When any person desires to enter or purchase lands belonging to the state, including public lands donated by congress to the state of Louisiana known as swamp and overflowed lands, internal improvements, indemnity lands, or dried lake lands, or to similar lands of any levee board thereof, and properties adjudicated to the state for nonpayment of taxes during tax years 1880 through 1973, he shall make application to purchase, and deposit with the register of the state land office, or in the case of lands of any levee board, with the president of the levee board, an amount determined by the register of the state land office to be sufficient to cover the expense of advertising as evidence of good faith.  Should the applicant at the sale provided for in this Chapter fail to purchase the land, then the money so deposited shall be returned to him; provided that should no one at the sale bid up to the minimum price stipulated in this Chapter, then the money shall be retained to pay the expense of the sale.

Amended by Acts 1960, No. 568, §1; Acts 2010, No. 282, §1.