New Orleans, LA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 18-14
- Fence height
- Minimum 4 feet, secure and enclosed
- Off-property rule
- Secure leash, licensed and vaccinated dog
- Exempt zone
- NOLA Bark off-leash area, City Park
- Tether curfew
- No unsupervised tethering 11 p.m.–6 a.m.
- Max penalty
- $500 fine / 6 months, § 18-18(b)
Summary
City Code § 18-14 requires every cat and dog to stay inside a secure four-foot fence or on a proper tether unless the owner is present, and licensed, vaccinated dogs off the property must be on a secure leash. Designated dog parks and the NOLA Bark off-leash area are exempt.
Sec. 18-14. - Cats and dogs to be confined, exceptions. (a)Except as provided herein below, all cats and dogs are to be confined within a secure, enclosed fence that is a minimum of four feet tall and shelter as outlined in section 18-2.1(a)(1) or properly tethered as outlined in section 18-2.1(b) at all times, unless accompanied by an owner, driver or keeper.(b)Dogs which are properly licensed and vaccinated as stipulated in this chapter may be allowed outside of an enclosure if under a secure leash and accompanied by their owner or keeper but are not to be allowed to trespass upon any public property, if so prohibited by another ordinance, or upon private property. Designated dog parks or "off-leash" areas are exempt from the provisions of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 116 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
1(b), at all times unless the owner, driver, or keeper is present. Section 18-14(b) then covers dogs off that property: a dog that is "properly licensed and vaccinated" under the chapter may leave the enclosure only "under a secure leash and accompanied by their owner or keeper," and may not trespass on public property where prohibited or on private property. Designated dog parks and off-leash areas are carved out, and the code specifically names the NOLA Bark area of City Park (bounded by Zachary Taylor Drive, Diagonal Drive, and Magnolia Drive) as an exempt off-leash zone.
m. Intact dogs may never be tethered. A separate provision at § 18-14(e) bars dogs, other than parade dogs, K-9 units, and service animals, from coming within 200 yards of a scheduled parade route for the hour before, during, and after the parade.
Violations & Fines
Violations of Chapter 18's confinement and leash rules are enforced as a public health and environmental ordinance under § 18-18(a), subject to civil administrative adjudication under Chapter 6. Where no lesser penalty is specified, § 18-18(b) sets a misdemeanor fine of up to $500.00, up to six months' imprisonment, and/or community service, plus the cost of the agency's care for any impounded dog. An animal picked up while running at large can also be impounded under § 18-58, and it will not be released until the full impound fee is paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my dog need to be leashed in my own fenced yard in New Orleans?
Can I walk my dog off-leash in New Orleans?
Is chaining a dog to a stake legal in New Orleans?
What if my unleashed dog is picked up by animal control?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Orleans
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