Animal Ordinances in New Orleans, LA

If you live in New Orleans or are thinking about moving there, animal ordinances are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. New Orleans has 9 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of animal ordinances, and some of them might surprise you.

Chickens & Livestock

New Orleans allows backyard hens: the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance permits up to six chickens as an accessory use without an acreage requirement. Roosters are prohibited citywide, a 2013 amendment classified roosters among wild/exotic animals that may not be kept.

Key details: Hens allowed: Up to six chickens (accessory). Roosters: Prohibited citywide. Livestock lot minimum: One (1) acre. Zoning authority: CZO Sec. 20.3.C.7. Rooster removal: ~15 days to relocate.

Keeping a rooster violates Ch. 18; owner must relocate within about 15 days or the LA/SPCA impounds the bird. Livestock causing odor, noise, drainage, or pest problems is a public nuisance and Ordinance violation.

Bird Protection

City Code § 18-341 bans molesting, killing, trapping, hunting, or robbing the nests of any bird in a public square, park, or one of the code's 16 named bird sanctuaries. Section 18-339 separately bars letting pigeons run at large anywhere in the city.

Key details: Sanctuary rule: No killing/molesting birds, § 18-341(a). Named sanctuaries: 16 designated areas listed in § 18-341. Pigeon at-large ban: City-wide, § 18-339. Jackson Square feeding fine: Up to $25.00, § 18-340(c). General bird-harm penalty: Up to $500 fine / 6 months, § 18-18(b).

Killing, molesting, or nest-robbing in a public square, park, or bird sanctuary under § 18-341 falls under Chapter 18's general penalty at § 18-18(b): a misdemeanor fine of up to $500.00, up to six months' imprisonment, and/or community service. The Jackson Square feeding ban under § 18-340(c) has its own dedicated, lighter penalty: it "shall be enforced by summons" issued by police or Vieux Carré Commission agents, with "a fine of not more than $25.00," returnable to municipal court.

Exotic Pets

New Orleans Code § 18-7 flatly bans keeping any wild or exotic animal as a pet inside city limits, and § 18-8 bars offering one for sale as a pet. The only carve-out is a sale between accredited zoos or educational institutions that meet state and federal rules.

Key details: Governing section: City Code §§ 18-7, 18-8. Rule: No wild/exotic animal may be kept as a pet. Sale ban: Wild/exotic pets may not be offered for sale. Exception: Zoo-to-zoo or school-to-school transfer only. Max penalty: $500 fine, 6 months, Code §18-18(b).

A violation of Chapter 18, including keeping a prohibited wild or exotic pet, is punished under the chapter's general penalty section, § 18-18(b): a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $500.00, imprisonment of up to six months, and/or community service, plus the cost of feeding and keeping any seized animal under § 18-56. The presiding municipal court judge can also impose any other sanction needed to protect public health, safety, or the animal's well-being. A ferocious animal that cannot be safely captured may be destroyed under § 18-10 rather than merely impounded.

This is one of the stricter rules in New Orleans's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Mandatory Spay/Neuter

City Code § 18-306 requires every dog over six months old to be spayed or neutered unless the owner holds an intact-dog permit. Division 5 backs the mandate with escalating per-dog fines: up to $100 for a first violation, $250 for a second, and impoundment plus $500 for a third.

Key details: Mandate: Spay/neuter required over 6 months, § 18-306. Intact permit fee: $75.00 initial + $20.00 annual renewal. 1st violation fine: Up to $100.00 per dog. 2nd violation fine: Up to $250.00 per dog. 3rd+ violation: Impoundment + up to $500.00 per dog.

Section 18-311(a) sets the fine ladder directly: "A violation of this division 5 shall be an infraction punishable by a fine not to exceed $100.00 per dog for the first violation, a fine not to exceed $250.00 per dog upon a second violation, and impoundment along with a fine not to exceed $500.00 per dog upon the third and subsequent violations." If an owner doesn't show proof of a permit or of spay/neuter within 15 days of a first citation, § 18-311(b) adds another violation. On a third violation the dog is impounded, and under § 18-311(c) the owner must either pay a surgery deposit or get a permit within ten days or relinquish the dog to the agency. A late permit renewal adds a $10.00-per-day fee under § 18-311(d), and § 18-311(e) lets the agency waive fees that would cause extreme financial hardship.

