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Application & Guidelines

Cultural District Certification Process Timeline

Local governments may designate a geographic area and apply to the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism for certification as a Cultural District.

Potential applicants should review the guidelines carefully for program specifications and application procedures including:

  • Criteria for certification
  • Important details about the tax incentives
  • Definitions of terms
  • Timeframes and deadlines
  • Instruction about how to apply
  • Annual reporting requirements
LOIs (LETTERS OF INTEREST) WILL BE ACCEPTED BEGINNING MAY 1, 2025.

Please note that Cultural District applications are comprised of a two part process - LOI Phase and Application Phase. When the LOI phase opens, Local Governing Authorities (LGAs) can submit an LOI through Submittable. Please arrange a meeting with the Director of Civic Design & Cultural Districts, Francesca Vega (fvega@crt.la.gov or 225-342-8161) prior to seeking certification for a proposed district or requesting a boundary change.

Application guidelines for new districts and boundary changes for existing districts are linked below. 

LOI Phase: 
Application Phase:
If selected based on the LOI, applicants will proceed to the second part of the application process, which entails a full application. 



 For questions or assistance, please email fvega@crt.la.gov
 
 

 

Helpful Links

Sunset Report
OLG & DCRT Strategic Plan
2020-21 through 2024-25
Louisiana State Seal
 
©2025 Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism