<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0304</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2012-02-18</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001358831</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>LEGACY RESERVES LP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>LGCY</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001385051</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Brown Cary D</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>303 W. WALL STREET, SUITE 1400</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>MIDLAND</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>79701</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Chairman and CEO</officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Units representing limited partner interests</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2012-02-18</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>M</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>14479</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.00</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>968744</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Units representing limited partner interests</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2012-02-18</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>14479</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>29.67</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>954265</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Units representing limited partner interests</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>4425080</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Phantom Units</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2012-02-18</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>M</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>14479</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.00</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                <footnoteId id="F6"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                <footnoteId id="F6"/>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Units</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>14479</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>69645</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F7"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Each phantom unit represents the economic equivalent of a unit representing a limited partner interest in Legacy Reserves LP.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Reflects the closing price of the units on February 17, 2012.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein, and the inclusion of these units in this report shall not be deemed an admission of beneficial ownership of all of the reported units for the purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Includes 4,301,408 units held by Moriah Properties, Ltd. (&quot;Moriah Properties&quot;), 33,672 units owned by Moriah Resources, Inc. (&quot;Moriah Resources&quot;) and 90,000 units held by Moriah Realty Partners, LLC (&quot;Moriah Realty&quot;).  Moriah Properties, Moriah Resources and Moriah Realty are entities owned and controlled by Mr. Dale A. Brown and Mr. Cary D. Brown.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Phantom units vest annually in one-third increments on February 18th of each applicable year and are payable in cash or, at the discretion of the compensation committee of the board of directors of the general partner of the Issuer, in units.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">Pursuant to the achievement of certain objective, performance-based criteria, 2,780 phantom units and 2,172 phantom units, or 32.27% each of the phantom units eligible to vest for the year ended December 31, 2011, granted on February 18, 2010 and February 18, 2011, respectively, vested.  Accordingly, the remaining aggregate 10,395 phantom units eligible to vest during 2012 with respect to the February 18, 2010 and February 18, 2011 phantom unit grants did not vest and were forfeited.  Additionally, 5,398 phantom units (the second tranche of the 2010 subjective phantom unit grant) and 4,129 phantom units (the first tranche of the 2011 subjective phantom unit grant), vested.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F7">Includes the remaining 14,013 phantom units, 21,717 phantom units and 33,915 phantom units from the phantom units granted on February 18, 2010, February 18, 2011 and February 2, 2012, respectively.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Legacy Reserves GP, LLC, the general partner of Legacy Reserves LP.</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Cary D. Brown</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-02-21</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
