Short version: Since August 1, 2026, a Louisiana high school athlete's right to earn from their name is in state law, not just an association statement. Act 810 adds a parent's written consent under 18, the proposed deal shown to the school before signing, and nine categories that are off limits.
Louisiana already allowed high school deals. Since April 7, 2022, a position statement from the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, the LHSAA, has said its bylaws "do not prohibit student athletes from engaging in certain commercial activities in their individual capacities."
That was the whole rule. No reporting, no list of banned products, and room for a school or district to say no on its own. KNOE reported that the old rules let individual schools or districts bar athletes from signing commercial deals.
What the legislature passed
HB 513, by Rep. Rashid Young, passed the House 91-0 on May 7, 2026 and the Senate 35-0 on May 27. The House agreed to the Senate's changes 95-0 on May 29. It became Act 810 and took effect August 1, 2026.
It adds a new section to state law, R.S. 17:3705. The first line is the permission: "An interscholastic athlete may earn compensation for the use of his name, image, and likeness, subject to compliance with the provisions of this Section." Interscholastic means high school sports.
What schools can't do anymore
No high school, athletic association or conference may stop an athlete from earning on their name, except as the section allows. None may stop an athlete from having an agent or a lawyer for it.
And none may declare an athlete ineligible "solely because he earns compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness." The association can't punish a school for it either.
Before August 1, a school could say no to an athlete's deal. Now the law says when it can.
What schools still can do
The law lists the limits a school keeps. It can bar deal work during class, practice, games, travel and other official team activities. It can bar a deal that "materially conflicts with an existing high school agreement related to interscholastic athletics."
The school's name and look stay the school's. No facilities, uniforms, logos or trademarks in a deal unless the school allows it.
The conditions that come with it
Under 18, a deal is "valid only if executed with the written consent of his parent or legal guardian." Without that signature, the contract doesn't hold.
Before signing, the athlete shows the proposed deal to the school, "in a manner prescribed by the high school." If it clashes with a school agreement, the school has to share the terms that clash. The law sets no number of days, so each school's own process decides the how.
Nine categories are off limits: adult entertainment, alcohol, cannabis other than hemp, gambling and sports betting, controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, performance-enhancing drugs, tobacco and vaping products, and weapons.
What stayed the same
Pay for playing is still out. LHSAA Bylaw 1.25 still bars any salary beyond actual expenses, pay "in consideration of, or as a reward for, participating in any sport," and pay for appearing at a game. The new law is about your name, not your play.
The people around the deal changed too. Act 895 of 2026 treats paid NIL advice to a Louisiana high school athlete as agent work, which means registering with the Attorney General.
Every condition is on our Louisiana high school page, quoted from the statute.
What Leave does with this
If you're 13 to 17, a parent or guardian creates your Leave account and is your Teammate until 18. Every deal in Leave carries a rules summary for your state, your level and your age.
For Louisiana, that summary now says the proposed deal goes to the school before signing. There's no day count in the law, so Leave shows the line without a countdown. Leave takes 0 percent of anything you sign, and you decide what to sign.
Questions people ask
Do Louisiana high school athletes have to tell their school about a deal?
Yes, before signing. R.S. 17:3705(G) says the athlete discloses the proposed agreement to the high school where the athlete is enrolled, in a manner the school prescribes. The law sets no number of days.
Can a Louisiana school stop an athlete from signing a deal?
Not from earning on their name as such. No school or athletic association may prohibit it, except as the law allows, or declare the athlete ineligible solely for it. A school can limit deals during official team activities, refuse the use of its logos and facilities, and bar a deal that conflicts with an existing school agreement.
Does a parent have to sign in Louisiana?
For an athlete under 18, yes. The agreement is valid only if executed with the written consent of a parent or legal guardian.
Be your own agent. Leave.