LA Alert System FAQs and Laws

Only law enforcement agencies may request an alert.

Step 1: Local Law Enforcement Investigates

When an individual is reported missing, the local law enforcement agency investigates the circumstances to determine whether an alert is appropriate.

• AMBER Alert: Used when a child 17 years of age or younger has been abducted and is believed to be in imminent danger.
• Silver Alert: Used when a senior adult or person with developmental disabilities is missing and may be at risk.
• Level II Alert: Used for missing children who do not meet AMBER Alert criteria but are considered endangered, including children with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Investigators verify the circumstances, evaluate the individual's level of risk, and determine whether sufficient descriptive information is available to assist in locating the missing person.

Step 2: Local Law Enforcement Submits a Request

Agencies contact the Louisiana State Police Fusion Center at 1-800-434-8007 to advise that an alert request will be submitted.

Requests may be submitted by:

• Online reporting form
• Email
• Fax

Every request should include:

• Complete information about the missing person
• A recent digital photograph
• Information about any suspected abductor, if applicable

After submitting the request, the agency should contact the Fusion Center again to confirm receipt.

Step 3: Request Review and Alert Issuance

Louisiana State Police reviews the submitted information to determine whether the request meets the criteria for the requested alert.

If approved:

• Alert information is prepared for statewide dissemination.
• Louisiana State Police Command Staff, on-duty Troopers, and statewide law enforcement partners are notified.
• Media outlets and statewide partners are notified.
• Department of Transportation message boards are activated when appropriate.

AMBER Alerts and Silver Alerts are also forwarded to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) for national dissemination.

Step 4: Status Updates

The requesting law enforcement agency provides updates to Louisiana State Police until the missing person has been safely located. Timely updates help ensure alert information remains accurate and increases the likelihood of a successful recovery.

Following the initial activation, the AMBER Alert is broadcast every 20 minutes during the first three hours and every 30 minutes during the following two hours.

Local broadcast stations may choose to rebroadcast the message more frequently and determine the schedule after the initial five-hour period.

Once Louisiana State Police receives official notification that the child has been safely located, an end-of-alert message is issued to cancel the AMBER Alert.

If a case does not meet Louisiana's AMBER Alert criteria, it may qualify for a Level II Endangered and Missing Child Advisory.

Louisiana State Police distributes the available information to media outlets statewide. The requesting law enforcement agency and its contact information are listed as the public point of contact.

If additional information becomes available that satisfies AMBER Alert criteria, the advisory may be upgraded to an AMBER Alert.

Unlike an AMBER Alert, a Level II Advisory does not activate the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and does not interrupt television or radio programming.

Custodial disputes generally do not qualify for an AMBER Alert because the program is intended for situations in which there is credible evidence that a child has been abducted and is in imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death.

A custodial dispute may qualify if credible evidence develops indicating the child's safety is at risk. Law enforcement evaluates each case individually using established AMBER Alert activation criteria.

Contact your local law enforcement agency immediately.

The first 24 hours are often the most critical in locating a missing child.

• If the child is missing from home, thoroughly search the residence, including closets, under beds, inside vehicles, and other places where a child could hide or fall asleep.
• If the child disappears while away from home, immediately notify store management or on-site security and ask for assistance while contacting law enforcement.
• If your child has run away, contact friends or others who may know their plans and provide that information to investigators.
• Stay as calm as possible when speaking with law enforcement. Identify yourself, provide your location, and request that an officer respond.
• Be prepared to provide your child's name, age, height, weight, date of birth, clothing description, and any distinguishing characteristics such as glasses, braces, scars, or piercings.
• Listen carefully to instructions from responding officers and answer all questions as accurately as possible.
• Request that your child be entered immediately into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing Person File, as required by state and federal law.
• Contact the Louisiana Clearinghouse for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-434-8007.
• Contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), more than 400,000 children are reported missing each year in the United States.

The largest category involves endangered runaways, followed by family abductions and children who are lost, injured, or otherwise missing. Non-family abductions represent the smallest category but often involve the highest level of danger.

As of December 31, 2024, more than 1,268 children have been safely recovered nationwide because of AMBER Alert activations.

Since Louisiana implemented its AMBER Alert Plan, there have been 23 AMBER Alert activations through November 1, 2025.

Bryan's Call was established in memory of Bryan Vasquez, a 12-year-old non-verbal child who went missing in New Orleans in 2025 and was later found deceased.

Signed into law in 2026, Bryan's Call strengthens Louisiana's procedures for issuing alerts involving children and adults with developmental or cognitive impairments.

The legislation is intended to improve public safety by providing for the rapid dissemination of information when vulnerable individuals are reported missing.

Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters take the AMBER Alert Program seriously and will not tolerate abuse or misuse of the system.

Due to the increasing number of exaggerated or false reports submitted to trigger an AMBER Alert, the Louisiana Legislature amended L.R.S. 14:403.3, effective August 15, 2005.

The statute requires law enforcement agencies receiving a missing child report to:

• Immediately enter the child into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).
• Notify appropriate state and local agencies.
• Coordinate with other law enforcement agencies as needed.

The statute also establishes criminal penalties for:

• Knowingly filing a false missing child report.
• Providing false information intended to delay or hinder an investigation.

1. Recognizes the need to use all available forms of communication to distribute information regarding child abductions.
2. Requires the Louisiana Lottery Corporation to work with Louisiana State Police to display AMBER Alert information on lottery terminals throughout the state.
3. Authorizes the transmission of additional emergency information when necessary during state or national emergencies.

Louisiana's statewide AMBER Alert System is a cooperative effort involving Louisiana State Police, local law enforcement agencies, broadcasters, telecommunications providers, the Louisiana Lottery, and other public safety partners.

The law establishes procedures for distributing emergency alert information through the Emergency Alert System (EAS), broadcast media, cable providers, lottery terminals, and other participating partners.

The statute further provides civil liability protections for participating agencies, broadcasters, telecommunications providers, lottery retailers, and other authorized partners acting in good faith while distributing AMBER Alert information.

Louisiana law requires the development of educational programs designed to reduce child abductions before they occur.

The Pre-AMBER Alert Action Plan includes programs to:

• Educate parents on preventing child abductions.
• Teach children personal safety practices.
• Encourage families to maintain current photographs and identifying information.
• Promote partnerships with private organizations to distribute missing child information.

The Department of Public Safety and Corrections may adopt administrative rules necessary to implement these programs as funding allows.