Crime Victims’ Compensation
This section describes a Louisiana state program to pay victim-survivors back for money they spent resulting from a violent crime (with restrictions). Other states also have these programs.
Click Here for our expanded guide to Louisiana’s Crime Victims’ Compensation Program.
The State of Louisiana has a special fund to financially assist a victim of crime (and/or family members), if eligible, for medical, funeral, lost wages, relocation, and other expenses. Monies come from federal funds, and state fines and fees (See La R.S. 46:1801). Each parish has a local representative you should contact to learn more. The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office handles this for Orleans Parish; you can call and make an appointment with the representative.
Note: Act 684 (HB969) of the 2026 legislative session, sponsored by Rep. Wiley, changed the program’s name from “Crime Victims Reparations (CVR)” to “Crime Victims’ Compensation (CVC)”.
Act 684 made other program changes, including expanding the application filing period from one year to three years after a crime, removing catastrophic property damage, and changing documentation requirements. These changes were not in effect at the time of printing but are noted in this section and will likely apply to crimes that happened after a specific date in 2026.
Previously, in 2022, Act 487 incorporated changes for crimes that occurred after May 1, 2023, increasing the overall reimbursement cap, expanding documentation options, and compelling the board to favor partial awards rather than full denials.
The Sheriff’s Office (OPSO) handles applications for Orleans as the Parish Claims Investigator. For applications outside Orleans, refer to this website for contact information for your parish contact.
Application assistance from criminal legal system advocates: NOPD’s Victim/Witness Unit if you reported the crime to police but there has not yet been an arrest, or the DA’s Victim/Witness Unit if you reported to police and there has already been an arrest.
Assistance from community advocates: Homicide or firearm violence: SilenceIsViolence; homicide (funerals): Wake; DV or IPV: NOFJC; and sexual violence: STAR.
You can find application forms online, or through your parish contact. Forms need to be submitted on a timely basis and are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Because a lot of documentation can be needed, you may want to contact the Claims Investigator or the other contacts above before trying to fill them out yourself.
General Info & Eligibility: The program is handled by the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (LCLE). The crime must occur in Louisiana, or involve a Louisiana resident who becomes a victim in another state that does not have a similar program. Refer to Louisiana Revised Statutes La. R.S. 46:1805 or the CVR/CVC program website for more details about the program, summarized below:
Crimes that qualify: Crimes (including misdemeanors), where there is a use of force or threat of use of force, and result in personal injury (which can be mental or physical), or death. Human trafficking or sexually oriented criminal offenses are also eligible, as are vehicle related incidents which are considered crimes (intentional, hit and run, drivers fleeing law enforcement or impaired).
Who may not be eligible: Those who were incarcerated when the crime occurred or engaged in illegal activity at the time; an accomplice of the person who committed the crime; a victim whose own behavior contributed to the crime [in those cases benefits may be reduced or denied, but there is an appeals process].
Please note that CVR/CVC is a payer of last resort, meaning you must exhaust all other payment sources (e.g. insurance), and they will not pay back money that other sources have already paid.
The program will only reimburse you for qualifying out-of-pocket expenses that have documentation.
Applications can take months to process.
Filing your Forms: The application for reimbursement must be filed with LCLE within one year (2026 Act 684 increased this to 3 years), but exceptions can be made in some situations, for example, if the victim was not aware of or told about the program.
For sexual assault applications, time limits for reporting and filing do not apply.
Emergency funds: You may be eligible for up to $1,000, if qualified. The money should be paid out quickly (within a few weeks). You must fill out the forms on a timely basis.
Each case has an overall limit of $15,000 (or $25,000 if a permanent disability results from the crime).
Eligible expenses and current limits are listed below. The figures below are guidelines (not guarantees):
Reasonable medical, prescription, and dental expenses (up to $15,000 for crimes after May 1, 2023; previous crimes $10,000). This includes Forensic Medical Exams or FMEs for sexual assault. Unlike other medical bills, bills for FME’s are sent directly from the hospitals to CVR, so the victim should NOT be billed.
Mental health counseling (up to $2,500, but you can apply for an additional $2,500 with documentation).
Funeral expenses (up to $6,500 for crimes occurring after May 1, 2023; previous crimes $5,000).
Loss of earnings or support (up to $15,000 for crimes occurring after May 1, 2023; previous crimes $10,000).
Childcare expenses (if they’ve increased due to the crime).
Crime Scene cleanup (up to $2,500).
Reasonable replacement costs (for items taken as evidence or made unusable as a result of the criminal investigation).
Catastrophic property loss for an owned primary home destroyed by a criminal act (up to $15,000 for crimes occurring after May 1, 2023; previous crimes $10,000). Note: Catastrophic property loss was removed in 2026 by Act 684, so these claims will no longer be eligible.
Relocation (up to $5,000 per head of household).
Total claim limit is $15,000 (or $25,000 if a permanent disability).
You may need the following documents in order to complete the forms (in the event of a death):
NOPD incident report or item number (the CVR Claims Investigator can obtain this if you don’t have access).
New regulations may allow an accredited professional, other than law enforcement, to provide documentation that a crime has occurred; talk to your Parish Claims Investigator.
Newspaper article(s) about the incident (if applicable).
Any receipts for funeral, burial, or cremation expenses.
A copy of life and/or burial insurance policy (if applicable).
A copy of the itemized bill for the funeral costs.
A copy of the death certificate.
Victim’s and claimant’s social security cards.
Claimant’s valid driver’s license or ID.
You may need the following documents in order to complete the forms (in the event of assault and/or injury):
NOPD incident report or item number.
There are other options for providing documentation that a crime has occurred; talk to your Parish Claims Investigator.
Newspaper article(s) about the incident (if applicable).
Itemized bills for medical care.
Any medical insurance information / insurance card.
Receipts for out-of-pocket medical payments (attach applicable bills or cross reference to a numbered list).
If you have medical insurance, copies of explanations of benefits to indicate what portion of any bills were paid by insurance.
Documentation of medical mileage (if 20+ miles away).
For sexual assault victims: You should not get any bill for your FME (forensic medical exam), and if you do, let your Claims Investigator know.
Completed forms are sent from the Parish Claims Investigator directly to the LCLE in Baton Rouge. You can call their office to confirm that the forms have been received. Please be advised that this process can be very lengthy. The best option is to get in touch with the claims investigator in your parish. For New Orleans, this number is: (504) 202-9229. Emergency funds of up to $1,000 are also available and are usually processed more quickly.
Board Meetings are held monthly on the second Tuesday of every month at 602 N 5th St, Baton Rouge, at which cases are decided by the 12-member Board. You are allowed to attend when you know your case is being heard. You are entitled to speak briefly to the Board. You can appeal a denial of your claim, but reversals are rare.
Many (if not most) patients are eligible for income-based medical bill adjustments from local hospitals:
Visit our website for links to many local hospital groups’ financial assistance policies, and/or call them directly: www.crimesurvivorsnola.org/hospital-financial-assistance.
For medical expenses other than a sexual assault or Forensic Medical Exams (FME), you are required to first use your health insurance, if applicable.