State medical records law
Louisiana medical records laws
How do I get my medical records in Louisiana, and what can a provider charge?
A Louisiana health care provider must furnish copies within a reasonable time, not more than 15 days after receiving your request and signed authorization. Louisiana caps copy charges at $1 per page for the first 25 pages, $0.50 for pages 26-350 and $0.25 after that, plus one handling charge of up to $25 and actual postage; digital copies are capped at $100 plus postage. No other fees are allowed except notary fees and agreed expedited-request fees. For a patient's own request, HIPAA's reasonable, cost-based fee limit also applies.
- Response deadline
- 15 days
- Copy fees
- $1.00/page
- Retention — hospitals
- At least 10 years from discharge; X-rays and other graphic matter at least 3 years from discharge, longer if requested in writing.
How Louisiana differs from federal HIPAA
- Louisiana allows a flat handling charge and per-page fees; for a patient's own request HIPAA's cost-based limit still applies and HIPAA bars search/retrieval fees.
- Louisiana adds a $500-per-violation civil penalty and attorney-fee recovery; HIPAA has no private right of action.
- Louisiana sets retention periods (hospitals 10 years, physicians 6 years); HIPAA sets none for medical records.
How long a provider has to respond
A Louisiana health care provider must furnish copies within a reasonable time, not more than 15 days after receiving your request and signed authorization.(La. R.S. 40:1165.1)
What a provider can charge
Louisiana caps copy charges at $1 per page for the first 25 pages, $0.50 for pages 26-350 and $0.25 after that, plus one handling charge of up to $25 and actual postage; digital copies are capped at $100 plus postage. No other fees are allowed except notary fees and agreed expedited-request fees. For a patient's own request, HIPAA's reasonable, cost-based fee limit also applies.(La. R.S. 40:1165.1, 45 CFR 164.524)
- Paper copies
- $1.00/page (pages 1-25), $0.50/page (26-350), $0.25/page (over 350), plus up to $25 handling charge and actual postage
- single handling charge per request (max), plus actual postage
- Up to $25.00
- Electronic copies
- Records kept digitally must be provided digitally if requested, at the same per-page rate but capped at $100 plus actual postage; digital imaging media capped at $200 plus postage. X-ray/imaging handling charge: $20 for hospitals, $10 for other providers.
- When copies are free
- A certification page attesting to completeness is free on request. Providers may waive or reduce fees when assisting with Social Security or Medicaid applications.
A provider cannot refuse to give you your records because you owe money for treatment. Compare every state on the medical records fees by state page.
How long records must be kept
- Hospitals: At least 10 years from discharge; X-rays and other graphic matter at least 3 years from discharge, longer if requested in writing.(La. R.S. 40:2144)
- Physicians and dentists: At least 6 years from the date the patient was last treated; X-ray films and similar graphic matter at least 3 years, longer if the patient asks in writing.(La. R.S. 40:1165.1)
If a provider doesn't comply
A provider that violates the copy rules and does not correct the violation after written notice faces a civil penalty of $500 per violation plus attorney fees and costs at the court's discretion. If records must be obtained by court order or subpoena because the provider failed to furnish them, the provider is liable for reasonable attorney fees and expenses.(La. R.S. 40:1165.1)
Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
physicians (failure to surrender records on proper authorization is unprofessional conduct under Board rules) · 504-568-6820
HIPAA violations by any covered entity, within 180 days
How to request your records in Louisiana
- Ask the provider's medical records (health information) department for its request form, or write your own request with your name, date of birth, dates of care, the records you want, and the format (paper or electronic).
- Keep a copy and note the date — the 15 days clock runs from when the provider receives it.
- If the deadline passes or the bill exceeds the rules above, use the complaint routes on this page.
Templates and step-by-step help are on the records-access hub. Find a Louisiana hospital's records office, or browse hospitals in Louisiana.
Common questions about Louisiana medical records
How long does a Louisiana provider have to give me my records?
Louisiana law requires providers to furnish copies within a reasonable time, not more than 15 days after receiving the request and written authorization.(La. R.S. 40:1165.1)
How much can a Louisiana provider charge for copies?
Up to $1 per page for the first 25 pages, $0.50 for pages 26-350 and $0.25 after that, plus one handling charge of up to $25 and actual postage. Digital copies are capped at $100 plus postage. For your own records, HIPAA also limits fees to a reasonable, cost-based amount.(La. R.S. 40:1165.1, 45 CFR 164.524)
Can a Louisiana provider add other fees?
No. The statute bars any fee not specifically authorized, except notary fees and expedited-request fees agreed to by the parties. A certification page showing the records are complete must be provided free on request.(La. R.S. 40:1165.1)
How long are medical records kept in Louisiana?
Hospitals must keep records at least 10 years from discharge. Physicians and dentists must keep records at least six years from the patient's last treatment. X-rays and similar images must be kept at least three years, or longer if requested in writing.(La. R.S. 40:1165.1, La. R.S. 40:2144)
What happens if a Louisiana provider will not send my records?
If the provider does not correct a violation after written notice, it faces a civil penalty of $500 per violation plus attorney fees and costs at the court's discretion. If records have to be obtained by court order or subpoena, the provider is liable for reasonable attorney fees and expenses.(La. R.S. 40:1165.1)
Where do I complain about a Louisiana doctor who will not release my records?
The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners treats a physician's failure to surrender records on proper authorization as unprofessional conduct; complaints must be in writing (call 504-568-6820 for forms). HIPAA complaints can go to the HHS Office for Civil Rights within 180 days.(Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — FAQ on investigations and filing a complaint)
Sources
Checked against official sources on November 3, 2026.
- La. R.S. 40:1165.1 — Health care information; records (last amended Acts 2021, No. 277)
- La. R.S. 40:2144 — Hospital records and retention (last amended Acts 2018, No. 206)
- Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — FAQ on investigations and filing a complaint — Frequently Asked Questions about Investigations and Filing a Complaint
- 45 CFR 164.524 — HIPAA Privacy Rule — individual right of access