Cultural Districts Primary Logo PNG


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) & APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED 
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.

The 2025 application guidelines for new districts and boundary changes for existing districts are linked below. Please note that they may change for upcoming years and the information below is for reference only. 

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