This is one of the stricter rules in New Orleans's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Cat Rules

New Orleans exempts sterilized, ear-tipped "community cats" from licensing and confinement, but every privately owned indoor/outdoor cat must be microchipped or ear-tipped under § 18-14(c), and any cat over four months old must carry current rabies vaccination under §§ 18-168–18-169.

Key details: Community cat exemption: No license/registration if ear-tipped, § 18-1. Owned-cat rule: Microchip or ear-tip required, § 18-14(c). Rabies vaccination: Required over 4 months old, § 18-169. Revaccination cycle: 12 months, then every 36 months, § 18-168. Ear-tip mark: About 1/4 inch off left ear tip.

General Chapter 18 violations, including failing to microchip/ear-tip a privately owned cat or keep rabies vaccination current, are punished under § 18-18(b) as a misdemeanor: a fine of up to $500.00, up to six months' imprisonment, and/or community service, with the presiding judge able to add other sanctions in the animal's interest. Nuisance complaints against a community cat caregiver must be resolved, and any repairs the cat caused to private property are the registered caregiver's responsibility under § 18-14(d), before the caregiver's release rights continue.

Breed Restrictions

New Orleans has no breed ban. City Code § 18-294 expressly says the municipal court judge classifying a dog as potentially dangerous, dangerous, or vicious "shall not base the determination on the breed of the dog": classification turns solely on the dog's own bite or attack history.

Key details: Breed test: Judge may not use breed, City Code §18-294(b). Classification basis: Bite/attack history, evaluated case-by-case. Dangerous-dog fee: $100.00 annual inspection fee, §18-297(k). Leash limit (potentially dangerous): 6-foot leash, §18-296(b). Sign size: Minimum 8"×11" warning sign, §18-297(j).

Section 18-293(a) makes it unlawful to keep or permit to be kept any dog classified as vicious anywhere in Orleans Parish. A dangerous-dog owner who fails to meet the § 18-297 enclosure, muzzle, spay/neuter, signage, or fee requirements is subject to Chapter 18's general penalty under § 18-18(b): up to a $500.00 fine, up to six months' imprisonment, and/or community service. Under § 18-297(g), the owner must also pay any court-adjudicated medical damages to a bite victim, and if unable to pay, the dog becomes property of the agency.

Pet Store Rules

New Orleans does not ban pet stores from selling dogs or cats, but § 18-15 requires all rabbits sold or adopted in Orleans Parish to be spayed or neutered first, bans raffling or giving away any animal as a prize, and forces retail sellers to keep 12 months of source and health records on every animal sold.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 18-15. Rabbit rule: Spay/neuter required before sale or adoption. Raffle ban: No animal as a prize/premium at any event. Record retention: 12 months, source and health certificate. Dye ban: No sale of artificially colored animals, §18-16.

Willful failure to comply with § 18-15's spay/neuter or recordkeeping requirements may result in a citation under § 18-18(b), which sets a misdemeanor fine of up to $500.00, imprisonment of up to six months, and/or community service for chapter violations without a specific lesser penalty. The presiding municipal court judge may add further sanctions to protect animal welfare in connection with the proceeding.

Wildlife Feeding

New Orleans makes it unlawful to feed pigeons or any bird within the four-block area around Jackson Square bounded by Decatur, St. Peter, Royal and St. Ann Streets. Tossing bread, popcorn, seed or similar food on the ground there draws a police or Vieux Carré Commission summons and a fine capped at $25.00 per offense.

Key details: Zone: Decatur, St. Peter, Royal & St. Ann Sts. Max fine: $25.00 per violation. Enforcement: NOPD or Vieux Carré Commission summons. Exception: Health-dept-authorized contraceptive feeding programs. Related rule: §18-339 bars pigeons at large citywide.

Feeding birds in the designated Jackson Square zone is enforced by summons, not arrest. Police officers and Vieux Carré Commission inspectors, who hold citation power for this section alone, issue the summons on the spot, and the matter returns to municipal court. The fine tops out at $25.00 per violation. Feeding caged animals in a city zoo or park under Section 18-11 is a separate offense, prosecuted under the Code's general penalty provisions.

Compared to other cities, New Orleans takes a harder line on wildlife feeding. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Dog Leash Laws

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.

Key details: 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..

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.

The Bottom Line

New Orleans is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 9 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in New Orleans, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that New Orleans can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.