC 17:I, Chapter 1 and LAC 55:V, Chapters 1 and 3 as code files, with the 2021 International Codes, the 2020 NEC, NFPA 101-2015, and ICC A117.1 from copies you are licensed to use where the license permits uploading them. If the application date falls on or after January 1, 2027, add the final rule and the editions it adopts instead. See how Groundbook works with local and licensed codes.
Compare the cover sheet, code analysis, and every discipline’s general notes with the architectural, life safety, accessibility, structural, mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas, electrical, fire protection, and energy documents. Flag citations to 2024 International Codes or the 2023 NEC for an application date before the supplied final rule takes effect, references that ignore a supplied Louisiana amendment, life safety plans that omit NFPA 101-2015 for a Group E, Group I, or state building, accessibility references that do not match the basis stated in my instructions, and a permit route that skips OSFM approval. Use the supplied LAC sections and codes and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the note or sheet and to the Louisiana rule or code you uploaded. It compares what the documents state; it does not decide which code cycle, accessibility basis, or reviewer applies.
Document review does not certify compliance, approve plans, or replace the design professional, the local building official, the Office of State Fire Marshal, or the Uniform Construction Code Commission.