Shreveport, LA Accessory Structures: Carport Rules (2026)

Carports in Shreveport are regulated as accessory structures under Section 7.3 of the Unified Development Code. The UDC defines a carport as an open-sided roofed vehicle shelter, usually formed by extension of the roof from the side of a building. To qualify under the carport standards, the structure must (1) sit over a driveway, (2) remain entirely open on at least two sides except for necessary supporting columns and customary architectural features, and (3) be a permanent structure - portable tent or fabric canopy structures do not qualify as carports under Shreveport's code regardless of size. Maximum length is 20 feet and maximum height is 10 feet. Carports are permitted only in the interior side yard, corner side yard, or rear yard, never in the front yard of a typical residential lot (waterfront lots have separate rules under Article 7). Carports count toward the residential lot's accessory-structure coverage limits and are subject to the same general rear-yard accessory standard, which allows attached or detached residential accessory structures as close as five feet from the rear lot line, excluding eaves. A building permit and zoning sign-off through the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission are required before construction. Enclosing a carport on more than two sides converts it into a garage and triggers garage standards (including the 16-foot, one-story height limit for accessory structures).