Louisiana Act 482 grants crypto ATM refund rights starting Aug. 1
In brief
- Act 482 takes effect Aug. 1, granting refund rights for unlicensed crypto kiosk transactions in Louisiana.
- Operators must respond within 10 business days and complete refunds within 90 calendar days.
- Documentation deadlines reset the 90-day clock, giving users additional leverage against unlicensed operators.
- Louisiana law requires crypto kiosk operators to obtain proper licensing for in-state activity.
- FBI data: 144 Louisiana crypto-kiosk complaints and $2.87 million in losses during 2025.
The mechanics of Act 482
Act 482 places the cost of eligible refunds on the operator, with eligibility hinging on the operator's license status at the time of transaction. Operators must acknowledge and respond to cancellation and refund requests within 10 business days, with responses clearly disclosing all requirements for obtaining the refund.
The refund deadline is critical. A covered refund must be completed within 90 calendar days of the initial request. But here's the leverage: if the operator's policy requires documentation and the user supplies it later, the deadline resets to 90 days from that submission. That reset gives users a second bite at the apple if operators use documentation as a stalling tactic.
Licensing and fraud protections
Louisiana law treats owning, operating, soliciting, marketing, advertising, or facilitating a kiosk in the state as virtual-currency business activity subject to licensing. As of July 31, the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions listed 36 active virtual-currency business licensees.
The gap between 36 licensed operators and the volume of complaints underscores the problem. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded 144 Louisiana complaints involving cryptocurrency kiosks and $2,874,450 in adjusted losses for 2025.
For fraud-based refund requests, operators may require proof of a police or other governmental-entity report and proof of identification. That bar is higher than a simple cancellation claim, but it's still lower than what many operators might demand without the statute.
The 72-hour holdback
Louisiana's general rule requires an operator to hold a transaction for 72 hours or allow the user to cancel within 72 hours for a full refund. Act 482 preserves that protection while adding a separate, longer-term refund path for users who discover they dealt with an unlicensed operator after the 72-hour window closes.
The law also mandates that operators provide live support through a toll-free number during kiosk operating hours, with that number displayed on the machine and included on the transaction receipt. That requirement makes it harder for fly-by-night operators to disappear after a transaction.
