“Louisiana criminalizes ordering food delivered to someone without consent”
TRUE! It is illegal to order food to be delivered to another person's residence without their consent, with the intent to harass.
Ordering dozens of pizzas to someone's house as a "prank" isn't just annoying—in Louisiana, it's a crime. The law was enacted to address harassment via unwanted deliveries. This can also harm the delivery drivers and restaurants who waste time and resources on fraudulent orders.
Where the story gets it wrong
This law does not actually ban sending someone a surprise pizza as a gift. All three conditions must be met simultaneously: the recipient must not have authorized the order, must be required to pay, and the sender must intend to harass. Sending food as a genuine gift that you pay for yourself is perfectly legal. The law targets harassment through unwanted cash-on-delivery orders.
Louisiana RS 14:68.6 — Unauthorized ordering of goods or services: "It is unlawful for any person to intentionally place an order for any goods or services to be supplied or delivered to another person when all of the following circumstances apply: (1) The person receiving the goods or services has not previously authorized such an order, does not reside with the person who placed the order, and the goods or services are not being given as a gift to that person. (2) The person receiving the goods or services is required to pay for such goods or services, either in advance or upon delivery and has not previously agreed to do so, or is required to return the items to the sender at his expense. (3) The person placing the order for goods or services intends to harass or annoy the person receiving such goods or services."
- Current status
- Actively Enforced
- Enacted
- January 1, 1999
- Penalty
- Fines and potential misdemeanor charges