Louisiana Law: Are Lemonade Stands Kids Construct Illegal?

(Lafayette, Louisiana) - The heat is on in the Deep South, and summer here not only brings out the insects, but it also brings out kids near the side of the road.

If you drive through neighborhoods in Louisiana during the summer, while kids are out of school, you may notice a few young entrepreneurs selling lemonade in their yards. Heck, you and your friends may have done so as kids, too.

But, are these lemonade stands or "small businesses" legal in Louisiana?

As you're probably aware, whenever you open a business, you have to obtain licenses, permits, and pay taxes to be in good standing. But what if a child decides to sell lemonade from their front yard or park?

Like any other business, the kid is selling a product and making a profit; are they legally required to follow the laws applicable to companies? I thought about this when I saw kids in my neighborhood selling lemonade on a hot day, so I looked it up.

After a quick search, I found that kids in Louisiana can legally set up and sell lemonade from their yards. The Lemonade Stand Law, which Louisiana and other states have passed, does not require kids to get a health permit.

Additionally, a law passed in 2016 in Louisiana exempts children selling lemonade from needing an occupational license for businesses with annual sales under $500.

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While we may have some weird laws on the books in our state, I applaud lawmakers for allowing kids to be kids and for allowing them to learn how to operate a small business. You never know if a kid in your neighborhood will one day become a multi-millionaire because of the experience he or she gains while pouring out lemonade.

According to a story posted by WGNO in 2019, Louisiana is one of only 14 states that allow children to legally operate a lemonade stand, while 36 others deem it an illegal form of business.

So, if you see a lemonade stand in Acadiana, pull over and support the kids, they're certainly doing the right thing.